2 . Busy streets, loud noises, and grey buildings can make city life exhausting and boring. Finding a solution to these issues might be possible by turning to nature, which can help us feel calm and refreshed.

Adding plants or colorful designs may make cities more enjoyable to live in. However, growing plants or covering buildings in paint to test these approaches is costly and inconvenient. Moreover, studying these phenomena outdoors can be tricky, as many factors can affect the final results. “Measuring pleasure and motivation in natural settings is extremely hard,” explained Prof. Yvonne Delevoye. “Human reactions are sensitive to environmental changes, such as weather or traffic. Consequently, we used virtual reality to measure reactions to these factors in a virtual urban space.”

The group used virtual reality to make a city setting that felt real. They made two versions: one with no plants, and another with some green plants. They also introduced colorful patterns onto a path. Then they invited students to participate in the study. Wearing a VR headset and walking on the spot, the students spent time exploring the virtual environment. To find out where the volunteers were looking and for how long, each headset included an eye tracker.

The researchers found that the students walked more slowly when there was green plants present in the experiment, and their heart rate increased. They would spend less time looking at the ground and more time observing their surroundings. These results indicate a pleasurable experience. Bright color patterns alone did not have quite the same uplifting effect as the green plants, but they inspired interest and passion of the students and attracted their stare while increasing their heart rate.

Virtual reality might be a useful resource for urban planners, allowing them to experiment with different elements in a virtual environment. In the future, the researchers aim to improve the VR experience to get even better and more precise outcomes.

1. What was the primary reason for using virtual reality in the study?

A．To measure reactions without environmental influence.

B．To prove the superiority of technology over nature.

C．To demonstrate the inconvenience of urban life.

D．To create an entertaining game for students.

2. How did the participants interact with the virtual environment in the study?

A．By walking around a real city.

B．By wearing a headset and walking on site.

C．By making use of an eye tracker.

D．By observing through a screen without moving.

3. What does the underlined word “uplifting” most probably mean?

A．Interesting.

B．Limiting.

C．Powerful.

D．Cheerful.

4. What potential benefit of virtual reality is mentioned for urban planning?

A．Helping cities avoid using real plants in urban space.

B．Predicting future urban challenges with precise results.

C．Reducing the costs of urban development significantly.

D．Providing a platform for testing various urban elements.

3 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

I was in my room, unwilling to head to the community theatre with “my brother” Henry. He was just adopted by my parents recently. I was not in the mood for being onstage with him.

“Kirstie, come here,” my mom called. Following her voice, I found her outside the bathroom, holding a wet book. She gave the book a shake. “Henry’s book was in the bathtub. Did you put it there?” She glared at me, something she never did before Henry came to our home. I didn’t wet his book on purpose. Tears of hurt clouded my eyes. Worse still, she promised to buy him a new copy. My heart ached. Henry was stealing my mother’s love. He was ruining my life. Meanwhile, Henry was just nearby, absorbed in working on a complicated rope knot (绳结) as usual. Why did a boy like him do the girly work? Far from manly!

Soon, it was time to have to set off to the community theatre. As Henry walked ahead of us to the car, my mom took me aside and said in a low voice, “It’s the first time for Henry to be onstage. Be kind to him, Honey.” I nodded but sighed. Being kind didn’t use to be hard. But after Henry moved in, everything felt different. The theatre used to be a special place for my parents and me. With Henry involved, it didn’t seem so special any more. Finally, it was our stage time. My heart beat wildly. I forgot my annoyance at Henry for a while.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卷相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:

As we kids lined up, ready to act out our short play, I realized how loosely I had tied the drawstring (束带) on my skirt.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

Seeing what Henry did for me, something deep in my mind began to change.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Orange chicken, sweet and sour pork, fried rice… Max Burns lists several typical Western- style of Chinese dishes that disappoint him. For a 21- year- old native British young man who spent his first thirteen years in China, those cuisines are far from authentic, but rather a category which is invented to satisfy Western preferences.

What also upsets Burns is that the view of Chinese food has been subsequently skewed(扭曲). Quite a few Westerners recognize those particular dishes as the whole of Chinese cuisine.

“They almost have no clue about the extent of Chinese cuisine, about how it varies because people forget how big China is. It is a country that has deserts from one side, jungles and sea from the other side. Each area has its unique style of cooking.” he says.

Burns tries to show the rich ness of delicious Chinese dishes by vlogging about making Chinese dishes at home. “Food is probably the most accessible way for everyone to learn a foreign culture.” he says.

Sometimes, his British friends would join to help. “And quite often, they were shocked by the diversity of Chinese cuisine. They’ve had a long time to figure out that Chinese food is just a lot more complex.” The food adventure has helped Burns grow into an influence r with more than three million of subscribers worldwide today. “So, I can definitely say that I’ve changed some people’s ideas about Chinese food.”

Interestingly, when Burns first started vlogging in 2016 directly after moving back to Brighton, England from Beijing, copying Chinese food at home was a then “stupid idea”, as he puts it, because he was never super into cooking. At the time, the videos centered more on explaining aspects of Chinese culture, including movies, snacks, restaurants and more.

Looking ahead, Burns has some plans in mind. “I would love to do a travel food show throughout China on TV. Also. I would love to have my own restaurant in the future. That’s definitely going to happen.”

1. When did Max Burns return to Brighton, England according to the text?

A．Aged 13.

B．Aged 14.

C．Aged 16.

D．Aged 21.

2. How does Max Burns change people’s wrong attitude to the Chinese cuisines?

A．Treat them to Chinese dishes.	B．Write reports on Chinese cuisines.
C．Display authentic Chinese cuisines online.	D．Cook Chinese dishes for them in person.

3. What is paragraph 5 of the text mainly about?

A．Burns’s achievements.	B．Burns’s ambitions.
C．Burns’s adventures.	D．Burns’s subscribers.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Chinese Cuisines Have Been Around the World.

B．Chinese Cuisines Have to Meet Westerners’ Taste.

C．Influencer Has Cooked for His friends at Home.

D．Influencer Helps Develop a Taste for Chinese Cuisine in Britain.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．The woman’s hobby.

B．Their favorite social media.

C．Advanced electronic products.

2. What does the woman usually use to create her drawings?

A．Paper.

B．An iPad.

C．A computer.

3. Where do the speakers probably live?

A．In China.

B．In the US.

C．In France.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the probable relationship between the speakers?

A．Childhood friends.

B．Brother and sister.

C．A couple.

2. Where do the speakers live?

A．In London.

B．In Cornwall.

C．In Southampton.

3. What does the woman offer to do?

A．List some new places.

B．Send an email.

C．Rent a car.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How does the woman sound at the beginning of the conversation?

A．Upset.

B．Grateful.

C．Surprised.

2. What month is the woman’s birthday probably?

A．June.

B．July.

C．August.

3. How does the woman know Sarah?

A．They were classmates at university.

B．They currently work together.

C．They were former roommates.

10 . What does the woman plan to do tonight?

A．Stay late at the office.

B．Call the customer back.

C．Prepare for a presentation.