福建省厦门市2026届高三下学期4月模拟测试 英语试卷（含解析）

这是一份福建省厦门市2026届高三下学期4月模拟测试 英语试卷（含解析），共9页。试卷主要包含了 3，5 分，满分 7等内容，欢迎下载使用。
（在此卷上答题无效）
2026 届高中毕业班模拟测试
英 语
2026. 3
本试卷共 12 页，考试时间 120 分钟，总分 150 分。
注意事项：
1．答卷前，考生务必将自己的准考证号、姓名填写在答题纸上。
2．回答选择题时，选出每小题答案后，用铅笔把答题纸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，将答案写在答题纸上。写
在本试卷上无效。
3．考试结束后，将答题纸交回。
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
到答题纸上。
第一节（共 5 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 7.5 分）
听下面 5 段录音，每段录音后有一个小题。从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选
项。听完每段录音后，你都有 10 秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段录音播
放两遍。
1. What will the man prbably d next?
A. Open the windw.
B. Check the street utside.
C. Turn n the air cnditiner.
2. When will the man arrive at the ffice?
A. At 2:00 pm. B. At 3: 30 pm. C. At 4:00 pm.
3. What cnfused the man abut the film?
A. The acting. B. The music. C. The plt.
4. What is the wman ding?
A. Sending a ntice. B. Cllecting a package. C. Labelling a lcker.
5. What are the speakers talking abut?
A. The flight update. B. The travel destinatin. C. The weather frecast.
第二节（共 15 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 22.5 分）
听下面 5 段录音，每段录音后有几个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选
项。听每段录音前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题 5 秒钟。听完后，每小题都有 5 秒钟
的作答时间，每段录音播放两遍。
听下面的录音，回答第 6 和第 7 小题。
6. What will the speakers prbably buy fr their mther?
A. A silk scarf. B. A gardening bk. C. A cffee machine.
7. Why des Alice agree t the man’s idea?
A. The item is n sale.
B. The mall has free delivery.
C. The cst will be shared.
听下面的录音，回答第 8 至第 10 小题。
8. What des the man say abut Jingzhe?
A. It is a time t celebrate insects.
B. It marks the start f farming.
C. It brings the first summer rain.
9. Why d farmers traditinally eat pears n Jingzhe?
A. T hpe fr pest - free crps.
B. T stay active at wrk.
C. T remember Su Shi.
10. Where des the cnversatin prbably take place?
A. In a farm field.
B. In a classrm.
C. In a fruit shp.
听下面的录音，回答第 11 至第 13 小题。
11. What is the prbable relatinship between the speakers?
A. Frmer classmates. B. Brther and sister. C. Cach and player.
12. What did Eddie d last semester?
A. He jined a band.
B. He practiced basketball.
C. He went t a swimming club.
13. Wh is Luis?
A. Sarah’s brther. B. Jasn’s cusin. C. Jessica’s teammate.
听下面的录音，回答第 14 至第 17 小题。
14. What is the fcus f the exhibitin?
A. Space missin items. B. Science fictin films. C. Life in space.
15. Hw d the visitrs mainly understand the charts?
A. Thrugh simple brchures. B. Under experts’ guidance. C. Via interactive screens.
16. What des the man say abut the exhibits?
A. They are well taken care f.
B. They are shwn electrnically.
C. They are f the same shape.
17. Hw des the exhibitin sund t Emily?
A. It is appealing. B. It is educatinal. C. It is relaxing.
听下面的录音，回答第 18 至第 20 小题。
18. What gave the technique its name?
A. A cking methd. B. A kitchen tl. C. An Italian city.
19. What shuld peple d after fur “Pmdrs”?
A. Set a 25 - minute timer.
B. Have a lnger rest.
C. Start a new task.
20. Wh is the methd suitable fr?
A. Peple with tight schedules.
B. Peple with sleep prblems.
C. Peple with pr cncentratin.
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、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
D fun activities n Pi Day Pi in everyday life
Pi Day is marked every year n March 14 by scientists, Humans have used pi t build,
mathematicians, and schls. Pi is a never - ending number r rati (比率). explre, and advance technlgy.
Architecture Engineers use pi The first three digits f pi are 3. 14, which is why the hliday is celebrated
t ensure safety and stability when n March 14. In 2009, the US Huse f Representatives established it as
designing curved bridges and Natinal Pi Day. Here’s hw t celebrate that day and mre.
tunnels and in design elements like Play pi games
arches and rund clumns. Yu can challenge yurself t see hw many digits f pi yu can
memrize. The first 16 digits, which NASA engineers use t make accurate Space explratin Scientists
calculatins, are 3. 141592653589793. Yu culd als play a beanbag use pi t map the surface area f
game. Draw a large circle n the grund in chalk and label it with the first planets, keep the wheels f rvers
few numbers f pi: 3, 1, and 4. Tss (投掷) beanbags and try t land them (探测器) n Mars turning, and
n the digits f pi in rder, starting with 3. measure craters n mns.
Have a feast Navigatin Glbal psitining
Get int the spirit f Pi Day with a special meal that features rund systems (GPS), like yu might find
bjects. Fr example, yu might have bagels, dughnuts, pancakes, pizza, in apps that give directins, use pi t
trtillas, r burgers. Anther way t celebrate Pi Day is t bake a pie t calculate specific lcatins n Earth.
share with family and friends.
21. Why is March 14 celebrated as Pi Day?
A. T mark the passage f a 2009 bill.
B. T reflect the never - ending rati f 3/14.
C. T crrespnd t the starting numbers f pi.
D. T hnr the birth f a great mathematician.
22. Which activity mainly challenges yur memry?
A. Calculating the area f a chalk circle.
B. Reciting a lng string f pi’s numbers.
C. Tracking the landing rder f beanbags.
D. Selecting rund - shaped fd fr a meal.
23. Which is an applicatin f pi in everyday life?
A. Measuring the weight f Mars rvers.
B. Adjusting GPS psitining in lcatin apps.
C. Imprving the structural sundness f bridges.
D. Increasing the lad - bearing strength f clumns.
B
Hanley - Dafe’s third ffering, fllwing Stress Wisely, makes an inspiring case fr the pwer f hpe.
Drawing n her experience as an educatr and wellness schlar “t cultivate (培养) a hpe practice,” Hanley -
Dafe rts her argument in the deep effect that a lack f hpe — r hpelessness — can have n peple,
describing that state as like “being trapped in a rm withut drs r windws. ”
Her perspective is nt limited t the “internal battle” f the individual; she demnstrates the urgent rle that
hpe plays in sciety, “ffering us purpse when things fall apart. ” Hpe is tied, here, t resiliency (韧性), which
is “abut grwing, learning, and unlearning hw t shw up” — all hpeful acts. Hanley - Dafe guides readers t
mve frm “understanding hpe t embdying it” with the framewrk f her fur - element “hpe blcks” mdel,
an riginal, intuitive (直觉的) “battle bard t help yu cntinuusly shw up with hpe. ”
Hanley - Dafe never shies away frm the pressing issues that can aruse hpelessness, such as the climate
crisis, and she demnstrates hw hpe has always fueled mvements fr change. Hwever, at times she seems t
dare readers t turn away frm her hpe, as in a stry abut encuraging a child’s dream f playing in the NBA.
That mment prves cmplex, especially when anther child cmplains, “If that kid’s dream cmes true, mine
wn’t. ” Hanley - Dafe builds this int a revealing lessn: in a wrld damaged by the lack f resurces and an “us
- vs - them mentality,” many believe that “if smething gd happened t smene else, there wn’t be any gd
left ver fr thers. ”
Written with grace and pwer, I Hpe S encurages readers t grw past such desperate beliefs. Hanley -
Dafe writes with heartening insight abut resiliency and ffers clear, flexible guidance fr finding ways t be
mre hpeful. What makes the bk stand ut, thugh, is its riginal thinking and an infectius spirit f — what
else? — Hpe.
24. What is the basis f Hanley-Dafe’s viewpint?
A. The successful publicatin f Stress Wisely.
B. The severe impact f lacking hpe n peple.
C. Her strng determinatin f battling hpelessness.
D. Her prfessinal backgrund in educatin and health.
25. What des Hanley-Dafe’s “hpe blcks” mdel aim t d?
A. Clarify the urgent rle f hpe in sciety.
B. Address the internal battle within every individual.
C. Explain the relatinship between hpe and resiliency.
D. Shift the fcus frm understanding hpe t practicing it.
26. What des paragraph 3 imply abut hpe?
A. It drives prgress. B. It faces challenges.
C. It ignres reality. D. It favrs the lucky.
27. What is the text?
A. A bk review. B. A research paper. C. A jurnal entry. D. A news reprt.
C
Getting the mst ut f ging t galleries invlves mre than just shwing up. While a casual apprach — “I
dn’t knw much abut art, but I knw what I like” — might satisfy sme, truly appreciating a painting requires a
determinatin t g deeper.
Trust yur eyes. The visual arts are nt called the visual arts fr nthing. Art is made t be lked at. And
when yur eyes decide whether they like smething r nt, they are drawing n the experience f a lifetime. S
trust yur eyes when they whisper their first impressins. Why d s many peple lve Van Ggh’s Sunflwers?
The mment yu see them, they feel uplifting, jyus, and instantly pleasurable, reminding yur eyes f the clur,
md and jy f a sunny day.
Yur eyes may be the mst imprtant rgan fr lking at art, but the heart runs them a clse secnd. When
we lk at a painting, we get smebdy’s message sent t us. One heart is trying t speak t anther. Take
Daughters Chasing a Butterfly by Thmas Gainsbrugh fr example. The first thing t feel is, f curse, the
artist’s lve fr his little girls. T my eyes, it’s entirely unmissable. The tw girls, their faces recrded with s
much insider skills, are chasing a butterfly, which has landed n a prickly (有刺的) plant. When they try t grab it,
they might get hurt. S a lving daddy hasn’t just painted his lve fr his daughters. He has als painted — and this
is where the heart cmes in — his fears fr them.
If yu judge art by yur wn level f cmpetence r understanding, yu’re lking at art thrugh a blindfld.
In Truner’s The Fighting Temeraire, the ld bat, bathed in an range and purple sunset, is packed with
significance and symblism abut a lst life and the end f the rad. Just lk at the pwer, the intensity, the
vlcanic brilliance f his depictin (描绘). Instead f limiting yur appreciatin t what yu like, expand it t
include what many thers have liked befre yu.
Like all life’s prfund pleasures, lking at art is a cmplex business. Mre accurately, it’s a pleasure with
many layers and stages. But fr the experienced art lver, the real jy is in the build - up, the delicius jurney, the
awesme pay - ff.
28. What are viewers advised t d first in lking at art?
A. G ver the histry f art. B. Draw n artists’ experience.
C. Cmpare with ther artwrk. D. Rely n initial visual impressins.
29. Why is Gainsbrugh’s painting mentined in paragraph 3?
A. Lve is ppular in family - themed paintings.
B. Viewing art invlves heart - t - heart cnnectin.
C. Art is a visual recrd f an artist’s persnal life.
D. Viewers are easily struck by the skills f artists.
30. What des the authr suggest abut judging art in paragraph 4?
A. Cnsidering thers’ pinins. B. Trusting yur wn judgment.
C. Sticking t persnal taste. D. Turning t realistic wrks.
31. What is the text mainly abut?
A. Hw t better engage with art. B. Hw t read artists’ emtin.
C. Hw t better evaluate visual arts. D. Hw t analyze famus paintings.
D
Pwer bills are ging up in America and peple are angry. They knw whm t blame — the bsses f
technlgy firms thirsting fr mre juice t fuel artificial - intelligence data centres. Hwever, the AI bm is nt
chiefly t blame fr the rising csts.
Electricity prices have risen faster than inflatin (通货膨胀) in recent years (see chart). Data centres are
indeed cnsuming mre pwer than befre and, as Gldman Sachs, a bank, hlds, will accunt fr nearly half f
the verall demand grwth in America in the cming years. Yet even business frecasts put data centres’ share f
ttal demand at nly a fifth in 2030. Tday it is less than a tenth.
A study cnducted last year shwed that data - centre lad was nt the main cause f the rate rises in the five
years t 2024. It fingered grid (电网) upgrades and rising csts f pwer - generating equipment and raw materials.
It is estimated that last year demand fr distributin transfrmers utran supply by 10%. There are als lng
waiting lists fr essential grid - related equipment.
Many prices started ging up in early 2021, nearly tw years befre the rapid grwth AI. They are likely t
keep rising fr nn - AI reasns. The Edisn Electric Institute, which represents private - sectr pwer cmpanies,
predicts its members’ ttal capital spending will reach $1. 1trn between 2025 and 2029. Mre than half the sum fr
distributin and transmissin infrastructure (基础设施) will g n replacing ageing equipment and hardening it
against extreme weather made likelier by climate change. These factrs have been ignred fr years. Nw AI
prvides an excuse t help win apprval frm regulatrs t pass the cst n t cnsumers.
AI may even be lwering prices. The tech giants are already investing in their wn capacity. Micrsft has
signed a lng - term deal t restart a nuclear reactr at Three Mile Island t supply its data centres. Meta has backed
a handful f nuclear startups. The Wrld Resurces Institute, anther think - tank, ntes that in Nrth Dakta rising
demand frm il and gas prductin, data - centre peratrs and fd - prcessrs led t large price reductins fr
lcal electricity users. Definitely, if Americans want lwer electricity bills, they shuld be shuting fr mre AI,
nt less.
32. Why des the authr mentin public anger in paragraph 1?
A. T highlight a scial cnflict. B. T criticize a current issue.
C. T intrduce a cmmn belief. D. T ppse an energy plicy.
33. What have mainly cntributed t the rising electricity prices in paragraphs 3 & 4?
A. AI Grwth and data demand. B. Big Tech and market shares.
C. Grid upgrades and facility csts. D. Climate change and capital spending.
34. Hw des the authr develp the last paragraph?
A. By making a cntrast. B. By prviding examples.
C. By describing a study. D. By drawing cnclusins.
35. Which can be a suitable title fr the text?
A. Hidden Csts: The Impact f Rapid AI Develpment
B. Ging Nuclear: A Ptential Slutin t Pwer Shrtage
C. Energy Refrm: Hw t Reduce Mnthly Electricity Bills
D. Beynd AI: Uncvering the Real Drivers f Rising Pwer Csts
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。
Fr mst f my life, I always treated taste as fixed. When I mved t Lndn, I threw myself int wrk while
my husemates were endlessly trying new things. My autmatic “n” t anything that “wasn’t my thing” nly kept
me trapped in the same daily rutine. That left me feeling flat and a little empty. I began t questin whether my
taste is fixed r culd be trained. I nce read that children need eight t fifteen tries t accept a new fd. 36
I decided t start small. When a friend invited me t a bk club, I resisted the instinct (本能) t dismiss it
despite my lngstanding dislike f reading and went anyway. 37 Nw I spend mrnings reading physical bks
instead f wandering aimlessly.
Then came music and perfrmance — all things I had previusly disregarded. 38 Gradually, I became
fascinated by the unfamiliar rhythms and mvements and felt prud f my survival in the end.
39 Hwever, I stpped saying n befre I had even begun. Mst recently, I tried ut my lcal library’s
chess club. I was easily 30 years yunger than everyne else, but that didn’t matter. Sitting ppsite peple with
wildly different life stries made me realize hw rarely I speak with ther generatins. We talked abut their past
careers, lcal news and new chess mves. Interestingly, I felt mre cnnected there than with peple f my age.
Research suggests that engaging yur curisity in new activities can help prtect against age - related
cgnitive (认知的) decline. 40 Getting utside my cmfrt zne nw gives me a rush.
A. Yet, I was eager fr engagement.
B. I didn’t lve everything straight away.
C. Fr me, it is far mre than brain health.
D. Initially, I was awkward and smetimes cnfused.
E. As expected, new tastes rarely cme withut discmfrt.
F. T my surprise, I enjyed the discussin and the peple there.
G. Why shuldn’t the same principle apply t scial activities fr adults?
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、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。
The players n the Academy basketball team knew smething was wrng. Their cach, Brendan King, wh
never 41 them n weekends, urged them back t the gym. They had wn the champinship the night befre, yet
nw they felt smewhat 42 .
“We actually lst t Apache 43 - 42,” King annunced. “The recrdkeeper 43 the scre. ” All fell silent.
“But this desn’t 44 hw prud I am f yu and hw hard we wrked t get here. ” 45 , it was a bitter pill
fr them t swallw. Within 20 minutes’ debating, the whle team 46 t turn the trphy (奖杯) ver t the
rightful champins, Apache.
The game had been physical and 47 . Scring was back and frth until the furth quarter, when Apache
pulled away by 14 pints. The Academy players, 48 t give up and fught back hard, hitting sht after sht.
Ultimately, they hit a 3 - pint buzzer - beater (压哨球) t tp Apache by a pint. The players 49 , but strangely
King had a sinking feeling.
That night, he replayed the game tape carefully, cunting every 50 . His gut (直觉) was right: An Academy
sht was mistakenly cunted due t the recrdkeeper’s pr angle. The next mrning, he 51 the basketball
fficials befre addressing his 52 .
With his team’s supprt, King drve t Apache t 53 the trphy. “I knw we didn’t have t d this,” King
says. “But fr us 54 means far mre than a trphy. Apache earned their champin 55 , and we earned urs
here. ”
41. A. cntacted B. fllwed C. praised D. welcmed
42. A. relieved B. awkward C. excited D. nervus
43. A. disregarded B. miscunted C. disallwed D. misinterpreted
44. A. reflect n B. bring ut C. take away D. make fr
45. A. Still B. Mrever C. Instead D. Therefre
46. A. managed B. decided C. pretended D. struggled
47. A. balanced B. casual C. intense D. flexible
48. A. learned B. tended C. hesitated D. refused
49. A. sweated B. erupted C. ndded D. escaped
50. A. pint B. sht C. tuch D. pass
51. A. blamed B. questined C. alerted D. lectured
52. A. families B. assistants C. fans D. players
53. A. exchange B. deliver C. reclaim D. display
54. A. integrity B. effrt C. reputatin D. determinatin
55. A. n camera B. in sight C. n curt D. in time
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。
An internatinal large - scale scientific initiative, the Plant Planet Prject, jintly 56 (launch) by the Chine
se Academy f Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and 49 dmestic and internatinal institutins, was 57 (fficial) p
resented in Beijing n Wednesday.
By integrating artificial intelligence algrithms (算法) and mdels, it aims t decde the genetic blueprints f
majr terrestrial plant lineages (陆生植物谱系) 58 map a cmplete tree f life fr plants, addressing glbal
challenges such as fd security, bidiversity cnservatin, new drug discvery, and sustainable develpment.
Accrding t Wang Li, a principal 59 (investigate) f the prject and a researcher at the Shenzhen Institute
f Agricultural Genmics f CAAS, plants 60 (evlve) int an extrardinary diversity f frms ver billins f
years. Hwever, 61 (discnnect) and incmplete genmic (基因组的) data have left many key evlutinary
relatinships unreslved.
Wang said the initiative seeks t fill these gaps by sampling plant rders and families 62 currently lack ref
erence genmes, fundamentally clarifying the evlutinary relatinships and branching timelines amng all majr p
lant grups 63 (cnstruct) a cmplete plant tree f life. Als, the Plant Planet Prject 64 (expect) t enhance
glbal eclgical capacity fr bidiversity cnservatin and carbn neutrality, while develping 65 new frame
wrk fr internatinal cllabratin n majr scientific challenges in plant science.
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分 40 分）
第一节（满分 15 分）
假定你是学校 AI + 英语学习项目组成员。你发现部分同学使用 AI 存在问题。请给外教 Mr. Evans 写
一封邮件，内容包括：
（1）简述问题；
（2）期待指导。
注意：
（1）写作词数应为 80 个左右；
（2）请在答题纸的相应位置作答。
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。
Last year, I, a 19-year-ld Canadian girl, arrived in Aix-en-Prvence, France, fr a year f studying abrad. I
felt like an utsider and the biggest truble was my pr French: Fast - paced daily talk ften left me struggling t
keep up, which was a cnstant surce f anxiety.
Luckily, I sn fund a perfect rental rm thrugh an ad. My landlady, Madame Dupnt, a cheerful French
wman, greeted me with a warm smile. She tld me it was just her and her 7 - year - ld daughter Lila living in the
huse, and that her husband, Pierre, was a nurse in anther city wh wrked permanent night shifts and was ften
tied up with his demanding schedule. She patiently intrduced the family rutine and the rutes t my cllege. I felt
at hme immediately and signed the rental cntract n the spt.
Madame Dupnt was like family t me. She helped me practice my French every evening, taught me abut
French life, and even drve me t the supermarket. Lila was energetic and enthusiastic and always a jy t be
arund. Our friendship almst began n the first day I mved in. She kncked at my dr plitely, sat clse t me
and eagerly shared stries abut her friends, her pets and everything interesting. We laughed a lt, which really lit
up my days far frm hme. Smetimes, Lila was quiet, just whispering t me hw she missed her dear dad. I tried
t cmfrt her, and each heart - t - heart talk drew us clser tgether.
Lila wuld turn 8 that weekend and I verheard it at the dinner table. Mved by gratitude and affectin, I gt
dwn t planning a surprise birthday party fr her after learning she and her mm were ging ut that mrning and
wuldn’t be back until nn.
The mment the dr clicked shut, I slipped int the kitchen. With a heart full f excitement, I set my plan in
mtin. I laid ut Lila’s favrite plates n the table and arranged her favrite flwers, hping t please my little
friend as much as I culd.
注意：
（1）续写词数应为 150 个左右；
（2）请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Busy preparing fr the party, I suddenly heard a man’s vice, “Surprise!”
Tw hurs later, Pierre and I gt everything ready.
英语试题参考答案
客观题
1-5 CBCBA 6-10 CCBAC 11-15 AABAB 16-20 AABBC
21-23 CBC 24-27 BDAA 28-31 DBAA 32-35 CCBD
36-40 GFDBC 41-55 ADBCA BCDBA CDBAC 语法填空（共 10 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 15 分）
56. launched 57. fficially 58. and 59. investigatr 60. have evlved/have been evlving
61. discnnected 62. that/which 63. t cnstruct 64. is expected 65. a
应用文（满分 15 分）
Dear Mr. Evans,
As a participant in the AI+English prject, I have nticed a prblem cncerning students’ use f AI,
s I am writing t seek yur guidance.
Sme students have difficulty judging whether the infrmatin prvided by AI is reliable. Fr
example, they accept answers withut checking them, which may lead t misunderstandings and affect
their learning. Therefre, I’m writing t seek yur prfessinal guidance. It wuld be appreciated if yu
culd share sme strategies n hw t use AI critically. I believe yur expertise will be f great value t
ur prject.
Lking frward t yur reply.
Yurs,
Li Hua
Dear Mr. Evans,
As a member f the AI+English prject grup, I am writing t reflect n a trubling issue amng us
and seek yur prfessinal advice.
I have nticed a disturbing trend where many students are lsing their ability t think independently.
Instead f explring language n ur wn, many tend t accept AI-generated answers withut any dubt.
This passive habit prevents us frm develping ur wn ideas and truly mastering the language.
Given yur expertise, culd yu pssibly ffer us a lecture n using AI wisely? I wuld be
prfundly grateful fr yur enlightenment.
Yurs,
Li Hua 读后续写（满分 25 分）
Busy preparing fr the party, I suddenly heard a man’s vice, “Surprise!” I spun arund, heart
punding, t find a middle-aged man standing there with a tired but warm smile. Fr a secnd, I was
cnfused abut wh he was. Sensing this, he intrduced himself as Pierre, Lila’s father, wh managed t
get sme time ff frm his night shifts fr this precius mment. Relieved, I tld him abut my secret plan.
With a knwing lk in his eyes, he jined in. Tgether, we turned the living rm int a festive wrld,
hanging streamers and setting the table.
Tw hurs later, Pierre and I gt everything ready. The air was filled with the sweet smell f cake when the dr finally pened. Lila stepped in, her shulders slightly lw—she first nticed the burst f
clrs, and then, mre imprtantly, the tall figure cming ut frm the kitchen. “Papa!” She let ut a cry
f jy, thrwing herself int his arms. Watching them hlding each ther clsely, the cldness f being an
“utsider” cmpletely melted away. In that mment, I realized that hme was nt just a place, but the
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warmth we shared.
(Text 1)
M: It’s really ht in here. Mind if I pen the windw?
W: Better nt. It’s super nisy utside — the street’s under repair. We’ve gt air cnditining anyway.
(Text 2)
M: Hey, isn’t the prject meeting at 2:00 pm?
W: It was, but it’s gt mved t 4:00. Culd yu cme in abut half an hur earlier t get the stuff ready?
M: Sure, n prblem.
(Text 3)
W: Hw was the mvie yu saw last night?
M: The acting was great, and the music was beautiful. But the plt was such a mess that I culdn’t really
fllw it.
(Text 4)
W: Wilsn, I gt a delivery ntice, but my parcel isn’t in the lcker it mentined.
M: Let me take a lk. Ah, I see the prblem — yu checked the wrng ne. Try this lcker here.
(Text 5)
W: Did yu catch the annuncement? Because f the strm, ur flight t Edinburgh nw leaves frm Gate
17 instead f Gate 9.
M: N, I missed it. We’d better g there right away.
(Text 6)
M: Alice, have yu figured ut what t get fr Mm’s birthday yet? It’s cming up sn.
W: Nt yet. I thught abut a silk scarf, but she’s already gt a bunch f thse. Then I cnsidered a
gardening bk, but yu knw she hardly ever reads.
M: What abut that cffee machine she kept checking ut at the mall last week?
W: Gd idea, but it’s still pricey even n sale, and the mall desn’t ffer free delivery.
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M: Well, if we split the cst, it wn’t be that bad.
W: Yu wuld? That actually sunds perfect.
(Text 7)
W: Hi! Why is everyne buying pears tday? D yu have a special prmtin?
M: Nt really. It’s Jingzhe. Our lcal traditin says spring thunder and rain wake up sleeping insects,
marking the start f hard wrk n the farm.
W: I see. S peple eat pears t celebrate the insects?
M: (Laughing) N. In Chinese, “pear” sunds like “leaving”. Farmers eat them hping pests will stay
away frm their crps.
W: What a clever play n wrds!
M: Indeed. Pears have a special place in Chinese culture. Even a famus Chinese pet, Su Shi, wrte
abut them. Anyway, my pears are very sweet. Wuld yu like sme?
W: Yes, please! I’ll take five.
(Text 8)
M: Hey, Sarah! Yu lk like yu’re in a hurry. Heading t the basketball tryuts?
W: Hi, Jasn! Nt tday. I’m just drpping ff my yunger brther, Eddie. He’s determined t make the
schl team this year.
M: That’s ambitius! I remember he was the lead guitarist in the schl band last semester.
W: He still plays, but he’s crazy abut basketball nw.
M: That’s quite a change! By the way, is yur sister, Fina, als trying ut fr the cheerleading team?
W: N, she’s busy with the swimming club. What abut yu? Still wrking n the schl magazine with
Jessica?
M: Actually, I’ve started training fr the marathn with my cusin, Luis.
W: That sunds like a lt f wrk! Gd luck t yu bth.
M: Thanks!
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(Text 9)
M: Hey Emily, have yu heard abut the new exhibitin at the Space Science Center? They’re displaying
bjects frm different missins.
W: Really? What kind f things are n display?
M: Mn rcks, parts f satellites, and even spacesuits. There are als early space charts full f
cmplicated data. Sme exhibits even remind visitrs f science fictin mvies r ideas abut life in space.
W: That sunds fascinating. Are the charts easy t understand?
M: Pretty much. Althugh brchures and screens are available, visitrs find the experts’ guidance the mst
helpful.
W: Nice. What are they like?
M: They’re amazingly well-preserved. Sme are even shwn in digital frm, and a few have really
cmplex shapes.
W: I’ve always been curius abut deep space. I think I shuld check it ut.
M: Yu definitely shuld.
(Text 10)
Tday we’re ging t intrduce a ppular time-management methd called the Pmdr Technique.
It was invented by Francesc Cirill in the late 1980s. The methd is named after the tmat-shaped
kitchen timer he used when he studied in Rme. “Pmdr” means tmat in Italian, which is a cmmn
ingredient in Italian cking.
The methd is pretty simple. First, chse a task and set a timer fr 25 minutes. During that time, stay
fcused and avid checking yur phne r emails. When the timer rings, yu’ve cmpleted ne
“Pmdr”. Then take a 5-minute break. After fur “Pmdrs”, take a lnger break f 15 t 30
minutes instead f jumping straight int the next task.
This technique can help imprve cncentratin and prevent mental exhaustin. It’s especially helpful
fr peple wh get absent-minded easily, r fr thse wh ften feel sleepy r lse track f what they are
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ding while studying. Why nt give it a try?
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