宁夏回族自治区银川一中2023届高三英语下学期第三次模拟试卷（Word版附答案）

这是一份宁夏回族自治区银川一中2023届高三英语下学期第三次模拟试卷（Word版附答案），共16页。试卷主要包含了作答时，务必将答案写在答题卡上等内容，欢迎下载使用。

绝密★启用前
2023年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试
英 语 试 题 卷
(银川一中第三次模拟考试)

注意事项：
1．答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号填写在答题卡上。
2．作答时，务必将答案写在答题卡上。写在本试卷及草稿纸上无效。
3．考试结束后，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。

第一部分：听力理解(共两节。满分30分)
做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。
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，并标在试卷的相应位置。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。
例：How much is the shirt?
A.＄19.15. B.＄9.18. C.＄9.15.
答案是C.

1. Where does the conversation probably take place?
A. At the customs. B. At the hotel. C. At the cinema.
2. How much money will the man get back?
A. $6. B. $4. C. $10.
3. How does the woman feel finally?
A. Defeated. B. Depressed. C. Encouraged.
4. What does the man want?
A. Some chips. B. Ship models. C. Pig dolls.
5. What made the woman wait so long for her clothes?
A. Her not being informed in time.
B. The wrong delivery of her package.
C. The breaking-down of the company.
第二节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15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。
听下面一段对话，回答6、7小题。
6. How long will the speakers wait for?
A. 45 minutes. B. 55 minutes. C. 60 minutes.
7. What will the speakers do next?
A. Wait in line. B. Do some shopping. C. Find another restaurant.
听下面一段对话，回答8、9、10小题。
8. Who is the cake made for?
A. The man. B. The woman. C. The man’s daughter.
9. What will they do first according to the recipe?
A. Heat the oven. B. Mix the flour. C. Brush the pan.
10. What will the man finally do?
A. Cut out a piece of cake.
B. Put some fruit on the cake.
C. Write a message on the cake.
听下面一段对话，回答11、12、13、14小题。
11. Why was Mike’s brother crying?
A. Mike didn’t play with his brother.
B. Mike didn’t give his brother’s things back.
C. Mike didn’t let his brother play with his toys.
12. What does the woman think of Mike’s behavior?
A. Unusual. B. Unselfish. C. Unfriendly.
13. What does the woman advise Mike to do?
A. To be more careful.
B. To share things.
C. To make an apology.
14. What is the probable relationship between the speakers?
A. Father and daughter.
B. Brother and sister.
C. Mother and son.
听下面一段对话，回答15、16、17小题。
15. What do we know about this manned flight mission?
A. It has the longest staying time.
B. It is the hardest to operate.
C. It travels at the fastest speed.
16. What do Taikonauts do to pass the time?
A. Play instruments. B. Play tennis. C. Play cards.
17. What does the woman’s final words mean?
A. Women are as excellent as men.
B. Women undertake more than men do.
C. Women are less suitable in this mission.
听下面一段独白，回答18、19、20小题。
18. Which pet may an outgoing person prefer?
A. A cat. B. A dog. C. A bird.
19. What may a cat owner be like?
A. Sociable. B. Clever. C. Careful.
20. What does the speech mainly talk about?
A. More outgoing dog people.
B. Less sociable cat people.
C. Pet people’s personalities.
第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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。
A
If you have no difficulty in understanding what native English speakers say in daily life, there is a whole new world of brilliant podcast (播客) series to explore. If you aren’t sure where to start, have a look at these:

The Joc Rogan Experience ★★★★★
The Joc Rogan Experience is a great learning device because of its interesting English conversations between Rogan and his guests. At the time of writing there have been over 1,660 episodes with subjects ranging from comedy and science to politics and sports. Rogan is also a famous stand-up comedian, so the show is full of cultural references and idioms.

This American Life ★★★★★
This American Life is a great choice for English learners who want an insight into the culture of the USA. It is a mixture of journalism and storytelling, focusing on real-life tales from citizens of all regions of the country. The stories are new and varied. One episode was taped for 24 hours in an all-night restaurant; another interviewed workers on strike.

The Writer’s Voice ★★★★☆
The New Yorker is a famous American magazine, and every week it prints a new short story. In this podcast, the week’s story is read aloud by its writer. The published work covers a wide range of life experiences across the United States and beyond. It’s a great way to enjoy some of the best new fiction in the country.

Overheard at National Geographic ★★★★★
National Geographic is a much-loved American magazine (and TV channel) famous for incredible stories and photography related to science and the environment. Overheard is about the discussions Nat Geo employees have had while taking breaks. Expect crazy stories from explorers, photographers, and scientists from around the world.

21. In order to fully enjoy these podcasts, you should________.
A. have interaction with hosts
B. have good English competence
C. be interested in being a podcaster
D. be familiar with American social life
22. Which podcast gives you more stories behind the scene?
A. The Writer’s Voice. B. This American Life.
C. The Joe Rogan Experience. D. Overheard at National Geographic.
23. What do these podcasts have in common?
A. They enjoy great popularity.
B. Their stories are set in America.
C. They are attached to magazines.
D. Their works are updated weekly.
B
Don’t call Madison Stewart an environmentalist. She sees herself simply as an individual taking action in defense of something she loves that’s in need of protection.
Despite her youth, the 24-year-old is an undersea veteran (老手). She grew up sailing around the Great Barrier Reef on her parents’ boat and spent her early life free diving while patiently waiting for the day when she could get her scuba dying (水肺潜水) certification, aged 12. Already impressed by sharks, Madison was now pleased to be able to observe them in their own world. “I got to know the sharks... I could recognize them by sight,” Madison says. “Other people had dogs around them growing up, I had sharks.”
But within a couple of years, she saw a great reduction in shark numbers on the reef. “One day I went in the water and couldn’t find my sharks anywhere, sharks I’d spent my childhood with, ” she says. “They’d been caught and killed.” It was a great moment for Madison.
She left school at 14 to be homeschooled so she could spend more time in the ocean. She taught herself to shoot underwater video to document sharks in their own world and share her sense of wonder with others. She launched a YouTube channel and built a huge following for her documentaries where she focuses on issues like inadequate protection for some shark species and the global shark fin(鳍)industry.
In 2014 Madison was the subject of the encouraging documentary Shark Girl, which introduced her to a global audience. In 2017 she appeared as an “Ocean Guardian” in the documentary Blue that explored a lot of threats to the world’s marine environments, including the damaging effect of the global shark fishery. The film encourages viewers to get involved and includes practical steps to guide them to do so. It shows Madison’s philosophy that the power of the individual to make a difference by their own direct action should never be underestimated.
24. What did Madison do before getting her scuba diving certification?
A. She went sailing often.
B. She went boating alone.
C. She practised free diving.
D. She protected the Great Barrier Reef.
25. Why did Madison shoot underwater video to document sharks?
A. To record sharks’ world of wonder.
B. To popularize her photography works.
C. To spare more time to accompany sharks.
D. To raise awareness of shark conservation.

26. Which of the following may agree with Madison’s philosophy?
A. Many hands make light work.
B. Action speaks louder than words.
C. Personal influence can’t be ignored.
D. Together we can make a difference.
27. What’s the purpose of writing this passage?
A. To introduce an influential conservationist.
B. To advertise some encouraging documentaries.
C. To inspire people to protect whatever they love.
D. To inform people how to preserve marine wildlife.
C
For thousands of years, Chinese writers have travelled all over the country to take down notes about the geographical conditions of each city. Among them, well-known Chinese geographer and writer Li Daoyuan, in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), composed his book, Commentary on the Water Classics, after studying the original literary version, Water Classics. He later expanded the river records to 1, 252 from the original 137.
The book is now being studied again by Professor Li Xiaojie and his team from Fudan University. They have been using drawing software and 3D modelling to recreate the waterway situations on a map based on the book description. So far, they have completed research on four rivers.
“Ancient people knew really well how to apply the power of nature to technical considerations” Li said, giving the example of Qianjin’e, one of the most famous ancient water conservation projects in Luoyang, Henan. In order to lead the river into the city for irrigation (灌溉) in ancient Luoyang, the officials built a canal branch by separating a northwest-southeast river. However, the canal water wasn’t enough to support the citizens in dry seasons. To solve that, on the northern side of the canal branch, the officials built a reservoir (水库) and a channel to lead the water to the canal branch, where the waterways would converge and flow together to the city.
In Commentary on the Water Classics, a total of 2, 800 cities are recorded with details. Still, the process of recreation takes much effort. After doing a lot of text analysis and fieldwork, the team has gradually created the model with 3D modelling software based on repeated deductions (推论).
For Professor Li, the book is not only a record of the natural landscape over 1, 000 years ago, but also a detailed description of humanity and culture and a treasure for today’s reference.

28. What can we learn about the book Commentary on the Water Classics?
A. It has been out of date. B. It explains 3D modelling.
C. It is based on previous studies. D. It keeps records of 137 rivers.
29. What does the underlined word “converge” in paragraph 3 mean?
A. Begin. B. Pass. C. Cross. D. Join.
30. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us about model recreation?
A. Its major problems. B. Its detailed analysis.
C. Its complex process. D. Its successful application.
31. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. 3D Technology Fuels Modern Research
B. Ancient Classics Inspire Modern Research
C. An Effective Approach to Model Recreation
D. A Famous Writer of Chinese Ancient Classics
D
Is the end of homework near? As new powerful artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT take the Internet by storm, teachers concerned with AI-driven cheating are questioning their teaching and assessment methods.
ChatGPT, the most powerful AI language model ever developed by the company OpenAI, remembers the thread of your dialogue, using previous questions and answers to inform its next responses. Deriving its answers from huge volumes of information on the Internet, it is fine-tuned using both supervised and reinforcement learning. It is capable of generating natural-sounding text on demand in just a few seconds. The quality of the copy it produces is sufficient to impress teachers in secondary and higher education, and even researchers. A few days after its launch, more than 1 million people were trying out ChatGPT. UBS analyst Lloyd Walmsley estimated in February 2023 that ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly users in January, accomplishing in 2 months what took TikTok about 9 months and Instagram two and a half years.
The use of AI tools in copywriting has sparked an outcry around the world. In the United States, public schools in New York and Seattle have decided to block ChatGPT from their devices and WiFi networks. In France, the prestigious Sciences Po university in Paris has also just announced a strict ban on its use. But experts question whether bans like these are really effective. On one hand, students will always be able to access tools like ChatGPT through other means than school devices. On the other hand, some question the relevance of blocking access to a digital tool whose use is likely to grow in the professional world in the coming years.
Amelie Cordier, a lecturer in artificial intelligence at Lyon University, notes that students haven’t waited for ChatGPT to try to escape the chore of homework—whether by photocopying the library encyclopedia, copy-pasting content from Wikipedia or enlisting their parents’ help. “What is ultimately very important in the learning process is not so much the subject on which you learn, it’s the methodology that you learn to develop around that subject,” Cordier said.
32. Why does the author raise a question in paragraph 1?
A. To imply a future trend.
B. To arouse the readers’ interest.
C. To introduce background knowledge.
D. To reveal the negative effects of artificial intelligence.
33. For what purpose does the author list figures in paragraph 2?
A. To show the popularity of ChatGPT.
B. To stress the high cost of inventing ChatGPT.
C. To present the creativity of artificial intelligence.
D. To prove the necessity of developing tools for chatting online.
34. Which of the following is probably the reason for the experts’ question?
A. Students can always employ AI tools in other ways.
B. Teachers and researchers are impressed by ChatGPT.
C. The bans have been announced only in the US and France.
D. AI tools have already been widely applied in professional fields.
35. What plays a critical role in learning according to Cordier?
A. Parents’ help. B. The library encyclopedia.
C. The system of methods. D. The content from Wikipedia.
第二节(共5小题;每小题2分，满分10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。
False Memories or Parallel (平行的) Realities?
Here is a common situation: You’re talking with someone about an event, only to discover that you both remember things quite differently. Usually, you’d put it down to a poor memory, but what if it wasn’t just one person who remembered things differently? What if it was millions?
In fact, this isn’t a “what if” situation. It’s known as the Mandela Effect, and it was first noticed in 2009 by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome. Broome was chatting with people about the South African activist Nelson Mandela, and she commented how sad it was that he had died in prison in the 1980s. 36 Actually, he’d been released in 1990, become president of South Africa, and died in 2013.
Broome was so shocked at this that she started an investigation. 37 People have memories of movies that never existed, and famous words that were never spoken. There is even a group who clearly recall seeing maps showing that New Zealand was northeast of Australia (it’s southeast). So what in the world is going on?
38 In each reality, history is shaped by different events, and the Mandela Effect occurs when some of us shift from one reality to another. Therefore, those who remember Nelson Mandela dying in the 1980s aren’t wrong. They’re just remembering events from their original reality.
More likely, however, is that the Mandela Effect has to do with how our brains store information. 39 Many people remember Pikachu’s tail having a black tip on the end of it, when in fact it was always yellow. “Aha!” you cry. “Parallel realities!” Probably not. Consider instead that people often ignore unfamiliar details and transform information to make it more understandable. In the Pikachu example, his tail may not have a black tip, but his ears certainly do. Thus, both his ears and tail are misremembered as having black tips. 40
All things considered, if you’re stuck arguing win someone about whose version of events is correct, it may indeed be easier to agree that neither of you is wrong. You just come from different realities.
A. Before we explain let’s look at an example.
B. It turns out she wasn’t the only one who’d experienced this.
C. If several people make these memory errors, the false memory gets stronger socially.
D. The story of Nelson Mandela is not the only example of this type of false group memory.
E. Some claim the Mandela Effect happens because we live in one of many parallel realities.
F. Many in her group agreed, while others mentioned that Nelson Mandela had not died in prison.
G. As more incidents of the Mandela effect continue to occur, perhaps more research into the origins will tell us the causes.











第三部分 语言知识运用（共两节，满分45分）
第一节（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30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。
The insistent knock on the door brought me quickly from my kitchen. With my children down for a nap, I 41 to answer before they were all awakened. We had just moved here and I couldn’t 42 who it would be. I opened the door and a crack revealed an old man dressed in dirty clothing.
“Can I help you?” I asked, hoping he had the wrong 43 .
“Would you like to buy some fresh garden vegetables?” His voice was trembling but his eyes were 44 . I wondered if he badly needed the bit of money he was asking for his
45 . “I’m Mr. Locket living around the corner. My wife 46 and my children live far away,” he 47 . Later we knew that the need for companionship had sent him door to door
48 selling fruits and vegetables and ours was the only door opened to him.
As days went on, Mr. Locket became a 49 visitor. Every day he read books in our big chair with my children curled up on his lap. When they took an afternoon nap, he would
50 his head on the back of the chair. In his quiet and gentle way, he endeared himself to each child. 51 the name “Grandpa Locket” slipped into our conversations.
Three years later, we had to move to Ontario. He arrived as usual that morning. “Mr. Locket,” I tried to 52 the news in a gentle way, “You’ve become a(n) 53 part of this family, but ...” Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes.
“I 54 to keep in touch with you and ...” My throat tightened. He nodded 55
softly said, “Thank you for all your kindness to an old man. When I needed a family, you 56
me.” With tears, we all hugged him 57 .
About a year later, a small 58 from Mr. Locket’s daughter was delivered to our home. She informed us that our dear old friend had died. “I’m so grateful for your loving care for my father,” she wrote, “I can see how much you 59 to him, too.” Actually, we’re also grateful for the 60 love that swept into our lives the moment we opened that door.
41. A. hesitated B. hurried C. hated D. happened
42. A. imagine B. recognize C. believe D. acknowledge
43. A. number B. road C. direction D. address
44. A. shining B. understanding C. hopeful D. desperate
45. A. produce B. food C. clothes D. fruits
46. A. went away B. broke away C. passed away D. ran away
47. A. complained B. added C. screamed D. roared
48. A. in place of B. by means of C. in need of D. by order of
49. A. yearly B. monthly C. weekly D. daily
50. A. rest B. put C. plant D. lower
51. A. Gradually B. Suddenly C. Generally D. Quickly
52. A. announce B. make C. break D. report
53. A. natural B. inner C. necessary D. treasured
54. A. wish B. try C. promise D. struggle
55. A. but B. and C. yet D. so
56. A. included B. refused C. tolerated D. received
57. A. willingly B. tightly C. eagerly D. faithfully
58. A. book B. bill C. picture D. envelope
59. A. owed B. sent C. meant D. showed
60. A. unexpected B. deep C. permanent D. selfless
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Anyone who has an interest in Dunhuang will have heard of Fan Jinshi. The Chinese archaeologist 61 has spent more than half a century researching and preserving the caves at the heart of the ancient Silk Road in Gansu Province 62 (know) as the “Daughter of Dunhuang” in her field, though “protector” is probably a more fitting 63 (describe).
Fan has been studying the historical site since the early 1960s, first as an archaeology undergraduate from Peking University, then as a conservationist when she became the deputy director of the Dunhuang Research Academy in 1984, which serves to prevent the ancient site
64 being destroyed.
“It is over a thousand years old. It is an old person, an 65 (extreme) weak old person. It has 66 (variety) illnesses. If you are a little careless, it could be gone. Gone forever,” Fan says.
Today, thanks to the work of great 67 (archaeologist) such as Fan, Dunhuang is proud of the world’s largest and best-preserved collection of Buddhist relics 68 (date) from the 15th to the 13th centuries. The main Mogao site is made up of 735 caves spread across
69 1,700-metre-wide cliff face, containing 45,000 square metres of murals(壁画)
70 more than 2,000 colourful sculptures.
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分35分）
第一节 短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Time and tide wait for man. As the National College Entrance Examination is around the corner, I’d like to share my plan for the future with you.
At the first place, I will make the most of my time to make preparations for the NCEE, which was no doubt one of the most vital test in my lifetime. After the exam, I will take an advantage of this summer vacation to take part in the summer camp intending for people who are genuine interested in computer technology.
The reason behind my plan is because I am going to study computer science in the university. I am convincing that this century is the age of information. I am determined to make a contribution to the society with our knowledge.
第二节 书面表达（满分25分）
近期，你所在的城市向中学生发起了“最美汉字”投票活动。请阅读下面一则新闻报道，以“The Most Beautiful Chinese Character”为题，向英文校报投稿。
内容包括：1.简要概括这则新闻；2.简述你最想推荐的汉字及理由；
3.谈谈你对该活动的感想。
注意：1.词数100 词左右。2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
High school students recommend ren as message to the world
The Chinese character ren, a word that generally means “benevolence (仁)”, has been selected by high school students in a poll (民意调查) to highlight Chinese culture around the world. The character ren was selected by 8.33 percent of the 3,000 respondents who took part in the poll, according to one of the organisers, a student from a high school. It was followed by the characters ai, yi, meng and xiao, which mean ‘‘love”, “righteousness”, “dream’’ and “filial piety (孝)”. Those characters ranked in the “top-20 most beautiful Chinese characters”.
(China Daily, March 6, 2022. Page 4)

The Most Beautiful Chinese Character



银川一中2023届高三年级第三次模拟考试英语试卷答案
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
A
B
C
A
B
A
B
C
A
C
C
C
B
C
A
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
A
A
B
B
C
B
D
A
C
D
C
A
C
D
C
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
B
B
A
A
C
F
D
E
A
C
B
A
D
C
A
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
C
B
B
D
A
A
C
D
C
B
A
B
D
C
A
第一部分听力
1—5 ABCAB 6—10 ABCAC 11—15 CCBCA 16—20 AABBC
第二部分阅读理解
21-23 BDA 24-27 CDCA 28-31 CDCB 32-35 BAAC 36-40 FDEAC
第三部分
第一节：完形填空 (共20小题，每小题.1.5分, 满分30分)
41-45 BADCA 46-50 CBBDA 51-55 ACDCB 56-60 ABDCA
第二节：语法填空（共10小题；每题1.5分，共15分）
61.who/that 62.is known 63.description 64.from 65.extremely
66.various 67.archaeologists 68. dating 69. a 70.and
第四部分：写作(共两节, 满分35分)
第一节 ：短文改错 (共10分;每小题1分,满分10分)
Time and tide wait for （加no）man. As the National College Entrance Examination is around the corner, I’d like to share my plan for the future with you.
At （改In）the first place, I will make the most of my time to make preparations for the NCEE, which was（改is） no doubt one of the most vital test（改tests） in my lifetime. After the exam, I will take an（删an） advantage of this summer vacation to take part in the summer camp intending（改intended） for those who are genuine（改genuinely） interested in computer technology.
The reason behind my plan is because（改that） I am going to study computer science in the university. I am convincing（改convinced） that this century is the age of information. I am determined to make a contribution to the society with our（改my） knowledge.
第二节：书面表达（满分25分）
The Most Beautiful Chinese Character
Recently, some high school students have conducted a poll to choose the most beautiful Chinese character. Among tens of thousands of characters, “ren, ai, yi, meng, xiao” are strongly recommended. Obviously, most students think the five characters carry typical Chinese culture in terms of traditional beliefs and core values concerning morality and ethics.
Of these characters, I put meng on the top of my list. Holding meng, which means best wishes for the future, one is not only to seek for opportunities for a better life, but also to create brand-new things for people around the world.
Personally, Chinese characters are so charming that they are treasures of human cultures. With deep love for Chinese culture, we should strive to promote them to the world.

听力原文材料：
Text1
M: Welcome. Passport and form, please.
W: Sure. Here you go.
M: Thank you. What’s the purpose of your visit?
W: I’m here for work. I’m on a business trip.
Text2
W: Hi, are you ready to pay?
M: Yes, could I get these two shirts?
W: Sure. The total is six dollars.
M: OK. I’ve got ten.
Text3
M: How was your exam?
W: I really messed up, Uncle. I couldn’t answer a lot of the questions. I already know that I failed.
M: Everybody makes mistakes. Auntie and I will always support you!
W: Thank you, Uncle. I will try again.
Text4M: Hey mom, are you at the supermarket now?
W: Hello? Sweetie, the sound isn’t very clear.
M: Don’t forget to bring me some chips, and I don’t want a small bag. I want a big one.
W: A pig ship? What is it? A model? I can’t hear you clearly. You can text me.
Text5
W: Hi, Ben. I will go to the front desk to fetch my package. My new clothes finally came!
M: Did it take a long time?
W: Yeah. They made a mistake and sent it to the wrong address.
M: I want to send a package too. So I’ll go with you.
Text6
M: Wow, look! So many people are waiting in line. This place is always packed on Fridays.
W: I don’t want to stand here for an hour. Let’s go somewhere else.
M: It’s Friday night. Everywhere has a line. Let’s just eat here. We can use a waitlist app.
W: A waitlist app? How does that work?
M: You just choose the restaurant, and the app will put you on the waitlist and give you a number.
W: That’s easy. Does it say how many groups are ahead of us?
M: Yeah, 10 groups. So, it’s a 45-minute wait for our table, but we don’t have to stick around here.
W: Great. What are we waiting for? Let’s do some shopping to kill time.
Text7
M: Hey Jen, thank you for helping me bake a cake for my daughter.
W: No problem. It’s so sweet of you to make her a cake.
M: Yeah, but I’ve never made a cake before. So, hopefully, it’ll be OK!
W: I’m sure it will. What’s first on the recipe?
M: Well, it says to heat the oven first to 180 degrees.
W: I’ll do that while you start mixing the flour.
M: OK, I also need eggs, butter, and 2 cups of sugar? Is that too much?
W: Nope! 2 cups is perfect. Now we just put the mixture in the pan and bake it for 30 minutes.
M: That’s it? Well, that was a piece of cake!
W: Do you want to write a special message on it?
M: Yes. It’s “Happy every day!”
Text8
W: Mike, do you know why your brother is crying?
M: I don’t know. Maybe because I wouldn’t let him play with my toys.
W: That’s not very kind. What do we say in our family?
M: Sharing is caring.
W: That’s right. Sharing is caring. That means you two need to take turns with your toys.
M: But he always plays them alone! He never gives them back.
W: You’re his big brother. You need to set an example for him.
M: But sometimes he even breaks them!
W: I’ll ask him to be more careful. And you can ask him nicely to give them back next time.
M: But...
W: No buts, Mister! If you don’t listen to my words, I’ll tell your father.
Text9
W: Hey, are you watching a video of the Chinese space station? Shenzhou-12, right?
M: Close. Shenzhou-13.
W: It’s hard to keep up with China speed! So how long are they in orbit this time?
M: Six months, the longest stay of any single manned fight mission in China’s history.
W: So do you watch them conduct experiments or spacewalks or what?
M: Pretty much. They even give lessons in the space station!
W: I wonder what the Taikonauts do to pass the time up there?
M: They go for jogs, play musical instruments, and even play ping-pong.
W: Zero-gravity ping-pong! I gotta try that! Who’s that lady floating by?
M: That’s Wang Yaping. She’s become somewhat of a celebrity down here on earth.
W: Well, women hold up half the sky, so it’s only fitting that they should work in it too.
Text10
M: Are you a dog person or a cat person? What psychological factors make a person choose one type of pet over the other?
An outgoing person prefers dogs. This should really come as no surprise. Owning a dog is a social experience, because you always have to walk them and interact with other dog owners. If you really like talking to other people, a dog might be for you. Cats on the other hand tend to stay at home, which means that taking care of a cat requires much less social interaction.
Cat people are smarter. While studies show that dog lovers are more outgoing and lively, cat lovers score higher on intelligence tests, and are said to be more open-minded. They are also more curious about the world, even though they might not leave the house to see it as much!
Do you love a dog or a cat? Are you a different kind of pet person like a turtle person or a bird person? Does your personality match with some features we talked about earlier? I hope my speech will be helpful to you. Thank you for listening!