1 . We all have friends that need a little advice, but one of the problems with those types of conversations is that it’s really easy to come off as a know-it-all when you’re offering help. When you do that, nobody’s going to listen.
Obviously not everyone is looking for your advice. Before you go offering up your point of view, make sure they’re interested in hearing it. As Roger Gil points out, often friends aren’t looking for you to solve a problem. They just want you to listen and maybe ask some questions. So, ask if they’d like to hear your input or insights on a problem, but also ask questions about why thee feel a certain way. If they say “no”, let them finish their story and listen politely.
Speaking of listening. It’s also a good idea to figure out right away what your friends want from you. Gil describes this as differentiating between opinions, expert advice, and being a “sounding board”. Essentially, don’t pretend like you know something you don’t.
Now that you know whether or not your friends or family actually want your advice, it’s time to learn how to advise without sounding like a know-it-all. This is a lot harder than you might think. As Gil points out, one way to offer advice without sounding pretentious (自以为是的) is to avoid “You should” statements.
| A．Definitely don’t act like you’ve been in a situation you haven’t been in. |
| B．Different situations require different approaches so we need to know what we should contribute. |
| C．Gil also adds that even when you know the answer to something, you might want to keep your mouth shut. |
| D．Gil’s advice, seems obvious, but it’s incredibly easy to get on your high-horse and use “You should” if you’re not careful. |
| E．When you have a friend who’s stuck in trouble, it’s normal to want to provide some type of insight to get them out of it. |
| F．However, the key is to make sure you stay in “listening mode” for as long as possible, and you don’t push your advice when it isn’t wanted. |
Centering myself on the ice of the skating rink (溜冰场), I prepared for my skating performance. A confident smile spread across my face. This was the day I’d perform my best skating in a year, attempting a challenging jump known as the axel (前外一周半跳). My friend Caleb yelled from the stands, “You can do it, Harper!” My other friends crossed their fingers. My dad also shouted, “You look beautiful!”
As the music started, I was fully prepared. With a graceful circle, spins, and a broad smile, I began my performance. Everything progressed smoothly until I reached the crucial axel jump. As I prepared to jump, suddenly a mix of excitement and nerves filled me. To be frank, I could do it when I practiced off-ice, but I’d only landed it on-ice several times in my entire life. My coach had strategically placed it at the start of my routine to ensure my legs were at their peak for this demanding move.
I took the leap, but performed a distinct jump. It was a mere half-circle, falling short of the axel’s one and a half. I heard my friends sigh and saw my coach raise an eyebrow.
Determined, I attempted the axel again, but failed. I repeatedly tried and failed, spending so much time on the ice. When my routine ended, my dress was wet and I was far behind the beat. The silence was deafening, marking the most embarrassing moments of my skating career. As I skated away, I could sense the weight of everyone’s stare upon me.
As I made my way to my coach and dad, I heard the crowd cheering for Marlo, a charming eight-year-old, who was gracefully skating past me, leaving me with an intense sense that my skating career had come to an end.
My coach handed me my skate guards, asking if I was improvising (即兴创作) my routine. I didn’t know how to reply. My friends were embarrassed for me, avoiding my eyes. They seemed to discuss me except Caleb, my close friend. He brought me hot chocolate and apologized before skating his own routine.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I felt an urge to go home, but my dad insisted we wait for the results.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With doubt I returned onto the skating rink the next morning.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Every Sunday, the competition started. The three of us would set our alarm clocks to wake up earlier than anyone else. I had set my alarm clock to six in the morning, hoping that my brothers wouldn't start before me.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Groaning, I reached over to my nightstand and slapped the top of my alarm clock. “Too early on this cold winter day,” I murmured. I curled back into my warm blanket and fell asleep again.
My eyes blinked open to the whirring sound of the vacuum cleaner. “They chose their chores first!” I thought with despair. I jumped up from my bed and rushed to the bathroom, where I started the only chore that was left for me. I would definitely be shoveling (铲) the driveway while they built an igloo (冰屋) , I thought cheerlessly, rubbing and wiping madly at the toilet bowl.
When I finished cleaning the toilet and sink, my brothers came into the bathroom to watch me clean the bathtub as they mocked me about how I'd overslept and got stuck with the longest chore. “Whoever finishes last has to shovel the driveway, remember?” my older brother reminded me with a triumphant smile when we put on our big coats and snow pants to go outside.
The three of us stepped outside into the knee-deep snow and shielded our eyes from the brightness. My brothers wasted no time and dashed off to play in the yard, leaving me behind to tackle the frustrating task of shoveling the driveway. With a heavy sigh, I inched through the thick snow to the driveway, my boots sinking with each step. I grunted (嘟哝) with effort as my brothers yelled with joy. Sunday would never be my day, I sighed.
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。
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a shovel rubbing against the driveway concrete.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After we finished, we sat inside the igloo, laughing about our morning adventures.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Once you get close enough to someone, it’s easy to assume they’ll be a friend for life—but friendships take work, too, and it’s important that you make time to cultivate these relationships as well.
1. “How do you think we’ve both changed since we became friends?”
There’s a good chance that you’ve been friends with those closest to you for some time, which means you’ve both changed in certain ways over the years. Shari, founder of Imperfectly Perfect Life, says it’s important to reflect on that change. “
2. “
“You don’t have to just focus on your own friendship. People vary greatly in what makes them feel most connected to others—for some it’s sharing something exciting together, while for others, it’s doing daily tasks together,” Julia, a clinical psychologist, notes.
3. “What is the best advice you’ve ever received?”
Another way you can “gain a deeper understanding of your friend’s values, beliefs, and the lessons they’ve learned along their journey” is by asking them about the best advice they’ve ever received. “This provides an opportunity to share wisdom that has had a significant impact on their personal growth,” Natalie shares. “
4.“What are your biggest dreams for your life?”
| A．What life experience has shaped you the most? |
| B．Acknowledging your growth can enhance your friendship |
| C．When do you feel most connected to the people in your life? |
| D．It’s also good to acknowledge that even the closest friendships are not perfect |
| E．You should know what your friend actually envisions for themselves in the future |
| F．Additionally, it opens the door for meaningful conversations about life’s challenges |
| G．We’ve talked to different experts to get their best advice on how to create stronger bonds |
I can’t stop thinking about watermelons. Giant juicy wonderful watermelons. I’ve saved my money to buy my own, one all forme. Mom says I can’t eat a whole chocolate cake by myself because it’s bad for me and I’ll get sick. But a watermelon? It’s fruit. It’s good for me. I’m gonna eat it all up, except for the seeds.
At the store I look for the biggest, the juiciest, the most wonderful one I can find. And there it is, right behind some cantaloupes. Er . . . oomph. I pickup my watermelon and put it on the floor. I roll it down the aisle. I roll my treasure to the checkout line. The grocery clerk lifts my watermelon for the cashier to weigh. Fifteen pounds! After I pay, the clerk sets it back on the floor forme. I roll it out the door, then along the sidewalk, three blocks to my house. Sweat drips from my forehead onto the watermelon. I roll it into the kitchen.
“Lucy! What are you doing with that watermelon?” Mom asks.
“I saved up my money and bought it at the grocery store. I’m going to eat it all by myself.” Mom frowns. “You’ll get sick,” she warns. “No, I won’t. It’s fruit. It’s good for me,” I tell her. “Please?” Ibeg. “I’ve been saving for it.” Mom thinks about it, then smiles as if she knows something. “OK, but only if you eat it outside,” she says. I roll my giant, juicy, wonderful watermelon out the back door to our picnic table. Mom brings out a Knife and some paper plates. My sister follows her.
“Ooh, watermelon,” she says. “I want some.” “Sorry,” I tell her. “I’m gonna eat it all by myself.”
“Mom!” she whines. “Your sister saved her money and bought it herself. She decides what to do with it.”
My brother comes out next. “Oh, yum, watermelon,” he says. “Can I have some?”
“Noway,” I tell him. “I’m gonna eat it all by myself.” “Mom!” my brother howls.
“It’s your sister’s watermelon. She decides.”
“You can’t eat that all by yourself,” he challenges. “Yes, I can!” I replied.
Mom cuts the watermelon into four pieces, then cuts each of those in half. Eight pieces total. I reach for my first piece and take a bite. Red juice runs down my chin. My father comes out. “Oh, watermelon!” he says, seeing it. “Don’t even ask,” says my brother. “She won’t share,” my sister adds.
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。
Para.1: The four of them stand together around the picnic table, watching me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Para.2: I suddenly feel greedy. I’m the only one having fun.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This new little stepsister is getting on my nerves. She won’t stop talking. What was Dad trying to prove with this family vacation? We can’t instantly become the ideal family. I just became a teenager, and Christina is only 8 years old.
Dad and I finished putting up the large tent. Then I walked back to the car for my backpack, only to knock a pink one to the ground. Before I could pick it up, Christina appeared. “Why’d you throw my stuff on the ground?” she roared.
After lunch, Dad suggested I take Christina to see the sequoia pines (红杉松树), circling on the map where giant sequoias were.
I jammed the map into my pocket and then set off. When I glanced back at Christina, all I saw was a pink cap. I shook my head. Dad and my new stepmom were crazy if they thought we’d instantly bond. I was not ready to be a big brother.
As we walked the along trail, the forest canopy (树冠) became thicker, blocking out direct sunlight, making the temperature drop slightly.
“You warm enough?” I asked. She nodded but didn’t look at me. I noticed her hands had got completely covered with the sap (汁液) of a plant. I took a hand wipe from my pack and wiped her hands.
Reaching a small hill, we climbed up it. Sunshine filled the meadow (草地) below. I could see the tops of sequoia pines popping out above the forest on the other side. I pointed them out excitedly to Christina and finally saw a smile light her face.
“Come on, Sean!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me down into the meadow. Then I saw it, sitting on a rock in the middle of the field: a brown-colored bear cub (幼熊).
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Cute as it seemed, I knew it was dangerous.
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Paragraph 2:
Still keeping a tight hold on her hand, we walked on along the trail marked on our map.
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Being the youngest in my family has had its advantages, of course. But being the youngest also came with its fair share of troubles. I was often told what I couldn’t do and why. I knew that my family loved me. They always tried to protect me, help me and take care of me, but I couldn’t wait to show them I could do things by myself.
It was a hot day in Florida. The school year had just ended and it was time for summer vacation. We had just gotten a little black dog who we named One-Eyed.
Everybody wanted to do something for the dog: feed him, teach him tricks and take long walks with him. Everybody was so happy to have this little active, playful new addition to our family. I was so desperate to pet One-Eyed myself, too.
Every time I asked my brother or my sister if I could do that, they would shout, “No!” or tell me that I had germs (细菌). Once, they even convinced me that I had so many germs and that if I touched One-Eyed he would die! I really believed them and was scared that something terrible would happen to the dog. Once I even confessed to my mom that I touched the dog when no one noticed. At first, my mom seemed very confused about what I was telling her, but then she realized that they were playing a joke on me to keep me away from the dog. My mom criticized my brother and sister, “You’d better stop teasing your little brother!” Little brother! That’s exactly what I was. That really got my blood boiling.
The depression built up inside me as I watched them enjoy their time with One-Eyed, excluding me from the joyous moments. I knew I was capable of taking care of myself and forming my own connection with our new lovely friend. Determination filled my heart, fueling a newfound sense of independence.
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。
I was to prove to everyone I could pet and play with One-Eyed.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Seeing this, my brother and sister couldn’t believe their eyes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The man was kind of small, but to a five-year-old, he was a giant. Cherry-scented smoke from Grandpa’s pipe kept the hungry mosquitoes at bay. Now and again, he blew a smoke ring and laughed as I tried to target the hole with my finger.
We sat side by side on the old wooden stairs that hot summer evening, watching the traffic, counting cars and trying to guess the color of the next one to turn the corner. We watched the sun go down behind the old Texaco service station across the busy street, which I was never allowed to cross unless accompanied by an adult.
My grandfather was baby-sitting while my mother, father and grandmother went out. While my two baby brothers slept inside the house, my three older siblings (兄弟姐妹) played with friends around the corner, where I was not allowed to go. I stayed with Grandpa, and that was okay with me. “Thirsty?” Grandpa asked, never removing the pipe from his mouth. “Yes,” was my reply. “How would you like to run over to the gas station there and get yourself a bottle of Coke?” I couldn’t believe my ears. On my family’s modest income, Coke was not a part of our budget or diet. “Okay,” I replied shyly, already wondering how I would get across the street.
He stretched his long leg out straight and reached his huge hand deep into the pocket. Opening his fist, he exposed several silver coins. He instructed me to pick out one. After he deposited the rest of the change back into his pocket, he stood up. “Okay,” he said, helping me down the stairs and to the curb (马路沿儿).
“I’m going to stay here and keep an ear out for the babies. I’ll tell you when it’s safe to cross. You go over to the Coke machine, get your Coke out and come back. Wait for me to tell you when it’s safe to cross back.” My heart pounded. Excitement took my breath away.
注意：1．续写词数应为150个左右;
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Grandpa held my hand tightly.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My heart pounded wildly as I approached the Coke machine.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was seven years old, my family moved from Mexico to America. In Mexico, I was a cheerful girl who loved making people laugh with my jokes and inventing fun games to play with my friends. However, when I arrived in America, I found it hard to fit in, and I became quieter.
We lived in a small house with a modest yard where we grew vegetables—my responsibility. While I took pride in watching them grow, there were times when I dreamed of having a beautiful garden like my schoolmate Luella’s, with its delicate tulips (郁金香). Although Luella lived in the same neighborhood as me, we barely knew each other.
It was after a tornado that Luella and I finally became close friends.
The tornado struck on a Sunday afternoon.The gentle breeze transformed into a strong wind, and thick gray clouds filled the sky. Gradually, the tornado took shape, starting as a thin rope and growing into a large black funnel (漏斗). My entire family gathered in the bathroom, seeking shelter from the storm. Terrified, I sat close to my mom, knees in my chest. After the storm had passed, our worries and fears were replaced by relief that we were unharmed and that our house had remained undamaged.
As I stepped outside, I witnessed the extent of the damage the tornado had caused to our neighborhood. Across the street, a tall tree had fallen, crushing Luella’s garden in front of her yellow house. We hurried over to check on it. Fortunately, her family seemed to be away at the time, and no one was injured. However, her once-beautiful garden was in ruins, with the fallen tree destroying the tulips and debris (碎片) spread everywhere. I could only imagine how heartbroken they must feel seeing this.
Then my mom’s usual words rang in my ear, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and my family started to think about how we could help.
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。
Just at that moment, Luella’s family returned in their car.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella’s sorrow for her lost garden.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Avoiding people in a small town requires the skills of a spy. So Brad Ryan moved like a ghost, taking precautions to stay far away from the woman who he thought had broken his heart. He had not seen or spoken to Grandma Joy for six years.
One day, he received a call from his mom, saying his elder sister had announced her engagement and a wedding date had been set for a Duncan Falls church. Brad’s heart sank. because Grandma Joy would be there. But he loved his sister, and there was no way he’d miss the wedding.
Despite Joy Ryan’s first name, there were lots of sufferings and regrets instead of joy in her life, She grew up in a home with no electricity, running water or plumbing. She attended a one-room schoolhouse, And she suffered the loss of two sons. She was a widow (寡妇)for 14 years, She lived a small life that stopped at the edge of the county line. And she’d never had the chance to see what she called the great outdoors other than a trip ta see relatives in Louisiana.
“My earliest memory of her is when I was 3.” said Brad. “We’d walk to Blue Rock State Park, which is close in her house She’d help me lift rocks in the creek (小溪)to find crawfish. We’d hold them in our hands and talk about how beautiful it was being in nature. No one in my family thought like that.”
However. as Brad entered adolescence, he was growing emotionally distant from his family. with occasional quarrels. One day. a violent conflict broke out between Brad and his father. Brad turned to his grandma, hoping for help or just a kind word. But he got neither. He found Grandma Joy is in his father’s side. “That was the end of my relationship with Grandma Joy.” he said
At the wedding venue, on seeing Grandma Joy. thin and gaunt (憔悴的). Brad found himself thinking a lot about her and the happy time they spent together. It puzzled him why that memory in particular stayed with him. Now grandma. 78, walked unsteadily into the Duncan Falls church.
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。
Brad hesitantly walked over to her.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After that day, Brad decided not to leave any regrets in his grandma’s life.
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