江苏省镇江市2021届高三模拟信息卷（一) 英语试题（Word版含答案）

1 镇江市 2021 届高三模拟信息卷（一） 英语学科 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。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 is the man offering to do for the woman? A. Help her check in. B. Carry her suitcases. C. Take her to her room. 2. What does the woman think of the man’s office? A. It is messy. B. It is large. C. It is neat. 3. Why does the man look different now according to himself? A. He lost weight. B. He got older. C. He had a haircut. 4. Who will buy the tickets for the concert? A. Sandy. B. The man. C. Sandy’s brother. 5. Who might the woman be talking with? A. A repairman. B. A policeman. C. A parking lot attendant. 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. Where does the woman want to go? A. To her home. B. To a stadium. C. To a restaurant. 7. How does the man feel about his work? A. Worried. B. Relaxed. C. Uninterested. 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8、9 题。 8. What is the presentation mainly about? A. The causes of climate change. B. The results of climate change. C. The prevention of climate change. 9. Where did the man get his information? A. From a film. B. From a website. C. From a book. 听第 8 段材料，回答第 10 至 12 题。 10. What language is Richard fluent in? A. French. B. Spanish. C. Italian. 11. What is Molly going to do? A. Spend a year in France. B. Spend six months in France. C. Spend a year in Spain. 注意：本试卷分第一卷（选择题）和第二卷（非选择题）两部分。两部分答案都做在答题卡上。 总分为 150 分。考试时间 120 分钟。 2 12. What is Richard’s advice for learning a new language? A. Going traveling often. B. Using the dictionary often. C. Surrounding yourself in the environment. 听第 9 段材料，回答第 13 至 16 题。 13. What course is the woman taking now? A. Criminal behavior. B. Psychology. C. Ecology. 14. What’s the probable relationship between the two speakers? A. Friends. B. Husband and wife. C. Manager and secretary. 15. What does the man probably want to be in the future? A. A policeman. B. A math teacher. C. An engineer. 16. What is the woman’s attitude to her professors? A. She admires them. B. She is afraid of them. C. She is disappointed in them. 听第 10 段材料，回答第 17 至 20 题。 17. What would MAD Architects prefer buildings to be like? A. More environmentally friendly. B. More attractive. C. More traditional. 18. What does MAD Architects want to provide? A. The situation of separation from nature. B. The experience of living in ancient times. C. The feeling of being in the natural world. 19. Where will the Urban Forest be built? A. In Beijing. B. In Chongqing. C. In Rome. 20. Who should apply for a job according to the talk? A. Architects. B. Engineers. C. Office workers. 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 Dickens House Museum Type: Historic House / Palace Address: 2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1QS About Dickens House Museum, Broadstairs celebrates Charles Dickens’ long connection with Broadstairs from 1837 to 1851, through personal items and letters. Guided tours available. The museum is housed in the cottage that was Charles Dickens’ inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield. David’s description of Betsey’s cottage with its square gravelled garden full of flowers, and a parlour of old fashioned furniture still fits today. The character Betsy Trotwood is based on Miss Mary Pearson Strong who lived in the cottage that is now the museum. According to the reminiscences of Charles Dickens’ son Charley, he and his father regularly had tea and cakes in the parlour (会客室) with the kindly and charming Miss Mary Pearson Strong. He also remembers that Miss Pearson Strong was completely convinced of her right to stop the passage of donkeys along the cliff top in front of her cottage. This belief became the donkey incident for the character of Betsy Trotwood, with the famous quote: “Janet! Donkeys!” 3 Spread over four floors, the Charles Dickens Museum holds the world’s most important collection of paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and other items relating to the life and work of Dickens. Perhaps the best-known exhibit is the portrait of Dickens known as Dickens’ Dream by R. W. Buss, an original illustrator of The Pickwick Papers. This unfinished portrait shows Dickens in his study at Gads Hill Place surrounded by many of the characters he had created. What’s Nearby Viking Bay 0.03 miles away Theatre Royal Margate 0.07 miles away Joss Bay Surf School 0.23 miles away 21. What do we know about the cottage? A. It houses items concerning Dickens. B. It is far away from Viking Bay. C. It is located near Dickens’ House Museum. D. It was once Pickwick’s home. 22. Who is Miss Mary Pearson Strong? A. A character in David Copperfield. B. The housekeeper of Charles Dickens’ son. C. The owner of the passing donkeys. D. Dickens’ inspiration for the character Betsy Trotwood. 23. What can tourists do when visiting the Charles Dickens Museum? A. Watch a movie. B. Have afternoon tea in the parlour. C. Appreciate Dickens’ Dream. D. Enjoy art exhibitions of R.W. Buss. B For hundreds of years, Africans have preserved their history through storytelling. But some Africans worry that oral traditions will be lost to the Internet connections and social media. This has led a Nigerian woman named Elizabeth Kperrun to create a mobile phone application as a way to preserve African folk stories. She calls her mobile app AfroTalez, which tells children’s stories that teach moral lessons. “We can’t teach kids something by telling them, ‘Don’t do this’. I think kids need context to understand. In a story somebody stole something and then something bad happened to them. Alternatively, somebody else did something good and they ended up happy or rich.” “Hello children. My name is Liz and I’d like to tell you a story about tortoises, elephants, and ... ” The voiceof “Aunt Liz” narrates the story, while a full-screen animation appears. An arrow signals when it’s time to move on. There are also quizzes on object recognition and counting throughout. Kperrun asks her older relatives to help her collect stories for the application. The stories come from an ethnic group living in southeast Nigeria and northwest Cameroon. “I want to keep it centered on folk stories, not the ones that Walt Disney has made really popular... It’s fair and respectful to keep certain cultures alive because folk stories are part of the tapestry that keeps cultures together.” Kperrun once said. Kperrun writes and reads the stories. Her business partner and husband Idamiebi Ilamina-Eremie does the animation (动画). AfroTalez is available for Android users and can be downloaded for free. So far, AfroTalez has more than 50,000 users. Funding for the app has been a major challenge. Kperrun hopes to use a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the next version of AfroTalez to be released soon. 4 Kperrun believes technology doesn’t have to destroy or replace traditions. Her goal is to combine them to keep African culture alive. She says “Africa is our home, but we are so eager to become Western that we are forgetting things that are really important and should be passed on of who we are, and I don’t think that’s right.” 24. What caused Elizabeth Kperrun to create the mobile app AfroTalez? A. Desiring to make money through the Internet. B. Planning to keep technology replacing traditions. C. Dreaming of launching a crowdfunding campaign. D. Worrying about the disappearance of African oral traditions. 25. The stories AfroTalez provides . A. are narrated by Kperrun’s husband B. are familiar to today’s African children C. are as popular as those of Walt Disney’s D. are means to teach children moral lessons 26. According to the passage, AfroTalez . A. will destroy African traditions B. is free for Android users C. has released two versions D. faces no financial problems 27. What can be a suitable title for the passage? A. Mobile App seeks to preserve African folktales B. African people pass on traditions by storytelling C. It is unwise for a nation to learn from western countries blindly D. Social media lead to the disappearance of African Oral traditions C When we are kids, we are constantly being compared to others. Our parents may compare us to our siblings (兄弟姐妹). Our teachers probably compared us to other students. Kids compared us to other kids. Those comparisons created either a sense of humiliation or a sense of pride. Either way, it has become second- nature. Everything we’d done has been followed by looking around and seeking validation (确认感). Midway through my psychology PhD program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, I felt that I lacked whatever magical ability is required to finish and publish a project. It seemed as though other graduate students were authoring several papers in the time it took me to complete a single experiment. I worked as hard as I could, but my progress seemed to be incremental (渐进式增加的) compared with theirs. When I shared these concerns with my adviser, she had a different take on the situation. “You’re not doing anything wrong,” she assured me, “you’re just pursuing a different kind of research.” Comparing yourself to others is not necessarily a bad thing. When you catch yourself comparing yourself to others, get curious about the feeling that is being triggered (引 起 ). Is it jealousy? Is it obsession? Is it admiration? Is it love? Is it inspiration? Your triggered feelings will give you a clue as to what is going on within you. Most likely, you are jealous because you wish you had what it takes to achieve what the other has achievedor to have what they have. Get curious and figure out why you still don’t have it and what would it take to get there. It is never a good idea to make yourself wrong for comparing yourself to others or to make yourself wrong for not getting where you wish to be. But if all this comparison mounts to is bitter jealousy, then your problem is bigger than a simple comparison. Always bear in mind that your only competition is the one in the mirror and—believe me—it is the toughest competition of all. 28. Which of the following words has the closest meaning to the underlined word “humiliation” in Paragraph 2? A. Virtue. B. Shame. C. Excitement. D. Tiredness. 5 29. What can be concluded from the adviser’s words in Paragraph 3? A. The author made great progress. B. The author worried unnecessarily. C. The author had magical power. D. The author did something wrong. 30. What will uncover your inner thoughts when you compare yourself with others according to the passage? A. Progress made with great effort. B. Clues found through research. C. Comparisons triggered by curiosity. D. Emotions activated by comparisons. 31. What does this passage mainly talk about? A. How to view comparisons in a reasonable way. B. How to seek validation when compared with others. C. How to show second-nature in comparison with others. D. How to get rid of feelings caused by comparisons. D Babies are surrounded by human language, always listening and processing. Eventually, they put sounds together to produce a “Daddy” or a “Mama”. But what still confuses neuroscientists is exactly how the brain works to put it all together. To figure it out, a team of researchers turned to a frequent stand-in (代替) for babies when it comes to language learning: the song-learning zebra finch. “We’ve known songbirds learn their song by first forming a memory of their father’s song or another adult’s song. Then they use that memory to guide their song learning,” said Neuroscientist Todd Roberts. “It’s been a long-term goal of the field to figure out how or where in the brain this memory is. This type of imitative learning that birds do is very similar to the type of learning that we engage in regularly—particularly when we’re young, we use it to guide our speech learning.” Roberts and his team had a feeling that the interface (交叉区域) between sensory areas and motor areas in the brain was critical for this process, and they focused on a group of brain cells called the NIf. “In order to prove that we could identify these circuits, we thought if we could implant a false memory.” First, they used a virus to cause the neurons (神经元) in the birds’ NIf to become sensitive to light. Then, using a tiny electrode as a flashlight, they activated (激活) the neurons. The length of each pulse of light corresponded with the amount of time the neurons would fire. And the birds’ brains interpreted that time period as the length of each note. Soon enough, the birds began to practice the notes they had learned, even though they never really heard the sounds. Amazingly, the birds produced them in the correct social situations. The researchers say this is the first time anybody has found exactly a part of the brain necessary for generating the sorts of memories needed to copy sounds. “This line of research is going to help us identify where in the brain we encode memories of relevant social experiences that we use to guide learning. We know that there are several neurodevelopmental disorders in people that have really far-reaching effects on this type of learning.” 32. The zebra finch is researched because its song-learning mode . A. decides whether it will sing songs B. helps it to say “Daddy” or “Mama” C. is like the way babies learn speech D. reflects its talent for imitating its father’s song 33. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to? A. The interface in the brain. B. Guidance from adults. C. Imitative learning type like birds’. D. The way of regular learning. 34. What can we learn from the research led by Roberts? A. Scientists activated some neurons by using an electrode. B. A bird only sings what it heard before. C. The brain produces tiny electrodes. D. Birds are sensitive to light. 6 35. What do the Roberts’ team expect of this line of research? A. A change in our way of listening and processing. B. A chance to have relevant social experiences. C. A better knowledge of the secrets of learning. D. Identification of neurodevelopmental disorders. 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。 There comes a time when every parent struggles with how best to discipline their child. Whether dealing with a screaming child or an angry teen, it can be hard to control your temper. 36 And the bottom line is that shouting and physical violence never help. Thankfully, there are other, more effective ways and one of them is positive discipline. We consulted Lucie Cluver, a professor at Oxford University, to explore how it can help parents build positive relationships with their children. 37 Why positive discipline? The evidence is clear: shouting and hitting simply do not work and can do more harm than good in the long run. 38 The “toxic (有毒的) stress” it creates can lead to a host of negative outcomes. “Parents shout or hit their kids because they’re stressed and don’t see another way,” says Professor Cluver. The good news for every parent is the positive discipline approach works and here’s how you can start putting it into practice. As parents we often focus on our children’s bad behaviour and call it out. Children may read this as a way to get your attention, continuing poor conduct rather than putting a stop to it. Actually, children are eager for praise. It makes them feel loved and special. “Watch out for when they’re doing something good and praise them,” recommends Professor Cluver. 39 Part of growing up is learning that if you do something, something can happen as a result. Defining this for your child is a simple process that encourages better behaviour while teaching them about responsibility. Give your child a chance to do the right thing by explaining the consequences of their bad behaviour. Being consistent is a key factor in positive parenting, which is why following through with the consequences is important. 40 “You can take a teenager’s phone away for an hour but taking it away for a week might be difficult to follow through on.” A. And so is making them realistic. B. What’s really important is to focus on your child. C. No parent wants to find themselves in such a situation. D. Calm consequences have been shown to be effective for kids. E. This can encourage good behaviour and reduce the need for discipline. F. Repeated shouting and hitting can even negatively impact a child’s entire life. G. And hopefully it can also teach skills like responsibility, cooperation and self-discipline. 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 四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 In March, 5-year-old Wynn Radke came home from preschool with no idea that she wouldn’t return for months because of the COVID-19. Her mom Colleen 41 her to think of a goal to work toward that involved a(n) 42 activity. Wynn wasted no time and shouted, “67 waterfalls (瀑布)!” While the number was 43 , her mom loved the idea so much that she 44 to help the little one! The lovely pair’s first 45 took place on March 28, 2020 at Fairy Falls, and it was amazing! From there, they 46 hiking to different waterfalls, documenting their progress 47 they inched closer and closer to their goal. 48 , Colleen said the challenge was simply a way to get Wynn outside instead of “just watching YouTube all day.” But it ended up being something therapeutic (有益身心健康的) for them to do during the 49 2020 7 has brought their family. Between Wynn missing her friends and Colleen losing her job, the waterfall 50 have helped a lot. It took Wynn and Colleen five months, but they finally 51 Winnewissa Falls—their 67th waterfall—in August! 52 reaching her goal, Wynn 53 , “I did it!” And she wasn’t the only one who was 54 . When she returned to school, her friends and teachers 55 her with celebratory balloons! For her mom, the adventure was less about the milestones (里程碑) and more about the time they spent together. 41. A. challenged B. forced C. warned D. troubled 42. A. voluntary B. underwater C. mental D. outdoor 43. A. typical B. random C. right D. regular 44. A. failed B. happened C. agreed D. remembered 45. A. lesson B. adventure C. advance D. surprise 46. A. resisted B. postponed C. admitted D. continued 47. A. until B. unless C. as D. although 48. A. Originally B. Fortunately C. Casually D. Generally 49. A. struggles B. excuses C. doubts D. honors 50. A. competitions B. sounds C. visits D. chances 51. A. identified B. reached C. passed D. recommended 52. A. Upon B. For C. Through D. Beyond 53. A. predicted B. signalled C. evaluated D. announced 54. A. curious B. embarrassed C. excited D. confident 55. A. bothered B. assisted C. covered D. welcomed 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。 Why was the ox chosen to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs (生肖)? Centuries ago, most people earned their living 56 farming. The ox was used to help plow, cultivate and carry heavy goods. The ox has long had a significant place in Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poets and writers frequently 57 (describe) the ox in literature. In the Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, the animal was mentioned in 9 out of the 305 58 (piece). The ox is considered a symbol of diligence and earnestness in Chinese culture. To this day, the phrase “the spirit of ox” still refers to conquering anything 59 may present itself as an obstacle. The spirit is highly praised and many people follow 60 as their work ethic. When someone achieves a great 61 (accomplish) through hard work, people often use “niu”, 62 (mean) “awesome”, to describe him or her. Oxen seldom bully the weak or fear the strong. They work hard and make sacrifices. This is reflected in the poem Self-mockery 63 (write) by Lu Xun, which praises the ox’s attitude of 64 (serve) without complaining. So naturally, those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking, 65 (rely) and loyal. 第四部分 写作（共两节，满分 40 分） 第一节（满分 15 分） 假如你是校学生会主席李华，学生会将举办以“我的美丽家乡”为主题的摄影大赛，请你代表学生会 给全校同学写一个关于比赛事宜的通知。 内容包括： 1. 比赛的目的； 2. 参赛作品的内容和要求； 3. 提交方式和截止日期。 8 注意: 1. 词数 80 左右； 2. 可适当增加细节，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。 The day of my big solo (独唱) had finally arrived. Everyone was there: my mom and dad and my little brother. Uncle Scott and Auntie Tammy had even picked up my grandma from the nursing home so she wouldn’t miss the big event. My name was on the cover of the program in bright yellow with a daisy chain drawn around it. “Cindy Hamond ... Soloist.” I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name. Not that it was my name, but that it wasn’t Renee Swanson’s. Renee and I had been classmates since kindergarten. She was always wherever I was and she was always ahead of me. Dance-class recital needs a big finish? Renee was picked. Selling Girl Scout cookies? “Oh, I’m sorry,” the lady at the front door would say. “I just bought twenty boxes from Renee Swanson. Such a nice girl.” Yeah, whatever. Softball? She played first base while I watched her from my position in the outfield. The day of the choir concert tryouts (选拔) was nerve wracking. We waited in the library while Ms. Jenkins called us one at a time into the choir room. When Ms. Jenkins called my name, my whole body was shaking. When I came back to the library, Renee smiled at me. Ms. Jenkins called her name and she calmly followed her. She was still calm and smiling when her tryout was over. Ms. Jenkins made the announcement at the end of the week of who had made the special choral group. I wasn’t surprised when Renee’s name was on her list and mine wasn’t. “So,” I said under my breath, “what else isnew?” Sudden clapping brought me out of my sulking (郁闷). Everyone was looking at me. Ms. Jenkins looked at me and said, “Cindy, you will have to start practicing with me during your study halls since the solos take extra preparation.” Solo? I got the solo? I glanced over at Renee. She grinned (露齿而笑) and gave me the thumbs-up sign. 注意： 1. 所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右； 2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。 When the day came, we filed onto the stage and took our places. When we filed off the stage, my family met me with praise and hugs and Renee was next to hugme. 镇江市 2021 届高三模拟信息卷（一）参考答案 英语学科 第一部分 听力（共 20 小题，每小题 1.5 分，满分 30 分） 1-5 BCABB 6-10 CABAB 11-15 BCBAC 16-20 AACBA 第二部分 阅读(共两节, 满分 50 分) 第一节 阅读理解 (共 15 小题；每小题 2.5 分, 满分 37.5 分) 21-23 ADC 24-27 DDBA 28-31 BBDA 32-35 CCAC 第二节 七选五 (共 5 小题；每小题 2.5 分, 满分 12.5 分) 36-40 CGFEA 第三部分 语言运用(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 ADBCB 46-50 DCAAC 51-55 BADCD 第二节 短文填空 (共 10 小题；每小题 1.5 分, 满分 15 分) 56. by 57. described 58. pieces 59. that 60. it 61. accomplishment 62. meaning 63. written 64. serving 65. reliable 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） One possible version: Dear fellow students, 微信公众号：新课标试卷--江苏高考群：788940559 Notice In order to enrich our extracurricular activities and deepen the love for our hometown, a photography contest will be organized by the students' union. Anyone who is interested is welcome to enter the contest whose theme is “my beautiful Hometown”. The photos are expected to reflect the beauty of our hometown from different perspectives, and the content should be completely original. If you want to join, you can send your photos to studnetsunion@sohu.com before 30th, July. Looking forward to your participation. April 2, 2021 Students’ Union 第二节 读后续写（满分 25 分） When the day came, we filed onto the stage and took our places. I was front and center. The spotlight flicked over me and then circled me in its bright light. I took a deep breath, opened my mouth and sang out as loudly as I could. All that came out was a rusty-sounding squeak. But in that same moment, from behind me, came the pure tone of the right note. Renee gave me a gentle poke. My voice lifted and matched hers. The rest of the solo went well. And when the concert was over, the applause was thunderous. When we filed off the stage, my family met me with praise and hugs and Renee was next to hug me. It felt awkward. “Thanks, Renee,” was all I could get myself to say. Renee flashed me her usual sunny smile. “It was nothing. You’ve always been there for me. All these years and all the things we’ve done together!” Renee gaveme another hug. I began to like the feeling of being her friend. This time I hugged her. “That’s what friends are for.” 听力原文 Text 1 M: Would you like me to take those suitcases for you, madam? I can take them up to your room for you while you check in. W: Thank you. That would be great. Here’s $5 for your trouble. Text 2 W: Your office looks good. You must have a good system for organizing everything. My office looks like something exploded inside it. M: I put a new shelf in the corner for all my files. It makes a big difference. Text 3 W: Your picture ID doesn’t look like you. M: That’s because I’ve lost ten kilos since it was taken. W: Oh! I thought it was your haircut that made you look different. Text 4 W: The concert’s in a month, Dad. You won’t forget to buy the tickets, will you? M: I’ll get them next week. Did Sandy ask her parents if she could go with you? If she can’t, your brother will. He’ll get back home the week before the concert. Text 5 M: Madam, I’m going to let you off with a warning this time. But you need to get your car window fixed. Next time, I will have to give you a ticket. W: Oh, thank you, officer. I promise it won’t happen again. Text 6 W: We always eat early. Let’s go out for a late dinner at a restaurant tonight instead. M: You know the game is on at 8:00, dear. We should get home before that. W: But you watch sports every night! I miss spending time with you. M: This season is important, and my job depends on it. There are too many journalists now, and they’re getting younger and younger. W: But you have more experience. M: True. I’m good at what I do, but audiences want newer faces these days. I need to stay on top if I don’t want to get fired. But I promise I’ll take you on a nice vacation when it’s all over. We’ll spend a week at the beach! Text 7 W: That was a very interesting presentation. I never knew climate change was affecting our oceans like that. M: Me neither, until I looked into it. It’s scary to think that we can’t change some of the things we’ve done to our planet. W: I wish you would have talked more about what we can do to stop it. M: Well, the damage has already been done. Plus, my speech was meant to present the reality of the situation, nothing more. W: How did you learn about all this stuff? M: I read a novel that got me interested in the idea, but I got all my information from a movie. It was much easier than having to do research online. W: I bet. Can you give me the name of the book you read? I need to choose a story to read for my book report. Text 8 M: Here, Molly, I’d like you to have this dictionary. I don’t use it anymore now that I’m fluent. W: Thank you, Richard. Um…a Spanish dictionary? M: Yes. I thought you could use it when you study abroad in Spain next semester. W: Oh, Richard, my plans changed. I was hoping to study in Spain. But the program was one year long, and I prefer a six-month program. There was a spot left in the program in France. M: Molly, you’ll love France! Well, I guess I’ll keep my dictionary. The truth is that you never stop discovering a language, even when you think you know it. W: How did you ever learn Spanish? I’m so nervous I’ll never understand French. M: When I was your age and I went on my first international trip to Spain, I was also very worried. But the best way to learn is by doing just what you’re going to do: by surrounding yourself in the culture and the language. W: Thank you for your advice. Now I’m looking forward to my trip to France. M: Once you’re there, you’ll be having too much fun to get nervous. Text 9 M: What’s wrong, Kathy? You look disappointed. W: That’s because I am. I didn’t get into the course I wanted to, which means I have to take it next term. M: I remember you saying you wanted to get into psychology. Was that it? W: No, it was ecology. I’m in psychology now. Apparently, it is recommended to take them at the same time. M: One term is not a long time. What’s the big deal? W: Because I’m taking four classes next term, and one of them is criminal behavior, which is really hard. I don’t know how I’m going to manage another one. M: That is two more than I’m taking. You are going to be so busy. W: I know! Anyway, enough about me. How are your classes going? M: Tough. In order to get my engineering certificate, I have to take all these advanced math classes. My professor isn’t very nice, either. W: I’ve been lucky with my professors. We have interesting lectures, and I can tell they love what they’re doing. I hope one day I will be someone like them. M: You will. I know it. Text 10 With the rapid growth in China’s cities, some architecture companies are trying to help the environment keep up. Some are even trying to find more ways to bring the urban population into contact with nature. MAD Architects is one of those companies that are trying to take “green” designs to a new level. The company believes in the importance of making buildings that can produce their own power and food. They believe the buildings should also recycle all of their waste. The new designs make people living and working in these buildings think about being outside. They feel like they’re reconnecting with the natural world, instead of being far apart from it. The company believes this way of thinking is very important for the future of urban living. One of MAD’s newest projects is called the Urban Forest, designed for the city of Chongqing. There will be offices, open spaces, balconies with trees, and many plants throughout. The project is inspired by the mountainous Chinese landscape and the traditional villages built on the hillsides. It will be an urban engineering wonder! Architects who are interested in working on the Urban Forest should apply at the MAD offices in Beijing, New York, or Rome.