河北省唐山市遵化市2025-2026学年度第二学期期中考试高二英语试卷

遵化市2025—2026学年度第二学期学业水平测试 高二英语 注意事项： 本试卷分第Ⅰ卷（选择题）和第Ⅱ卷（非选择题）两部分，第Ⅰ卷第1至8页，第Ⅱ卷9至12页。共150分，考试时间120分钟。 1．答第Ⅰ卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号、考试科目用铅笔填涂在答题卡上，贴好条形码。每小题选出答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。 2．第Ⅱ卷答案一律写在答题卡上，写在本试卷上无效。 第Ⅰ卷（共95分） 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。每段对话读两遍。 1. When will the man leave for the party? A. At about 4:00 p.m. B. At about 4:30 p.m. C. At about 5:30 p.m. 2. What are the speakers mainly talking about? A. Their hobbies. B. Their schedules. C. Their travel plans. 3. What does the man suggest? A. Taking the subway. B. Changing the flight. C. Trying another route. 4. What does the woman imply? A. She is not strong. B. She dislikes sports. C. She wants to try gymnastics. 5. What is the man’s problem? A. He missed the meeting. B. He forgot the report at home. C. He didn’t know the deadline. 第二节 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. Why does the man choose the café downstairs? A. For its lower price. B. For its better taste. C. For its shorter distance. 7. How much will the woman pay? A. $12. B. $16. C. $20. 听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。 8. Why is George at the store? A. To look for ideas for clothing design. B. To purchase furniture for a new office. C. To sell tables and chairs with his friend. 9. What was the man’s last job? A. A market promoter. B. A clothing designer. C. A car salesman. 10. What does the woman want to do? A. Start a business. B. Study marketing. C. Write a book. 听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。 11. What did the man do while in Amsterdam? A. Bought gifts. B. Booked a hotel. C. Rented a car. 12. What does the woman hope for? A. A hotel near shops. B. A cheaper room. C. A city tour guide. 13. What is the Central Garden? A. A museum. B. A shopping area. C. An amusement park. 听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。 14. What does the man say the gold cup was used for? A. Serving tea. B. Drinking wine. C. Holding soup. 15. Why is the gold cup more valuable today? A. It was used by the wealthy. B. It has become extremely rare. C. It represents a social privilege. 16. What do the speakers plan to do next? A. Buy a gold cup. B. Take photos of the cup. C. Check out other items. 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。 17. Why do plants produce sounds? A. To communicate. B. To speed up growth. C. To defend themselves. 18. How did researchers run the experiment? A. By tracking the growth of plants. B. By testing plants’ response to noise. C. By stressing plants in different ways. 19. What happened to the second group of plants? A. They were not watered. B. Their stems were cut off. C. They were left untouched. 20. What may the new software help farmers do? A. Monitor crop health. B. Reduce insect damage. C. Offer planting methods. 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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 A Four Top Poetry Book Clubs Poetry Talk Founder Tim Burris leads Poetry Talk out of its location in Indianapolis, Indiana. Today, the book club has over 150 active members. It focuses on reading, sharing and discussing poetry. No matter what form of poetry you might be interested in, whether it is shorter poems or longer anthologies (选集), Poetry Talk is a place where you can meet others who also share an interest in poetry. Book club meetings happen every two weeks on a Wednesday evening, are held online, and always welcome new members. The Living Poets Society Poetry Book Club Run out of Boulder Bookstore, it is a book club where members discuss a shared book of poetry. People who are interested in poetry and connecting with individuals who also enjoy reading and having conversations about poetry are welcome. Book club meetings take place online on the second Tuesday of every month. The club has looked at Constellation Route by Matthew Olzmann and Luxury by Philip Schultz. And the latter is the first one the club has shared. Books to Change Your Life Chicago Book Club The book club has been active since 2020 and now has over 1,000 active participants who read and discuss a range of different books, including poetry. In addition to enjoying engaging and insightful discussions about poetry, book club members can get to learn more about books of other genres, including economics, philosophy and classic literature. Book club meetings are held online and take place weekly on Mondays. The poetry the club has read includes Homer’s classic The Odyssey. Poetry Meetup It is a great place for anyone interested in reading, talking about, or even performing poetry. Book club meetings are usually held once a month. Specific dates and locations of book club meetings are available on its Meetup.com web page. The Sea and The Mirro by W.H. Auden and St. Sebastien by Dali are two poems that book club meetings at Poetry Meetup have gone over. 21. Whose poem was shared by The Living Poets Society Poetry Book Club first? A. Tim Burris’. B. Matthew Olzmann’s. C. Philip Schultz’s. D. W. H. Auden’s. 22. What can the members do at Books to Change Your Life Chicago Book Club? A. Take courses on classic literature. B. Get free poetry books on Mondays. C. Perform poetry on stage every month. D. Discuss books of more than one type. 23. How is Poetry Meetup different from the other clubs? A. It is managed by a local bookstore. B. It focuses on discussions about poetry. C. It requires its members to meet offline. D. It gets its members together once a week. B My wife works while I stay at home and take care of our two kids and Wendell, an energetic dog. He loved to run but had to settle for our kids’ slow walks until it hit me: I could build a dog wagon (拉车). A few days later, I transformed our old jogging stroller into a two-seat dog wagon with a screwdriver. Now when Wendell sees me pick up his harness (牵引带) I built from old leather belts, he races to the door, eager to pull the kids around the town at a pace that thrills us all. When I left my law career four years ago, it was a promise to my children: I may not be able to buy you as many things, but you will know your father. So when we noticed a few inches of water had frozen in a deserted lot, we grabbed our ice skates and made it our own private rink. When my 5-year-old daughter became obsessed with ancient Egypt, we turned pizza boxes into pyramids. When my 2-year-old son wanted to be RoboCop for Halloween, I made his costume from recycled bottles and pieced his mask together from an old bike helmet and a wash bucket. Creativity rubs off. Not long ago, my daughter asked me to build her a horse, and I made sure she was part of every step of the process that didn’t involve power tools. She helped build her wooden toy horse from start to finish—drawing the design, then painting the final coat. Something that previously existed only in her imagination became a toy she could ride. Every project we finish feels like the fulfillment of a promise—it’s not the things we create that matter but the time we spend creating things together. 24. Why did the author build a dog wagon? A. To improve his craft building skills. B. To meet the exercise need of his dog. C. To recycle the broken jogging stroller. D. To provide a safer transport for the children. 25. Which of the following best describes the author’s parenting style? A. Imaginative and hands-on. B. Traditional and safety-centered. C. Encouraging and play-based. D. Adventurous and talent-focused 26. What does the underlined sentence “Creativity rubs off.” in the last paragraph mean? A. Creativity lies in imagination. B. Creativity calls for observation. C. Creativity originates from daily life. D. Creativity spreads through interaction. 27. What does the text seem to advocate? A. Valuing quality family time with children. B. Replacing store-bought toys with DIY projects. C. Balancing a career with parenting responsibilities. D. Adapting available resources to meet family needs. C Leafy vegetables are widely considered to be a healthy and tasty food choice, and eating enough leafy greens supports overall health. Now “Dinosaur time” is a popular online trend (趋势) that is helping all kinds of people, from busy moms to picky kids, get the leafy greens their bodies need. The trend originated with Amy Garrett, a former middle school science teacher and stay-at-home mom, who shared her unusual way to eat vegetables with her nearly 50,000 followers. In her videos, she eats leafy greens without preparing them or putting them in a salad. Instead, she eats them like a dinosaur, often with dinosaur-related music playing in the background. Garrett’s videos are welcomed by those who want to eat more healthily but don’t always have the time to cut up and prepare their vegetables. In a video, Garrett explains that salads take a long time to make and eat. Rather than having a salad as a full meal, she uses “Dinosaur time” to add vegetables before her lunch. It isn’t just adults getting inspired by “Dinosaur time”. Young children naturally enjoy pretending to be dinosaurs and parents are taking advantage of their little ones’ imaginations to encourage them to eat more healthily, using this fun trend. Alexis Chase, a mom of two, shared that after her 12-year-old saw her trying “Dinosaur time”, he said, “I believe I can eat those vegetables faster than you.” And she replied, “No, you can’t.” in this way, her family is encouraged to eat their vegetables. While this trend is great, people who’re at risk of kidney stones (肾结石) should be careful, and those who’re on blood thinners should ask their doctors for advice before changing their diet. Eating vegetables is a time-tested way to get nutrients (营养物) fast. 28. What is the main purpose of “Dinosaur time”? A. To promote vegetable sales. B. To teach dinosaur knowledge. C. To attract social media followers. D. To help people eat greens more easily. 29. What is the advantage of “Dinosaur time” over salads? A. It provides more nutrients. B. It costs less money. C. It requires less time. D. It tastes better. 30. How does Alexis Chase encourage his child? A. By creating competition. B. By setting examples. C. By offering awards. D. By making rules. 31. What can be inferred about the “Dinosaur time” trend from the last paragraph? A. It helps to treat diseases. B. It isn’t suitable for everyone. C. It needs special preparation. D. It is well accepted globally. D New research led by Brian Meier, a professor of psychology, provides convincing evidence of humans’ deep-seated preference for products labeled as “natural”, demonstrating how this bias (偏见) significantly influences real-world decision-making even when potential risks are involved. Prior studies have shown that the bias extends across various fields. However, many of them relied on self-reported preferences in hypothetical scenarios (假设情景), leaving a gap in our understanding of how the bias influences actual behavior. Therefore, Brian and his colleagues conducted three experiments to test participants’ choices and performances in different contexts. The first experiment involved 174 college students who were led to believe they were testing a strength-enhancing drink described as either natural or synthetic (合成的). When asked to choose between the two options before repeating a strength test, an overwhelming 84% selected the natural-labeled drink, despite both being identical water samples. In the second experiment, 98 students were offered chocolate described as containing either natural or synthetic cocoa, with researchers introducing an element of risk by mentioning potential stomach discomfort. Remarkably, 84% still chose the natural option, maintaining their preference even when facing possible negative effects. The third experiment extended the research beyond laboratory settings, approaching 200 passers-by on a street. Participants evaluated stickers described as using natural or synthetic ink, then selected one to keep. Results showed 66% preferred natural-labeled stickers, which they also rated as higher quality and more appealing than the synthetic ones. “The vast majority of subjects exhibited a clear behavioral preference that was influenced solely by the ‘natural’ label across all three experimental contexts,” Meier stated. The research, which spanned diverse settings and product categories, yielded remarkably consistent results, strongly confirming the profound impact of naturalness branding on consumer decision-making. Based on these convincing findings, Meier and his research team have outlined several promising avenues for further investigation. Their future work aims to dive deeper into the underlying cognitive and emotional mechanisms of this “naturalness bias”, unlocking its potential applications in strategic marketing and public policy making. 32. How did Brian Meier’s research differ from earlier studies on naturalness bias? A. It explored completely new fields. B. It tested people in real-life situations. C. It repeated experiments for accuracy. D. It focused more on data comparison. 33. What can be inferred from the three experiments? A. Risks lower the preference. B. The bias depends on product type. C. The synthetic option tasted better. D. The bias works despite no real difference. 34. What is a possible future research direction for the team? A. Behavioral bias. B. Consumer behavior. C. Product labeling strategies. D. Hidden psychological mechanisms. 35. What might be the best title for the passage? A. The Risks of Natural Products: A Psychological Analysis. B. The Power of “Natural”: How Labels Shape Our Decisions. C. Natural VS Synthetic: Consumer Choices in Everyday Life. D. Beyond the Label: New Research in Consumer Psychology. 第二节 七选五（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。 Curiosity is defined as the “desire to know”, but many people don’t realize it ranges from shallow to deep. 36 It’s the kind of questioning that helps us to collect data and information. We use it to learn facts. 37 It’s not just about facts, but about unknown stories. When we use it to learn about other people, we get a rich insight into their core values and life experiences. Instead of a simple question like “What do you do for work?”, we ask, “What kind of work makes you come alive, and why?” One type of curiosity is not necessarily better than the other. They’re just different with benefits and learning from both. 38 You wouldn’t ask a new classmate suddenly and unexpectedly, “What’s your biggest childhood trauma (痛苦经历)?” While some of us might be willing to share so openly, others may not find the question appropriate, especially before trust and closeness have been built. 39 People with higher levels of curiosity tend to be happier. It also strengthens our relationships—whether with our classmates, friends, or strangers. A study found that when people show genuine curiosity towards another person, they’re rated as warmer and more attractive. It creates that “give-and-take spirit”; when we ask questions, others are more likely to return the favour. While curiosity is usually regarded as a way to learn about what’s outside of ourselves, such as better understanding someone, it can actually be channeled in other ways, too. It helps us understand ourselves, and reflect on our beliefs, desires, or needs. 40 A. Curiosity offers a variety of benefits. B. It’s time to employ curiosity’s power. C. Thus shallow curiosity is a gateway to a deeper world. D. However, which you use might depend on the situation. E. What you may be more familiar with is shallow curiosity. F. Deep curiosity, in contrast, invites us to go beneath the surface. G. It can even be directed to explore what’s beyond the physical world. 第三部分 语言知识运用（共两节；满分30分） 第一节 完形填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分） 阅读下面的短文，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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 The players on the Academy basketball team knew something was wrong. Their coach, Brendan King, who never 41 them on weekends, urged them back to the gym. They had won the championship the night before, yet now they felt somewhat 42 . “We actually lost to Apache 43—42,” King announced. “The recordkeeper 43 the score.” All fell silent. “But this doesn’t 44 how proud I am of you and how hard we worked to get here.” 45 , it was a bitter pill for them to swallow. Within 20 minutes’ debating, the whole team 46 to turn the trophy (奖杯) over to the rightful champions, Apache. The game had been physical and 47 . Scoring was back and forth until the fourth quarter, when Apache pulled away by 14 points. The Academy players, 48 to give up and fought back hard, hitting shot after shot. Ultimately, they hit a 3-point buzzer-beater (压哨球) to top Apache by a point. The players 49 , but strangely King had a sinking feeling. That night, he replayed the game tape carefully, counting every 50 . His gut (直觉) was right: An Academy shot was mistakenly counted due to the recordkeeper’s poor angle. The next morning, he 51 the basketball officials before addressing his 52 . With his team’s support, King drove to Apache to 53 the trophy. “I know we didn’t have to do this,” King says. “But for us 54 means far more than a trophy. Apache earned their champion 55 , and we earned ours here.” 41. A. praised B. followed C. contacted D. welcomed 42. A. relieved B. awkward C. excited D. nervous 43. A. miscounted B. disregarded C. disallowed D. misinterpreted 44. A. reflect on B. take away C. bring out D. make for 45. A. Still B. Moreover C. Instead D. Therefore 46. A. managed B. struggled C. pretended D. decided 47. A. balanced B. casual C. intense D. flexible 48. A. learned B. refused C. hesitated D. tended 49. A. erupted B. sweated C. nodded D. escaped 50. A. pass B. shot C. touch D. point 51. A. blamed B. questioned C. informed D. lectured 52. A. families B. assistants C. players D. fans 53. A. deliver B. exchange C. reclaim D. display 54. A. determination B. effort C. reputation D. honesty 55. A. on camera B. on court C. in time D. in sight 遵化市2025—2026学年度第二学期学业水平测试 高二英语 第Ⅱ卷（共55分） 题号 语法填空 应用文写作 读后续写 总分 得分 第二节 语法填空（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。 Sugar painting, 56 its name suggests, is made of sugar. The history of it can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, 57 sugar tigers, sugar lions or figures of ministers were sacrificed to ancestors in royal court. With the handicraft 58 (spread) in the folk and evolving into sugar painting, now it can be found in 59 (variety) areas of China along the streets or in the parks. There, you may find an artist at a wooden stand with a large marble, a wheel with animal patterns and a pot of melted sugar. Most artists have a wheel for people to spin, which 60 (determine) which animal he or she will draw based 61 where the arrow lands. This is how sugar paintings are made. Boil sugar in fire until it can draw wire. Then scoop up (舀) a spoon of melted sugar juice, and cast quickly on a marble back and forth 62 (create) a shape. After the accomplishment, scoop up the sugar painting with a shovel. Then use a wooden stick to hold the figure. As a symbol of Chinese culture, nowadays, the charm of sugar painting has been 63 (gradual) getting more and more attention and 64 (recognize). So far, Chengdu Sugar Painting 65 (list) into “National Intangible Cultural Heritage”. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 第四部分 写作（共两节；满分40分） 你校英语俱乐部将于下周五举办一场“传统节日主题英文演讲比赛”，你的好友David已经报名参赛，请你给留学生朋友Bill写一封邮件，邀请他来现场观赛并为David加油，内容包括： 1. 写信目的； 2. 比赛的时间、地点和简要流程； 3. 期待回复。 注意：1. 词数80左右； 2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 Dear Bill, Yours sincerely, Li Hua 第二节 读后续写（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，使之构成一个完整的短文。 It was a sunny Saturday morning, and the grass was wet with dewdrops (露珠) as Keonte Evans walked to Mrs Carter’s yard. His backpack felt heavy with a pair of gloves, a small handheld grass trimmer (割草机), and a pair of pruning shears (修枝剪)—tools he had saved up for months to buy. As a high school freshman, Keonte had posted part-time job advertisements online to save for a computer, which would allow him to join the school programming club. When he arrived, Mrs Carter hurried to her car. “The yard’s all yours—pull out the wild plants, trim the bushes, and cut the grass,” she said, handing him the key. Keonte nodded and thanked her, unlocked the gate and stepped in. He put down his backpack, and began pulling up the thick wild plants at the edge of the garden. The sun warmed his back while he sang softly and worked. He imagined how his growing savings would soon help him buy a computer. Suddenly, a loud voice broke the quiet: “Put down your tools! Hands on your head! Squat (蹲) down now!” Keonte froze. A police officer stood at the gate. Keonte’s heart raced, and he quickly dropped the grass trimmer, raised his hands, and squatted as ordered. The officer’s uniform was neat, and his nametag read “Steven”. “What are you doing here?” Officer Steven asked firmly. Keonte swallowed hard and explained, “I’m Keonte Evans. Mrs Carter hired me to clean her yard—she just left.” The officer’s serious face softened a little. “Her neighbor called, thinking you were a thief since the owner wasn’t home,” he said. During their subsequent conversation, Keonte told Steven about his part-time jobs, and his dream of joining the programming club. Officer Steven nodded, looking impressed. He checked with Mrs Carter to confirm Keonte’s story, and everything turned out to be correct. “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, Keonte. You’re a hardworking kid,” he said, helping the teen stand up. Before leaving, he smiled widely and said, “I’ll give you a call soon.” Keonte watched him drive away, wondering what the officer meant. 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。 Paragraph 1: Three days later, Keonte received a call from Steven. Paragraph 2: However, Steven paid Keonte more than the agreed amount. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $ 遵化市2025—2026学年度第二学期学业水平测试 高二英语参考答案 第Ⅰ卷 第一部分 听力 (共两节，满分30分) 1—5. CBAAC 6—10. ABBCC 11—15. BACBB 16—20. CACBA 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) 21-23. CDC 24-27. BACA 28-31. DCAB 32-35. BDDB 第二节（共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分） 36-40. EFDAG 第三部分　语言知识运用 (共两节，满分30分) 第一节 完形填空 (共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分) 41-45. CDABA 46-50. DCBAD 51-55. CCADB 第II卷 第二节 语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分） 56. as 57. when 58. spreading 59.various 60. determines 61. on/upon 62. to create 63. gradually 64. recognition 65. has been listed 第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分） 第一节 应用文写作 (满分15分) Dear Bill, How is everything going? I’m writing to invite you to watch the Traditional Festival Themed English Speech Contest in our school this Friday. The contest will be held in the school hall from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. My friend David has signed up for it, and he will give a speech about the Spring Festival. As his good friend, I really hope you can come to cheer him on. Besides, you can also enjoy other students’ wonderful speeches about different Chinese traditional festivals. Would you like to join us? Please let me know if you are available. Looking forward to your reply. Yours, Li Hua 第二节 读后续写（满分25分） Paragraph 1: Three days later, Keonte received a call from Steven. Steven explained that his own yard needed tidying up and asked if Keonte would be interested in the job. Delighted, Keonte agreed. He wrote down Steven’s address and confirmed the time. They agreed on the payment as well. On the appointed day, Keonte arrived on time at Steven’s house with his tools. He worked hard under the sun, mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges, and clearing all the fallen leaves. After he finished, Steven thanked him sincerely for his tidy work, and immediately transferred the payment to Keonte. However, Steven paid Keonte more than the agreed amount. Thinking it was a mistake, Keonte politely pointed it out to Steven. But the officer smiled and shook his head. “It’s not a mistake,” he said kindly. “I admire your hard work and independence. The extra is to help you save for a computer.” Overwhelmed with gratitude, Keonte thanked him repeatedly, his eyes bright with hope. In the following weeks, Steven introduced Keonte to several neighbors who needed gardening help. Before long, thanks to these steady jobs, Keonte saved enough to buy his own computer, making his dream a reality. 听力录音稿 Text 1 W: Are you free on Saturday evening? We are having a party for Jimmy’s graduation. M: Let me check. I’ve got a conference at four that should last about an hour and a half. I can come right after that. Text 2 M: How’s life treating you? W: Pretty busy. I’m training hard for the upcoming Marathon in our city, and you? M: Well, I’m busy with some reports during the day and dance classes at night. Text3 W: Can you drive at top speed please? I have a flight to catch at 2:30. M: I’m afraid traffic at this time of day is heavy. You should take the subway. Text 4 M: If you are interested in gymnastics. The university has an outstanding team. W: I can’t even climb the stairs without having to stop and catch my breath. Text 5 W: Have you handed in your monthly report yet? M: No, I haven’t. I was planning to hand it in tomorrow. W: Well, the monthly report is supposed to be handed in by lunch. M: I’m sorry, I didn’t know that. I’ll do it right away. Text 6 M: Hey, Catherine, I’m going to grab some coffee. Do you want one? W: Yes, please. I really need some. I’m so sleepy. M: The cafe downstairs has a special promotion 20% off. You can check the menu on your phone. W: Okay, cool. Just get me a large Americano with two sugar packets on the side, please. The original price is 10 dollars. M: Large Americano, two sugars. Got it. Anything else? W: Could you also grab me a cake? It’s the same price as the Americano. M: No problem. Text7 W: Hi, George, I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you selling furniture now? M: No, Chloe. My friend and I are starting our own business and I’m here to buy some office tables and chairs. W: That’s great. What kind of business? M: We design clothing for customers. W: So you quit selling cars, right? M: Yeah, I just couldn’t see myself doing that forever. W: But do you know anything about clothing design? I remember you majored in marketing in college. M: Well, my friend has been in the field for over a decade and we make a great team. W: I really admire you. I’ve been wanting to write a book for a long time but I just haven’t had the courage to start. Text8 M: What a great city, it’s as beautiful as Amsterdam. W: I think I’m going to like it too. Can we just drive around before we check into a hotel? M: Sure, while in Amsterdam I phoned ahead to make a reservation at a hotel on Gother Street. It’s in the centre of the city. W: Good. I hope it’s not too far from the shopping district. I didn’t buy that much in Amsterdam, so I have some extra money to spend here. M: Look at all the parks. It’s wonderful to see how clean and green these European cities are. And look, there’s the royal factory. It has been making world class silk for hundreds of years. W: I see and what’s over there, look at all the people. M: That’s the central station next to the central garden. The central garden is famous around the world as an amusement park. W: Will we have time to go there? M: Of course. We’re on vacation, remember? Text 9 W: Oh, check out that piece on the table. It’s stunning. M: That’s actually a gold cup from the Tang Dynasty, probably used by the wealthy. W: I saw a silver soup bowl earlier. Do you think this one was used for tea? M: Probably not. It was mainly used for drinking wine, especially during toasts with people of higher status. W: So it was a kind of status symbol. M: Exactly. And, surprisingly, it’s considered even more valuable today than it was back then. W: Why’s that? M: Well, only a few gold cups like this still exist in the world. W: Amazing. Jim, could you take a picture of me pretending to drink from it? M: Sorry, dear, but photography isn’t allowed in this museum. W: Oh, right. Maybe I’ll buy a postcard of that gold cup from the souvenir shop later. M: That’s a good idea. W: Come on, let’s go and see what else they have here. Text 10 Take care of your plants. They may scream if you treat them badly, according to an article published in a magazine in Cell. Plants can make sounds when they are stressed. Plants interact with insects and other animals all the time, and many of these insects and animals use sounds for communication, so it would be very inconvenient for plants not to use sounds at all. Lilach Hadany told BBC science focus. With this in mind, the research team started by recording plants sounds. They divided the plants into three groups. One group wasn’t watered for five days, another group had the stems cut off and the last group remained untouched. The microphones caught sounds at a frequency of 40 to 80 kilohertz from the first two groups. The sounds grew louder and louder during the five days of water stress. They then began to decline as the plants dried out. The researchers haven’t yet discovered how the sounds are made. After the experiment, the team gathered the data and made software that could tell how plants feel it could be useful for farmers in monitoring the conditions of their crops. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $