Text 1

M: Mila, would you like my reference books in exchange for your unused table tennis bat?

W: Oh, I already exchanged it for a lamp last week.

Text 2

M: How about going to the city center for that basketball game? We can take the train on Friday after work.

W: Then we can explore the downtown market on Saturday after the game. It should be perfect timing since the game will be in the afternoon.

Text 3

W: Mr. James, let's test the website.

M: Sure.The pages load quickly,and the menus are clearly labeled. It would be even better if you could add some product pictures to the home page.

Text 4

M: How about the dessert?

W: Hmm, it looks appealing, but it's a bit tasteless — I can barely taste any sweetness.

Text 5

W: Honey, how should we set up the area behind the house?

M: Maybe a swing for the kids to play on? And since your mom is good with plants, we can also add a small garden space.

W: That sounds perfect!

Text 6

W: Hey, are you ready for the kite festival this weekend?

M: Yeah, I've been working on a kite all week. I'm making a dragon kite. Dragons are a symbol of power and good luck, and I think it'll look amazing in the sky.

W: I'm making a butterfly kite. Butterflies represent transformation and freedom, and I love their different colors. Plus, they're easy to fly.

M: Oh, I heard that Lily originally planned to make a butterfly-shaped kite. But she changed her mind when she saw a rabbit in the zoo. Anyway, I can't wait to see them fly together!

Text 7

M: Have you heard about cleaning drones replacing “Spider-Men” for skyscraper cleaning?

W: Really? How efficient are they?

M: They're amazing! It takes a drone only 40 minutes to clear an area, which can take a human half a day. It's 20 times faster and 10%-20% cheaper.

W: What about safety?

M: Much safer!

W: Does this mean job losses for cleaners?

M: Actually, new jobs are created — drone pilots, safety supervisors. Former cleaners can retrain with 10-15 days of theory and 1-3 months of practice to become certified pilots.

Text 8

M: Hey, Lisa, I've been trying to lose weight recently, but I'm not sure where to start. Do you have any tips? I heard you successfully lost 10 pounds last month.

W: Oh, hi Tom! Yeah, I did it by focusing on a balanced diet and regular exercise.

M: That sounds great! What did you do to stay motivated?

W: Well, I kept a food diary and set small goals. For example, I aimed to walk 10,000 steps daily and avoid fried foods. My friend Emily, who's a nutritionist, gave me some recipes. Why don't you try that?

M: Thanks, Lisa! I'll give it a shot. Maybe we can meet at the park this weekend for a walk and discuss more.

W: Sure, that'd be perfect!

Text 9

W: I'm planning to start a program at our community school to raise awareness about the challenges birds face due to human activities. Would you like to join?

M: That sounds meaningful. Where did you get the idea?

W: From Professor Brent's newly published article. He explained how light pollution affects birds. In brightly lit areas, birds began singing an average of 18 minutes early. At night, they sang for an extra 32 minutes on average.

M: I read it as well. He also found that birds with larger eyes compared to their body size were more affected.

W: Yes, that's really worrying. I intend to invite Professor Brent to give a speech for the program. Any other ideas?

M: How about organizing a learning trip to Bird Island in Shenyang? It's a great spot for observing birds. Students could bring a bird book and a camera to record what they see.

W: Good. We could host a contest to select the best photograph. When do you think we should schedule the trip?

M: How about setting it on the second Saturday of May? It is World Migratory Bird Day at this time of year.

W: Great idea! That gives us two months to get the principal's approval.

Text 10

W: In the 1980s, in the early years of China's reform and opening-up, Bart Dessein, then a young student in Belgium, got to know the term and became deeply interested in what was still in the West a mysterious oriental land.At that time, in Belgium, a handful of curious students were discovering China not through Internet videos or immersive exchange programs,but through heavy textbooks. Dessein recalled with a smile what it was like to embark on Chinese studies at that time. “In the early 1980s, learning Chinese was very much the study of a book language.”When he was asked why he chose to go to Liaoning University instead of Beijing or Shanghai, he replied that since fewer people there spoke foreign languages, he would be forced to speak only Chinese.After returning from China, Dessein continued his academic career and obtained a PhD in 1994. His thesis marked the beginning of a lifelong scholarly journey into Chinese philosophy. Initially, he focused on Buddhist philosophy, but his curiosity soon drew him into the interwoven traditions of Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism.