1 . For 18 years, I’ve feared the yearly event of writing a “vision statement (愿景宣言)” for our son, Ethan. He has autism (自闭症). In theory, the vision statement is a lovely idea — an opportunity for parents to express the future they plan for their child five years down the road. In reality, as Ethan grew up and his limitations became clearer, I found it harder every year to write the short paragraph.
This year, as Ethan completed his final year in the school system, we signed Ethan up to work at a local farm that employs young adults with disabilities assuming it would go the way he always has. He’d be interested at first, then bored, and then — because he was bored — silly and unsafe around the equipment in a way that would get him removed from the program. It was his pattern and if there’s anything we’ve learned, autistic kids love repeating their patterns.
Surprisingly, after a year, we were told he’d made it onto a landscaping team. “What do you do in the team?” we asked. Eth an listed a few machines we assumed he was watching other people operate. We’ve lived with Ethan for 21 years. We know his limitations.
At our last meeting for the vision statement, a man from the farm read a report on Ethan. Ethan was operating those machines, safely and effectively, along with the final line: “Ethan makes us laugh every day.” I could hardly believe it.
Ethan wrote his own vision statement this year. He read it aloud:
“I plan to work at Prospect Meadow Farm until I retire and live. at home with my family as long as I can. My goals for the future are to learn how to drive a lawn mower (割草机).”
I had tears in my eyes. Not simply because Ethan had made his own entirely reasonable vision statement, but because it involved the part of his present life that brings him joy. After years of making up visions for a future we never honestly thought possible, Ethan was offering one that was both hopeful and extremely simple: I want my life to keep looking the way it does NOW.
1. How did the author feel about writing a vision statement for her son?| A．It was difficult. | B．It was boring. |
| C．It was annoying. | D．It was embarrassing. |
| A．To show her concern for Ethan’s safety. |
| B．To show her familiarity with autistic kids. |
| C．To show her low expectations for Ethan’s farm job. |
| D．To show her special responsibility as Ethan’s parent. |
| A．He went beyond his limits. |
| B．He made silly mistakes. |
| C．He liked watching others working. |
| D．He could hardly get along with others. |
| A．Success is built on failure. |
| B．Never lose faith in your high goals. |
| C．Family support helps to develop confidence. |
| D．The future should look like the best parts of the present. |
“Go home and ask your mummy about your blind brother! I am surprised you didn’t know that he is as blind as a bat!” Hearing Nathan’s, I wanted to land a blow on him for making fun of my two-year-old brother, David, but I was more desperate to find out the truth.
With a misty vision, I ran home as fast I could. Still out of breath, I questioned, “Is David blind?” Mother turned to me with tears in her eyes. “Yes, he’s born blind.” It was a heartbreaking moment. Before I could continue any farther, mother hugged me and cried, “I’m sorry, Caleb. Dad and I just didn’t know how to tell you.”
Suddenly, it struck me that David was blind but he could still hear the while conversation. Not wanting him to be affected by it, I stopped crying and went forward and embraced him. “I love you so much, David.” Worry crept upon me: How hard life would be for him!
Little did I know that David was to inspire me so greatly.
As David grew up, he was fairly strong-willed. Despite the challenges that he faced, he continued to attend the school for visually impaired (损害) children. He insisted he would take the bus home on his own. Often, he would walk through the main door looking sheepish (怯弱的) and saying the same phrase, “Sorry Mum, I am late. I boarded the wrong bus again.”
Tough as life was, there was always silver lining of misfortune. Despite not being able to see, he could play a piece of music after listening to it being played once on the piano. He even dreamed of playing solo (独奏) one day on stage. Luckily for him, the school had discovered David’s extraordinary talent.
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。
One day, David burst through the main door excitedly.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Tapping the ground with his walking stick, David entered the stage.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . Five years ago, I was in charge of an interview group for my company. We were
Many applied for the position. I
Fast forward five years, he called and told me he got a formal
I
| A．satisfied | B．tasked | C．provided | D．replaced |
| A．whispered | B．interviewed | C．gathered | D．helped |
| A．prevent | B．excuse | C．shelter | D．save |
| A．After all | B．In total | C．By comparison | D．As a result |
| A．notes | B．steps | C．risks | D．measures |
| A．stress | B．advice | C．lessons | D．papers |
| A．suffered | B．worsened | C．recovered | D．adapted |
| A．so | B．and | C．or | D．but |
| A．closely | B．easily | C．doubtfully | D．eventually |
| A．experiments | B．positions | C．challenges | D．impacts |
| A．arrangement | B．request | C．offer | D．apology |
| A．regular | B．serious | C．responsible | D．unique |
| A．comforted | B．supported | C．congratulated | D．recognized |
| A．without | B．under | C．beyond | D．through |
| A．attract | B．admire | C．improve | D．encourage |
4 . Mary Dickins had been a member of the audience at poetry nights before and knew “the poetry clap”. She made a polite tapping of fingers. But when she made her debut (首次演出) as a performer at the age of 62 at the legendary Bang Said the Gun night in south London, she said, “It was so wild — like nothing I had ever seen before.” The audience stamped their feet and shook shakers. “It felt transformative. I thought, ‘I’ve got to have more of this,’ ” Dickins said. Becoming a performance poet has given her a place on a stage of her own making.
All her life she has written is mostly without being seen or heard. Her mother died when she was nine, and, after she went into a care home at 13, Dickins’ writing stayed in notebooks. Really, she says, a lot of her adult life has been about getting over childhood shyness. At university — she studied education — she met her husband of 40 years, but in three years of seminars she did not say a word. Some of these results from her years at the children’s home. She says, “It gave me a sense of what it’s like to be excluded. I never fitted in anywhere.”
After she graduated, she discovered that she loved working with people with learning disabilities. She became an expert in inclusive education. “That was my niche (称心的职业),” she says. She published books and returned to the University of North London as a senior lecturer in early childhood studies.
Dickins now sees that in adulthood she has been giving herself permission to be silly. “The sillier I allow myself to be, the better the writing is,” she says. Her observations are humorous.
“Putting things into words and giving shape to your emotions is an important part of coming to terms with the things that happen in life,” she says.
Does she still feel like an outsider?
“I think I’ve made it into a virtue. I celebrate the fact that I don’t fit into a box. Finally! You have to wait till you’re 62 to feel confident!” she says. “But I have a sense of who I am and I’m proud of it. I wouldn’t be anyone else now — and it took me a long time to say that.”
1. How did Dickins feel about her debut?| A．Nervous. | B．Anxious. | C．Encouraged. | D．Relieved. |
| A．Her early stay at the care home. |
| B．Her inexperienced writing skills. |
| C．Her struggle with her university studies. |
| D．Her poor relationship with her husband. |
| A．It helps her land a good job. |
| B．It develops her sense of humor. |
| C．It makes her overcome her learning disabilities. |
| D．It enables her to get on well with her life. |
| A．Mary Dickins’ First Performance |
| B．Mary Dickins’ New Start after 60 |
| C．Mary Dickins’ Troubled Writing Career |
| D．Mary Dickins’ Influence on Performance Poets |
5 . Wang Zhechun majored in Indonesian at college because of her love for Bali. Her sister told her that being able to speak the language would make traveling to the popular tourist destination easier. “I imagined having a relaxing vacation in Bali, and quickly decided to study Indonesian at college,” Wang, 28, said.
After graduating in 2020, she received an offer and joined the China Railway Beijing Group and was employed as a translator and interpreter for the railway. However, she faced a significant challenge, as she had little knowledge of railways, let alone the technical terms associated with them.
Wang immersed herself in textbooks, learning about equipment, including rail tracks, and signals. In January 2021, she joined a group tasked with preparing for the railway to open. Her work had a tight schedule, high standards, and involved numerous railway terminologies. “At that time, I began to understand the importance of acquiring railway knowledge. As a railway interpreter, technical expertise is essential,” Wang said.
In October 2021, Wang traveled to Indonesia to start work, and in addition to her desk duties, she served as an interpreter at conferences. Recalling her first international conference as an interpreter, she said her hands shook, and she struggled to hear herself speak. Afterward, she could barely recall what had taken place.
Determined to overcome such challenges, she devoted herself to becoming familiar with the material in advance. For meetings the following day, she stayed up late the previous night to learn words not commonly used in business discussions.
Now, Wang not only translates railway policies and other material, but also excels as an on-site interpreter at conferences. “As a translator and interpreter, I have witnessed many important moments for the railway,” she said. “I also feel extremely proud and happy when I see many passengers on the high-speed train applauding and cheering its smooth operation when it reaches a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.”
Although she still hasn’t had the chance to visit Bali, she hopes that day will come soon.
1. What inspired Wang Zhechun to learn Indonesian?| A．Her dream of becoming a translator | B．Her passion for foreign language |
| C．Her desire to go to Bali | D．Her travel experience to Bali |
| A．Wang Zhechun started working in Indonesia right after graduation |
| B．She participated in the task to prepare for a railway to open in 2020. |
| C．Her work is demanding and challenging. |
| D．She performed well when participating in the first conference as an interpreter. |
| A．diligent and brave. | B．ambitious and considerate. |
| C．adventurous and modest. | D．friendly and dedicated. |
| A．Time is money. | B．Nothing is difficult to a willing heart. |
| C．It’s never too late to learn. | D．Dreams are lies. |
6 . There was a boy named Drake. He was just 12 years old. His parents had no money to educate him. They had no choice other than to tell their children to leave school and start helping them with their shop’s work.
Drakeassimilatedthis and started waking up before sunrise and going to their shop and cleaning it. He was really a hardworking guy. He always wanted something big to happen in his life, but he knew that a change does not happen in a day. So he started caching himself and completed all senior high school courses at the age of 18. When he turned 20, he got a job offer from an electrical company.
He started working in that company, and every day after coming from his job, he would learn more and more about bulbs (灯泡) because he saw a lot of bulb production there. After some years he made a new improved bulb of his own. He was really excited to show it to his boss, but when the boss saw it, he wasn’t interested in it and said it was of little use. But still, he believed in himself and didn’t give up.
After a few months, he thought of setting up his own factory where he and his wife would put the improved bulb into production. When they made the bulbs, they started selling them. No one was interested in those bulbs, but still, he kept believing in himself.
One day when the sun was rising, he got an order of l,000 pieces of the bulbs. This totally changed his life. After that, he started getting more and more orders.
1. Why did Drake’s parents ask him to work in their shop when he was 12?| A．They wanted him to catch himself. |
| B．They expected him to be successful. |
| C．They wished him to be hardworking. |
| D．They were unable to pay for his schooling. |
| A．Remembered. | B．Understood. | C．Expressed. | D．Hated. |
| A．Surprising. | B．Attractive. | C．Popular. | D．Valueless. |
| A．All things are difficult before they are easy. |
| B．Confidence is the first secret of success. |
| C．Learn to say before you sing. |
| D．Practice makes perfect. |
Every girl dreams and Bonnie is no exception. When Bonnie was young, she had read dozens of books on how to be a ballerina(芭蕾舞者), Swan Lake(天鹅湖)was her favorite and she had always wanted to become the white swan in it. Later, she started taking ballet(芭蕾)lessons and all her teachers confirmed she was a good student. In the hope of becoming a great ballerina, she trained hard on a daily basis.
One day, she saw an advertisement that a famous ballerina troupe(舞团)would be performing in her hometown. And the whole town was talking about the troupe leader who was said to be the best ballet dancer in the world. Her thoughts ran wild. "I must meet the leader of the troupe and show him my skills" she said to herself.
She dressed herself in her best ballerina costume and managed to slip(溜)in the backstage without being noticed. To her luck, the leader entered the dressing room and she timidly knocked at the door "Come in" said a gentle voice. Opening the door, Bonnie saw a tall and slim man with a calm look on his face. She bravely approached him and handed him a bunch of red roses and in her excitement the thorns(刺)pricked(刺痛)her hand but she did not pay much attention to the pain.
The leader observed her action as she told him her dream. "Alright, you dance and I will give you my advice."
But half way through the dance he stopped her and said, "I'm sorry you're not good enough!" On hearing this, Bonnie 's eyes opened wide in shock. It was seconds before she could absorb what was said to her, "Not good enough?!" she asked in disbelief. "Yes, not good enough." replied the leader. Boiled in shame(羞)and rage(怒), Bonnie ran out of the dressing room as fast as her legs could carry her. The leader's words were a huge blow to her confidence. Despite being so sad, she didn't give up her dream.
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:
Six months later, she heard that the same ballet troupe was performing in her town again.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Within three years, Bonnie had become a famous ballerina as she wanted.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . When Marion Sheppard was unable to see in her 40s, she cried. Wasn’t it
Sheppard had always been an enthusiastic dancer since childhood, but now she was so scared that she
At 61, Sheppard attended a camp organized by Visions for blind people, where she taught her first dancing class. She
| A．sorrowful | B．desperate | C．enough | D．abnormal |
| A．prejudice | B．separation | C．comment | D．sympathy |
| A．different | B．sensitive | C．gentle | D．tough |
| A．willingly | B．occasionally | C．constantly | D．rarely |
| A．appear | B．relate | C．sound | D．reply |
| A．educated | B．forced | C．reminded | D．permitted |
| A．guaranteed | B．applied | C．plotted | D．prepared |
| A．turned down | B．turned off | C．showed up | D．showed off |
| A．temporary | B．voluntary | C．weekly | D．regular |
| A．assistance | B．encouragement | C．popularity | D．advantage |
| A．recovered | B．adjusted | C．improved | D．worsened |
| A．swept | B．pressed | C．drilled | D．made |
| A．took on | B．opened up | C．set up | D．put on |
| A．secret | B．wish | C．purpose | D．effort |
| A．rewards | B．barriers | C．surprises | D．blessings |
9 . Abdul Holik’s walk to school is anything but ordinary. The eight-year-old was born with a physical disability that resulted in his feet and legs severely deformed (变形). Each day, he has to make his way through steep paths and rocky surfaces with a pack tied to his back and his hands slipped into a pair of sandals (拖鞋).
His mother, Pipin, remembers when Abdul begged to send him to school. He desired to learn to read and be like everyone else. She was confused at first because she wasn’t sure which school would take him in. Finally she found a school located six kilometers away that accepted Abdul despite his limitations. Pipin thought it was impossible for her son to attend the school as there are no bus services at their small village. But the family was determined. They taught Abdul to walk on his hands. At first, Pipin would accompany Abdul to school every day but now he makes it himself. When the rainy season arrives, the road is slippery and dangerous. On days like that, his parents try to use motorcycle taxis, which depends on whether they have the money to spare. If there is no money, Abdul continues his crawl (爬行) to school by hand.
At school, Abdul’s principal Epi sees huge potential in Abdul. “We see he can follow along in the classroom just fine and he has no problems socializing with others,” said Epi. His teachers describe him as a child with enthusiasm and effort in schoolwork. Despite his limitations, Abdul is active in extracurricular activities, especially in sports.
He wants to attend university in the big city. His dream is to become a firefighter because he wants to help people in need. He has other ideals, namely becoming a doctor. For him, the goal is also to help other people, especially those who experience pain.
Abdul continues to struggle for his dreams. His love for life and learning has given him the opportunity to go far and his support system is pushing him further into his bright future.
1. What was Pipin’s initial concern about Abdul’s schooling?| A．Limited family budget. |
| B．Lack of available transportation. |
| C．A long distance from their village. |
| D．Uncertainty of school admission. |
| A．Abdul’s teachers think highly of him. |
| B．Abdul’s disability ruined his schooling. |
| C．Abdul walked to school himself in the past. |
| D．Abdul spends more time on sports than schoolwork. |
| A．Active and honest. |
| B．Humorous and optimistic. |
| C．Confident and adventurous. |
| D．Determined and enthusiastic. |
| A．Abdul’s dream of helping people in need. |
| B．Abdul’s inspiring journey in persuing education. |
| C．The challenges in Abdul’s daily life at school. |
| D．The struggles of Abdul’s family for supporting his studying. |
10 . When Mary Moore began her high school in 1951, her mother told her, “Be sure and take a typing course so when this show business thing doesn’t work out, you’ll have something to rely on.” Mary responded in typical teenage fashion. From that moment on, “the very last thing I ever thought about doing was taking a typing course,” she recalls.
The show business thing worked out, of course. In her career, Mary won many awards. Only recently, when she began to write Growing Up Again, did she regret ignoring her mom, “I don’t know how to use a computer,” she admits.
Unlike her 1995 autobiography, after all, her second book is less about life as an award-winning actress and more about living with diabetes (糖尿病). All the money from the book is intended for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), an organization she serves as international chairman. “I felt there was a need for a book like this,” she says. “I didn’t want to lecture, but I wanted other diabetics to know that things get better when we’re self-controlled and do our part in managing the disease.”
But she hasn’t always practiced what she teaches. In her book, she describes that awful day, almost 40 years ago, when she received two pieces of life-changing news. First, she had lost the baby she was carrying, and second, tests showed that she had diabetes. In a childlike act, she left the hospital and treated herself to a box of doughnuts (甜甜圈). Years would pass before she realized she had to grow up-again-and take control of her diabetes, not let it control her. Only then did she kick her three-pack-a-day cigarette habit, overcome her addiction to alcohol, and begin to follow a balanced diet.
Although her disease has affected her eyesight and forced her to the sidelines of the dance floor, she refuses to fall into self-pity. “Everybody on earth can ask, ‘why me?’ about something or other,” she insists. “It doesn’t do any good. No one is immune (免疫的) to heartache, pain, and disappointments. Sometimes we can make things better by helping others. I’ve come to realize the importance of that as I’ve grown up this second time. I want to speak out and be as helpful as I can be. ”
1. Why did Mary feel regretful?| A．She didn’t complete her high school. | B．She didn’t follow her mother’s advice. |
| C．She didn’t take care of her mother. | D．She didn’t achieve her ambition. |
| A．She had two books published. | B．She knew how to use a computer. |
| C．She supported the JDRF by writing. | D．She received many career awards. |
| A．Her remembrance of her mother. | B．Her successful show business. |
| C．Her living with diabetes. | D．Her service for an organization. |
| A．She began a balanced diet. | B．She behaved in an adult way. |
| C．She med to get a treatment. | D．She lost control of herself. |
| A．Mary wants to help others as much as possible. |
| B．Mary determines to go back to the dance floor. |
| C．Mary has recovered from her disease. |
| D．Mary feels pity for herself. |
