I was an average student in my early elementary years. I came home with a steady flow of B’s, C’s and the occasional F’s in second language subjects. I was told that I wasn’t applying myself and, as every report card I ever brought home clearly stated, I talked too much.
I didn’t write when I was supposed to write. I talked to others while the teacher was giving instructions. That I could recite what she had said to the class while I was talking was not helpful because I had a negative effect on my classmates’ learning. So I regularly brought home disappointing report cards.
My parents and my teachers didn’t know what to do with me. Punishments didn’t seem to work. Rewards didn’t seem to either. And, frankly, I don’t think I knew what I could do to “apply myself”. And I certainly didn’t know how to not enjoy talking with my classmates! What I knew was that I talked too much. Until grade 5.
That autumn, we had a sudden change in teachers as our elderly teacher took a medical leave. In his place, a young substitute (代课老师) arrived — Mrs Royal. She looked like she was freshly out of university and seemed too young to be cast in the role of being responsible for a class of tween, but there she was, charged with a lively group, and me.
I don’t remember many details of that year except the afternoon when I got my first report card from her. She handed out the report cards right after the afternoon break and invited us to look them over. Then she let us know that we could all talk quietly amongst ourselves while she called each student up one at a time, in alphabetical order (按字母顺序), to discuss our report cards with her.
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 looked over my report card, expecting the usual result.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Eli, a passionate high school student about environmental conservation, was eager to participate in the annual Science Fair, an event where students showcase their science projects to the audience, and make a significant contribution. However, he struggled with self-doubt, uncertain if he could create a project that would truly stand out.
Fortunately, Eli’s advisor, Mr. Keats, a man in his 40s known for his enthusiasm and willingness to assist, recognized his hesitation and offered guidance and support. He saw potential in Eli and encouraged him to pursue his passion for environmental conservation. With Mr. Keats’s help, Eli gradually gained confidence in his abilities.
Eli’s friends, Joey and Marylin, also played a crucial role in his journey to success. Both grew up in the neighboring area, attended the same school, and shared Eli’s dedication to environmental conservation. Together, they brainstormed ideas and provided emotional support, keeping Eli motivated and focused on his project.
As the Science Fair drew nearer, Eli invested all his energy into creating a project that would raise awareness about environmental conservation. With Mr. Keats’s guidance and his friends’support, Eli overcame his lack of confidence and came up with a fantastic idea of a remarkable project.
However, just when Eli thought everything was going smoothly, he encountered a setback. His initial project idea faced unexpected challenges, and worse still, Eli didn’t have a plan B. Doubts and frustration resurfaced, posing a threat to his progress. Joey and Marylin noticed Eli was in low spirits and asked him what had happened. Frustratedly, Eli told them about the project, adding that maybe he would never make it. Immediately, they understood that Eli needed more than just words of encouragement; he needed support and a community to lean on. Without hesitation, they offered their shoulders to lean on and ears to listen.
During this difficult time, Mr. Keats also offered his support and encouraged Eli to view the setback as an opportunity for growth and innovation. This encouragement fueled Eli’s determination. With their help, Eli regained his confidence and determination to overcome the obstacles in his path.
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。
Under Mr. Keats’s guidance, Eli worked tirelessly to develop a new project plan.
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The day of the Science Fair finally arrived, and Eli was ready.
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“Guys, remember. This competition is extremely difficult. There will only be a few selections to make it to the final round with the judges,” the music teacher, Mr. Brooks, explained. “But I hope all of you put your best foot forward and make our academy stand out!” The teacher was talking about a state-wide competition held by the best musicians in the area.
Shahnaz, the new student who had only come to the class two weeks before, took the teacher’s words to heart and put her heart and soul into a composition. She had learned how to play the piano for a long time and really did well in it. She wanted to prove herself.
All the students were supposed to improve their compositions with the help of their teacher, Mr. Brooks. However, he spent most of his time guiding the few outstanding students in his class.
He never had much to say to Shahnaz unless it was a comment about her mistakes, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to impress him. He was a good piano player and could teach her a lot. She hoped that her composition would be improved under the guidance of Mr. Brooks.
“OK,” Mr. Brooks said during one of his lessons, “it’s time for Shahnaz to play.” Shahnaz sat in front of the piano and began moving her fingers softly. She practiced and practiced once her composition was done and could almost play it by heart.
Finally, the piece was finished. Shahnaz looked at Mr. Brooks nervously and hoped to receive his recognition. But he just sighed “Frankly, you made many mistakes. You shouldn’t take part in the competition.”
注意：
1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式作答。
Shahnaz left Mr Brooks’ class that day with a heavy heart, but she refused to let his words break her spirit.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The night of the competition finally arrived.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . 你校英文报正在开展以Satisfaction with Your Looks为话题的调查，请结合图表中的数据写一篇短文投稿，内容包括：
1. 满意度情况描述；
2. 简单评论；
3. 你的建议。
注意：
1. 写作词数不少于80；
2. 开头已给出，不计入总词数。
Attitudes towards whether we are satisfied with our looks vary from person to person.
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“Not again!” Aliya shouted angrily, looking at the marks she had attained in her maths test.
It seemed as if failing in the math test had become a part and parcel of her life. Despite her efforts, she had been unable to perform well. Tears in her eyes, she quickly shoved (乱塞) the paper into her bag before any classmate could make a rude comment on her.
Effortlessly, using the back of her palm, she was wiping the tears when her teacher Mrs Leena noticed her. She came to Aliya’s desk and, in a soft voice, asked her to see her during the break time.
Wondering what it could be, Aliya waited impatiently for lunchtime. Finally, when the bell rang, she made her way to Mrs Leena. As soon as she saw Aliya, she gestured for her to sit on the empty chair beside her.
She carefully studied her face, cleared her throat with a bright smile and said, “You seem to be anxious. I think I know what’s bothering you. If you allow me I think together we may come up with a good solution.”
With a puzzled look, she said, “Well ma’am, you know I have been struggling in maths since the beginning of the term. It seems as if no matter how hard I work, I am unable to get the desired result. I feel so upset,” she said sadly.
“You need not be so gloomy,” encouraged Mrs Leena. “With these three key ingredients: hard work, determination and resilience (韧性), you will move ahead and succeed. It’s always the first step that’s difficult, but once you decide not to look back and not give up, you will be successful, my dear. Come on, gather yourself and let’s work on it together.”
From that day onwards, Aliya worked hard, religiously following her teacher’s advice. By the time the final exams drew close, she had thoroughly revised her math book and well-prepared.
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。
On the exam day, a fear of failure upset her stomach.
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She passed her math exam with an unbelievable A grade on her report card.
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Maria was my best friend. When we first met, I knew we were meant to be friends forever. But then something happened.
One day, I said to her excitedly, “There’s a two-day art camp this summer,” holding up the bright-red paper I had grabbed as we entered the library.
Maria took the paper and glanced at it. She stopped when her eyes caught the date. “It’s during the last week of July,” she said. “That’s the same time when I would be out of town with my family.”
Maria handed the paper back to me as she stood up to look at the shelf of new books.
I sighed and dropped my head down.
“Alice, you’re the artist.” She smiled. “But I’m terrible at drawing.”
“You may not think you can draw, but you can learn,” I said in my most encouraging voice. I really didn’t want to go alone.
Going out of the library, I was still in low spirits.
After school, I showed the paper to my mother. She asked me whether I would attend the art camp. I told my mother probably not because my friend would not go.
Mom patted my back and she knew I had a hard time jumping into something with no familiar faces around. “Maybe next year,” she comforted me.
“Maybe.” I sighed. “I’m going outside to draw our pine tree. I’ll be out front.”
I opened the door and looked at the bright sunshine as I sat on the front doorstep. I thought about the art camp and wished I felt a little braver. Maria could make friends with a whole busload of kids in 10 minutes, but my stomach twirls like a roller coaster when I don’t know anyone around me. By the time I started painting, I had convinced myself it was OK to skip the camp.
I used my pencil and drew the pine’s strong and straight trunk, and added the graceful branches, making sure the upper ones lifted gently toward the sun.
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 jumped when Maria said, “You paint quite well.”
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The big day of the art camp finally arrived.
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Susan wasn’t doing well enough at school before, or at least she wasn’t confident about herself. She wished she could do better here in her new school.
“Who would like to present your understanding of the poem?” Mr. Lee, the literature teacher, looked around the classroom. Susan lowered her head to avoid the teacher’s eyes. She was afraid to be laughed at if she made a mistake.
“Kara?” the teacher asked instead. Oh, perfect, Susan raised her head a bit. Of course Kara got the answer right again. Everyone clapped their hands, and Susan gave a quick look at Kara with admiration. Kara noticed her and gave back her a smile. Susan felt warm.
Soon, sadness filled Susan’s heart again. She hadn’t made any friends of her own so far. She felt so lonely that she really hoped someone like Kara would come up and call her a friend. Also, how she wished she were Kara, who was the most popular girl in school-always surrounded by several boyfriends, best friends and others. Kara was like shining sunshine.
Then, still in the class, some old memories crossed Susan’s mind. Growing up on a farm near a big forest, Susan lived every day to the fullest on the farm with Grandpa, fishing in the river, setting a camp fire, climbing the tallest trees and making friends with the lovely creatures in the forest. Grandpa would hug her and call her “my sunshine”. The old man was always proud of his little girl and Susan was sure she was the queen of the forest. She smiled at all her thoughts.
Literature class finally ended, and all the students headed for the gym. The class had been playing basketball. Kara, of course, was the best player. Beside her, Susan felt like very small and awkward. Today, however, the gym teacher led the students to a big tree in the yard and said, “Everyone! You’re going to climb this tree today. Just try your best.” Hearing the teacher’s words, Susan lit up.
Many of the classmates tried but failed, including Kara. Then came her turn.
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。
Paragraph1:
Susan stepped forward and got close to the tree.
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Paragraph 2:
With everyone cheering for her skillful climb and interesting stories, Kara came up.
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Elsie watched her older brothers, Edward and Samuel, who were smiling while they held their spelling bee awards and stood at the front of the one-room schoolhouse.
The pale winter sun came through the window and washed the room in a soft light. Heat came from the wood-burning warming stove, and the little wooden schoolhouse was comfortable and warm despite the December weather.
The students could hear the rushing sound of the nearby stream flowing over the rocks. The air smelled salty from the sea, mixed with a sweet smell of fir trees.
Elsie smiled and clapped her hands with the other six students, but inside she felt a strange sadness. Every time she tried to be as good as Edward and Samuel she did not succeed.
She reached down to touch the ears of her puppy dog, Bear. He rewarded her with a stare of love, eyes shining against his thick dark fur.
“What is wrong with me?” her twelve-year-old heart asked her. She knew she was no longer a child. But she was not quite an adult either. Part of her felt and thought with childish ways. But she could tell another part of her mind was more like an adult.
“Congratulations, Edward and Samuel,” Jeanie, her teacher said. “You have been equally matched for the spelling bee champions.” “Those were difficult words. You both deserve to win.”
“When am I going to win something?” she thought. “Why is it always them?”
She felt small, forgotten and alone while the other kids went up to congratulate Edward, age 15, and Samuel, age 17.
She thought about her efforts to try to catch up to Edward and Samuel. Elsie wondered if she would ever be able to do what they did, and have her parents proud of her, too.
“Reading time,” said Jeanie. Elsie thought about the way her teacher taught the group, each person reading out loud for practice.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Jeanie saw Elsie looking low in spirits and knew Elsie was a sensitive child.
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Paragraph 2:
Another Spelling Bee competition was coming and Elsie decided to try out for it.
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I was already afraid of the water. After experiencing a shark attack when I was eight years old on a family trip to Florida, I barely went in the ocean any deeper than my knees. By shark, I mean dolphin, and by attack, I mean he was bobbing around in the water about five miles from shore, but people were screaming “SHARK!”and waving their hands around along the coastline. Real shark or not, that moment stuck with me. That memory, coupled with being freezing in any weather less than thirty degrees Celsius (摄氏), made the idea of plunging (投入) into cold water a hard pass.
My husband, Mike, had been cold plunging (冰浴) for years and would present me with facts to prove that it was a good thing. By doing so, you experience benefits such as heightened energy, immune (免疫的) system support, boosted mood, better sleep, and stress reduction. It was an appealing list of benefits—none of which mattered to me. What was presented as a clear “wonder drug” was still not attractive enough for me to get out of my warm house and go swimming. Did I mention that I live in Canada? It’s minus twenty degrees Celsius here sometimes.
On New Year’s Day, Mike invited me to his cold plunging. I had been thinking less about health data and more about my confidence. Do you want to do something hard? Something brave? I asked myself. Something completely scary, uncomfortable and seemingly crazy, or do you want to say no and focus on all of the reasons why you wouldn’t dare? I put on my swimsuit, covered it up with eighteen wool sweaters, and joined Mike for the adventure.
In fairness, it was a beautiful day. This made the scary thing feel a little more reasonable as Inegotiated (谈判；协商) with myself the entire twelve-minute drive. My heart was already pounding. We had packed a bag with towels, blankets, warm water for cleaning our sandy feet, and a hot cup of coffee to warm our hands.
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 determined to do the hard thing.
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I have now been cold plunging for over a year.
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