保定市2023—2024学年度第一学期高三期末调研考试
英语试题
本试卷由四部分组成。其中，第一、二部分和第三部分的第一节为选择题。第三部
分的第二节和第四部分为非选择题。考试时间120分钟，满分150分。
第一部分 听力(共两节，满分30分)
做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。
第一节(共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分)
听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。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 color does the woman prefer
A.Gray.
B.Light blue.
C.Cream.
2.What does the man think of Professor White's presentation
A.Appealing
B.Confusing.
C.Boring
3.When will the man go and pick up the woman's son
A.4:10.
B.4:20.
C.4:30.
4.Where dose the conversation probably take place
A.In a hospital.B.In a school.C.At a drugstore.
5.What are the speakers mainly talking about
A.The smell of roses.
B.A relaxing way.
C.The man's private garden.
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至7题
6.What is it that Bob cannot tolerate
A.The high rent.
B.The noisy neighbor.
C.The terrible traffic.
7.What does the woman suggest Bob do
A.Share her brother's apartment.
B.Move in Peter's big house.
C.Call her brother,Tony.
听第7段材料，回答第8至9题。
8.Why is the mother unwilling to keep a young dog
A.It costs money.
B.It needs extra care.
C.It affects her sleep.
9.How does the son feel about the pet dog
A.Easy to teach.
B.Bright and friendly.
C.A good companion.
听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。
10.What is Daniel planning to do on Friday afternoon
A.Go skating.
B.Go snowboarding.
C.Watch the Olympic Games.
11.Where is Daniel planning to go
A.Genting Snow Park.
B.The Olympic Park.
C.His cousin's home.
12.Who will go together with Daniel
A.His cousin and parents.
B.His cousin and Judy.
C.His parents and Judy.
听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。
13.What did NASA call the area
A.The Light of Venezuela.
B.The Lightning Capital of the World.
C.The Never-ending Storm of Catatumbo.
14.What causes so many storms in this area
A.The warm ocean current.
B.The strong mountain winds.
C.The special geographical location.
15.How many local people get struck by the lightning every year
A.About 12%.
B.About 30%,
C.About 70%.
16.What can we learn from the conversation
A.The man is afraid of lightening very much.
B.The locals are surprisingly fearless of lighting.
C.About 12,000 American people get hit in their lifetime.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
17.How does the speaker find the dumplings
A.Traditional and similar.
B.Delicious and various.
C.Healthy and tasty.
18.What's the difference between Japanese dumplings and Chinese dumplings
A.They are totally different in shapes.
B.The fillings are completely different.
C.The cooking methods are quite different.
19.Where does the speaker come from
A.China.
B.Japan.
C.Italy.
20.What do we know about the Italian dumpling,ravioli
A.They are in square shape.
B.The fillings are mainly cheese.
C.They are similar to Chinese dumplings.
第二部分 阅读理解(共两节，满分50分)
第一节(共15小题，每小题2.5分，满分37.5分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A
Ice Cold Coca-Cola Instant Win Game
If you are eager for a trip to Hawaii but short of money,then come to this game,which is right for you.The prize is a 6-night Hawaiian getaway for 4 from Coca-Cola,including a day trip to the Volcanoes National Park where an active volcano and more are waiting for you to explore.
A product code from a Coca-Colal2 pack should be submitted to enter.You can submit up to 3 codes per day to increase your chances of winning.The game begins on November 1,2023,and ends on January 31,2024.
The Ice Cold Coca-Cola Instant Win Game,which is administrated by the Hello World, Inc,is now sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company.13-year or older children who are legal residents of the U.S.have the right qualifications to enter for it.Employees of the Coca-Cola company and any agencies involved in the development of the game will not be able to enter or win any prize in this game.
Grand prizes:
·A trip for four to Hilo,Hawaii
·6 nights' accommodations at the sponsor's choice of hotel
·A $800 allowance for rental cars
·$3,000 that may be used for spending toward taxes and travel agent services.
·A round trip and economy class air transportation for 4 from a major airport near the winner's home
Extra considerations:
·The winner and his or her guests must travel on the same route.
·The winner must complete the trip within one year,otherwise the prize will be cancelled.
·The winner must book a trip at least a fortnight before departure.And it must be a round trip.
21.What is special about the game
A.It is aimed to help people save money.
B.It is developed by the Coca-Cola Company.
C.It requires applicants to submit more than 3 codes per day.
D.Its sponsor offers many attractive prizes for the winner.
22.Who can participate in the game
A.The teenagers with American legal residence.
B.American children in love with Coca-Cola.
C.The employees of the Coca-Cola company.
D.The children of the game administrators.
23.What prizes will the winner get
A.A trip for four to Hilo,Hawaii in different routes.
B.An one way trip to Hilo and 6 nights' free accommodations.
C.Free round-trip flights for 4 to Hilo and additional $3800 travel cost.
D.An expensive car and free economy class air transportation for 4.to Hilo.
B
This month I finally lived my dream:I visited behind the scenes at Disneyland,“the happiest place on Earth.”Watching thousands of smiling employees rushing,around the park,completely absorbed in their work,I suddenly understood the magic behind the park and why joy had escaped me for so long.
When I was younger,I tried to pursue happiness directly by creating as many happy moments as I could.However,no matter how many happy moments I had,they could not protect me from sadness.The sadness would unexpectedly arise when it shouldn't when I was with friends or family,when I had achieved success,and when I tried to create art.It was the persistence(持续)of this sadness that finally made me realize the truth:the Happy/Sad model was wrong.
I updated my mental model to the Pleasure/Pain model.I saw that what I had called happiness was simply emotional pleasure,which was anything that confirmed the way I saw myself and the world.As I removed emotionally and physically painful moments from my life,I established a mental image of myself as a“happy person.”However,I was stuck in a one-dimensional emotional world.
Wandering down the 19th street and waving to the 100th friendly costumed character,I finally found the words that completed my third model —Joy/Fear,one that gives real depth to life.Disneyland,with its immersive(沉浸式的)world and perfect performances,goes beyond creating happiness and lessening pain.It is carefully getting rid of fear.It removes the possibility of anything going wrong,of disappointing us.And behind the scenes,Disneyland works tirelessly to ensure that everything always run the way it should.
Life is not Disneyland,however.Try as we might,we can't control the world around us or completely erase our fearful moments.But we can control how we approach life and how we understand our fears.And in the absence of that fear,joy arises.
24.What gives the author a deep insight into happiness at Disneyland
A.The beautiful scenes of Disneyland.
B.The relaxing working environment.
C.The smiling and committed staff.
D.The magical life principle.
25.The author was unhappy when younger because he/she __________.
A.had no close friends
B.didn't get along well with family
C.achieved no success in the art creation
D.misunderstood the true meaning of happiness
26.What does the author think of his/her second mental model
A.It is entirely subjective.
B.It gives real depth to life.
C.It focuses on temporary joy.
D.It highlights the external state.
27.What message does the author seem to convey in the text
A.Disneyland is a magical and joyful place.
B.Emotional pleasure is the key to happiness.
C.Fear is inevitable for all of us in the whole life.
D.Approaching life with devotion brings genuine joy.
C
Most animals are active around people,which makes observing them in the wild a challenging effort for researchers.The issue is worsened with naturally shy creatures like emperor penguins(企鹅),who show signs of physical sorrow in front of humans.
The French scientist Le Maho and his team began a project to test if sending tiny robots to collect the required information would affect the penguins as harmfully.They began by fitting 34 emperor penguins with outside heart rate monitors,which could be read from a distance of 60 centimeters.They then sent a simple,four wheeled robot into a place of hatching penguins that were stationary because they were using their legs to protect eggs.
Though the penguins were a little alarmed and even cried,they did allow the robot to read their heart monitors.Even more encouraging was the fact that as soon as the robot stopped moving,the penguins' heart rates returned to normal,much more rapidly than when humans entered the place.
However,for the extremely shy emperor penguins it was still too disturbing,After some discussions,their first attempt failed terribly.Fortunately,the scientists decided to try to cover the robot as a penguin chick for Le Maho's team,a British production company working on a news film,and it was also trying getting into the penguin place using secret cameras.The two worked together to create a lovely chick robot that the emperor penguins immediately considered as one of their own.
Covered in soft fuzz(绒毛)just like a real baby emperor penguin,it is so believable that the chicks gather around it,just as they do with each other.The penguins not only accept the robot,but they even sing to it,and appear a little disappointed when the “chick”doesn't respond—an error the scientists plan to correct with the next group of robot penguins.Not surprisingly,the penguins show almost no stress as the lovely“spy”walks around the place,gathering all kinds of information about their day-to-day lives.
28.Once humans approach emperor penguins,they tend to
A.show their shyness
B.feel disturbed and sad
C.take action more actively
D.dive into the sea right away
29.What does the underlined word“stationary”in paragraph 2 mean
A.Still.
B.Strong.
C.Hungry.
D.Dynamic.
30.What is the advantage of the chick robot compared with the four wheeled robot
A.It has two creative working teams.
B.It has made less errors in gathering information.
C.It is more believable to get close to the real penguins.
D.It is more capable of communicating with the real penguins.
31.What will the scientists do with the next group of robot penguins
A.Fix new heart monitors to get accurate heart rates.
B.Develop their audio system and get them to sing.
C.Change their looks and make them look more lovely.
D.Improve the technique to restore their communicative function.
D
Italian company Lablaco is working with fashion houses and brands to digitize their clothes in the growing“phygital”fashion market.Lablaco was founded in 2016 by Lorenzo Albrighi and Eliana Kuo,who both had backgrounds in luxury fashion.They were looking to improve the industry's sustainability and promote circular fashion —the practice of designing and producing clothes in a way that reduces waste.
Pushing fashion into digital spaces helps generate data that is vital in efforts to move toward circular fashion.With Lablaco's model,customers can buy both a physical fashion item and its digital"twin"designed to be collected or worn in virtual environments.The physical and digital items remain paired even after sale,so if a physical item is resold,the digital one is transferred to the new owner's digital wallet.The item's creator can follow its after-sales journey.Without digitizing the product,as Albrighi emphasizes,there wouldn't be any data to analyze and understand.the fashion"s impact.
The fashion industry creates roughly 92 million tons of waste annually,and it is believed that digital fashion could have a role in reducing that figure.Kuo said digital spaces could be used as a test bed for the physical world.For example,a designer could release an item of digital clothing in 10 colors in digital spaces,and use the sales data to inform which colors to use for the real-world version.This on-demand model can help reduce fashion waste.Trying on virtual clothes could also reduce the amount of clothes that are returned in the physical world.Additionally,staging fashion shows in virtual spaces reduces the need for the fashion world to travel,thereby reducing its carbon footprint.
But for this innovation to become widespread,Albrighi says motivating brands is the key.With the phygital model,they can receive royalties(版税)when an item is sold and resold throughout its lifetime —a way to“produce less and actually earn more"
32.What's Albrighi and Eliana Kuo's purpose of founding Lablaco
A.To digitize clothes and waste less.
B.To put the fashion design into practice.
C.To dominate the“phygital”fashion market.
D.To promote luxury fashion and earn more.
33.What do we know about Lablaco's model
A.The physical and digital fashion items can be both resold.
B.The physical fashion items are paired with digital ones for sale.
C.Its product creator can check the after sales information any time
D.Its owner would understand its impact by analyzing the data.
34.What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about
A.Digital spaces could be used as a test bed in the fashion industry.
B.Trying on virtual clothes could decrease the waste of fashion market.
C.Staging fashion shows in virtual spaces reduces the fashion waste.
D.Digital fashion could help reduce the fashion waste in several ways.
35.What can we infer from the text
A.Lablaco is setting the fashion.
B.Digital fashion has entered a new age.
C.Cooperation with Lablaco will be profitable.
D.The fashion industry lacks environmental awareness.
第二节(共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分)
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填人空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Experts often tell students to center their efforts on a narrow field to get a job after school. __36__
One of the winners of this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was Danish scientist Morten Meldal,who is 68 years old and works at the University of Copenhagen.When describing his career,Meldal said he started out as an engineer but changed to chemistry because he“wanted to understand the world.”
__37__They might believe they have to center their work and school lives in one field to be successful.But a study from professors at Michigan State University shows that is not always the case.The researchers looked into past Nobel Prize winners and their students. __38__ some of what they learned from their teachers is how to live a life with many interests.They are,in a way,learning how to be creative.
Nobel winners are nine times more likely to have experience in working with wood, metal or in the arts than most scientists.The researchers also found that the Nobel winners have an open mind about their life experiences.Unlike many people who spend long hours at work and give up their outside interests,__39__
The researchers say that,even among people who do not win big prizes,those with many interests are often successful.They pointed to a 2022 report about students who study two major fields in college.__40__Double majors are often more creative and more interested in starting their own businesses than those who centered on only one study area.
A.That study plan-is called a“double major.”.
B.What we believe is of great benefits to them.
C.Meldal's experience may come as a surprise to students.
D.They discovered that if they helped each other afterwards,
E.Nobel winners believe their hobbies are important to creativity.
F.They found that when the students of winners went on to win Nobel Prizes,
G.But recent research into Nobel Prize winners suggests that wider interests are important.
第三部分 语言知识运用(共两节，满分30分)
第一节完形填空(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分)
阅读下面的短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was just before Christmas that my brother Jeremy and I were ready to watch a Nationals baseball game.We__41__it very early that morning.With his brown beard to his chest, Jeremy was in a bright Nationals-red shirt and pale khaki shorts,in the__42__of baseball.
On the subway,Jeremy caught the__43__of a five-year-old girl.She stared at him,trying to__44__the world's greatest mystery.
Jeremy is always__45__with children,and in his deep,charming voice said,“Hello!”The little girl could not contain her__46__.She cried,“Santa!”Jeremy leaned down to her and __47__ , “How did you know it was me ”
“Oh,it was the __48__.No one has one like that but Father Christmas!”The little girl said.She__49__ “Santa”up and down.“But,why isn't your beard__50__ ”she asked.
Jeremy was__51__.“Before Christmas,Santa goes undercover.I dye my beard brown so that people won't__52__it's me."he explained,"Now you know my secret so you can't tell anyone.”
The little girl nodded with__53__ ,her eyes never leaving"Santa".
As the little girl hopped off the subway,Jeremy called out.“I'll see you at__54__!Be good!”
“I will!Your secret is__ 55__ with me,Santa!”she called back.
41.A.waited for 42.A.spirit 43.A.attention 44.A.look into 45.A.angry 46.A.confusion 47.A.whispered 48.A.shirt 49.A.pushed 50.A.white 51.A.ready 52.A.admit 53.A.surprise 54.A.destination 55.A.safe B.headed for B.name B.sight B.make up B.generous B.annoyance B.screamed B.shorts B.eyed B.black B.happy B.agree B.understanding B.home B.still C.looked at C.team C.arm C.take over C.gentle C.expression C.replied C.beard C.turned C.brown C.worried C.say C.relief C.Christmas C.quiet D.worked at D.hope D.hand D.figure out D.satisfied D.curiosity D.choked D.boots D.showed D.red D.silent D.know D.politeness D.midnight D.fine
第三部分 英语知识运用(共两节，满分45分)
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。
As the world's longest man-made canal,the Grand Canal is a vast waterway system in the north-eastern and central-eastern plains of China,__56__(run)from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang province in the south.
The Grand Canal is a magnificent hydraulic(水利)project in human history.__57__ (construct) in sections from the 5th century BC onwards,it was completed in 611 AD due to the__58__(establish)of Sui Dynasty and it reached a new peak in the Yuan Dynasty,linking five of China's main river basins.__59__(original),it was built to transport grain and later __60__ (ship) other commodities.The regions along the canal gradually developed into the trade center of China__61__it was considered as the economic artery(动脉)in ancient China.It also helped the evolution of Chinese culture__62__enhancing communication between the south and the north.
The Grand Canal represents the__63__(great)masterpiece of hydraulic engineering in the history of mankind.It is__64__outstanding example of human creativity.Still a major means of internal communication today,it__65__(play)an important role in ensuring the economic prosperity and stability of China over the ages.
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，你的美国朋友George来信说他对中国人贴春联(Spring Festival couplets)的习俗很感兴趣，希望给他回信简要介绍一下。内容包括：
1.贴春联的习俗；2.春联的寓意。
注意：
1.词数80个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear George,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours;
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。
Not so long ago,most people didn't know who Shelly Ann Francis Pryce was going to become.She was just an average high school athlete.There was every indication that she was just another American teenager without much of a future.However,one person wants to change this.Stephen Francis observed then eighteen-year-old Shelly Ann at a track meet and was convinced that he had seen the beginning of true greatness.Her times were not exactly impressive,but even so,he sensed there was something trying to get out.He decided to offer Shelly-Ann a place in his very strict training seasons.Their cooperation quickly produced results,and a few years later at Jamaica's Olympic games in early 2008,Shelly Ann,who at that time only ranked number 70 in the world,beat Jamaica's unchallenged queen of the sprint(短跑).
“Where did she come from ”asked an astonished sprinting world,before concluding that she must be one of those one-hit wonders that spring up from time to time,only to disappear again without signs.But Shelly-Ann was to prove that she was anything but a one-hit wonder.At the Beijing Olympic she swept away any doubts about her ability to perform consistently by becoming the first Jamaican woman ever to win the 100 meters Olympic gold.
Shelly Ann is a little woman with a big smile.Her journey to becoming the fastest woman on earth has been anything but smooth and effortless.She grew up in one of Jamaica's toughest inner-city communities known as Water house,one of the poorest communities in Jamaica.Sometimes her family didn't have enough to eat.She ran at the school championships barefooted because she couldn't afford shoes.Her mother Maxime had been an athlete herself as a young girl but,like so many other girls in Water house,had to stop after she had her first baby.Maxime's early entry into the adult world with its responsibilities gave her the determination to ensure that her kids would not end up in Water house's roundabout of poverty.One of the first things Maxime used to do with Shelly-Ann was taking her to the track,and she was ready to sacrifice(牺牲)everything.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
It didn't take long for Shelly Ann to meet her mother's expectations.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
But Shelly Ann's victory was far greater than that.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________--2024学年度第一学期高三期末调研考试英语试题参考答案
第一部分听力（每小题1.5分，满分30分）
--5 CAABC 6---10 BACCB 11---15 ABBCB 16---20 ABCCA
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）
--25 DACCD 26---30 ADBAC 31---35 DABDC
第二节（共5小题，每小题2.5分，满分12.5分）
--40 GCFEA
第三部分 语言知识运用（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 BAADC 46---50 DACBA 51---55 ADBCA
第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
running 57. Constructed 58.establishment 59. Originally 60. to ship
so/and 62. by 63. greatest 64. an 65. has played/has been playing
写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
Dear George,
Very glad to hear from you. I’ve learned that you show great interest in Chinese Spring Festival Couplets. Here, I’ll tell you something about it.
Spring Festival Couplet, Chunlian in Chinese, is the most common and important custom when celebrating Chinese New Year. The tradition dates back to thousands of years ago. With black or golden characters written on red paper, Spring Festival Couplets are composed of a pair of poetry lines pasted on the front door. Putting up couplets expresses people’s delight and hopes for a better life in the coming new year.
Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
第二节（满分25分）
It didn't take long for Shelly-Ann to meet her mother’s expectations. On a summer evening in Beijing in 2008, all those long, hard hours of work and commitment finally bore fruit. The barefoot kid who just a few years previously had been living in poverty, had written a new chapter in the history of sports. Shelly-Ann won gold medals at international competitions many times and she gained good fame as well as a big fortune. She completely got out of Waterhouse’s roundabout of poverty at last.
But Shelly-Ann’s victory was far greater than that. The night she won Olympic gold in Beijing, the dark cloud above one of the world’s toughest criminal neighborhoods simply disappeared for a few days. “I have so much fire burning for my country,” Shelly said. She plans to start a foundation for homeless children and wants to build a community centre in Waterhouse. She intends to fight to make it a woman’s as well as a man’s world. A desire, a dream, a vision deep inside the heart determines Shelly’s success.
听力材料：
Text 1
M: If it were up to me, I’d choose light blue curtains for our bedroom. They would go well with the gray walls.
W: I see your point, but how about cream instead It could give a softer look.
Text 2
W: Professor White’s presentation seemed to go on forever. I was barely able to stay awake.
M: How could you sleep through it I’ve never experienced a lecture as excellent as this one.
Text 3
W: I’ve just been told about a last-minute meeting 30 minutes later. Would you mind picking up my son from Football Training Center at 4: 30
M：All right. Oh, 20 minutes to go. I’d better hit the road now.
Text 4
M: Mrs. Stevens, my girl, Bridget, has been complaining of a sore throat and running nose. Could you please give her some extra attention today
W: Don’t worry. All the kids will be taken good care of here.
Text 5
W: Wow, your garden is really lovely, which is perfumed with the smell of roses.
M: Thank you. I enjoy spending time tending to my garden. It helps me relax and reduces my stress levels.
W: Yeah, I hope I can have one like yours in the future.
Text 6
W: Why do you plan to rent another house, Bob The traffic around your neighborhood is convenient and the rent is totally affordable.
M: I can’t stand the man who lives upstairs. He often practices the piano till midnight.
W: Why don’t you talk with him about that
M: I have tried but it didn’t work.
W: You can move in with my brother Tony. The boy Peter who shared his apartment has moved out.
M: That’s great. I will call him later.
Text 7
M: Come on, Mom. Please give me a chance to take care of the puppy. I promise I’ll be responsible. I’ll even give you all my pocket money.
W: It’s not about the money, honey. I’m worried that a puppy might keep me up at night. Imagine a pet barking all night long. Oh my God!
M: But I can teach it. Everything takes time. A puppy would really brighten my day. I don’t have any friends in my new school. Please!
W: Alright, alright. Let’s phone your dad to talk about this. If he agrees, I’ll take you to the pet store now.
Text 8
W: Hi, Daniel. Do you have any plans for the day after tomorrow
M: I’m planning a snowboarding trip on Friday afternoon.You should come if you are free.
W: Oh, that sounds fun! Where are you going
M: Genting Snow Park. The 2022 Winter Olympics was held there. It has pretty good conditions for skiing and snowboarding.
W: Who is going with you
M: Up to now my cousin is planning to go, while my parents won’t go with us.
W: Where are you staying at night Will you rent a room
M: No, I won’t. My cousin possesses a house there. I will return on Sunday, though she said it’s OK for me to stay there for the weekend. It would be a convenient place, not far from the skiing field.
W: Would it be OK with your cousin if I come along as well
M: I’m sure that will be fine, Judy.
W: Well, I’m in.
Text 9
W: There’s a place in Venezuela where lightning strikes about 200 days a year.
M: Are you serious
W: Yep. Locals call it “the Never-ending Storm of Catatumbo” because the area is near the Catatumbo River. Scientists found most of the lightning strikes between April and November. NASA named it the “Lightning Capital of the World”.
M: Why does the area get so many storms
W: The Andes Mountains are on one side of the river, and the Caribbean Sea is on the other side. Cool mountain winds move into the valley and hit warm sea air, creating the perfect conditions for lightning.
M: Are the people there afraid of getting hit
W: Surprisingly, the chances are pretty small. In the US, about one of every 12,000 people gets hit in their lifetime.
M: Yeah, but we’re talking about an area that gets struck by lightning about 70% of the time.
W: True. This article says that near the Catatumbo River, one in three people gets struck every year.
M: Whoa! I would never go outside if I lived there.
Text 10
W: Dumplings are a style of food that can be found about everywhere you go. They have many names but may be the most delicious food around the world. In the most basic sense, a dumpling consists of the skin and fillings.
As is known, China is the dumpling capital of the world. Jiaozi is a Chinese dumpling.It typically consists of a ground meat and vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough. It may be divided into various types depending on how they are cooked..
Miyazawa, a Japanese cook, says,“Japanese dumplings came from China at the beginning, but Chinese dumplings are mostly boiled. However, gyoza, a pan-fried meat dumpling, is more common in Japan. It is in a half-moon shape. Its bottom is crispy while the top is softer, thanks to how it is steamed after being pan-fried.”
In my hometown, local people tend to call ravioli the Italian dumpling on account of its similar shape. However, they are actually a kind of pasta. Although they are food in the form of "dumplings", there are big differences in their fillings, cooking methods and sauces that will go with them. For instance, ravioli are in square shape and the fillings can be cheese besides meat and vegetables.
