My daughter and I pushed the overloaded cart in the store. She reached up and took another toy, and without asking, threw it in the cart. “Is that for you?” I asked.
“No, it is for my friend,” she answered. I was proud of her. Being an only child and an only grandchild, she could have been spoiled (宠坏), but instead she was caring and very giving, almost more than necessary.
On the drive home, my daughter was unusually quiet. Finally, she said, “Mommy, if Santa brings all the gifts, why are we buying them?” I quickly tried to think of an answer. Before I could say anything, she shouted, “I know why. We’re Santa’s helpers!” Yes, she took the words right out of my mouth. Yes, that’s exactly what we are.
After a few days, she came home from school quite upset, explaining, “Mommy, there’s a girl in my class who’s very mean (吝啬) to me and my friends. She is Lucy. We talk to her anyway, and when we asked her what she was getting for Christmas, she started crying. She said she wasn’t getting anything because her mother is always sick and her father doesn’t have the money to pay for anything, not even food.”
I calmed her down, knowing what she was thinking about.
One evening before Christmas vacation, my daughter began to wrap (包装) the gifts for her friends. I gave her a roll of wrapping paper, but she came back and asked for more. I thought it was strange, but I was busy then, only telling her to get whatever she needed.
On the last day of school, I had to leave for work extra early, so I asked my friend to pick up my daughter since she had quite a few gifts to take for the class Christmas party. I never actually saw what my daughter took to school.
On Christmas Eve, I went to wrap gifts, but all of them were missing. I looked high and low and couldn’t find them.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 开头已给出。
Finally, I woke my daughter.
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Early Christmas morning, a mother and a daughter came to our house.
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2 . When I was a boy, I knew nothing about the nation’s popular sport—baseball. During P.E., I used to pray (祈祷), “Please, please don’t let the ball come to me.” It seemed
And yet I
I had
I
“Yes, we’ve got something good for you,” he said. So Hudson Cliffs was launched.
After several years of play, Will aged out of Hudson Cliffs.
| A．normal | B．impossible | C．natural | D．cheerful |
| A．happened | B．decided | C．wished | D．refused |
| A．pass | B．kick | C．catch | D．throw |
| A．injuries | B．misses | C．debates | D．hits |
| A．launch | B．lead | C．win | D．make |
| A．limited | B．wide | C．specific | D．advanced |
| A．love | B．health | C．confidence | D．wealth |
| A．targeted | B．awarded | C．protected | D．tracked |
| A．calmer | B．younger | C．braver | D．stronger |
| A．praised | B．dropped | C．tested | D．shared |
| A．looking down | B．lighting up | C．closed | D．narrowed |
| A．rule | B．plan | C．payment | D．request |
| A．Finally | B．Actually | C．Particularly | D．Gradually |
| A．pleasing | B．despairing | C．exciting | D．frightening |
| A．Strangely | B．Immediately | C．Amazingly | D．Simply |
3 . Music is known to have a great deal of mental and physical benefits on humans. From helping to treat physical medical problems to relieving stress, music can be extremely beneficial in helping to improve health.
Animals may have a great deal of stress.
Music can be extremely beneficial for animals in high stress situations.
| A．It can create a space for them. |
| B．The same goes for our furry friends, too. |
| C．They could be stressed for a variety of reasons. |
| D．It would be a beneficial practice for all parties. |
| E．Another place where music can be helpful is in car rides. |
| F．There are ways that you can identify stress in your animals. |
| G．It’s no wonder loud noises can cause dogs and cats so much stress. |
4 . It was a quiet early afternoon in the library, and we librarians were enjoying a chat at the library desk. Suddenly, a regular reader, who had been reading a magazine, marched up to us, gave us an annoyed “Shush (嘘)!” and went back to her seat.
Shocked into silence, we tried not to laugh. How strange for a group of librarians to be shushed by a reader! Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
Well, it seems hard to explain. If you’re a baby boomer (婴儿潮出生的人) like me, you probably remember libraries as places of adults’ silent reading. These days, however, libraries are more like busy community centers, where being noisy to some degree is the new normal, especially when kids are taking part.
I am a loud librarian. My voice is naturally on the louder side. The hundreds of programs I led as a children’s librarian were filled with singing, dancing, movement exercises and cheerful readings of books with crowds of children and their caregivers. No shushing allowed!
Growing knowledge about the importance of kids and teens learning through hands-on experiences has since caused a sea change in how public libraries connect with young readers. These types of programs like board games, poetry reading and story times certainly aren’t designed to be silent.
But it’s a balancing act. Not all readers—or librarians—like the idea of a noisy library. It’s clear to me now that on the day my colleagues and I were shushed by a reader, we should have been using our “library voices” as we talked. Still, it’s unlikely that libraries will ever return to the days when they were places of silence. There’s just too much fun and learning happening. I heartily agree with my friend Rachel Payne, an early-childhood service educator at the Brooklyn Public Library, who told me, “When I visit a library and it is quiet, I always feel a bit sad. A library where conversations are happening and tables are full is a very good thing!”
1. How did the author think of the shush from a reader?| A．Unexpectedly funny. | B．Really annoying. | C．Quite necessary. | D．Very heartwarming. |
| A．They serve kids only. | B．They become quieter. |
| C．They are less popular. | D．They have different functions. |
| A．To show different voices. | B．To express the author’s idea. |
| C．To make the end interesting. | D．To promote a new reading method. |
| A．How to Act in the Library | B．It’s OK for a Library to Be Noisy |
| C．Why to Keep Silent in the Library | D．It’s Necessary for Librarians to Change |
5 . If you think backyard and roof-top beehives (蜂箱) are helping save the bees, think again, experts say.
A recent study conducted in Montreal found that places with the largest increase in honeybees kept by humans had the fewest wild bee species—with small bees, which are only able to fly shorter distances to find food, appearing to be especially at risk.
“The honeybee has been promoted as the symbol of helping the environment and the variety of living species on the earth, and really it’s not that,” says Gail MacInnis, a researcher at Concordia University. “You would never start keeping chickens to help save wild bird species.”
“Honeybees are among the most common insects in the world, but they aren’t native to many of the places where they are found,” says Sheila Colla, a professor at York University. “Honeybees are very successful invaders (入侵者),” Colla says. These bees can fly long distances and are able to effectively communicate with one another through dance language. Introducing honeybee hives to an area can be a problem for local wild bees, which often end up competing for the same food sources.
Should we stop keeping bees in the cities then? Colla gives us an answer in some way. “There is room for it in cities. It’s just right now we’re not managing it very responsibly in certain places,” she says. It is suggested that cities and towns that allow beekeeping should have caps on the number of hives and require people to register their bee hives. Beekeepers also need to understand the responsibility they’re taking on.
1. Why does Gail MacInnis mention “keeping chickens”?| A．To introduce a new topic. | B．To show how to save wild birds. |
| C．To make her idea easily understood. | D．To share chicken-keeping knowledge. |
| A．Competition for food. | B．Risk of being killed. | C．Less communication. | D．No habitat. |
| A．Saving the honeybees. | B．Building hives in cities. |
| C．Making room for honeybees. | D．Keeping honeybees responsibly. |
6 . I grew up in a poor family. When I turned eight, I went to work to polish (打磨) stones after school. My fingers hurt and sometimes badly. I hated the idea of polishing stones in dirty clothes forever. I dreamed of getting a university education and becoming a doctor someday. The other boys working together laughed at me because we were too poor to pay university fees.
After completing secondary school, I went to work in a small hotel. There most of the guests spoke English. I realized it was a good chance to improve my English. Almost every guest was regarded as my teacher. I asked them about words and phrases I picked up from English newspapers left behind.
One day, a foreign lady, Delores, came to the hotel. We spent a good hour trying to figure out the way to the Hawa Mahal. Madam Delores asked, “Do you learn English at school?” “I finished school. I learn English by myself.” I answered. Madam was so impressed with me that she offered help, teaching me English online. After six months, my English greatly improved. I told Madam I planned to do a mechanics (机械学) course, which was free. How she responded changed my life forever: What if I give you the university fee?
I accepted her offer after she explained that helping me would make her happy. I remained hard-working at university. Each morning I rose at 6 a.m. to attend university. After class, I headed to work in the hotel. I stole minutes between suitcases (行李箱) to complete homework.
So far, I have completed my MBA. My life, my way of thinking and my opportunities are so different now, all thanks to Madam and the education I received. I began to think about the millions of Indian kids like me. If I could change my life, with the right help, they could change their lives too. So, with Madam’s support, I started a non-profit company to raise excellent learners and thinkers. I’m really happy because I’m doing something good for others, like Madam did for me.
1. Why did the other boys laugh at me?| A．I often got injured in my work. | B．They lived a better life. |
| C．They believed I was daydreaming. | D．I wore dirty clothes all the time. |
| A．By teaching him mechanics. | B．By providing financial support. |
| C．By offering him a job as a guide. | D．By introducing a good university. |
| A．Money can’t buy time. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Action speaks louder than words. | D．God helps those who help themselves. |
1. What did Rachel Carson focus on at first?
| A．Oceans. | B．Chemistry. | C．Food. |
| A．The effects of birds’ unusual behavior. |
| B．The improvements in farming practices. |
| C．The connection between humans and nature. |
| A．Printing books by Carson. | B．Stopping using chemicals. | C．Reflecting on Carson’s message. |
| A．Clear the road. | B．Run to the meeting. | C．Wait in the car. |
| A．A waste pile. | B．A charity. | C．A second-hand shop. |
Our Garfield became a mostly indoor cat. He used to wander outside but we discovered he had a terrible sense of direction, so now he has to stay inside. He does not enjoy being on the inside looking out, but it’s safer for him so that’s how it has to be.
When Garfield isn’t sleeping, he’s either sitting on a windowsill (窗台) or sitting with his wet nose pressed against our glass door overlooking the deck (木质平台), like a prisoner behind bars. As he ages, he earns back his outside rights an hour per day because he shows us that he will stay close to the back deck.
When we let him out last week, a thunderstorm arose out of nowhere. By the time we heard the crack of lightning and remembered Garfield was outside, we opened the door to see nothing but strong wind and heavy rain. My daughter Janette put on her rubber boots and raincoat to check around the house, but Garfield was nowhere to be found. The thunderstorm obviously had scared him into a run in the wrong direction. Who knew where he would end up?
It took me forever to fall asleep that night. I prayed (祈祷) someone would protect him and help him find his way home. As I continued praying, I realized that in my daily prayers for my family, I rarely included Garfield. Now that he was gone, maybe forever, I realized what an important part of our family he was. I prayed for his safe return.
My husband Peter was the first one up at 6: 00 a. m. He checked the doorstep, but no Garfield was in sight. I saw my neighbor Heidi taking her dog out for a walk, and I asked her to please keep her eyes open for our cat. Janette and her three brothers all walked around the house that day looking like they had lost their best friend. Peter decided to look for Garfield around the neighborhood.
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。
Peter and I drove around to search the neighborhood.
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I was saying to myself “Never say never” when I heard something scratching the door at 10: 00 p.m.
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