江苏省宿迁青华中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期末考试英语试题

Chinese tea culture

Since China is considered as the birthplace of tea, it is no wonder that Chinese tea culture is rich in history and tradition. Today, Chinese tea continues to be used in Chinese medicine and is commonly used on both formal and informal occasions either for personal enjoyment or as a Chinese cultural tradition.

Japanese tea culture

Japan also has a long history with tea, especially Japanese Matcha, which is a kind of ground green tea. Japanese tea is commonly used in Japanese tea ceremonies and only in recent years has become popular in western culture.

British tea culture

When it comes to British tea, British tea culture is what comes to mind. A hot cup of Earl Grey tea often serves with a little milk and a biscuit in the afternoon as a pick-me-up for the day, which makes you feel better and more energetic. Even though tea may not be native to England, this British tea tradition is still going strong today.

Moroccan tea culture

When you visit Morocco, it is hard to miss the outstanding tea culture that is such a special way to welcome guests. Before any gathering, a pot of mint(薄荷)tea is always prepared and served among the host and guests. This is an expression of Moroccan tradition and kindness, which should always be accepted by guests as a sign of appreciation and respect to the host.

By focusing on more than 150 commercial ideas that didn't succeed for various reasons, the exhibition aims to stimulate discussion about accepting and learning from failure, for example, new Coke, limeade-flavored Oreo cookies, crystal Pepsi and a "hula chair" for exercise.

The exhibition is organized by Samuel West, a clinical psychologist who specializes in organizational science. He hopes it could help normalize and interpret the concept of failure, which he sees as a critical learning opportunity.

"My research is focused on helping organizations to be more innovative," West says. "And one of the big problems of innovation is the fear of failure." Indeed, many of the brands featured in the Museum of Failure haven't let one or two frustrated efforts stand in their way. For example, Oreo has made plenty of delicious new flavors, and both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are still booming. "People feel liberated when they see big well-known brands and companies that have a lot of money and skills and experience still fail when trying new things," West says. "People feel liberated, like ‘big boys' can fail, so why can't we?"

The exhibition has interactive features like a "Share Your Failure" wall, where visitors can write their own mistakes on sticky notes. West says, "We want people to take meaningful risks and learn from them. That's where the action is, when it comes to innovation: People trying something new, accepting the level of risk that comes with it and learning from it if the new thing fails. You fail but you gain insight, build on it, try a different version, tinker(修补) and come back again with something better."

Dr. Koji Inoue, lead author of the research from Kyoto University, highlights empathy (共情) as a crucial aspect of conversational AI, suggesting laughter sharing as a means for robots to connect with users. To achieve this, Inoue and his team gathered data from over 80 speed-dating dialogues between male students and Erica, initially operated by amateur actors.

Dialogue data labeled for individual, social, and joyful laughter was used to train an AI system to identify and produce fitting laughter responses. Based on the audio files, the algorithm (算法) learned their subtle differences, aiming to imitate social laughs subtly and hearty laughs empathetically.

"Our biggest challenge in this work was identifying the actual cases of shared laughter," explained Inoue, emphasizing the need for careful categorization. Erica's "sense of humor" was tested with four dialogues, integrating the new shared-laughter algorithm. These were compared to cases where Erica didn't laugh or emitted social laughs upon detecting laughter.

The clips were played to 130 volunteers who rated the shared-laughter algorithm highly for empathy and naturalness. The team believed laughter could imbue robots with unique character traits, including conversational behaviors like laughter, eye gaze, gestures, and speaking style. However, Inoue acknowledged it could take over 20 years to have a "casual chat with a robot like we would with a friend."

Professor Sandra Wachter, of the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, said, "One of the things I'd keep in mind is that a robot or algorithm will never be able to understand you. It doesn't understand the meaning of laughter. They fail to feel, but they might get very good at making you believe they understand what's going on."

After surviving a terrible disaster called the "Heavenly Tribulation (天劫)," Ne Zha and Ao Bing lost their physical bodies. Their souls were in great danger until Taiyi Zhenren (太乙真人), a wise immortal from Chinese mythology, saved them using a magical seven-colored lotus. However, peace did not last long. Their souls began to disappear again, forcing Taiyi Zhenren to face a difficult task — rebuilding their bodies with limited materials while solving unexpected problems.

The film shows remarkable character growth. Ne Zha, once known for his rebellious nature, learns to care deeply for his friends and understand his true self. His friend Ao Bing, who used to struggle with personal troubles, transforms into a brave warrior. In one powerful scene, Ao Bing declares courageously, "If there's no path, I'll create one!"

Visually, the movie is a feast for the eyes. It begins with thrilling scenes of flowing lava like wild rivers and terrifying sea monsters jumping out of the water, making viewers feel as if they are part of the action. Later, the story takes the audience to Kunlun Mountain (昆仑山) a magical place from Chinese myths filled with colorful landscapes and graceful fairy-like creatures. The most unforgettable part is the final battle, where characters use amazing weapons like the shape-changing Tianyuan Ding (天元鼎). The fast paced fighting and brilliant special effects leave a strong impression.

Beyond the action, Ne Zha 2 teaches important life lessons. It encourages people to stay brave when facing difficulties, fight for what is right, and value friendship. These themes resonate with both young and adult audiences.

The film has broken box office records, earning an astonishing amount in its first week. It also received high praise from critics and viewers, currently holding an 8.6/10 rating on major review platforms. Many praise its perfect mix of cultural elements, exciting storytelling, and positive messages.

Listen and follow up

First, remember the importance of listening. Listen to the other person attentively, so that you can ask a follow-up question. For example, let's say the other person tells you, "I just got back from a trip to Canada." Where did you go in Canada? What was your favorite place there?

How was the food there?

Avold simple "yes" or "no" questions

If you want to keep a conversation going, it's a good idea to ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". If the other person asks you a "yes" or "no" question, try to give a longer answer to help keep the conversation going.

For example, a friend might ask, "Hey, have you seen the new Star Wars movie?" You could just answer, "No, I haven't." You could answer: "No, but I plan to see it soon. How about you?"

Do not worry about your pronunciation. If your pronunciation is a little different, the other person will still understand your message if you try speaking slowly and clearly. When you are traveling in an English-speaking country and have some free time, be brave and speak in English with someone who does not look too busy.

A. Or, you could say more.

B. Be brave and practice often.

C. You can try the following ways.

D. Why did you choose the destination?

E. Then you may make a new friend.

F. Correct your pronunciation if possible.

G. You can continue with a question using where, what, why, or how.

In 2016, I got passed to be a foster (收养) parent. By the end of 2019, ten kids had filled my house. In 2020, I got a call from a center for8 children. When asked if I could take Anthony, I9 it because ten kids were all I could do with.10, I was talked into taking Anthony just for the weekend. I didn't ask about his situation11.

Anthony arrived that night, "Can I call you Dad?" he asked.

"No." I needed to keep my12.

Monday morning a worker in the center came to13 Anthony. From their talk, I learned he had been14 three times, but nobody would take him in.

Looking at Anthony, I saw something that made me think of the15 boy I had once been. "I'll take him in," I said.

For 23-year-old Zhao Xiangcai, college student in Tai'an, Shandong Province, climbing Taishan Mountain had always been a daunting task. This Spring Festival, his otherwise exhausting experience (transform) by a robotic exoskeleton device. "It felt like the robot was doing most of the work for me."

The robotic exoskeleton, weighing just 1.8 kilograms, has been developed by the Taishan Cultural Tourism Group in collaboration with Kenqing Technology, a company based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. It is designed    (assist) users in climbing steep terrain with ease. The device, fits snugly around a user's waist and legs, integrates advanced ergonomics, power electronics and artificial intelligence algorithms to perceive movement and provide assistance based    the terrain and the user's strides.

The robotic exoskeleton can function nonstop for more than five hours on a single charge,      (cover) approximately 14 kilometers of steep terrain, making it an (idea) companion for those who want to enjoy the bliss of mountains excessive physical strain.

According a report by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, humanoid robots are poised to become the next major technology platform after personal computers, smartphones and new energy vehicles,(potential) forming a trillion-yuan-level market.

1.活动时间、地点;

2.活动内容;

3.邀请参加。

注意：

1.写作词数应为80左右;

2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。

Dear Alex,

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Yours,

Li Hua

On the first morning of second grade, Jared remembered five things he didn't like about school; Jessica, lining up, maths, spelling, and reading aloud. Jared wanted to stay home, but his mom sent him anyway. He had to sit next to Jessica.

At reading time, Mrs. Thomas asked Jared to read. Reading aloud always made Jared nervous. As he picked up the book, his hands shook. Words were not clear. "He can't read," Jessica said, "I didn't call on you, did I?" asked Mrs. Thomas. "No, but I'll read." Jared made a face They were asked to stay outside the classroom for a time-out (暂停), During the period, Jessica whispered to him, "When Mom brings my kittens (小猫) to school, don't even think about touching them."

The four kittens arrived in a box covered with a piece of screen. Everyone except Jared held them. Jared had nothing to do but practice spelling. When he sharpened his pencil, he looked into the tiny box. "Don't want to touch my kittens!" Jessica shouted. "Stupid kittens," Jared said. After the second class, almost the whole class wanted to play with the kittens. Then Philip said, "Hey, where are the kittens?" The box was empty. "Oh no!" Jessica said, "Jared, did you take them?" Jared shook his head, thinking they must have pushed up the lid (盖子). "He said they were stupid." Jessica told Mrs. Thomas. "I didn't mean it" Jared's face turned red.

"Look at the radiator (散热器)!" Philip said. A Tiny gray face rose from under the radiator cover. "Kitty, kitty," Mrs. Thomas said. The face disappeared. "If we ignore them, maybe they'll come out. At least the heat isn't on." Instead of practicing spelling, Jared watched the radiator. Soon, two faces and a tiny head appeared. Alex yelled, "Kitten!" The kitten was out of sight again. Jessica cried.

注意：

1. 续写词数应为150左右；

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Jared decided to help the kittens out, so he stood up from his desk.

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Jared lifted them into the box with Jessica watching with joy.

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