文档内容
2024—2025 学年度第二学期期中考试高二年级英语试题
试卷总分：150分 考试时间：120分钟
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分 30 分）
第一节（共 5 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 7.5 分）
听下面 5 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。听完每段对话后，你都有 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。
1. How can the man improve his article?
A. By deleting unnecessary words.
B. By adding a couple of points.
C. By correcting grammar mistakes.
2. How much will the man pay?
A. $20. B. $80. C. $100.
3. What does the man do?
A. He is a tailor. B. He is a waiter. C. He is a shop assistant.
4. What is the probable relationship between the speakers?
A. Husband and wife. B. Manager and assistant. C. Driver and policewoman.
5. What are the speakers talking about?
A.Ways of cooking.
B. Healthy food for kids.
C. Kids helping in the kitchen.
第二节（共 15 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 22.5 分）
听下面 5 段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个
选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，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。每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第6 段材料，回答第 6、7 题。
6. What did the woman eat last time in this restaurant?
A. Pizza. B. Spaghetti. C. Lasagna.
7. Why does the man order the fish?
A. His colleague advised him to taste it.
B. The fish in the picture looks tasty.
C. He loves dishes made with fish.
听第 7 段材料，回答第 8 至 10 题。
8. Where does the conversation probably take place?A. At a college. B. At Maria’s place. C. In a bookstore.
9. What is Maria’s major?
A. French. B. Computer Science. C. Hotel Management.
10. What does Dave do to cover his living costs?
A. He applies for a scholarship.
B. He asks his parents for money.
C. He does a part-time job.
听第8 段材料，回答第 11 至 13 题。
11. What subject do the speakers both struggle with?
A. Physics. B. Biology. C. Chemistry.
12. Why can’t Alex join the speakers’ study group?
A. He has joined another study group.
B. He has to look after his sick mother.
C. He is preparing for a competition.
13. Which word best describes Owen?
A. Humorous. B. Boring. C. Patient.
听第9 段材料，回答第 14 至 17 题。
14. What’s the purpose of the activity?
A. To encourage people to protect animals.
B. To raise money for endangered animals.
C. To do research on animals for college work.
15. Where did the man photograph the male bird?
A. In China. B. In India. C. In Vietnam.
16. What color do the female birds’ bodies feature?
A. Brown. B. Blue. C. White.
17. When will the speakers head back home?
A. At 5:00 p.m. B. At 5:30 p.m. C. At 7:00 p.m.
听第10 段材料，回答第 18 至 20 题。
18. How many legs does the robot guide dog have?
A. Three. B. Four. C. Six.
19. Which of the following challenges does China face?
A. The limited number of guide dogs.
B. The high cost of training guide dogs.
C. Difficulties in caring for guide dogs.
20. What is Professor Gao’s opinion about robot guide dogs in the end?A. The development of them is promising.
B. The technology for them is not very advanced.
C. They can’t provide good service as traditional ones do.
第二部分 阅读理解(共两节，满分50分)
第一节 (共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项, 并在答题纸上
将该项涂黑。
A
Down House, home of Charles Darwin
Fun fact
Charles Darwin, his wife, Emma, and their children lived at Down House for 40 years from
1838. Several rooms appear as if the family still live here: with croquet sets thrown into an under-
stairs cupboard, a half-played game of backgammon on a side table and Emma’s knitting (毛线) left
on a chair in the drawing room. Upstairs, an exhibition showcases Darwin’s voyage aboard HMS
Beagle, including a reconstruction of his cabin. Outside, visitors can explore the sheltered gardens
which Darwin used as an open-air laboratory, and the greenhouse in which he planted rare plants and
devised botanical experiments.
No room at Down House escaped Darwin’s experiments. In the drawing room he once placed a
jar of earthworms on the grand piano to see whether they could hear.
Getting there
A 15-minute drive from the A21/Farnborough. Free parking. The R8 bus from Orpington stops
nearby(except Sundays) or the 146 bus from Bromley North and South terminates (终点站) in
Downe village, half a mile from the property. The nearest railway stations are Chelsfield or
Orpington, about four miles away.
Value for money
It’s £12 (adult), £7. 20 (child), or £31. 30 (family with 2 adults). Under 5s go free.
Opening hours
Open daily 10am-6pm from 30 March to 30 September; daily 10am-5pm between 1 to 31
October. Opening times vary through the winter (check website for details).
Verdict (评价)
8/10. An unstuffy educational, gentle day-trip attraction with friendly, knowledgeable staff.
21. What can visitors do in Down House?A. Play the grand piano. B. Set sail in HMS Beagle.
C. Explore Darwin’s work and life. D. Try food sourced from the garden.
22. How much would a couple with their 4-year-old twin sons pay for admission?
A. £38. 40. B. £26. 20. C. £31. 30. D. £24.
23. What do we know about Down House?
A. It charges parking fees. B. It is highly thought of.
C. It has fixed opening hours. D. It is inconveniently located.
B
After their three children grew up and left home, Margaret Thompson and her husband, Kenneth,
stretched their legs together on walking holidays in Switzerland. In Interlaken, year after year, they
would head up the mountain and watch the paragliders (空中滑翔) launch themselves into the sky.
Back in town, in a large park, they watched them return to earth. “Some day I’d love to do that,”
Thompson told Kenneth.
But there was always so much to do in Interlaken. So she continued to watch the gliders take
flight and land. Kenneth died in 2005. Eleven years later, and three decades after those walking
holidays, Thompson finally took to the skies herself, in a paraglider with an instructor. Thompson
was 80.
Recently, Thompson heard from an instructor that grown men, when airborne, sometimes cry
and beg to be brought down. But what she remembers is “feeling free. You feel weightless. It’s quite
windy. It blows you around. You sail along and look around you, and see all the toy houses down
below. You feel like you are up in heaven somewhere there, watching everyone down below.” Thirty
years seems a long time to hold on to a dream. “It was,” she says. Why did it take so long? “I wanted
to do it, but I felt somebody should benefit from it.” She did not think of just enjoying the
experience? “I don’t think so. There had to be a cause at the end of it all,” she says. With her first
paraglide, she raised £1, 500 for Moorfields eye hospital in London, most of it with the aid of social
clubs run by the Presbyterian church she regularly attends.
Is she scared of getting older? “Fear? No. People say: ‘Isn’t getting old awful?’ I say: ‘No. You
are free to do more things that you want to do.”
Thompson felt no fear paragliding. “I mean, you sort of say to yourself: ‘Well, if anything
happens to me now, I’m OK. People might worry about falling, it being the end of them. But that
didn’t bother me at all. When it’s your time, it’s your time. No matter where you are.”24. Why didn’t Thompson take up paragliding after her children left home?
A. She was engaged. B. She preferred walking.
C. She was afraid of heights. D. She had to tend her husband.
25. How did Thompson feel when airborne?
A. She lost his direction. B. She was scared to death.
C. She regretted paragliding. D. She had a sense of freedom.
26. Why could Thompson hold on to her dream for three decades?
A. She wanted to make it meaningful.
B. She got support from social clubs.
C. She hoped to contribute to the church.
D. She had a good cause to experience fun.
27. What’s Thompson’s attitude towards falling?
A. Terrified. B. Helpless. C. Calm. D. Doubtful.
C
Earthquakes are among the most mysterious and terrifying natural disasters. While we can
sometimes predict major ones, others strike without warning, devastating cities and causing fires,
landslides and tsunamis. With climate change leading to increased wildfires and hurricanes, could it
also make earthquakes more common?
The most dangerous earthquakes are tectonic ( 地壳构造的) earthquakes, caused by the
movement of Earth’s tectonic plates. These plates shift about 1.5 centimeters per year due to internal
heat, building pressure until they suddenly move, which releases energy and causes earthquakes.
Unlike other disasters, it’s almost impossible to predict when earthquakes will happen, making
planned evacuations (疏散) next to impossible.
Unfortunately, climate change could make quakes happen closer together and with more
intensity, experts told Live Science. With global warming, glaciers are melting at an increased rate.
When melted glacier water flows off land and into the sea, the land that used to sit underneath it
rises, said John Cassidy, an earthquake seismologist at the Geological Survey of Canada and the
University of Victoria.
More concerning than glacial-melt earthquakes are those that could be caused by an increase in
sea level. As sea levels rise, pressure underwater on the seafloor also goes up, said Marco Bohnhoff,a geophysicist at GFZ Helmholtz Centre Potsdam and Free University Berlin in Germany. As water
pressure spikes, the pressure on fault (断层) lines near the coast will also increase.
Even if we stopped using greenhouse gases now, it would take up to 1,000 years for sea level
rise to stop, Bohnhoff added. He predicts that over that time, the gaps between big coastal
earthquakes will become shorter.
Cassidy is uncertain if sea level rise will cause giant quakes to happen faster within our
lifetimes. He emphasized that climate change will make them more dangerous. “It’s an important
topic, and one that I’m sure we’ll see a lot of information coming out on in the coming months and
years,” he said. “But no matter what we’ve discovered, it’s not good news.”
28. What does the article tell us about tectonic earthquakes?
A. They are easier to predict than others.
B. They happen mostly near coastal areas.
C. They result from the shifting of Earth’s plates.
D. They rarely lead to other natural disasters.
29. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 4 refer to?
A. The land. B. The glacier. C. The quake. D. The sea.
30. What does Bohnhoff imply?
A. Coastal areas will be safer over time.
B. Sea level rise will eventually stabilize.
C. Human actions have long-term effects.
D. Earthquakes will become more predictable.
31. What is Cassidy’s attitude toward the future impact of climate change on earthquakes?
A. Hopeful. B. Concerned. C. Uncaring. D. Skeptical.
D
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally returned on March 19, having
endured a nine-month wait on the International Space Station for a rescue mission to be organized.
Seeing the difficulties the US government had in rescuing the astronauts, law experts are now
questioning who would be responsible if privately-run space missions go wrong.
According to the United Nations (UN), international space law dates back to the 1960s. At that
time, space exploration was led by governments and mostly involved the US and the Soviet Union.
Private companies going into space were not considered possible and so were not clearly included ininternational law, wrote Anna Brennan, a researcher at the University of Waikato in New Zealand,
on The Conversation.
However, the commercial space industry has grown quickly in recent years. The World
Economic Forum said that by 2035, the space economy is expected to reach 1.8 trillion dollars
(around 13 trillion yuan), rising from 630 billion dollars in 2023 and growing faster than global
GDP. By the end of February, the US company Blue Origin had launched 52 civilians into space.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is also designed to allow civilians with little training to travel to
space, said Euronews.
These changes have revealed legal gaps. One significant issue lies in the wording. As noted in
an article published in Khalifa University Science and Tech Review, the UN Outer Space Treaty
(OST) and the related Rescue Agreement of 1968 state that, in emergencies, all countries are
responsible for rescuing “astronauts”. In contrast, international maritime law uses the broader term
“persons”, rather than specific words like “sailors”.
This difference creates a gray area because it means civilians on private space missions are not
technically covered by the universal rescue obligation, said the article. Although the 1979 Moon
Treaty considers anyone on the moon an astronaut, none of the few countries with independent
crewed launch capabilities (i.e. the US, Russia and China) have signed this treaty. This reduces the
treaty’s relevance, the article further explained.
Even in the US, the meaning of “astronaut” changes between agencies, reported NBC News.
NASA requires a person to meet several standards, including finishing serious training, to earn the
title. But the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, 美国联邦航空管理局) accepts anyone who
flies above 80 kilometers on an FAA-licensed spacecraft.
Experts are calling for a broader definition of “astronaut”, said New Scientist. Brennan also
noted on The Conversation that space law must find a balance between keeping people safe and
allowing space businesses to grow.
32. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?
A. By interviewing two astronauts.
B. By quoting well-known experts.
C. By discussing an international space law.
D. By describing a recent return from space.
33. Why were private space companies not clearly included in international space law?A. They showed no interest in space travel.
B. They refused to follow space regulations.
C. The UN didn’t recognize private space flights.
D. They were seen as being unable to go to space.
34. What do the underlined words “a gray area” in paragraph 5 refer to?
A. The unclear legal status of space tourists.
B. The dangerous conditions of space travel.
C. The training requirements for space travel.
D. The financial risks of commercial spaceflight.
35. What does Anna Brennan suggest about space law?
A. It should redefine the word “astronaut”.
B. It should adopt maritime rescue law to for space.
C. It should protect people and support space businesses.
D. It should restrict private spaceflights for safety reasons.
第二节 (共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分)
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余
选项。
Workplace recognition is a powerful way of making employees feel valued and enhancing their
performance. 3 6
Make people feel valued
Employees want to know that they are making a difference in what they do — big or small—
and workplace recognition can make a considerable difference. 3 7 One of them focused on
the impact of letters of appreciation. The letters roughly read: Your continued dedication and hard
work make children and families in the region better off every day. Appreciation can greatly improve
morale (士气).
Improve employees’ retention (保留)
3 8 Not only does this boost their confidence, but it also helps improve your company’s
retention rate and secure top talent. It is predicted that replacing a salaried worker costs 6-9 months
of the position’s annual wages.
Boost motivation and productivity
A study found that employee engagement, productivity, and performance are 14% higher inorganizations with a specific recognition programme in place. 3 9 It means that your team is
more present in their day-to-day roles, they produce optimal work quality and feel personally
connected to the company and the work they do for its growth. Ultimately, workplace recognition
leads to happy, driven, and productive workers.
Improve employees’ well-being
It’s common for businesses of all sizes to experience stressful periods. 40 Especially
when your team is small and the workload high, people can feel extensive burnout and stress, leading
to time off work. Gratitude increases our positive emotions, like happiness, making us more resilient
against future stress.
A. How does this benefit the organizations?
B. What exactly does this mean for businesses?
C. Here are some tips on securing workplace recognition.
D. When your workers are happy, they’re less likely to leave.
E. The Harvard Business Review conducted a series of studies on workplace morale.
F. But small companies and start-ups require more work and attention to develop.
G. Here are the benefits of workplace recognition for both employers and employees.
第三部分 语言运用 (共两节，满分30分)
第一节 (共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的 A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的
最佳选项。
Camping is a rite of passage (成人仪式) if you grow up in Canada. It’s a child’s first 41 of
what living in the wild really means. But growing up as an immigrant from India, I thought it was
42 .
Then I 43 26 and started trying new things. I had been 44 mental health issues for quite
some time and I discovered being out in nature helped me calm down. 4 5 , I decided to try
camping.
Then I overheard a(n) 46 between my father and mother. “Why does she have to do this?
Doesn’t she know she can just stay at home?” my father asked. “This is what Canadian kids do, it’s
okay, she’ll be fine!” my mom 47 . My parents had no 48 in me surviving one night in the
wild.
My friends and I 49 our campsite in the woods. As the day went on, we ate, played by thewater and met our camping neighbors. Time felt like it 50 ; life felt gentler and easier. As the day
turned into night, the stars came out and I was amazed by all the 51 lights above me. Morning
came. I didn’t even realize I was 52 to leave until we started packing everything up.
I wasn’t just leaving, having accomplished something I 53 thought I would do. I was
leaving with a real sense of community, a real sense of 54 for what the great outdoors had to
offer, and a completely different 55 to an activity that I had thought strange for so many years.
41. A. attempt B. proposal C. taste D. target
42. A. odd B. amazing C. rough D.awkward
43. A. grew B. observed C. recalled D. turned
44. A. involving B. experiencing C. surviving D. abandoning
45. A. Overall B. Moreover C. Therefore D. Somehow
46. A. argument B. debate C. conversation D. quarrel
47. A. insisted B. explained C. prayed D. interrupted
48. A. faith B. mercy C. empathy D. preference
49. A. beat down B. drew on C. rose to D. set up
50. A. shot up B. broke out C. slowed down D. put off
51. A. swinging B. bouncing C. rolling D. twinkling
52. A. curious B. upset C. enthusiastic D. desperate
53. A. constantly B. ultimately C. merely D. barely
54. A. appreciation B. foundation C. resolution D. recognition
55. A. contrast B. priority C. exposure D. attitude
第二节 (共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
In ancient Chinese mythology, the tale of Hou Yi shooting the sun is 56. _______ well-known
legend. Legend has it 57._______ there were once ten suns in the sky, scorching the earth and
causing great suffering. To save the people who were struggling under the 58.________(mercy) heat,
the skilled archer Hou Yi was chosen to shoot down nine of the suns with his bow and arrow,
bringing relief to the world. 59.______ a reward for his heroic deeds, he was given the elixir,
60.________ was said to grant eternal life to whoever drank it. However, 61._______ (face) with a
choice between eternal life and love, he chose to remain on earth with his beloved wife, Chang’e.
Tragedy 62.______(strike) when Hou Yi’s apprentice attempted to steal the elixir. In a moment of
63._______(desperate), Chang’e consumed the potion and ascended to the moon, becoming thegoddess associated with the lunar sphere.
The story of Hou Yi shooting the sun 64._______(symbol) courage, sacrifice, and the enduring
power of love, and is celebrated during the Mid-Autumn Festival as a reminder of their eternal bond,
a legend that has been passed down through generations 65.__________ (inspire) courage and
devotion.
第四部分 写作(共两节，满分40分)
第一节 （满分15分）
假设你校将举办一场题为“扛起责任，做时代的脊梁”的英语演讲比赛，你报名参加了
此次比赛。请你写一篇演讲稿，包含以下要点：
1. 承当责任的重要性； 2. 如何承担责任。
注意：
1. 词数 80 左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Distinguished judges and dear fellow students,
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you very much for your attention!
第二节 (满分25分)
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Early one cold November morning, my mother dressed me in thick clothes. “Now come outside
with me,” she said. Once outside, she handed me a brown paper bag that held something that smelled
like wet dirt. “We need to plant bulbs before the first hard freeze. I have already dug the holes,” she
said. “So take each bulb from the bag, drop it in the hole, and then gently push the dirt back into the
hole covering the bulb—like so.”
I opened the bag. “These bulbs are ugly and look dead!”
“You’re right. They’re not at all pretty. But they’re not dead; they’re just sleeping until spring.”
“And all the bulbs look alike,” I continued. “How do we know what they’ll look like next
spring?”
“We won’t know for sure until spring, but that’s the joy of gardening. We’ll just have to be
patient.”
All winter long I hoped that the flowers would bloom some day.One day in late April, I found some pink pushing up through the ground. My mother was excited
when I showed her. “Perfect!” she said. “They’ll be ready at just the right time.”
A few days later, she took me to the local store where she gathered up colored paper, colored
ribbons, and all the baskets on sale. “Okay, now we’re ready to make May baskets.”
“May baskets? What are May baskets?”
“They are small baskets filled with fresh flowers and secretly left at someone’s front door.” Her
eyes shone with delight. “So when we get home we’ll cut the flowers that are blooming in the garden
to make May baskets. Then tomorrow, May first, we’ll get up early and take them to our neighbors.
Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“But I waited all winter for the flowers to bloom, and they’re so beautiful. And... and... I thought
we would keep them forever,” I said, close to tears.
“I know you’re disappointed, sweetie, but flowers—like kindness—are meant to be shared.
Their beauty is not ours to keep. You understand?” my mother replied in a tender voice.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“No! I don’t understand. I want to keep the flowers.” I protested.________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Shortly after dawn the next morning, we began our journey through the neighborhood._______高二英语参考答案
听力ABAAB BCBBC ABCAB ABCAA
阅读 CDB ADAC CBCB DDAC
七选五GEDBF
完形 CADBC CBADC DBDAD
语篇填空
第二部分 a 57. that 58. merciless 59. As 60. which
61. faced 62. struck 63. desperation 64. symbolizes 65. to inspire
应用文
Distinguished judges and dear fellow students,
Responsibility is of utmost significance, which is not a weight that burdens us, but rather a
foundation which will support our future development and better the development of society.
Those who assume their responsibilities can contribute positively. For instance, medical
workers, who shoulder the responsibility of saving lives, have protected public health. As
students, studying hard to equip ourselves is a must. By acquiring knowledge, it’s more likely
for us to make great contributions to our country in the future. Moreover, caring about others
and participating in volunteer work also count. Only when we take on responsibilities actively
can we become the backbone of our era.
Thank you very much for your attention! (113)
读后续写
“No! I don’t understand. I want to keep the flowers forever.” I protested. Noticing my
obvious reluctance, Mom knelt down and petted my face, “I know you do, sweetie. But in the
end, you’ll understand that every drop of kindness you give away returns to you in another way.
Just wait and see.” So later that afternoon, we cut most of the flowers from the garden, tied
them with colored ribbons, wrapped them in colored paper, and then placed them in the
refrigerator to keep them fresh overnight. Afterward, I headed to bed, but all night the
uneasiness of losing those beautiful flowers gripped my heart, making it hard for me to fall
asleep.
Shortly after dawn the next morning, we began our journey through the neighborhood. At
each house, we hid behind our neighbors’ bushes. I ran to the front door, left the basket and then
rang the doorbell, giggling as I ran for cover. When I saw our neighbors’ faces cracked into
delighted smiles because of those anonymous May baskets, a surge of pride and happiness
flooded in waves. My mother was right—every drop of kindness you give away returns to you
in another way.
附：听力原文
Text 1
M: Ms. Miller, could you tell me how I can improve this article? I got a B plus.
W: It’s quite good, actually. The language use is good and the main points are covered. There’s
just too much repetition. You could have said everything within two pages.
Text 2
M: How much is that in total?
W: $100. But if you have a membership card, I can give you a 20% discount.
M: Great, this is my membership card.Text 3
M: Good morning, madam. What can I do for you?
W: Well, the sleeves of this jacket are too long. Can you make them shorter?
M:Let me take a look. Okay, I can do it for 20 dollars.
Text 4
W: Slow down, Jason. You’re driving too fast. It’s dangerous.
M: Sorry, dear. But I’m going to be late for work. My manager will be mad at me.
W:Well, maybe I should wake you up earlier tomorrow morning.
Text 5
M: Do you often ask your kid to help in the kitchen?
W:Yeah, Sarah enjoys pouring, mixing and serving her creations to family members.
M: Good. According to an article I’ve just read, that encourages healthy eating in kids.
Text 6
M: Let me see the menu.Well, the spaghetti in the picture looks good.
W: It is! I had it the last time I was in this restaurant.
M: But I just had some spaghetti yesterday. How is the pizza?
W: I haven’t tasted this dish here before. And I’ll try the lasagna this time.
M: The pizza in the picture looks really tasty. I’ll order one.
W: OK. Well. I know you love fish. I heard from my colleague that the fish here is delicious. Do
you want one?
M: Yes! I enjoy any dish made with fish!
Text 7
W: Oh, hi, Dave! What have brought you here?
M: Hi, Maria. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by to say hello.
W: It’s great to see you! Come on in and have a seat. How have you been? How’s college treating
you?
M: It’s been going well. I’m majoring in Hotel Management. How about you?
W: I initially wanted to major in French, but I realized it might be difficult to find a job with a
degree in that major. Therefore, I finally chose Computer Science. With the right skills, it should
be easier to find a job in the technology industry.
M: That sounds like a wise decision. Actually, I’m working part-time in a bookstore near my
college. I haven’t asked my parents for money since I started college.
W:Really? That’s impressive.
Text 8
M: Emma, with exams coming up, I think we should form a study group and review together.
W: That’s a great idea, Jack.
M: I’m good at chemistry but struggle with biology and physics. You’re good at biology but need
help with physics and chemistry. Let’s start by dividing the subjects.
W: Okay. I can help you with biology, and you can help me with chemistry.
M: Yes. We should ask someone who is good at physics to join us.
W: Agreed. Miles, Lucas and Alex are all good at it. I am thinking of asking Alex. He gets top
marks in physics every time.
M: But his mother is ill. He has to take care of his mother after school. Miles and Lucas have been
busy preparing for a physics competition these days. Ah, how about Owen? He is not only good at
physics but also a great explainer. He is never tired of explaining how to solve problems.
W: That’s true. I’ll ask Owen right now.Text 9
W: Thanks for inviting me today. I’ve never tried bird-watching before. I thought it would be
boring. But I actually really like it. It’s so calm and peaceful.
M: Well, we organize this activity to call on people to protect the animals that live with us. Many
birds are endangered now.
W: What you are doing is meaningful. Look, here is a beautiful bird. What is it called?
M: It’s a white-tailed flycatcher (白尾蓝仙鹤).
W: Are they very unusual?
M: Not really. But you don’t see many in this part of China. They’re quite common in Vietnam,
though.
W: Have you ever seen one before?
M: I’ve seen a male. I took a bus tour through India before I went to college, and I managed to
photograph it.
W: Wow, cool!
M: But I’d love to see a female. They’re much harder to see because their bodies are light brown.
The males are bright blue. Oh! It’s 5:00 p.m. now, and I promised I’d be home before 7:00 p.m.
W: I can give you a lift, so you don’t need to wait for a bus. How about staying for another 30
minutes, and then head home?
M: Good plan. Thanks.
Text 10
W: Researchers in Shanghai are developing a robot guide dog that could help blind people. The
robot is currently being tested in Shanghai and uses AI to recognize voices, plan ways and identify
traffic lights. It has six legs instead of four because the extra legs make it more stable, making its
movements smoother. Professor Gao Feng, the head of the research team, is developing the robot
at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. “When three legs are lifted, there are still three legs. It is the
most stable shape," he said. China has a big shortage of traditional guide dogs. Pet ownership and
service animals are relatively new concepts in the country. Many workplaces and public areas do
not welcome a usual service dog like a Labrador. The supply of real guide dogs is limited by
training needs. Gao said the production of robot guide dogs could be increased to an industrial
level. There could be a large market for his robot dogs. “There might be tens of millions of people
in the world who need robot guide dogs,” he added.
