陕西省西安中学2020届高三第六次模拟考试英语试题

陕西省西安中学2020届高三第六次模拟考试英语试题

西安中学高2020届高三第六次模拟考试 英语 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，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。‎ ‎1. Where does this conversation take place?‎ A. In a classroom. B. In a hospital. C. In a museum.‎ ‎2. What does Jack want to do?‎ A. Take fitness classes. ‎ B. Buy a pair of gym shoes.‎ C. Change his work schedule.‎ ‎3. What are the speakers talking about?‎ A. What to drink. B. Where to meet. C. When to leave.‎ ‎4. What is the relationship between the speakers?‎ A. Colleges. B. Classmates. C. Strangers.‎ ‎5. Why is Emily mentioned in the conversation?‎ A. She might want a ticket. ‎ B. She is looking for the man.‎ C. She has an extra ticket.‎ 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。‎ 听下面一段对话, 回答第6和第7两个小题。‎ ‎6. How long did James run his business？‎ A. 10 years. B. 13 years. C. 15 years.‎ ‎7. How does the woman feel about James’ situation?‎ A. Embarrassed. B. Concerned. C. Disappointed.‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第8至第10题三个小题。‎ ‎8. What has Kate’s mother decided to do？‎ A. Return to school. B. Change her job. C. Retire from work.‎ ‎9. What did Kate’s mother study at college？‎ A. Oil painting. ‎ B. Art history. ‎ C. Business administration.‎ ‎10. What is Kate’s attitude toward her mother’s decision?‎ A. Disapproving. B. Ambiguous. C. Understanding.‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第11至第13三个小题。‎ ‎11. What is the man doing？‎ A. Chairing a meeting. ‎ B. Hosting a radio program.‎ C. Conducting a job interview.‎ ‎12. What benefits Mary most in her job？‎ A. Her wide reading. B. Her leaders’ guidance. C. Her friends’ help ‎13. Who will Mary talk about next？‎ A. Her teacher. B. Her father C. Her mother.‎ 听下面一段对话，回答第14至第17四个小题。‎ ‎14. Why does the man seldom do exercise？‎ A. He lacks motivation. B. He has a heart problem. C. He works all the time.‎ ‎15. What does Jacob Sattelmair probably do？‎ A. He’s an athlete. B. He’s a researcher. C. He’s a journalist.‎ ‎16. Why does the woman speak of a study？ ‎ A. To encourage the man. ‎ B. To recommend an exercise. ‎ C. To support her findings.‎ ‎17. How much time will the man probably spend exercising weekly？‎ A. 300 minutes. B. 150 minute. C. 75 minutes.‎ 听下面一段独白，回答第18至第20三个小题。‎ ‎18. What did the scientists do to the road？‎ A. They repaired it. B. They painted it. C. They blocked it ‎19. Why are young birds drawn to the road surface？‎ A. It’s warm. B. It’s brown. C. It’s smooth. ‎ ‎20. What is the purpose of the scientists’ experiment？ ‎ A. To keep the birds there for a whole year.‎ B. To help students study the birds well.‎ C. To prevent the birds from being killed. ‎ 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）‎ 第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）‎ 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。‎ A Auctions are everywhere. Here are just a few standouts and some of the areas they specialize in. All have brickandmortar sales rooms in addition to online buying.‎ Leslie Hindman Auctioneers Headquarters: Chicago Founded: 1982‎ Best bets: contemporary art, jewelry The founder, Leslie Hindman, has been on an expansion kick from her Chicago base and now runs eight offices across the country. Ms. Hindman said that plenty of items sell at her house for around $500. As in the auction world generally, jewelry and contemporary art receive lots of attention from bidders, and in 2017, a diamond ring sold for $97,000.‎ Swann Auction Galleries Headquarters: New York Founded: 1941‎ Best bets: books, works on paper, AfricanAmerican art Founded as a rarebook auctioneer, Swann still holds dozens of such sales a year. The president, Nicholas D. Lowry, noted that Swann was the first auction house to sell old photographs, in 1952. The house has also had a department of AfricanAmerican art for 12 years.‎ Stair Galleries Headquarters: Hudson, N. Y.‎ Founded: 2001‎ Best bets: English and Continental furniture and paintings, modern and contemporary art Colin Stair, the founder and president, comes from a long line of antiques dealers. Stair is frequented by dealers and bargain hunters, and it’s a place to find interesting things like a GeorgeⅠcarved walnut wing armchair, coming up as part of a sale on April 28 and 29.‎ Heritage Auctions Headquarters: Dallas Founded: 1983‎ Best bets: coins, sports memorabilia, movie posters With roots in coin auctions, Heritage has grown quite large. But their bread and butter are items that the company president, Greg Rohan, calls “the kinds of things that everyone has.” “People aren’t buying what we’re selling for decoration or for resale,” he added. “They’re buying things they absolutely love.”‎ ‎21. At which place can you buy old photographs?‎ A. Stair Galleries. B. Heritage Auctions. ‎ C. Swann Auction Galleries. D. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers.‎ ‎22. Who once sold antiques?‎ A. Colin Stair. B. Greg Rohan. ‎ C. Leslie Hindman. D. Nicholas D. Lowry.‎ ‎23. What can be learned about these auctions?‎ A. They all have online shops. B. They all sell valuable artworks.‎ C. They are all run by local people. D. They are all located in New York.‎ B Six Chinese survived the tragedy of the Royal Mail Ship Titanic, but disappeared soon after. Now a British documentarian, Arthur Jones, will uncover stories and histories of discrimination. ‎ There were eight Chinese between the ages of 24 and 37 on the Titanic, sharing one 59-pound third-class ticket, but only six survived from its sinking. When they arrived in the United States, they were not helped like the other 705 survivors. Instead they were forced to leave the country within 24 hours because of the Chinese Exclusion Act signed in 1882.‎ Some westerners questioned the six Chinese survivors as stowaways and claimed that they survived because they secretly climbed on the lifeboat or dressed as women to board lifeboats.‎ But after visiting foreign documents, museums and cooperating with American and Chinese historians, Jones believes they did not do anything disgraceful in order to survive the disaster. “This is not only a story about the survivors of Titanic, but also a story of a group of brave Chinese people exploring the outside world at that time,” he said.‎ When the ship hit an iceberg, like other third-class passengers the eight Chinese were released from the locked gates at last, but not allowed to board the lifeboat. Luckily, four of them boarded a small broken boat, and one was rescued by another lifeboat. Another one, Fang Lang, floated on a piece of wooden board in the sea. The only returning lifeboat saved him from freezing.‎ To restore their real stories, Jones and his team found Fang Lang’s son in Wisconsin, US. Also, Jones will visit Taishan city in south China’s Guangdong province, recorded as the survivors’ hometown. The filmmakers also established a website, whoarethesix.com, for more clues.‎ Ordinarily, people think of Titanic as a story of rich white people, but don’t know there were people from all over the world, including Chinese. “Their stories are never ‎ told,” Jones said.‎ The documentary The Six is expected to be released in China late this year.‎ ‎24. What can we learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act?‎ A. It put Chinese at disadvantage. B. It was completed within 24 hours. C. It aimed to help Chinese passengers. D. It forbad Chinese to buy first-class tickets.‎ ‎25. What might Jones think of the six Chinese survivors?‎ A. Adventurous but dishonest. B. Lucky but disgraceful. C. Brave and innocent. D. Poor and questionable.‎ ‎26. What does Paragraph 6 mainly talk about?‎ A. Some amazing findings about the survivors. B. Jones and his team’s visit to different people. C. Jones’ efforts to restore the stories of the Chinese. D. Some information about the survivors’ hometown.[来源:学#科#网Z#X#X#K]‎ ‎27. What is the purpose of the film The Six?‎ A. Tell the true story of the six Chinese survivors. B. Research into the way the six Chinese survived. C. Criticize American’s discrimination against Chinese. D. Describe the hardship of Chinese living in America.‎ C Facebook lets friends connect. They can give each other updates, share photos and post comments. But that’s not all. Facebook might also stress users out. ‎ In a new study, 88 volunteers how much time they spent on Facebook and the types of Facebook posts and comments that they made. In addition, they answered questions about their feelings and state of mind. They also offered saliva. Researchers tested it for cortisol. This chemical is a stress hormone. Levels of it vary throughout the day.‎ In this study, people with the most Facebook friends, more than 300, had somewhat higher cortisol levels. Additionally, the more Facebook friends that users had, the more likely they were to feel anxious. On the other hand, youths who gave lots of “likes” and ‎ supportive comments on Facebook had lower cortisol levels. “The more social support you give to others, the lower your stress hormone levels will be,” says Lupien.‎ ‎“This research decidedly combines the social science approach and the medical science approach on an important question in our social-media age,” says Wenhong Chen, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin. “It’s ready pleasantly new to see Lupien’s team study cortisol levels-along with questionnaire data.”‎ One finding from Lupien’s work surprised Chen. Teens who felt they got a lot of support from others also had higher cortisol levels. Usually, she says, those feelings should protect people from stress. “There are many potential dangers of social media use among young people,” Chen notes. So, she says, enjoy Facebook, but be aware of the risks.‎ Lupien suggests that teen Facebook users share information with and support their friends on the site. They shouldn’t just stay silent. “if anyone is more stressed, it’s the watchers, not the sharers,” she says. Also, she recommends that people who use social media heavily should find time to take active walks, to run or to do other activities. Cortisol increases a person’s energy. “The best way to reduce stress hormones is to use the energy,” she says.‎ ‎28. Paragraph 2 shows us the ________.‎ A. research proposes B. research methods C. research contents D. research results ‎29. What should we do if we want to feel less stressed?‎ A. Share as many nine photos as possible. B. Give more positive comments to others. C. Listen to music frequently on social media. D. Communicate less with others on Facebook.‎ ‎30. What is Wenhong Chen’s attitude towards Lupien’s study?‎ A. Cautious. B. Critical. C. Doubtful. D. Approving.‎ ‎31. What can be learned from Lupien’s suggestion?‎ A. There are many dangers on social media. B. Getting support from e-friends makes us healthier. C. Sharers on Facebook live a happier life than watchers. D. Doing physical exercise helps reduce the levels of cortisol.‎ D Online programs to fight depression are already commercially available. While they sound efficient and cost-saving, a recent study reports that they are not effective, primarily because depressed patients are not likely to engage with them or stick with them.‎ The study looked at computer-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and found that it was no more effective in treating depression than the usual care patients receive from a primary care doctor.‎ Traditional CBT is considered an effective form of talk therapy for depression, helping people challenge negative thoughts and change the way they think in order to change their mood and behaviors. However, online CBT programs have been gaining popularity, with the attraction of providing low-cost help wherever someone has access to a computer.‎ A team of researchers from the University of York conducted a randomized control trial with 691 depressed patients from 83 physician practices across England. The patients were split into three groups: one group received only usual care from a physician while the other two groups received usual care I from a physician plus one of two computerized CBT programs. Participants were balanced across the three groups for age, sex, educational background, severity and duration of depression, and use of antidepressants.‎ After four months, the patients using the computerized CBT programs had no improvement in depression levels over the patients who were only getting usual care from their doctors.‎ ‎“It’s an important, cautionary note that we shouldn’t get too carried away with the idea that a computer system can replace doctors and therapists,” says Christopher Dowrick, a professor of primary medical care at the University of Liverpool. “We do still need the human touch or the human interaction, particularly when people are depressed.”‎ Being depressed can mean feeling “lost in your own small, negative, dark world,” Dowrick says. Having a person, instead of a computer, reach out to you is particularly ‎ important in combating that sense of isolation. “When you’re emotionally vulnerable, you’re even more in need of a caring human being,” he says.‎ ‎32. What does the recent study say about online CBT programs?‎ A. Patients may not be able to carry them through for effective cure.‎ B. Patients cannot engage with them without the use of a computer.‎ C. They can save patients trouble visiting physicians.‎ D. They have been well received by a lot of patients.‎ ‎33. What has made online CBT programs increasingly popular?‎ A. Their effectiveness in combating depression.‎ B. The low efficiency of traditional talk therapy.‎ C. Their easy and inexpensive access by patients.‎ D. The recommendation by primary care doctors.‎ ‎34. What is Professor Dowrick’s advice concerning online CBT programs?‎ A. They should not be neglected in primary care.‎ B. Their effectiveness should not be overestimated.‎ C. They should be used by strictly following instructions.‎ D. Their use should be encouraged by doctors and therapists.‎ ‎35. What is more important to an emotionally vulnerable person?‎ A. A positive state of mind. B. Appropriate medication.‎ C. Timely encouragement. D. Human interaction.‎ 第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）‎ ‎ 根据文章内容，从短文后的七个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。‎ Reasons You Might Not Be Able to Donate Blood Donating blood is a generous — not to mention necessary — act, but there are several restrictions on giving that protect you and future recipients of your gift The medications you’re taking Most medications won’t disqualify you from being able to donate blood. 36 . If you’re taking an antibiotic for an infection, you may be asked to wait until you’re healthy again; if you’re taking aspirin and donating platelets, you must wait two full ‎ days after taking aspirin or any medication containing aspirin before donating,‎ You’ve tested positive for hepatitis or HIV ‎ 37 , you cannot donate if you’ve tested positive for either condition. Because some types of hepatitis may not be treatable and can lead to fatal health problems, such as liver failure and liver cancer, it is too risky to donate blood if you have these diseases.‎ ‎ 38 ‎ If you weigh less than 110 pounds, you’re not eligible to donate blood. Underweight individuals tend to have low blood volumes and therefore may not tolerate the removal of the required volume of blood.‎ Your iron levels are too low or too high Having low iron — less than 12.5g/dL for women and 13.0g/dL for men — will disqualify you from donating. For this reason, frequent donors, especially women, are encouraged to take iron supplements and eat iron-rich foods to keep their levels in the normal range. 39 . ‎ You recently got a piercing or electrolysis ‎ 40 , if you’ve recently gotten an ear or body piercing or electrolysis with a reusable gun or reusable instrument. Before you get a piercing or electrolysis, he recommends doing your research on whether the place employs single-use equipment.‎ A. Having levels that are too high will also disqualify you from blood donation[来源:学科网ZXXK]‎ B. High blood iron levels increase the risk of diseases C. But some may require a waiting period after your final dose D. Since HIV and hepatitis can be transmitted through blood E. You’re underweight F. When you go donate, make sure you have an updated medication list with you ‎ G. You’ll have to wait three months before you can give blood 第三部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）‎ 第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。‎ My childhood and adolescence were a joyous outpouring of energy, an endless pursuit for expression, skill, and experience. 41 was only a background to the great delight of lessons in music, dance, and dramatics.‎ Then one night at a high school dance, a remark, not intended for my 42 , injured my youthful happiness: “That girl, what a pity she is blind.” Blind! A(n) 43 word that implied everything dark, blank and helpless. 44 I turned and called out, “Please don’t feel sorry for me. I’m having lots of fun.” 45 the fun was not to last.‎ In college years, I began to struggle with the problem of earning a living. Part-time teaching of piano and occasional giving concerts proved only 46 sources of economic support. In terms of time and effort involved, the financial return was 47 .‎ Self-doubt and dark moods sparked within me. 48 to my misery was the repeated experience of knowing my sisters and friends dating excitedly. How 49 I was to my piano, 50 I could dissolve my frustration, accompanied by Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven.‎ Then one day, I met a girl, an army nurse, whose faith was to change my life. As our acquaintance 51 into friendship, she sensed my 52 . She said, “Stop knocking on closed doors. I know your opportunity will come. You’re trying too hard. Why don’t you relax? And have you ever tried 53 ?” The idea was strange to me. I had always believed that if you wanted 54 , you had to go and get it for yourself. Yet, my sincerity and hard work had yielded poor returns, so I was 55 to try anything else. Self-consciously, I performed the daily practice of prayer. I said, “God, show me the 56 for which You sent me to this world.”‎ In the years to follow, the answers began to arrive, satisfying 57 my most optimistic expectation. One of the answers was Enchanted Hills, where my 58 friend and I had the privilege of seeing blind children come alive in God’s out-of-doors. 59 are the sources of pleasure and comfort I have found in friendship, and most important of all, I 60 closer to God and, through Him, to immortality.‎ ‎41. A. School B. Society C. Family D. College ‎42. A. mind B. direction C. eyes D. ears ‎43. A. rude B. ugly C. dirty D. strange ‎44. A. Quickly B. Slowly C. Gently D. Quietly ‎45. A. Thus B. And C. But D. Though ‎46. A. adequate B. partial C. full D. rich ‎47. A. discouraging B. uninspiring C. encouraging D. convincing ‎48. A. Referring B. Contributing C. Adapting D. Adding ‎49. A. grateful B. excited C. proud D. sensitive ‎50. A. who B. which C. what D. where ‎51. A. jumped B. ran C. grew D. became ‎52. A. joy B. depression C. pleasure D. pity ‎53. A. practicing B. nursing C. praying D. volunteering ‎54. A. anything B. everything C. nothing D. something ‎55. A. able B. willing C. eager D. devoted ‎56. A. destination B. purpose C. meaning D. answer ‎57. A. with B. off C. beyond D. from ‎58. A. doctor B. teacher C. nurse D. prayer ‎59. A. Other B. Others C. Another D. Either ‎60. A. draw B. arrive C. drag D. pull 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。‎ Shared bike companies discourage the use of removable child seats on their bikes and warn that users must take full responsibility for any accidents 61 (involve) a child seat.‎ The child seats, which can be attached 62 different brands of shared bikes, popped up in online marketplaces with advertisements claiming the products are safe, 63 (reliance) and easily attached and removed from the bikes. But several bike-sharing companies including Ofo, Mobike and Mingbikes released statements saying their user agreements 64 (express) forbid carrying extra passengers on ‎ the bikes because of safety risks, and warning that they assume no legal responsibility if a violation leads to 65 accident. ‎ Ofo said its on-street personnel, 66 mostly shift bikes between locations depending on demand, will attempt to persuade bike users to remove child seats if they spot them. If 67 (persuasive) fails, employees are instructed to contact the police, it said.‎ A Mobike employee in the public relations department who asked not 68 (name) said the company has been contacting online shopping websites that sell the detachable child seats, including Taobao, and asking them to remove the product because of safety concerns.‎ ‎“We 69 (negotiate) with Taobao and other shopping websites to remove the child seats from the 70 (shelf), but the initiative is in the hands of the websites,” the employee said.‎ Taobao said negotiations with Mobike are ongoing.‎ 第四部分 写作（共两节，满分35分）‎ 第一节 短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。‎ 增加: 在此处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出修改的词。‎ 删除: 把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。‎ 修改: 在错的词下划一横线，并在其下面写出修改后的词。‎ 注意: 1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；‎ ‎2. 只允许修改 10 处，多者（从11处起）不计分。‎ Dear Mike, ‎ I’m glad to have received your letter says that you are interested in China. Now I am writing to sincere invite you to visit China, where won’t let you down. As you know, China, with a long history and great culture, have a sea of famous cities and different types of place of interest for you to explore. Among them you can’t miss out the Grea t Wall! Besides, you can also enjoy its various delicious food and convenience transport like high-speed trains and sharing bikes. They are sure give you the brand new experience! ‎ Looking forward to seeing you soon!‎ ‎ Yours,‎ ‎ Li Hua 第二节 书面表达（满分25分）‎ 假如你是学生会主席李华，学生会将进行“唐诗宋词朗诵大赛（Tang and Song Poetry Recitation Contest）”， 以此弘扬中国悠久文化， 特邀请学校国外交换生参加， 请你根据提示写一则通知。主要内容包括：‎ ‎1. 大赛的目的和意义； ‎ ‎2. 时间：5月5日，地点：校礼堂； ‎ ‎3. 欢迎国外交换生报名参加。 ‎ 注意：‎ ‎1. 词数100左右； ‎ ‎2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯 西安中学高2020届高三第六次模拟考试 英语答案 听力（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎1-5 BABCA 6-10 CBACC 11-15 BACAB 16-20 ACBAC 阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）‎ ‎21-23 CAA 24-27 ACCA 28-31 CBDD 32-35 ACBD 36-40 CDEAG 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）‎ ‎41-45 ADBAC 46-50 BADAD 51-55 CBCDB 56-60 BCCBA 语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）(China Daily)[来源:学科网]‎ ‎61. involving 62. to 63. reliable 64. expressly 65. an ‎66. who 67. persuasion 68. to be named 69. have been negotiating 70. shelves 短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ Dear Mike, ‎ I’m glad to have received your letter says that you are interested in China. Now I ‎ saying 或says前加that/which am writing to sincere invite you to visit China, where won’t let you down. As you ‎ sincerely which know, China, with a long history and great culture, have a sea of famous cities and ‎ ‎ has different types of place of interest for you to explore. Among them you can’t miss out ‎ ‎ places the Great Wall! Besides, you can also enjoy its various delicious food and convenience transport like high-speed trains and sharing bikes. They are sure∧ give ‎ convenient shared to you the brand new experience! Looking forward to seeing you soon!‎ ‎ a ‎ Yours,‎ ‎ Li Hua 书面表达（满分25分）‎ Notice Dear students,‎ In order to carry forward China’s time-honored traditional culture and expand the international influence of Chinese culture, the Student Union of our school will hold a Tang and Song Poetry Recitation Contest on May 5th in the school assembly hall. At that time, exchange students who feel interested and have a passion for Chinese culture are welcome to participate in the contest. We will appreciate the beauty of Tang and Song Poetry and feel the charm of Chinese literature together. Let’s recite poetry, taste classic and feel literature. We will be seeing each other in the School Hall on May 5th.‎ The Student Union 听力材料 ‎(Text 1)‎ W: Excuse me, sir. Visiting hours are over now. Your wife must get some rest.‎ M: Oh, I’m sorry, doctor. I didn’t hear the bell or I would have left earlier.‎ ‎(Text 2)‎ M: Hello, my name is Jack. I need to get in shape. How do I register for the classes?‎ W: We’ll need you to join the gym, and then you can find out which classes fit your schedule the best.‎ ‎(Text 3)‎ W: I’ll see you at the theater.‎ M: Better still. Let’ meet in the Red Lion Bar to have a nice little talk.‎ W: Good idea. And I’d love to have a drink there.‎ ‎(Text 4)‎ M: Hello, my name is John Arber, and I’m calling to ask about the position advertised in Friday’s daily mail.‎ W: Yes, the position is still open. You could come over and have a talk with us.‎ ‎(Text 5)‎ M: I have an extra ticket to the concert tonight. Would you like to join me?‎ W: Thanks, but I already have one. You can ask Emily. She might be interested.‎ ‎(Text 6)‎ W: Did you know James went out of business?‎ M: Really? When was that?‎ W: Last month.‎ M: That’s too bad. He had owned that business for fifteen years. What happened?‎ W: I don’t know. But life must be pretty tough for his family now. His sons are still so young. One is thirteen, and the other is ten.‎ M: Well, maybe things are not as bad as they seem to be.‎ W: I hope so.‎ ‎(Text 7)‎ W: Guess what! My mother’s decided to go back to school.‎ M: Why?‎ W: Well, she always loved art but learned business administration at college, because her parents thought it was difficult for an artist to find a job.‎ M: So she wants to study art now?‎ W: Yeah, oil painting. It’s been her dream for a long time.‎ M: It’s nice to return to learn what she loves. But, Kate, I still think old age should be about peace and relaxation. Hurrying to school every day and having to pass exams sounds a bit too much for her.‎ W: You know, she retired last year. And I’m leaving for the university soon. She needs to find something interesting to do.‎ M: Well, maybe, if it’s what she wants.‎ ‎(Text 8)‎ M: Dear listeners, for today’s show I have with me my colleague, Mary Laney. She has been a radio TV reporter for many years. Mary, welcome to our show.‎ W: It’s a pleasure to be here.‎ M: Would you please tell our listeners who most influenced your decision to become a reporter?‎ W: Both my parents had a great influence upon my choice of work. Instead of trying to pick out a job for me, they helped me learn those things that led me to it.‎ M: How did they do that?‎ W: My father always told me that an education was one of the greatest advantages I could have — one that would always stay with me. He used to tell me that readers were leaders and encouraged me to read all I could. As a result, I’ve always kept up with the newspapers, faithfully read news magazines and learned to really enjoy books, all of which have been an invaluable help to me in radio and television reporting.‎ M: What about your mother?‎ W: Well, my mother helped me in a much different way.‎ ‎(Text 9)‎ M: We all know that exercise is good for us, but sometimes it seems too hard to leave the sofa.‎ W: I can see that. You seldom do exercise.‎ M: Plus, having the doctor tell us to get two and a half hours of exercise a week doesn’t really help our motivation much.‎ W: Don’t be discouraged. Now, a new study suggests getting benefits from exercise doesn’t have to be that demanding. Jacob Sattelmair, from Harvard University has done a study into how much exercise is needed to lower the risk of heart attacks.‎ M: Mm, interesting.‎ W: The study showed that people who put in 300 minutes a week of exercise had a 20% lower risk of death due to heart disease. Still, the people who exercised 150 minutes a week did pretty well too, lowering their death risk by 14%.‎ M: And what about the people who exercise half as much as that like what I probably do. Does that help?[来源:学。科。网]‎ W: Of course. Even 15 minutes would help.‎ ‎(Text 10)‎ W: Here is a piece of news for bird lovers. Scientists have painted a long road, red, yellow and white. They hope to discourage the seabirds from wandering onto the highway. The area is home to large crowds of birds that come to stay for the season. Young birds are often attracted to the warm road surface and get killed by the traffic. Biologist student Hannah tells the broadcaster, “The youngsters’ feathers are brown in color. The dark-colored road surface makes the youngsters hard to be noticed. As the number of tourists has grown, so has the amount of traffic on the roads.” Biologist Christan says the plan is to see how the birds respond to the multicolored road this summer, and if it works, the idea could spread to other parts of the country.‎