In my community, there is a little boy who suffered from congenital muscle disease. He always considered himself the most unfortunate person in the world. Although he looked no different from ordinary people, it’s difficult for him to do some delicate movements. He often lost control of his hands and dropped things on the ground. Even after a short run, he would easily get out of breath. Depression and inferiority made him almost always alone. All of these make his mother very worried.
Then one spring, the boy’s mother bought some saplings (树苗) from a nearby market. She intended to plant them in the forecourt. She told her children to plant a sapling each person. The mother said to her three children, “Whose seedling grows best, I will buy him or her a favorite gift.” The boy also wanted to get his mother’s gift. But seeing his brothers and sisters carrying water to water the trees happily, anyhow, an idea hit him: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never attended to it.
Several days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was surprised to find it grew some fresh leaves instead of withering (枯萎), and compared with the trees of his brother and sister, his appeared greener and more vital. He wondered what on earth had happened. As expected, his mother kept her promise, bought the little boy his favorite gift and said to him, “From the tree you plant, you will become an outstanding botanist (植物学家) when you grow up.”
Since then, the little boy slowly became optimistic. One day, the little boy lay on the bed but couldn’t sleep. Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, he suddenly recalled what the bi ology teacher once said, plants generally grow at night.
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。
“Why not go to the forecourt and take a look at my tree?” he said to himself.
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From that night on, he understood what his mother meant and decided to change himself.
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“No matter how hard we try, some things are just not meant to be,” Andrew thought bitterly. He looked down at the hospital bills in his hands and tears filled his eyes. His poor mom had been so ill, and here he was complaining and feeling sorry for himself! He should be praying for her recovery, not crying over a lost, childish dream.
Andrew was nineteen, and as far back as he could remember, he’d wanted to become a software engineer. That dream had become harder to reach after his dad died when Andrew was twelve. His mom had been left to raise him on her own, and it was hard to make ends meet. So Andrew started doing part-time jobs.
Every cent he earned he put away for college. When he was sixteen, he got himself a summer job at a local IT company, where his insight and intelligence caught the owner’s eye. Mr. Lewis, the CEO, made Andrew the assistant of his best and most innovative developer, and the boy thrived (不断成长) on the challenge. He couldn’t wait to go to college!
Unfortunately, when Andrew was in his senior year in high school, his mother became very ill. The usually energetic woman was constantly tired and in pain. She went from doctor to doctor, but no one knew exactly what was wrong with her. They sent her off to do dozens of expensive tests, then shook their heads over the results. Andrew’s mom started getting weaker and weaker, and thinner and thinner until she could barely walk.
Andrew added up the medical bills and was shocked. They owed over $23,000! Andrew pulled out his bank book. He had close to $30,000 in his savings account. He’d painstakingly (艰苦地) saved up for YEARS, so he’d be able to go to college, but his mom’s health was more important.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。The next day, Andrew went to see Mr. Lewis.
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That night, Mr. Lewis appeared on Andrew’s home with a great idea.
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3 . Frozen in time, a 125-million-year-old mammal attacking a dinosaur. A 39-million-year-old whale, the heaviest animal that ever lived. The oldest known jellyfish, from 505 million years ago. Paleontology (古生物学) produces newsworthy discoveries.
Fossils (化石), moreover, provide direct evidence for the long history of life, allowing paleontologists to test hypotheses (假设) about evolution with data only they provide. They allow investigation of present and past life on Earth. Flows of biological diversity, appearances of new life forms and the extinctions of long existing ones, would go undiscovered without these efforts. But the headlines over exciting new fossils greatly underestimate the true importance of paleontology. Its real significance lies in how such discoveries brighten the grand history of life on Earth. From its beginnings, more than three billion years ago, to the present day, fossils record how life adapted or disappeared in the face of major environmental challenges.
Paleontologists provide us with a unique vantage on modern climate change. They play an essential role in interpreting ancient environments, in reconstructing ancient oceans, continents and climates. Fossils provide key limitation on the climate models that are essential for predicting future climate change. And the fossil record gives important insights into how life will respond to predicted future climate conditions, because these have occurred before in Earth’s history.
In addition, paleontology has provided a fundamental contribution to human thought: the reality of species extinction and thus of a world that has dramatically changed over time. In documenting the history of life, paleontologists recognized that many extinction episodes could occur suddenly, such as the event 66 million years ago that ended the dinosaurs. The search for the causes of past mass extinctions started pioneering studies from across the scientific spectrum (科学界), focusing on potential future threats to humanity.
Not only do paleontologists know what happens to life when things go bad, they also know how long it takes for ecosystems and biodiversity to recover from these disasters, which can take far longer than modern humans have existed.
Paleontologists thus provide a unique perspective on the nature and future long-term ecological impact of the current human-produced biodiversity crisis, the so-called Sixth Extinction, and therefore the importance of protecting modern biodiversity. The very concept of a Sixth Extinction would not exist without paleontologists documenting the first five.
Paleontologists know that understanding life’s past is critical to anticipating and adapting to life’s and humanity’s future. Paleontology is important because it brings its unique and critical perspective to current challenges in climate change, biodiversity loss and the environment. Paleontologists can predict the future because they know the past.
1. The first two paragraphs are written to _______.| A．describe an event | B．raise a question |
| C．present an opinion | D．make a comparison |
| A．A positive effect. | B．A valuable suggestion. |
| C．A quick decision. | D．A comprehensive view. |
| A．Ecological recovery takes shorter than imagined. |
| B．Past lessons can help to predict the future threats. |
| C．Paleontologists can handle the biodiversity crisis. |
| D．Fossil studies focus on the causes of mass extinctions. |
| A．Paleontology: A Pioneering Study |
| B．Paleontology: A History Recorder |
| C．Paleontology Tells More About Nature Than Humans |
| D．Paleontology Is Far More Than New Fossil Discoveries |
Saving the Daisies
Taylor aged 14 opened her sleepy eyes and looked out the window below. “NO!” she cried, now fully awake. Buttermilk the cow was in Mama’s daisy (雏菊) garden.
“I must have forgotten to close the gate last night,” Taylor thought as she pulled a sweatshirt over her head. Mama was planning to sell the daisies at the fair next week. But Buttermilk was eating the flowers. Taylor hurried outside and grabbed a rope.
“Why can’t you stay in the field?” she called to Buttermilk as she headed across the yard to the daisy garden. Buttermilk stood biting the tender flowers.
“When I grow up, I’ll be an artist and paint pictures all day,” Taylor thought. “I’ll not own a cow. Too much trouble.” Taylor was fond of painting since the day she had memory. She would like to help with family but she loved seeing birds and flowers alive under her brush more.
Just as Taylor was about to throw the rope onto Buttermilk’s collar, the family dog barked. Buttermilk couldn’t stand it and took off, tearing through the daisies. It finally ran through the open gate and into the field outside. “Thank goodness!” Taylor said as she closed the gate and secured the lock. But as she turned to look at the flower garden, most of the daisies were either eaten or left in pieces.
Mama and Dad came out of the house. “What’s going on?” Mama asked. She looked sadly at her garden. “I forgot to close the gate,” Taylor said. “I’m so sorry. ” “I know you are.” Mama sighed and gave Taylor a hug.
Taylor’s heart was heavy as she went back into the house. Mama had prepared much for the fair but now half of her efforts were in vain. Taylor decided to think of a way to make it up to her mother. The problem tasked Taylor’s mind. Could she plant other flowers in a week? Not enough time. Could she make use of the daisies in pieces? Not enough magic. Taylor found no way out.
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, Taylor noticed a daisy painting in the house and an idea jumped in.
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A week later, when her parents were loading the car, Taylor brought her paintings downstairs.
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One day, my elder brother and I were coming back from the islands where we often risked going with other fishermen. All at once, the sky over our heads was covered, with dark clouds and in less than a minute we were in a terrible storm. Strangely, it seemed that the storm struck us only. I could clearly see that the sun shone brightly in the area not far away.
With the wind and waves, we were going in the direction of the whirlpool (旋涡). Other fishermen were in a very distant area without noticing what we were experiencing. We shouted for help but in vain. We were hopeless. Nothing could save us. I felt sick, as if I was falling from a mountain top in a dream. We went round and round, nearer and nearer to the horrible edge of the whirlpool. It may appear strange, but at that moment, when we were on the edge of the whirlpool, I felt calmer than when we were moving towards it. I began to think how amazing a thing it was lo die in such a way, and how wonderful it was to see the power of nature. Suddenly, we went over the edge. I thought my life was over. But moment after moment passed, and I was still safe.
The boat was on the inside of the huge whirlpool and we were going round in circles at great speed. I saw clearly that there were other objects in the whirlpool- trees and barrels (桶子). After a while, I became curious about the whirlpool itself. I then made three important observations. The first, the larger the bodies were, the more rapidly they fell; the second, between two objects of equal extent, round objects fell down less rapidly; and the third, between two objects of the same size, objects shaped like a tube fell down more slowly.
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。
So I tied myself to a barrel and jumped into the sea.
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Then the sky was clear, the wind calmer, and the sum was shining.
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6 . One by one, prejudices are disappearing in the West. People may harbor private suspicions that other people’s race or sex makes them inferior—but to say so openly is totally taboo. One old prejudice remains respectable, though. Just ask a childless person.
They are not charged to special taxes, as they were in Soviet Russia; nor are they driven from their homes, as they still are in some poor countries. The childless nonetheless come in for a lot of criticism. Some point out that non-parents are failing to produce the future workers who will pay for their pensions. Childless politicians are charged with not having a proper stake in society. “He talks to us about the future, but he doesn’t have children!” complained Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the National Front party, of Emmanuel Macron, who went on to win the French presidency. Similar attacks on Theresa May and Angela Merkel also failed but researchers find that many voters quietly agree.
The charges against the childless should be thrown out, along with other social prejudice. In many rich countries, between 15% and 20% of women, and a slightly higher proportion of men, will not have children. The share is rising. Some have medical problems; others do not meet the right person in time; still others decide they do not want them. Whatever the cause, the attacks on the childless are baseless.
If non-breeders are selfish, they have a strange way of showing it. They are more likely to set up charitable foundations than people with children, and much more likely to donate money to good causes. According to one American estimate, the mere fact of not having children raises the amount a person leaves to charity by a little over $10,000. The childless are thus a small but useful counterweight to the world’s parents, who stop social immobility by passing on their social and economic advantages to their children.
The fact that so many senior politicians lack offspring ought to put to rest the idea that they do not care for society. Five of the G7 countries are led by childless men and women. Mr. Macron, Mrs. May, Mrs. Merkel, Shinzo Abe and Paolo Gentiloni have their faults, but they are not notably less able than Justin Trudeau (who has three children) let alone Donald Trump (who has five). Their opportunities for nepotism are limited. And they spare their countries dynastic politics.
The charge that childless people fail to pull their weight in population is correct, but is less serious than it appears. Those who do not have children do put pressure on public pension systems. Governments have to do unpopular things like making pensions less generous, as Japan has done, or accepting more immigrants, as some Western countries have done. But to sustain public pensions in the long term, countries do not actually need more parents. What they need instead is more babies. It is possible to combine a high rate of childlessness with a high birth rate, provided people who become parents have more than one or two children. That was the pattern in many Western countries a century ago. Ireland, yet another country with a childless leader, still manages it today.
The childless also do everyone else a favour by creating wonderful works of art. British novelists have been especially likely to have no offspring: think of Hilary Mantel, P.G Wodehouse and the Bronte sisters. In September last year Britain put Jane Austen on its ten-pound note. That decision was controversial, though it was hard to see why. Few people have written as shrewdly about money or about families even though Austen did not marry, and had no children.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?| A．The childless often get punished in society. | B．The childless often come under sharp criticism. |
| C．Most successful politicians have no children | D．Childlessness affects the result of an election. |
| A．have a strange way to show selfishness | B．set a bad example for young people |
| C．are not as able as those with children | D．are the government’s financial burden |
| A．Accepting more immigrants. | B．Reducing the pensions for the aged. |
| C．Encouraging parents to have more children. | D．Supporting the political leaders with no children. |
| A．Understanding | B．Skeptical | C．Disappointed | D．Reserved |
| A．In defence of the childless. | B．In hope of having a child or not. |
| C．Reasons for not having children. | D．Measures to address aging problems. |
Christmas Day was coming. I was just a kid then, and my big sister told me there was no Santa Claus. I fled to my Grandma because she would be straight with me. l knew Grandma always told me the truth. Grandma was home, and I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus!” She shouted. “Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad.”
“Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”
“Go where, Grandma?” l asked. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store. the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. “Take this money.” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.
l was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people competing to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, holding that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy and who to buy it for. I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker, who was a kid with bad breath and messy hair. He sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class.
Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. l knew that because he never went out for recess(休息) during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I fingered the ten dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red one, which looked really warm, and he would like that.
“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. “Yes.”
The nice lady smiled at me, put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
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。
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Grandma and I waited breathlessly in the bush for Bobby Decker’s front door to open.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day my grandfather gave me a gift — a piggy bank. It had an opening through which one could put money in, but the opening was not big enough to reach in and get the money out. The only way to get at the money was to break the piggy bank open. My grandfather explained that was the whole idea: the piggy bank would help save my money so that, at the end of the year, I might have enough for that bike I dreamt about. He asked if I would put some of the money he gave me into the piggy bank. I agreed immediately and promised that I wouldn’t break it open until I could afford my dream bike.
Whenever he gave me a little bit of money, he would say, “This is for spending. But you can save some and put it in the piggy bank if you want to save it up.” When he gave me larger amounts, it was clearly for saving in the piggy bank. For some time, this worked fine. I loved shaking the piggy bank and hearing the sound of the coins. As it became heavier, I grew more excited, dreaming about buying my new bike, and all the adventures I could have on it.
Whenever I wanted to take some money from the piggy bank to buy delicious ice-creams or beautiful pens, I would imagine riding my bike on the street, and thinking of that, my thoughts about ice-creams or pens went away. So for almost six months, I only put money into the piggy bank without taking any out. I thought I wouldn’t break my piggy bank for anything. But one day something unexpected happened. I saw a piece of news on the television that a serious earthquake (地震) had happened in a nearby province. As many houses were destroyed, a lot of children became homeless. Seeing their shabby clothes and crying faces, I was sleepless that night.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
Paragraph 1: I knew I should do something.__________________________________________________________________________________
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Paragraph 2: My grandfather was surprised by my behavior._____________________________________________________________________
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9 . Over the past few decades, technology has profoundly transformed the way we live and work. The digital revolution has brought about
In the realm of employment, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping job markets. Routine tasks that were once carried out by humans are now
The education sector has not been immune to technological advancements either. Online learning platforms and digital resources have
Communication has been revolutionized by technology as well. Social media platforms enable instantaneous global
Healthcare has witnessed the integration of technology through telemedicine and remote monitoring. While these innovations improve access to medical services, they also raise questions about the
In the realm of creativity, technology has opened new avenues for artistic expression. Digital art, virtual reality experiences, and interactive storytelling have
The environment benefits from technology through innovations in renewable energy and resource management. Yet, the
In conclusion, technology’s far-reaching influence touches every aspect of our lives. Its
| A．incremental | B．revolutionary | C．gradual | D．minimal |
| A．profound | B．superficial | C．theoretical | D．casual |
| A．substituted | B．enhanced | C．abandoned | D．detected |
| A．suppressed | B．triggered | C．alleviated | D．sparked |
| A．surpassed | B．preserved | C．substituted | D．revived |
| A．digital | B．analytical | C．cognitive | D．interpersonal |
| A．correspondence | B．connectivity | C．isolation | D．suspension |
| A．solved | B．raised | C．suppressed | D．established |
| A．protection | B．vulnerability | C．anticipation | D．interpretation |
| A．extended | B．imposed | C．enforced | D．dissolved |
| A．preservation | B．authenticity | C．distortion | D．manipulation |
| A．insignificant | B．extensive | C．marginal | D．deliberate |
| A．beneficial | B．detrimental | C．ambiguous | D．prevalent |
| A．implications | B．consequences | C．limitations | D．requirements |
| A．promising | B．potential | C．evident | D．underlying |
10 . Is it true that our brain alone is responsible for human cognition(认知)? What about our body? Is it possible for thought and behaviour to originate from somewhere other than our brain? Psychologists who study Embodied Cognition(EC)ask similar questions. The EC theory suggests our body is also responsible for thinking or problem-solving. More precisely, the mind shapes the body and the body shapes the mind in equal measure.
If you think about it for a moment, it makes total sense. When you smell something good or hear amusing sounds, certain emotions are awakened. Think about how newborns use their senses to understand the world around them. They don’t have emotions so much as needs – they don’t feel sad, they’re just hungry and need food. Even unborn babies can feel their mothers’ heartbeats, and this has a calming effect. In the real world, they cry when they’re cold and then get hugged. That way, they start to associate being warm with being loved.
Further studies have backed up the mind-body interaction. In one experiment, test subjects were asked to judge people after being handed a hot or a cold drink. They all made warm evaluations when their fingertips perceived warmth rather than coolness. And it works the other way too. In another study, subjects’ fingertip temperatures were measured after being “included” in or “rejected” from a group task. Those who were included felt physically warmer.
For further proof, we can look at the metaphors(比喻)that we use without even thinking. A kind and sympathetic person is frequently referred to as one with a soft heart and someone who is very strong and calm in difficult situations is often described as solid as a rock. And this kind of metaphorical use is common across languages.
Now that you have the knowledge of mind-body interaction, why not use it? If you’re having a bad day, a warm cup of tea will give you a flash of pleasure. If you know you’re physically cold, warm up before making any interpersonal decisions.
1. According to the author, what is the significance of EC?| A．It brings us closer to the truth in human cognition. |
| B．It offers a clearer picture of the shape of human brain. |
| C．It reveals the major role of the mind in human cognition. |
| D．It facilitates our understanding of the origin of psychology. |
| A．Their personal looks. | B．Their mental needs. |
| C．Their inner emotions. | D．Their physical feelings. |
| A．Human speech is alive with metaphors. |
| B．Human senses have effects on thinking. |
| C．Human language is shaped by visual images. |
| D．Human emotions are often compared to natural materials. |
| A．To deepen the readers’ understanding of EC. |
| B．To encourage the reader to put EC into practice. |
| C．To guide the reader onto the path to career success. |
| D．To share with the reader ways to release their emotions. |
