2022-2023学年江西省省重点校（南昌二中等校）高二上学期入学摸底联考英语试题含答案

这是一份2022-2023学年江西省省重点校（南昌二中等校）高二上学期入学摸底联考英语试题含答案，共14页。试卷主要包含了15， B等内容，欢迎下载使用。

江西省省重点校（南昌二中等校）2022-2023学年高二上学期入学摸底联考英语
注意事项：
1. 答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号等填写在答题卡和试卷指定位置上。
2. 回答选择题时，选出每小题答案后，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。回答非选择题时，将答案写在答题卡上。写在本试卷上无效。
3. 考试结束后，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。
第一部分听力（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. What does the man think of his first job?
A. Tiring. B. Interesting. C. Difficult.
2. When does the talent show start this week?
A. At 9：00. B. At 10：00. C. At 11：00.
3. Where does the man's sister work?
A. In a bank. B. In a TV station. C. In a factory.
4. What does the woman do at present?
A. An actress. B. A musician. C. A dancer.
5. What do the speakers mainly talk about?
A. An accident. B. A wise light. C. A good sleep.
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，并标在试卷的相应位置。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's the best season to live in the holiday house?
A. Summer. B. Fall. C. Winter.
7. Where is the small garden?
A. In the holiday house. B. Under the tree. C. On the tree.
听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. What did the woman find online?
A. A cool clock. B. An old bicycle. C. Some seats.
9. Why does the man decide to buy the seats?
A. They are cool and green.
B. They are strong and useful.
C. They are cheap and practical.
10. What will the speakers probably do first?
A. Eat something. B. Attend a meeting. C. Go to the supermarket.
听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. What did the woman learn for two years?
A. French. B. Japanese. C. Spanish.
12. How does the woman feel about the finding?
A. Hopeful. B. Surprised. C. Disappointed.
13. What language is studied by the fewest students according to the list?
A. Spanish. B. Chinese. C. Russian.
听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。
14. Why did the woman talk to Henry?
A. To apply for a job.
B. To tum to him for advice.
C. To learn to write a letter.
15. What does Henry advise the woman to add to the letter?
A. Her photo. B. Her hobbies. C. Her driver's license.
16. What did the woman do in Paris?
A. She visited her uncle. B. She received education. C. She worked as a teacher.
17. What does the woman think of her typing skills?
A. Great. B. First-class. C. Poor.
听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。
18. Who made the travel plan?
A. Lucy. B. Lucy's sister. C. Lucy's mother.
19. What did Lucy visit in China?
A. Pandas. B. Historical buildings. C. The sea coast.
20. Why did Lucy have to stay inside sometimes in Australia?
A. She had no time. B. She ate too much. C. It was too hot.
第二部分阅读（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。
A
San Francisco better local garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse gardens in the world. The garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres（英亩）of both beautiful gardens and open spaces.
The garden is open during COVID-19. It is free to all San Francisco residents and garden members. We are also continuing to offer free admission every morning to everyone from 7：30 am to 9 am—a fantastic time for bird-watching. The second Tuesday of the month is also free to everyone.
Free Day:
Second Tuesday of every month; Free daily from 7：30 am to 9 am; Always free for San Francisco city and county residents；Always free for garden members and school groups.
Regular Cost:
Adults $9; Foreign adults $12; Youth and seniors $7; Children $3; Children 4 years old and younger free.
Last Entry:
Fall and winter: October through early November（Last entry at 5 pm）; First Sunday in November through January（Last entry at 4pm）; February through second Saturday in March（Last entry at 5 pm）.
Spring and summer: Second Sunday in March through September（Last entry at 6 pm）.
（The garden closes one hour after last entry. ）
21. What do we know about the San Francisco Botanical Garden?
A. It is closed during COVID-19. B. It is free for local people.
C. It is free for everyone on Tuesday. D. It is located near Golden Gate Park.
22. How much does it cost a foreign adult to visit the garden on weekdays?
A. $3. B. $7. C. $9. D. $12.
23. At which of the following time can visitors enter the garden?
A. At 4pm in June. B. At 5 pm in December.
C. At 7pm in March. D. At 6 pm in February.
B
For many people, bookstores are wonderful places. That's because the books on the shelves can take you away to magical lands, help you learn a foreign language, or cook a delicious meal. But when your community is too small to house a brick bookstore, you have to come up with another idea. A mobile bookstore was the result. That is the case for Rita Collins,70, who dreamed of opening a used bookstore after retiring from teaching.
A business planning class from the American Booksellers Association convinced Collins to give up her idea of opening a bookstore in the small town where she lives. Her town, Eureka, Montana, only has a population of 1,517. Collins asked her instructors about a traveling bookstore on wheels and they doubted her idea. But she insisted on it.
Collins was inspired by Dylans Mobile Bookstore, a traveling bookstore in Wales run by Jeff Towns. She contacted Jeff for advice but she was largely on her own when it came to building her bookstore. First, she had to find a vehicle large enough to stand in. Then she had to have it refitted with shelves that would hold the books at a 15-degree angle so that they would stay in place while traveling. Collins named her bookstore St. Rita's Traveling Bookstore, which has been on the road since 2015.
At first, she drove through Montana and then she made her first cross-country trip in 2016. After she retired in 2017, it became a full-time job. Collins and her bookstore have visited 30 states, stopping at festivals and events along the way. Collins loves meeting people and making connections. While she loves what she does, Collins doesn't think she can keep doing it. In several years, she hopes to pas her traveling bookstore onto another book lover who shares the same interest and will keep it on the road.
24. Why did Collins abandon opening a bookstore?
A. It cost a lot of money. B. It was not promising.
C. It would be out of date. D. It was not approved.
25. Why were the shelves designed at a 15-degree angle?
A. To beautify the mobile bookstore. B. To make it easy to move on the road.
C. To keep the bookstore's balance. D. To protect the books from falling down.
26. Which of the following can best describe Collins?
A. Merciful, careful and delightful. B. Intelligent, patient and reasonable.
C. Determined, perseverant and social. D. Generous，considerate and lovely.
27. What is a suitable title for the text?
A. Bookstore on Wheels B. Sacrificing for a Bookstore
C. Cross-Country Bookstore D. A Bookstore Promoter
C
Many of us like to dine out and treat ourselves to delicious food. We are used to choosing hearty, fat-filled dishes and sugar-charged desserts, which are not easily cooked at home. The recent rise of light meals, however, gives diners smarter choice. According to Economic Daily, low-calorie, low-fat and high-fiber meals have become popular in China's restaurants and online delivery platforms.
The country saw a rapid expansion of restaurants specializing in light meals, from just 600 in 2017 to more than 3,500 in 2018. According to a report released by Meituan, a major online food delivery platform, the number of light meals ordered online also rose 75 percent from the previous year.
Having a light meal, however, doesn't mean eating only vegetables. Different from the meat-free lifestyle, a typical light dish avoids oily, salty and spicy food. Instead, it contains things like boiled meat, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Healthy nutrients（营养物）are the theme of the light meal.
These dishes are useful for keeping healthy and controlling your weight. That's probably why so many young people are into them. Diners see it as a great way to avoid becoming fat. "After eating several light meals, I felt my appetite（胃口）has shrunk. I now prefer light flavors," said Zou Jing, a college teacher in Wuhan. She shared a picture of her lunch: a mixture of beef, eggs, corn, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
These changes in eating behavior are connected to deeper changes in how people think about food, says Water Willet, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health. "Diet quality, not quantity is important for both weight control and long term well-being," he said. So the next time you have a party with friends, try a light meal. It will satisfy not only your stomachs but maybe also your hearts.
28. How does the author prove the popularity of light meals?
A. By giving examples. B. By giving descriptions.
C. By listing numbers. D. By showing other people's opinions.
29. What is the subject of the light meal?
A. Taking in healthy nutrients. B. Eating only vegetables.
C. Having a meat-free lifestyle. D. Avoiding salty and spicy food.
30. Why do many young people enjoy light meals?
A. They are usually colorful. B. They can help people control their weight.
C. They are cheaper than other meals. D. They are simple and convenient.
31. What do we know about people's eating from the text?
A. One's eating habit shows his personality.
B. Light meals will stay popular for a short time.
C. It's important to eat the right amount of good food.
D. There are changes in attitude toward healthy eating.
D
There is no cycling race more celebrated than the Tour de France. Stating from the Eifel Tower in Paris, this 8-day race winds on stone-covered roads, up mountains and finishes at the top of la Planche des Belles Filles. Huge crowds cheer on the riders every year and the 2022 race was no exception. Except for a brief time period between 1984 and 1989, there hasn't been a Tour de France for women riders until now.
"The biggest race is the Tour de France," said professional cyclist Ayesha McGowan. "Whenever I tell people what I do, they always ask, ‘You mean you ride in the Tour de France?’ I`d have to inform them that women didn`t have one where I could compete. But now I don't have to do that anymore."
On July 24,2022, when the men's race finished, the Tour De France Femmes began. The route to this race actually began in 1955 when a special woman's race occurred. It wouldn't return until 1984. The women's version lasted until 1989 and then was replaced by an unofficial version that was discontinued in 2009. Four yeas later, professional cyclists Kathryn Bertine, Emma Pooley and Chrissie Wellington started advocating for an official women's race. The result is the new Tour de France Femmes.
While women have their own race, the prizes for the women aren't equal. The female winners will receive eight times less than the men. There isn't parity in other aspects, either. Women riders ride a shorter distance than what men can ride in a day. It was broadcast live at the set time like men's but only for two hours, much shorter than the men's.
The race ended on July 31, lasting eight days, with 39-year-old Dutch rider Van Vleuten wining the eighth and final stage. "I'm proud to be the first winner of this new version," she said. "I hope it's a big start and we can build this into as influential an event as men's in a few years' time. It's a milestone to vin he first one."
32. What do we know about Ayesha McGowan from the text?
A. She longs to compete with men cyclists.
B. She wasn't satisfied with the Tour de France.
C. She felt upset when asked about her profession.
D. She competed in the 2022 Tour de France Femmes.
33. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A. The cyclists devoted to changing a cycle race.
B. The efforts to change an official women's race.
C. The ups and downs of an official women's race.
D. The contributions to holding an official women's race.
34. What does the underlined word "parity" in paragraph 4 mean?
A. Fairness. B. Standard. C. Quality. D. Freedom.
35. What can be inferred about the new Tour de France Femmes from the text?
A. Few people cheered on the riders. B. It was still held in an unofficial way.
C. The media didn't show any interest in it. D. It takes time to develop it into a bigger even.
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。
How is eating in space different from eating on Earth?
If you send astronauts into space, you have to send along with food as well. But what do astronauts eat, and how do they eat it? Scientists take several factors into consideration as they plan meals for space.
The most important factor is its nutrition. 36 Providing junk food to eat, such as potato chips, sodas, and pizza, would make the astronauts unhealthy.
37 If the food that has been provided isn't tasteful, the astronauts may avoid eating it. If you've ever tied to focus on something important while your stomach doesn't feel well, you'll know why the scientists in charge of a space task want their astronauts to eat regularly.
The lack of gravity in a spacecraft also determines what foods can or cannot be eaten in space. Meals must be packaged carefully so they will be safe in the cabin（舱）. Water or tiny bits of food could get inside a machine or electronic device and damage it. 38 A loose knife inside the cabin would be dangerous.
39 The weight of every object included in a spacecraft must be counted up in order to ensure that there is enough fuel and power to carry the craft safely into space and back home again. 40 Most foods are stored in plastic bags, and often, the foods are dehydrated（脱水的）. When an astronaut is ready to eat, hot water is added to the meal to warm it up.
Despite all these requirements, much of the food eaten in space is actually similar to what you might eat on any given day.
A. Taste is also important.
B. Nutrition is important to consider.
C. Finally, weight is an important concern.
D. Food packaging is made to be as light as possible.
E. Believe it or not, they have fresh fruits and vegetables.
F. Keeping astronauts healthy is a top task for any space travel.
G. For the same reason, sharp knives and folks are never used on board.
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。
As a whale researcher, Nan Hauser has been awarded the international title of “Earth Ambassador". While many local people had heard of this 41 , it was an encounter（邂逅）that would make her known worldwide.
One day in 2017, Nan was shooting some videos with the whales, when the most remarkable thing 42 . As she swam alongside them, they began to display 43 signs that danger was near. Suddenly, she saw a whale swim towards her at full speed. Just as 44 hit, one of the whales used its fin to push Nan onto its back and out of range of…not a whale but a tiger shark.
After the shark disappeared, the whale 45 accompanied Nan back to her boat. She climbed aboard and yelled her appreciation to the 46 . After a few minutes, the whale disappeared, and Nan said goodbye, feeling 47 for this lifetime encounter.
Almost a year later, Nan received a call from a fisherman saying that he 48 whales in the harbor. Could her whale friend have 49 ? She jumped onto a boat quickly. Nan instantly 50 her fiend, and dived into the water to swim with him.
After Nan's encounter, she 51 with how best she could thank the whale. After all, its 52 to hug something much larger than you. So what's the most 53 way to thank a whale? It's by caring, learning more about them, and 54 their habitat. As for us, we can help in small ways. For example, 55 single-use plastics will make a difference.
41. A. chemist B. physicist C. geologist D. biologist
42. A. happened B. approached C. bust D. escaped
43. A. rescuing B. warning C. waiting D. recommending
44. A. excitement B. panic C. surprise D. disappointment
45. A. really B. clearly C. safely D. rudely
46. A. woman B. boat C. shark D. whale
47. A. proud B. grateful C. hopeful D. pitiful
48. A. spotted B. pleased C. targeted D. tracked
49. A. welcomed B. suffered C. returned D. refreshed
50. A. waved B. greeted C. realized D. recognized
51. A. combined B. struggled C. argued D. connected
52. A. pretty B. funny C. tricky D. vital
53. A. influential B. particular C. logical D. incredible
54. A. creating B. protecting C. surrounding D. establishing
55. A. donating B. exchanging C. throwing D. abandoning
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。
The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar year and it is the first significant festival after Chinese New Year. It also marks the final day of the Chinese New Year 56 （celebration）.
The main activity during the lantern Festival is looking at lanterns. No matter where you go, you can see beautiful lanterns 57 the day of the festival. In the evening, most cities will organise lantern show's 58 can add to the festive atmosphere. The shows have lanterns of different shapes, including animals, lowers, people, buildings and more.
Usually, riddles are 59 （write） on the lanterns. People crowd around and try 60 （guess） the riddles. This is one of the most popular activities since the beginning of the festival.
Yuanxiao is the special food of the Lantern Festival. The round shape of yuanxiao symbolises reunion, harmony and happiness 61 （interesting）, the Lantern Festival was known as Chinese Valentine's Day in the past. Many ancient Chinese poets have written poems about the Lantern Festival which describe happy moments and the stories of young lovers. 62 , in most parts of China today, the festival has lost these 63 （origin） meanings. With a history of over 2,000 years as a traditional festival, the Lantern Festival is celebrated both in China and abroad. Chinese people 64 （live） in any part of the world can experience and share 65 exciting festival.
第四部分写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
假定你是李华，上周五你校组织了“读书交换活动”，该活动受到了大家的一致好评。请你就本次活动给学校英语报写一篇报道。内容包括：
1. 活动时间和目的；2. 活动内容；3. 活动的意义。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
第二节（满分25分）
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
After a heart operation, I figured taking care of a dog would keep me active. So I went to the animal shelter, where a little dog in a cage caught my eye. Her name was Honey and she was five months old. The worker opened Honey's cage and I picked her up. We both went to the yard where I picked up a ball and threw it. I sat down, watching Honey run after it. She ran back toward me, ball in mouth. Immediately, I filled out the paperwork and took Honey home.
One morning last year I decided to take Honey out with me. My wife was away for a few days and I didn't want to leave Honey alone. I took my keys and opened the door of my car. Honey jumped into it and sat in the back seat.
I drove around the road slowly. Just then, a flash of sunlight blinded me. I put my hand up to protect my eyes. I felt the car slipped in the soft soil, and rolled and rolled until I heard a horrible noise. A giant part of the roof hit my leg and chest. I was pinned. With a sharp pain in my chest, I looked over to find Honey was still in the back seat, trembling.
I tried to see if I could unpin myself, but I failed. I fetched my cell phone and dialed 911. Just as I`d feared, I couldn't get a signal at the bottom of this valley. Robin, my closest neighbor, lived a quarter mile uphill from me. There was no reason she would drive up to my house.
My chest hammered. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pills. I ate one and took a deep breath. My heartbeat slowed. I knew that I must get Honey out first. There was a hole in the driver's side window, small but
maybe enough. Painfully, I reached over and picked her up. I gently got her through it. I pated her and she jumped to the ground and ran up the side of the valley.
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。
My pulse was weakening with the sun set. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Robin brought Honey to the hospital the next day. __________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
英语参考答案
1-5 BCBAB 6-10 ABABA 11-15 ABCBC 16-2 CCBAC
21-23 BDA 24-27 BDCA 28-31 CABD 32-35 DCAD 36-40 FAGCD
41-45 ABBCD 46-50 DBACD 51-55 BCABD
56. celebrations
57. on
58. which/that
59. are written
60. to guess
61. Interestingly
62. However
63. original
64. living
65. the
One possible version:
Book Exchange on Campus
Last Friday witnessed our school's book exchange campaign, which was launched to promote students' reading enthusiasm as well as enrich our campus life.
In the book exchange, students were asked to bring to school the book that they are fascinated with. Meanwhile, they were supposed to make a note to briefly introduce its content. Then at the school hall students exchanged their book for another one they were fond of. In this activity, all of the students were in high spirits and participated quite well.
Without doubt, this campaign was well received. Not only has it provided a platform for students to share their reading, but also it has aroused their interest in reading.
One possible version:
My pulse was weakening with the sun set. All I had to do was close my eyes. It seemed only minutes later I heard my neighbor Robin as well as the helicopter overhead. The rescue crew landed and made their way down to me. It took them 45 minutes to cut me out of the car and get me up the valley. We flew to the hospital in the helicopter and I got all sorts of tests and X-rays.
Robin brought Honey to the hospital the next day. She got right up next to me on the bed. With her there, my pain disappeared. "It was the strangest thing," Robin told me later. "I got home from work and Honey was waiting for me. She ran in circles, like she was trying to tell me something." Robin figured she'd bring Honey back to my house, and that's when she dialed 911. How grateful I was for Honey, a life-saving hero in my heart.
听力材料
Text 1
W: What was your first job, Dad?
M: I worked as a tour guide. It was a really interesting job.
Text 2
W: What time does the talent show start? Is it at ten o'clock?
M: No. Last week it started at nine. This week it starts at eleven.
Text 3
W: Your sister is excellent. Where does she work?
M: She works for a TV station. But she wants to work in a bank one day.
Text 4
M: Have you always been an actress?
W: No, I started that quite recently. At school I wanted to be a musician. But that didn't happen so I became a dancer. These days I only have time for acting.
Text 5
W: Come on! Ben! Look! This smart light can slowly wake people in the morning with a warm light!
M: Whoa! Look at the introduction here! It says, "If you leave the light on by accident, it will turn itself off after 20 minutes."
Text 6
W: Welcome to our holiday home!
M: Wow, a great house! Do you live here most time of the year?
W: No! Actually, my family usually spend the hottest month of the year here. It is cold to live here in autumn and winter, you know.
M: Isn't it a bit dangerous living halfway up a tree?
W: We were quite worried about the danger of falling off at first. But nothing's happened yet. And we leave our pets in the small garden under the tree.
M: Right. Safety comes first.
Text7
M: Have you got any ideas for the green meeting at the Youth Club?
W: Well, I've found this really cool clock on the Internet. It's made from an old bicycle wheel! It's great recycling.
M: Maybe…it's cool, but we need some more useful things, like seats and glasses, or things that could save money or electricity. I saw a guy at the market. He sold really great seats which are made out of metal and old newspapers! They're on a piece of metal, so the seats are strong. I think we should get some for the Youth Club!
W: But what happens if they get wet or someone spills a drink on them? We don't want to buy more seats every few weeks.
M: Well, that could be a problem. Hey, I know…batteries! The Youth Club can recycle them. There's a new place at the supermarket where you can put old batteries.
W: Nice idea! What time is the meeting? Could we get a pizza before then? I'm hungry.
M: There is plenty of time.
Text 8
M: Amy, did you study any foreign languages in high school?
W: Yes, I took French for two years. Then I majored in Japanese in college, and I studied Spanish for a year during my lunch break.
M: And how much French can you remember?
W: Not much!
M: Well, I've just read this article about the state of language learning in schools in the US. It finds that adults only remember about seven words from the languages they studied at school. They only remember common words like hello, goodbye, and thank you.
W: Only seven words? It's hard to believe. What languages do students study in schools today?
M: Hang on a minute; there's a list here somewhere…Here it is. It says 50% of students study Spanish, 25% study French, 22% study Chinese, and 2% study Russian.
Text 9
W: Henry, I need your advice on my job application letter.
M: OK. Let me see…Well, in Britain, a photo is not expected. It's unnecessary to include your hobbies as well, because they have nothing to do with the job you' re applying for. I can't see here that you've got a driving license.
W: I didn't mention it because almost everyone here my age has one. Do I need to put it on my letter?
M: Yes. And you' re fluent in Chinese, right?
W: Yes. I studied in Nanjing for almost two years as an exchange student. My spoken Chinese is pretty good. I know about 2, 000 Chinese characters. I picked up some French while I was teaching Japanese in Paris, but I'm hardly fluent.
M: So let's include three languages as your skills. Your educational background in Japanese is fine, and so is being a teacher in Paris. Why didn't you mention that you worked for your uncle before?
W: I only worked for a month when his office assistant was away. I did photocopying and typing mostly. But I'm not very good at typing. I was too ashamed to include it. Besides, what would happen if anyone gave me a typing test?
M: All right.
Text 10
Hello, I'm Lucy. Last year, my mum and dad had two months when they didn't have to work, and Mum thought we should all go traveling somewhere. My sister did some research and worked out details of where we could go and what to do there. My parents thought her ideas were great. The first place we went to was Moscow. We spent lots of time visiting historical buildings and we also went ice-skating several times. After traveling around other parts of Russia, we moved on to China. The place I liked best in China was Harbin in the north, with its great Ice & Snow Festival. We also traveled to the ancient city Xi'an, and then took the high-speed railway to Chengdu, where there's a wildlife park for pandas. After visiting China, we went to Alice Spring in Australia. The heat there was unbelievable. It was too much for me sometimes, and I had to stay inside. We saw Ayers Rock there, and some of the deserts too. What I didn't have time to see in Australia is the sea coast-people say it's fantastic.