When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks; he tried to be obedient, he chose inspiring friends and always tried to behave well. However, it felt to Marco that his father had little time for him. Except for his demands around chores after school, communication was nonexistent. It seemed to Marco the only time his dad ever spoke to him was to be demanding or critical. Marco sank further into his low self-esteem and was overwhelmed with feeling unappreciated, inadequate and depressed.
One day his father, already tired after a long day, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The angry quarrel that followed left Marco feeling grieved. It seemed no matter how hard he tried he could never do anything right. In despair Marco blurted out, “That’s it! It’s enough!”
For two days, Marco felt so miserable. All he could think of was wanting to leave this enormous pain, those overwhelming feelings of rejection and unworthiness.
Two days later, his aunt called him. To Marco, this seemed like a miracle. Aunt Ginette usually only called once a year, on his birthday. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest called Gala Personnalité sponsored by Club Optimiste—and she thought about him. She thought he should give it a try. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like the other kids, since she had seen him perform for the family at Christmas.
Marco was startled, and not a little taken aback. Him? Onstage? In a public speaking contest? To agree would be contrary to his entire shy, timid personality. But Aunt Ginette was so confident. She seemed really serious. She was sure it was something he could do. She truly believed in him.
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:
Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed to enter the contest.
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Paragraph 2:
Four months later, the big night arrived.
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2 . Holidays and stress seem to go hand in hand. To cope, many people often steal hours from their sleep to pack in all the cooking, shopping, parties and family time.
Be careful with excess food
Many people look forward to that holiday nap, and often point to the turkey as the cause. In fact, you’d have to eat about 8 pounds for turkey to have an effect. Instead, it’s the rich, processed foods, such as candied sweet potatoes or pecan pie, that are making you feel tired
Watch for depression
If you suffer from anxiety, depression or seasonal affective disorder (a condition that causes sadness when there’s less daylight), watching your sleep is key. Depression and sleep are linked.
| A．Be strategic with naps |
| B．Watch your alcohol intake |
| C．Another effective strategy is regular exercise |
| D．If you do decide to have a nap, be sure not to do it too soon after eating |
| E．Eating large, heavy meals causes the body to work harder to digest the foods |
| F．Poor sleep can damage our mood, and depression can lead to unhealthy sleep |
| G．But even a night or two of short sleep can have short term effects on your health and mood |
3 . The world’s most breathtaking clifftop hotels
Angama Mara, Kenya
Perched 1, 000 feet above the Maasai Mara, Angama Mara is on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. The site served as a location for the 1985 film “Out of Africa. “ Guests can expect top-quality game viewing, including Africa’s Big Five, every month of the year, both on game drives and on walking safaris. Amenities include a photography studio, fitness center, an art gallery, a 40-foot-long swimming pool and a studio.
Angama Mara: Suswa Mara Triangle, Kenya; +254 730 630630
Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Formerly a monastery dating back to the 17th century, the family-run Monastero Santa Rosa clings to the side of a cliff overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Salerno. With 20 rooms, it has an infinity pool, five tiers of landscaped gardens and a Michelin-starred restaurant. The spa is the best on the Amalfi Coast and features treatments using local herbs and plants.
Monastero Santa Rosa Hote1& Spa: Via Roma, 2, 84010 Conca dei Marini SA, Italy; +39 089 832 1199
Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, AI Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa, Oman
Towering 6, 000 feet above sea level on the curving rim of a canyon, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar overlooks Oman’s mountainous landscape. It’s an area that Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1986. The resort has 115 rooms, a cliff-edge infinity pool, six restaurants and lounges and a spa. Guests can hike through valleys, mountain bike or visit ancient mountainside villages and nearby historic sites.
Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort: No 110, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa 621, Oman; +968 25 218000
1. Where will you go if you are interested in walking safaris?| A．Suswa Mara Triangle, Kenya. |
| B．Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Salerno. |
| C．No 110, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa 621, Oman. |
| D．Via Roma, 2, 84010 Conca dei Marini SA, Italy. |
| A．Each of the three hotels has a large pool. |
| B．Each of the three hotels has an art gallery. |
| C．All of the three hotels are visited by Prince and Princess. |
| D．All of the three hotels are famous for the spa using herbs. |
| A．A fiction. |
| B．A textbook. |
| C．A history book. |
| D．A tourist guidebook. |
4 . A “secretive” new species of frog has been discovered on the forest floor in India’s Western Ghat mountain range. Named the starry dwarf frog after the markings on its dark brown back, it is just 2 centimeters long.
The frog, whose closest relatives are a group of species native to India and Sri Linka, is the only member of an ancient lineage (血统)dating back to millions of years ago, according to researchers from India and the US. It is unclear whether the species is descended from African or Asian frogs.
A group of Indian and US researchers first came across the local species hidden in leaf-litter as part of a wider project to look for new frogs, lizards and snakes in the richly biodiverse region and stored it in a jar for later study. Genetic testing and a closer look at its shape, colouring and other features has shown that it doesn’t match any existing species.Kartik Shanker of the Indian Institute of Science, who helped design the study, says while it is common to find new frogs in India, this one needs to be noticed. “This particular species not just is a new species, but also belongs to a new genus (属), and that makes it a little more special,” says Shanker.
The number of known species of frog identified in India has climbed from around 200 to above 400 over the past two decades. While many species new to science are frequently immediately sorted as endangered, it is too early to say whether the starry dwarf frog is threatened. “They are very secretive,” says Shanker, adding that the team didn’t know the size of its population. The frog is active at night and lives near water.
Habitat loss is a serious risk to frogs in tropical forests around the world, alongside threats such as a deadly fungus(真菌)that has been killing off amphibians(两栖动物)for the past four decades. But the new species was found in a reserved forest, meaning it will enjoy a degree of protection by Indian government agencies.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 3?| A．The species was discovered by tourists. |
| B．The species was found in a rich region. |
| C．The species was finally set free. |
| D．The species was further studied. |
| A．It is in small quantities. |
| B．It is an endangered species. |
| C．It is well worth attention. |
| D．It is related to African or Asian frogs. |
| A．Habitat loss is the chief threat to frogs. |
| B．The new species may face less dangers. |
| C．Tropical forests in India are all under protection. |
| D．The Indian government determines to save frogs. |
| A．A rare frog species protected in India |
| B．A rise in species of frog seen in India |
| C．A secretive frog species discovered in India |
| D．A risk of habitat loss for frogs removed in India |
5 . One March morning, my husband, my children and I went out to McDonalds. It was just our way of
As I turned around, I smelled a
Just then, I noticed all eyes in the restaurant
When I sat down, my husband smiled at me and said, “That is
| A．wasting | B．sharing | C．saving | D．earning |
| A．waiting | B．refusing | C．regretting | D．hesitating |
| A．dangerous | B．harmful | C．horrible | D．sweet |
| A．close | B．related | C．addicted | D．attached |
| A．hair | B．clothes | C．eyes | D．faces |
| A．books | B．newspapers | C．cards | D．coins |
| A．gradually | B．obviously | C．officially | D．suddenly |
| A．begged | B．sold | C．offered | D．wanted |
| A．destroy | B．employ | C．afford | D．observe |
| A．supermarket | B．concert | C．cinema | D．restaurant |
| A．focused on | B．stood for | C．led to | D．differed from |
| A．living | B．working | C．learning | D．resting |
| A．meals | B．wallets | C．smartphones | D．bills |
| A．what | B．why | C．how | D．when |
| A．sent | B．warned | C．showed | D．handed |
6 . It was a cold Saturday night in February. Some 200 New Yorkers carefully made their way to the reservoir (水库) in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the magical snowy owl, who had touched down in the park the week before in what was reported as the first visit there by the species in more than 130 years.
Except for a few excited screams from children, people were quiet — patiently awaiting the owl’s arrival at the reservoir’s north gatehouse. The snowy owl did not disappoint. She flew down from the darkness and surveyed the water and the people holding phones and cameras before taking off into the night to the applause of her many fans. They simply wanted to see this lovely creature whose improbable appearance seemed to signify hope after the lockdown.
New Yorkers who had long taken Central Park for granted felt a renewed love for this rectangle of green in the heart of the big city and, of course, its amazing wildlife. That the park is a beautiful and essential refuge is something that humans have only come to fully appreciate during these recent times of uncertainty.
Central Park was originally planned and constructed during another difficult time in the nation’s history — in the years before and during the American Civil War. Unlike many European parks that had originally been built for the aristocracy (贵族), Central Park was designed as a public space. In its chief architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s words, the poor and rich alike could “easily go there after their day’s work is done” and “stroll for an hour, seeing, hearing, and feeling nothing of the noise of the streets.”
As spring turns into summer, we see people sitting on the grass or benches — catching some sun, having family picnics, or tapping away on their laptops and iPads. Just being in proximity to other people in Central Park gave us a sense of community — the sense that we would somehow persevere.
1. What did people do in Central Park on that Saturday night?| A．They cheered for each other. | B．They paid their first visit. |
| C．They came for a rare sight. | D．They appreciated a water event. |
| A．Give some examples. | B．Make a comparison. |
| C．Introduce a new opinion. | D．Add background information. |
| A．close to | B．free from |
| C．at a distance from | D．in comparison with |
| A．Find Refuge in Central Park |
| B．Take Your Breath by Snow Owl |
| C．Trace Central Park to difficult times |
| D．Meet an improbable “visitor” in person |
7 . A new study combining linguistic, genetic and archaeological evidence has traced the origins of the family of languages including modern Japanese, Korean, Turkish and Mongolian and the people who speak them to millet (粟) farmers who inhabited a region in northeastern China about 9,000 years ago．
The findings detailed on Wednesday document a shared genetic ancestry for the hundreds of millions of people who speak what the researchers call Transeurasian languages across an area stretching more than 8,000 kilometers.
The findings illustrate how humankind’s embrace of agriculture following the Ice Age powered the movements of some of the world’s major language families. Millet was an important early crop as hunter-gatherers transitioned to an agricultural lifestyle.
There are 98 Transeurasian languages. This language family’s beginnings were traced to millet farmers in the Liao River valley, an area including parts of the Chinese provinces of Liaoning and Jilin and the region of Inner Mongolia. As these farmers moved across northeastern Asia, the descendant languages spread north and west into Siberia and east into Korea and over the sea to Japan over thousands of years.
The research stressed the complex beginnings for modern populations and cultures.
“Accepting that the roots of one’s language, culture or people lie beyond the present national boundaries is a kind of surrender of identity, which some people are not yet prepared to make,” said comparative linguist Martine Robbeets, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature.
“Powerful nations such as Japan, Korea and China are often pictured as representing one language, one culture and one genetic profile. But a truth is that all languages, cultures and humans, including those in Asia, are mixed,” Robbeets added.
The origins of modern Chinese languages arose independently, though in a similar fashion, with millet also involved. While the ancestors of the Transeurasian languages grew millet in the Liao River valley, the originators of the Sino-Tibetan language family farmed millet at roughly the same time in China’s Yellow River region, paving the way for a separate language expansion.
1. What is the new study mainly about?| A．The migration routes of millet farmers. |
| B．The ancient origins of a large language family. |
| C．The different ancestries of Transeurasian speakers. |
| D．The shared features of some neighboring languages. |
| A．The transition of power. | B．The diversity of lifestyles. |
| C．The interaction of cultures. | D．The adoption of farming. |
| A．Those from agricultural countries. |
| B．Those who deny their cultural identity. |
| C．Those with a strong sense of nationalism. |
| D．Those who are afraid to cross boundaries. |
| A．To draw a conclusion. |
| B．To present likely consequences. |
| C．To highlight the theme. |
| D．To offer additional information. |
8 . When I was four years old，I got stung(螫) by a bee－twice in one week！After that，I had a fear of bees.That's when my parents suggested that I learn about bees instead of being frightened. I read picture books and watched videos about bees，and I learned that bees help make the food we eat because of their pollination(授粉). Take pizza，for example. If we didn't have bees to pollinate tomato plants，we wouldn't have tomatoes for sauce. And we wouldn't have cheese without pollination，either.
The bad news is that bees are struggling to survive. Many are dying. Some scientists think it might be because of chemicals that are used to kill other insects. What would happen if there were no more bees? I wanted to help. I thought, “What if I make lemonade，sell it，and raise money to help bees?” I talked to my grandmother Helen. She gave me her recipe(调制法) for lemonade. It came from a cookbook from 1940.
I added honey to her old recipe. That way，I could sell the lemonade and donate some of the money to groups that are helping to save bees. I could also support local beekeepers by using their honey in my product. And I would be educating others on the importance of bees and helping to save them.
My dad showed me how to work out what supplies I needed to buy. At first，I sold lemonade at a stand at a kids' business event. But I wanted to help bees all year round. We talked to a pizza place near where I live. They said they wanted to sell it. Now more than 30 stores sell it，too. This year we sold about 140,000 bottles. I love helping to save bees. It's the sweetest feeling ever.
1. After learning about bees，the author ________.| A．discovered their importance to people | B．developed an interest in insects |
| C．knew how to deal with them | D．became afraid of them |
| A．Bees’ worrying condition. | B．A cookbook from 1940. |
| C．Helen's special recipe. | D．Her parents' words. |
| A．Careful and polite. | B．Kind and caring. |
| C．Brave and smart. | D．Strong and patient. |
| A．From lemon to lemonade. | B．A kid and her bees. |
| C．A healthy heart. | D．A sweet idea. |
9 . Steven loved playing for his basketball team. Last year, they had won the state finals. This year, they were finding things much
“Are you okay to
Steven looked at the injury on his knee.
“I’ll be
Steven knew the
As the quarter began, he caught the ball after the other
| A．easier | B．harder | C．faster | D．cheaper |
| A．players | B．games | C．meetings | D．weeks |
| A．challenge | B．find | C．change | D．win |
| A．knee | B．head | C．hand | D．foot |
| A．practice | B．play | C．leave | D．see |
| A．proud | B．slow | C．disappointed | D．fine |
| A．risks | B．mistakes | C．problems | D．reasons |
| A．worry | B．argue | C．stop | D．lose |
| A．decided | B．asked | C．regretted | D．failed |
| A．found | B．agreed | C．felt | D．doubted |
| A．friend | B．team | C．judge | D．coach |
| A．smiled | B．shouted | C．cried | D．returned |
| A．never | B．even | C．always | D．almost |
| A．looked | B．walked | C．headed | D．jumped |
| A．daring | B．wrong | C．careful | D．foolish |
10 . The science of happiness
Everyone wants to be happy. Some argue that the main reason people do the things they do is to become happier. Others argue that happiness is a basic human right.
◆ Measuring happiness
Social scientists usually count happiness simply by asking how happy people are.
◆
In one study, researchers asked people in different parts of a country “How satisfied are you with your life?” People in parts of the country with nicer weather said they were more satisfied with their lives. They said they lived better than people from a city with bad weather.
◆ Money and happiness
Researchers have examined the relationship between money and happiness for many years. They say that very poor people are less happy than rich people.
◆ What makes people happy?
According to researchers, there are three things that make people happy:
1. Having close relationships with people — family and friends.
2. Believing in something. This could be a spiritual (精神上的) view or a special philosophy (人生观) in life.
3. Having goals that you find enjoyable and interesting. This means that your life has a purpose.
| A．Weather and happiness |
| B．But what is happiness? |
| C．Highly-paid jobs make people happy. |
| D．Most people are satisfied with their lives. |
| E．But lots of money doesn’t make you happier. |
| F．They ask people the question “How happy are you from 1 to 10?” |
| G．The closer and deeper the relationships are, the better for your happiness. |
