重庆市第一中学高2027届高三上学期英语周考（二）英语试题

高227届高三英语周考（二) 英语试题 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.What does the woman advise the man to do? A.Join both clubs. B.Choose what he likes C.Join the robotics club 2.Where will the speakers probably go for vacation? A.A beach resort. B.A mountain cottage. C.A lake house 3.What does the woman think of learning instruments? A.It requires natural talent.B.It takes great patience. C.It is great fun. 4.How will the speakers most likely go to the airport? A.Drive a car. B.Take the subway. C.Take a bus. 5.What mistake did the man make? A.He burned the onions.B.He didn't peel the onions. C.He didn't freeze the onions. 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 is the probable relationship between the speakers? A.Hotel guest and receptionist. B.Customer and restaurant server C.Passenger and flight attendant. 7.How much money could the woman receive back? A.$450. B.$270. C.$180. 听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。 8.Who is the man probably? A.An art critic. B.A journalist. C.An AI engineer 9.Why is Emma's work so impressive? A.It was entirely created by a computer. B.It was painted in a classical watercolor style. C.It combined digital and hand-painted methods 10.What does Emma say about creativity? A.It comes from repeated trials B.It requires advanced technology. C.It depends on the artist's intention 听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。 11.Why does the man feel dissatisfied about his present job? A.He can't see much career growth. B.He doesn't like the pressure. C.He may easily get fired. 12.What does the woman suggest the man do? A.Apply for more jobs. B.Negotiate for a promotion. C.Explore internal opportunities. 第1页共8页 13.What can be inferred about the man? A.He is unwilling to take risks. B.He has a narrow view of his options. C.He lacks professional qualifications 听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。 14.What is the speakers'primary challenge? A.Time management issues. B.Insufficient performer interest. C.Budget and resource distribution. 15.What solution do the speakers agree on? A.Raising additional funds. B.Reducing the lighting costs. C.Sacrificing some food options. 16.What will the woman do next? A.Meet the performers. B.Revise the schedule. C.Adjust the program list. 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。 17.What does the speaker mainly talk about? A.Changes in solar research B.Advances in solar energy. C.The prospect of solar energy 18.What has happened to solar cell efficiency? A.It's ready for commercial use B.It has reached new records. C.It has nearly doubled. 19.What can the new liquid do? A.Clean solar panels B.Store solar energy C.Produce electricity 20.What is the experts'attitude towards the future of solar energy? A.Concerned. B.Critical C.Optimistic. 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 From roaming (fees to pricey add-ons,it's easy to lose track of your spending.To avoid any unpleasant surprises,dial in to these top tips... SWITCH N'SAVE Firstly,can you switch mobile providers and save? Text the word"INFO”to85075-it's a free Ofcom(通信管理局)service that tells you whether you're still in contract and whether any exit fees apply.If you're within 30 days of your contract end date,you can give notice that you are going to switch.Then at the end of your contract,you can move to a better deal.To find one,use comparison sites such as switch.com,moneysupermarket.com and comparethemarket.com. ROAMING RULES Roaming charges can max out your holiday budget,but O2 is the major UK network that still includes free EU roaming as standard across all its plans.It covers up to 25GB data at no extra cost. Switch off"automatic network selection"in places near countries outside the EU to make sure you can stay in control of spending. 第2页共8页 ESIM-PLE SWAP If you don't want to switch and your provider's travel charges are looking unreasonable,you could also buy a travel eSIM at Airalo.com.Just set the destination and travel duration before instant downloading,with no postage and no physical card.Plans start from just a few pounds for short trips. Just switch to the new one when you land to connect instantly. EXTRA HELP Log on to free Wi-Fi where possible.Use apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger to call friends and family for free.Do remember to turn off voicemail as you can get charged for someone leaving a message.Besides,Google Maps lets you download offline maps so you can navigate without using data. 21.What service can you get by sending "INFO"to 85075? A.Checking contract details. B.Canceling contracts freely. C.Comparing phone services. D.Switching mobile providers. 22.Which practice can help save phone costs abroad? A.Using WhatsApp for navigation. B.Buying a travel eSIM at Airalo.com. C.Leaving voicemail on to receive messages. D.Keeping automatic network selection active. 23.Who is the text mainly intended for? A.Exchange students studying in the UK B.Businessmen on a business trip in Europe. C.European tourists who are visiting the UK. D.British travelers planning a holiday abroad B Standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower,almost everyone looks down.Tourists push their way to peer at Paris's famous landmarks.Yet those in the know gaze upwards:they climb to the highest public platform to view not the metropolis,but a mosaic(镶嵌画)， Invader,the Frenchman behind the mosaic,is one of the most productive street artists in the world. He has planted more than 1,500 works across Paris alone.There are thousands more such "invasions" in over 80 cities around the world,from New York to Tokyo.His works have been attached to the Hollywood sign and a ski lift in the Swiss Alps;they lie at the bottom of the ocean near Cancun and orbit Earth in the International Space Station. Like any successful intruder and serious street artist,his identity is a secret.That hasn't stopped him from gaining fans.If you know a child in a city that has been invaded,chances are you've heard of FlashInvaders,an app on which you score points for finding the mosaics.The game has more than 550,000 players. Invader uses the ancient practice of mosaic to create figures inspired by video games.Each piece acts as a "perfect pixel ()"which makes the mosaics look like digital images.The pixels also mean the images can be scanned on a phone,a bit like a QR code,to play FlashInvaders.The aim of the game is not only to interact with fans,but also to spark curiosity and urban exploration.Searching for the mosaics takes you to parts of cities you wouldn't normally see. The app stands out because it encourages people to look at their environment in a different way". Mobile games are often criticised for gluing people to their phones,but this one teaches you to take notice of the world around you.Whether on a little-known street or at the top of the Eiffel Tower,it's always worth looking up. 24.Why does the author mention tourists looking down from the Eiffel Tower? A.To introduce an artwork. B.To judge tourists'behavior. C.To describe a common sight. D.To explain the tower's design. 25.What do the locations in paragraph 2 show about Invader's works? A.They have varied patterns. B.They focus on landmarks 第3页共8页 C.They stay within city streets. D.They enjoy great popularity. 26.What role do the "pixels"play in Invader's art? A.They blend art with interaction. B.They make the mosaics hard to recognize. C.They are mainly used to save time. D.They imitate QR codes in appearance. 27.What can the app contribute to according to the last paragraph? A.Personalized guided tours. B.Proper use of mobile games. C.Better knowledge of architecture D.Sharpened real-world awareness. Few things are as undoubtedly good for you as exercise.Besides making you fitter and stronger,it cuts your risk of heart disease,strokes,diabetes,many types of cancer and more. But how much of the cure-all do you really need?The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity,such as easy jogging or cycling,and two sessions a week of strength training.Many still fall short.In America,for instance,less than half of adults meet the minimum recommendations for just cardiovascular exercise alone. Those who hate pounding the pavements need not despair,though.Even a little exercise is better than none.And a growing pile of evidence suggests that might be true even with very small amounts of exercise indeed;potentially just a few minutes a day. Recently a group of researchers published a study that analyzed data from 25,000 British people who did no organised exercise.The researchers were interested in "vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity,or VILPA-short bursts of relatively intense exercise undertaken in daily life. Few of the participants did much VILPA-the median was just 4.4 minutes per day.But even that was associated with a reduction in the chance of dying,from any cause,of up to 30%in the following seven years for which the average participant was monitored.The association persisted even after the researchers tried to account for the idea that causality(因果关系)might run the other way, with only the already healthy capable of performing VILPA. Exactly why VILPAs seem to be so good for you is not yet clear.But inspired by the results,some academics have started advocating "exercise snacks":short bursts of activity that even the most gym-shy or time-pressed should be able to manage.As the old saying goes,every little helps.In fact,it may help much more than you think. 28.What do the WHO's exercise guidelines advocate? A.A mix of intensities B.Moderate activity. C.Intense workouts. D.Duration over frequency 29.Which of the following is an example of VILPA? A.Jogging for 20 minutes at a steady speed. B.Doing push-ups during each work break. C.Climbing stairs quickly to a meeting D.Walking the dog after supper. 30.What factor did the researchers take into account? A.Participants'original health state. B.Methods for lowering the death rate. C.Participants'daily exercise preferences. D.The length of people's monitoring period. 31.Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage? A.How Little Exercise Can You Get Away With? B.VILPA:A New-style Strength-building Workout C.Should You Follow the WHO Exercise Guidelines? D.Exercise Snacks:Turn Daily Chores into Workouts D Some of the biggest challenges in artificial intelligence are being worked on not by computer scientists but by philosophers.The philosophers are tasked with making the next generation of models 第4页共8页 more capable and reliable,but they also shed light on the mystery of consciousness. Jonathan Birch at the London School of Economics and Political Science says AI companies are the big employers of philosophy PhDs right now."Topics that have been researched in philosophy departments for decades-how to make rational decisions,what counts as reasoning,what counts as evidence of consciousness-are suddenly of massive value to AI companies,"says Birch. One of the key tasks for this crop of philosophers is alignment,the AI industry term for efforts to stop harmful content-such as revealing instructions on how to make bombs.Efforts to stop AI models giving dangerous outputs were initially focused around putting in simple black-and-white guardrails(),such as forbidding a model from talking about bombs entirely.But these proved clumsy and easy to circumvent.Now,companies are pursuing more advanced methods which lean heavily on philosophical understanding of right and wrong. However,it's rarely straightforward.Researchers have found that if you tell a model to break a rule in one specific situation,it will start breaking lots of other rules,says Shane Glackin at the University of Exeter in the UK.And understanding why is exactly the sort of problem that philosophy's logical analysis can crack. Mahrad Almotahari at the University of Edinburgh sees value in philosophy expertise for technology firms,but is sceptical that the toughest questions of machine consciousness will be answered by them.Others see a potential problem on the horizon,with industry hiring philosophers eventually leading to biased research that serves the interests of technology companies. "I wish we had made more progress on the big questions of philosophy before the arrival of AI.If we had,we would have been better prepared.AI has now given these questions massive urgency,and yet,the answers still seem far away,"says Birch. 32.What phenomenon is presented in the first two paragraphs? A.Computer scientists are losing their jobs. B.Philosophers outperform computer scientists C.Philosophy PhDs are favored in the job market D.AI companies are turning to philosophy for help. 33.What does the underlined word"circumvent"in paragraph 3 probably mean? A.Take over.B.Get around. C.Pick up. D.Push forward 34.How do the training methods of large language models shift? A.From theory analysis to practical use. B.From technical fixes to logical analysis C.From rigid rules to moral reasoning. D.From simple tasks to complex situations 35.What question does the text center on? A.Will philosophers win in the battle for better AI? B.Can the problems in AI be solved by philosophy? C.How can philosophers transform the AI industry? D.Why do AI companies prefer philosophers to coders? 第二节（共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分） 阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选 项。 A Seattle-area raccoon with a shortened spine (has become one of the Internet's most celebrated animals.Videos of Jimothy balancing on backyard fences and going about his nightly routine have gained millions of views.His popularity makes sense.36.But what if our emotional investment in the life of a wild raccoon had less to do with Jimothy himself and more to do with what he awakens inside of us? 37.We spend our days in environments shaped entirely for people,created by people.Our screens and daily lives mostly reflect us to ourselves.However,something essential is lost when our lives become like that.38.Encounters with wild animals de-center humans in a way that is both 第5页共8页 fascinating and expansive.Jimothy's presence pulls us out of our own world and reminds us that we are fellow creatures existing within an ecosystem. Perhaps what draws us to Jimothy is not only his intriguing way of navigating urban life as a uniquely shaped raccoon,but the recognition that we ourselves have become disconnected from the natural world in the digital age.39.Ecological identity is the part of our personal identities formed through relationships with landscapes,plants and animals.Recognizing that our identities extend beyond the borders of our skin and mind to include the natural world around us helps us to experience a sense of belonging.Our consciousness of our neighborhoods shifts from houses to ecosystems. Families of birds live in the trees,their lives unfolding in parallel with our own.40 A.We exist as members of a larger web of life B.Modern life has become almost human-centric C.Our living environment has changed dramatically D.Animals with cute appearance always capture our hearts E.People are wired to interact with what we call wild otherness F.He's adorable and easy to recognize with his unique body shape G.Seeing videos of Jimothy awakens our inner child who explored nature with wonder 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，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 Since I was a child,I've wanted to write for publication.Sometimes,I'd record details of some trip,only to 41 where I put the journal a month later.The writing habit never took root. As time went by,I went to college,got a job,married and bore four children.I was busy but I told myself that someday I'd give it a go!However,decade after decade,I was a 42 with entertaining anecdotes,nothing more. Then,my life changed 43.Six years ago,my 44 father moved in.During this new phase of life,with my 24/7 duties caing for Dad,a(n)45 silence day after boring day enveloped me.I decided that although a door closed on my former life,I'd 46 open a window and shout out a new life!I had no reason to 47 my childhood goal. While Dad napped,I 48 freely on paper.Within nine months,I birthed a 103,000-word novel. I sent out many query letters,only to get back my envelopes with standard 49 slips.Unyielding,I attended a writing conference and got a(n)50 to write stories about Alzheimer's for an anthology ()I wrote it fast and furious and from the heart.By January,I had made the 51.Eventually, my 103,000-word novel was also published. Becoming a caregiver isn't easy,nothing 52 in life is.I never foresaw that my dad's illness would open my eyes to the joy gained from 53 of oneself.Life's fulfilling when a soul 54 her passion and then circumstances put that body in the 55 place to pursue it. Lucky am I.I can say to myself about my dream:"Mission Accomplished." 41.A.lose track of B.catch sight of C.pick out D.make for 42.A.performer B.talker C.writer D.thinker 43.A.casually B.gradually C.visibly D.unexpectedly 44.A.failing B.caring C.inspiring D.demanding 45.A.strange B.painful C.awkward D.peaceful 46.A.pl1 B.force C.swing D.slide 47.A.achieve B.escape C.delay D.pursue 48.A.reflected B.composed C.drew D.commented 49.A.reference B.acceptance C.rejection D.invitation 50.A.chance B.occasion C.challenge D.reason 51.A.decision B.plan C.point D.cut 52.A.available B.accessible C.worthwhile D.enjoyable 53.A.loving B.shaping C.giving D.thinking 第6页共8页 54.A.pictures B.recognizes C.loses D.expresses 55.A.right B.central C.same D.original 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。 Growing up,I would frequently visit Manhattan's Chinatown with my family 56 (collect)a variety of bao,or buns-good for 57 on-the-go breakfast or delicious snack. One hot July afternoon,while waiting outside for my dad to finish choosing which pastries 58 (catch)his eye,my sister grabbed my hand and rushed down the sidewalk.Weaving through fruit sellers and leisurely tourists,I was spellbound by the passing storefronts-an array of hair salons, dessert shops,and boutiques,each 59 (own)by a local Chinese family. As we got lost in the bustling streets,my heart swelled with pride and contentment.Chinatown, situated at the intersection of Chinese and American culture,combined together different worlds,60 (one)I grew up feeling sandwiched between as a second-generation Chinese immigrant. Today,these neighborhoods,home to generations of Chinese Americans,are known as sites of community engagement,mutual aid 61 heritage preservation.They are pockets of wisdom and culture 62 many Chinese Americans find comfort and support.Scholars Michael Liu and Kim Geron recount the familiar Chinatown origin story in their 2008 "Changing Neighborhoods:Ethnic Enclaves (and the Struggle for Social Justice";Chinatowns 63 centers where new immigrants lived and worked together,shared resources,built 64 (society)and political organizations,and nurtured distinctive social and cultural lives."This 65 still holds true today, making these enclaves irreplaceable for both the old and the young. 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。你的学校正在举办主题为Through Labor,.We Build的国际高中生短视频大 赛。你想请外籍教师Jeny给予指导。请你给她写一封邮件，内容包括： 1.介绍大赛情况； 2.请求指导。 注意：1.写作词数80左右； 2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 Dear Jenny, I hope this email finds you well Yours sincerely, Li Hua 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。 For days,a cougar (had been edging closer to the small village at the edge of the mountains of southern British Columbia in Canada.Now,after drinking the river's cold water,the cougar bedded down again in a nest of tall grass. On July 3,1991,the three children in Larrane's day care group were outdoors early,painting bright flowers under the sun.By 10 a.m.,it was time to find shade,so Larrane decided they would walk down to the river."We're going to pick strawberries now,"she announced. At 44,she had made her dream come true by turning her home into a day-care center.It had taken hard work to get permission.So far,the center was operating smoothly.But she always worried about keeping her clients satisfied,as well as being able to care for enough children to make the business pay off.Larrane had known all the three children in her care since they were babies.They were shy Mikey, a three-year-old boy,Alleshia,a playful girl aged four,and the group leader Natani,a girl of five. After clearing away the painting equipment and handing each child an empty jar on that July morning,Larrane called for Pal,her one-year-old German sheepdog.Cheering with joy,Alleshia and Natani paired off in front.Larrane held Mikey's hand and said,"Let's go." 第7页共8页 The group made its way over the rough road and then onto a dirt track through the trees.The two girls broke into a run through the tall brown grass at the track's edge.Larrane and the little one,Mikey, hurried to keep up. "OK,"Larrane said after the group climbed down to the sandbank,"let's form a circle."She could not risk letting a child wander off.Suddenly a rabbit rushed into the trees and Alleshia jumped up,racing toward the trees."Come back,Alleshia,"Larrane called.Running after her,she caught up with the child and helped her back to the sandbank. 注意：1.续写词数应为150左右； 2.请按如下格式作答。 Paragraph 1:Larrane sensed the children suddenly went quiet. Paragraph 2:"Stay behind me!"Larrane screamed as she faced the cougar. 第8页共8页 高2027届高三英语周考（二)参考答案 第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分) 1~5 CBBAC 6-10 ACBCC 11~15 ACBCC 16-20 ABBBC 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） 21~25 ABDAD 26-30 ADACA 31~35 ADBCB 第二节（共5小题：每小题2.5分，满分12.5分） 36-40 FBEGA 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） 41-45 ABDAB 46~50 BCBCA 51~55 DCCBA 第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分） 56.to collect 57.an 58.caught 59.owned 60.ones 61.and 62.where 63.as 64.social 65.description 第四部分写作（共两节，满分40分) 第一节（满分15分） 【参考范文】 Dear Jenny, I hope this email finds you well.I'm entering an international high school short video contest themed "Through Labor,We Build."Knowing your passion and expertise in film-making,I hope you can offer me some guidance. My initial plan is to film a 3-minute documentary which shows how different people-construction workers,teachers,and street vendors-contribute to the creation of a community library.The climax will be the moment when the library opens its doors,symbolizing that labor builds not just structures but also connections However,I'm struggling with the narrative flow and how to make transitions between scenes feel natural. Could you share your advice on pacing and editing techniques to make the"building"process visually engaging? Looking forward to your reply. Yours sincerely, Li Hua 第二节（满分25分) 【参考范文】 Paragraph 1:Larrane sensed the children suddenly went quiet.She looked around,trying to figure out what had happened.That was when she saw a giant cougar,with its blood-shot eyes fixed upon the four, threading its way through the tall grass and inching towards its prey-Larrane and the three kids.The sight of the cougar near them momentarily froze Larrane and sent a shiver of fear down her spine.Yet,being a fearless teacher who would rather sacrifice her own life than the kids',she quickly regained her composure and dashed to the front. Paragraph 2:"Stay behind me!"Larrane screamed as she faced the cougar.The starving animal charged forward,hoping to pin Larrane on the ground.Sensing the upcoming killing,Larrane punched the cougar in the face with both of her fists.Hardly had she realized what had happened when a piercing howl echoed through the sandbank.As it turned out,Larrane's sheepdog Pal sank its teeth into the cougar's leg.With blood flowing out,the injured animal broke into a run,leaving Larrane and her three kids on safe ground. Meanwhile,Larrane's heroic deed spread through her little village like wildfire,winning her the nickname- Wrestling Iron Lady. 听力原文 Text 1 M:I can't decide between the robotics club and the debate team. W:Well,you're more of a hands-on builder than a speaker,aren't you?I'd say go with what suits your natural strengths. Text 2 W:I've been looking forward to our beach getaway all month,but the weather forecast says thunderstorms from Friday through Sunday. M:What about the mountain cabin we stayed in last spring?I could make a call and see if it's available. W:That's brilliant!The kids loved the hiking trails there. Text 3 M:I've been practicing the guitar for three months now,but my fingers still feel clumsy on the strings. W:Three months is nothing.I played the piano for six years before I felt truly comfortable. M:Six years?That's discouraging. Text4 M:If we leave by 7,we can beat the rush hour traffic and get to the airport in 40 minutes. W:Or we could take the subway and avoid the stress of driving altogether.It takes about the same time. M:True,but with three suitcases,I'd rather not drag them through crowded stations. Text5 W:Honey,are you sure you know how to chop onions? M:Of course!See?(coughing)Wait,why are my eyes burning? W:You forgot to freeze it in the refrigerator first? M:Oh...that explains it. Text 6 W:Excuse me,I'd like a full refund.The room was right next to the elevator,so I heard constant dinging noises all night.Also,the Wi-Fi was down most of the time.It's really disappointing! M:I apologize for the inconvenience,but we can't refund the full amount.You booked for three nights at $150 per night.Then we can give you a 40%discount on your total bill. W:Only 40%?I expected at least half. M:I'm afraid that's our maximum for non-technical issues.However,I can throw in a free dinner voucher. W:Alright,I'll take that. Text 7 M:Congratulations on winning the Young Digital Artist Award,Emma!Your AI-generated series"Urban Dreams"truly impressed the judges. W:Thank you.I'm still processing it,to be honest.I never expected to win against so many talented participants. M:What inspired you to combine artificial intelligence with traditional painting techniques? W:I've always loved watercolors,but I'm also fascinated by technology.So I trained an AI model on thousands of classical landscape paintings,then used its outputs as a base layer,and painted over them manually. M:That sounds incredibly time-consuming.How long did the whole project take? W:About four months of coding and painting,plus countless failed attempts.But the process taught me that creativity isn't about the tool-it's about how you use it. Text 8 M:Ive been in this accounting firm for five years,and I feel like I'm getting nowhere. W:Have you considered going back to school for an MBA?That could open up management positions. M:I've thought about it,but the tuition is too high,and I'd have to quit my job.I can't afford to lose my income. W:What about switching to a different company?Sometimes a change of environment makes all the difference. M:I've sent out a few applications,but the market is tough right now.Everyone wants five years of experience for an entry-level position. W:Then maybe it's not about changing jobs-maybe it's about changing your mindset.Have you talked to your boss about taking on more challenging projects? M:That's actually something I haven't tried.I've been so focused on leaving that I didn't think about improving where I am. Text 9 W:The community music festival is in three weeks,and we're nowhere near ready.The main stage still needs sound equipment,and half the performers haven't confirmed. M:The rental company says they can deliver the sound system by next Friday,but we'll have to pay a rush fee. W:How much extra are we talking? M:About 500 dollars.Given our budget,that would mean cutting back on the lighting design. W:We can't compromise on lighting-it's essential for the evening performances.What if we reduce the number of food stands from ten to six?People are coming for the music,not the food. M:That's a reasonable trade-off.I'll adjust the list of food sellers accordingly.And what about the performers? W:I'll personally visit the local bands this weekend to get firm commitments. Text 10 Welcome to our science talk.Today we're looking at solar energy-and guess what?This year has been a game-changer for solar research.Scientists have achieved new records in solar cell efficiency.One team reported a conversion efficiency of over 35 percent for a new type of solar cell,beating the previous record. This high efficiency is only reached in small laboratory samples,not in commercial solar panels.Another group developed a special coating that helps panels work better in hot weather. Meanwhile,the cost of solar power continues to drop.Since 2010,installation costs have fallen by nearly 90 percent.In some countries,solar energy with battery storage is now cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels. Storage technology is also improving.Researchers have created a liquid that can hold solar energy for years and release it as heat when needed.While it cannot produce electricity directly,this technology could help solve one of solar power's biggest problems-what to do when the sun doesn't shine. Experts believe these advances will make solar energy more accessible to homes and businesses around the world.With better efficiency,lower costs,and smarter storage,solar power is becoming a reliable energy source for the future.