请你按照以下提示写一篇英语短文投稿。
内容包括：
(1)表达你对学校的感激；
(2)回顾你在校的生活(如：难忘的时刻，获得的知识，个人的成长等)；
(3)展望学校的未来，表达你的美好祝愿。
注意：
(1)词数不少于100；
(2)可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；
(3)题目已给出，不计入总词数。
To My Dear School
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________James Warren, a frequent public bus rider in Denver, noticed a significant problem: many bus stops lacked seating. Particularly on a cold morning in January, Warren observed a woman waiting for a bus, with no seating available at the stop and no sidewalk, forcing her to sit in the dirt. Motivated by this sight, Warren took scrap (废料；废品) wood from construction waste bins and set out to construct a bench.
This singular act of kindness evolved into a larger mission when he realized that one bench was far from enough. In the Denver metro area alone, there are more than 9, 000 bus stops, many of which lack seating or shelter. To add a personal touch and spread a message of compassion, he carved “Be kind” into each bench, symbolizing the spirit of the project.
Warren’s initiative resonated with the community, especially among those who benefited daily from the benches. “I met some ladies the other day who talked about how they used the benches every day. It fills me up. It’s air in my tires.” Warren recalled. His enthusiasm increased as more people joined his bench-making efforts. “I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me on Twitter,” he mentioned. “Some people have wanted to come and help me.” Inspired by Warren’s work, others in the local news audience decided to contribute as well, with many donating supplies. “That puts me over the moon,” Warren expressed.
Nica Cave, a 26-year-old mobility advocate (改善交通运输系统的倡导者) from Denver, emphasized the wider impact of the initiative. “The absence of proper infrastructure, shelter, and seating at transit stops, such as bus stops and train stations, disadvantages those who rely on public transportation. People like Warren are encouraging, showing how individuals are willing to use their own time and resources to provide these much-needed services.”
Warren envisions extending his project beyond simply providing benches. He plans to create a bench-building workshop to foster community engagement and support. His ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of life in his community and inspire similar actions elsewhere, emphasizing that small acts of kindness and effort can load to significant improvements in daily experiences.
1. What are Warren’s benches at the bus stops made from? (no more than 6 words)2. How do you understand the underlined part in Paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
3. Why did Warren feel happy? (no more than 15 words)
4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about? (no more than 10 words)
5. What can you learn from the story? Please explain in your own words. (no more than 20 words)
3 . Lining up to board a plane has become a star k indicator of how our society has commodified (商品化的) the very act of waiting. The more you pay, the sooner you can get on the plane and the less likely you will have to check a bag. It’s not just airlines, it’s also museums, online purchases and amusement parks where VIP status can help you avoid lines. When did the act of waiting get such a bad reputation?
The very act of waiting can enhance our appreciation of something. We savor (欣赏) the anticipation like a child waiting for Christmas or summer vacation. Perhaps the person waiting in line to see his favorite singer perform in concert relishes the night more because of the time invested in getting into the venue.
As our world has sped up, this desirable balance between instant and delayed gratification (满足) is at ever greater odds with the current expectations of many people. This change has a negative impact on mental health both individually and collectively. When we look down upon the act of waiting, we risk losing an important part of our shared humanity. Being forced to wait is often seen as a sign of being less well off or ‘not in the game’. It encourages privileged impatience and disrespect for those who are caught waiting.
The ability to wait patiently is very important for a civitized society; it’s a key skill we all need. If we lose our patience and can’t wait in line or for our turn, we end up feeling the stress of a fast-paced world. Furthermore, if we call people who wait “losers”, we are being unfair and may act without thinking about how our actions affect others. This kind of thinking makes us see those who wait as different and less important, which is a harmful way to treat others.
Of course, we should not have to wait patiently for everything. For example, there are times when injustice deserves immediate action. Asking people to wait can be a calculated block to change. In a larger context though, it behoves (理应) all of us to understand the act of waiting not only as a necessary evil but also as an important function which allows us to participate fully alongside our fellow travelers in life.
1. What is the purpose of the author’s writing Paragraph 1?| A．To reach a conclusion. | B．To make a comparison. |
| C．To propose a suggestion. | D．To present a phenomenon. |
| A．Enhanced appreciation of experiences. | B．Increased frustration and impatience. |
| C．Immediate access to all desires. | D．Decreased value of time. |
| A．. Growing expectations for speedy service. |
| B．Appreciating the moment and anticipating. |
| C．Understanding through technological progress. |
| D．Experiencing the quickening pace of everyday life. |
| A．Waiting is an important part of our shared humanity. |
| B．Waiting means that one is at a disadvantage state. |
| C．Waiting is wrong and should be avoided. |
| D．Waiting helps us treat each other better. |
| A．Immediate action is sometimes necessary and justified. |
| B．Waiting is a waste of time without real purpose. |
| C．Patience is no longer a virtue in today’s society. |
| D．Waiting always fences the change. |
4 . Millions of older people, laborers and cancer sufferers could be unable to use their fingerprints to log in online bank accounts. Banks are spending millions of pounds on fingerprint technology to replace passwords. But banks may have to rethink these plans after warnings that the technology flawed （有缺陷）. Representatives of major banks at a London conference were told many older people’s fingerprints are too faded for the machines to recognize.
John Daugman, a professor of computer vision and pattern recognition at the University of Cambridge, says, “Fingerprints can ‘rub off’ for many kinds of laborers—their skin becomes almost smooth. Gardeners often acquire a lot of wounds on their fingers, and people who work with chemicals, such as cleaners, also suffer damage of fingerprints.”
Jean Slocombe, a senior nurse at Cancer Research UK, says, “Some drugs can cause the skin of hands and feet to peel. In severe cases, the fingers can peel, and it’s possible that this could change a patient’s fingerprints. This should improve once treatment ceases, but severe scarring（伤疤） can change fingerprints in the long term.”
Fingerprints are generally considered more secure than passwords for several reasons. Unlike passwords, fingerprints cannot be easily copied, written down, shared, or guessed. Additionally, it is impossible to forget one’s fingerprints. Currently, banks offer customers the option to use a password or PIN (personal identification number) for online access to their money. However, technology experts have predicted that companies might do away with passwords entirely to decrease the risk of fraud （诈骗）. Should this transition to fingerprint technology occur, there is a potential risk that millions of bank customers could find themselves unable to access their accounts.
Banks have tried other security measures, such as facial recognition—but fingerprint technology is often the best one, as it is fast and people are more familiar with it. Nick Dryden, a chief executive of technology company Sthaler, says, “Businesses like fingerprint technology because it’s fast.”
“There must always be a back-up so that if it doesn’t work, there is another way of paying, such as with a password.” Dryden adds that using the veins（静脉） in someone’s fingers to identify them is more secure and means people with faded prints will not be left behind as technology advances.
1. Which of the following is the critical flaw of using fingerprints to log into accounts?| A．Fingerprints can be easily stolen from photos. |
| B．Fingerprint recognition adapts to medical changes. |
| C．The application of fingerprint technology costs too much. |
| D．Elderly people’s fingerprints may be too faint for detection. |
| A．Excessive use of technology. | B．Physical labor and natural aging. |
| C．Environmental exposure process. | D．Lack of proper fingerprinting equipment. |
| A．Experts recommend replacing passwords soon. |
| B．Fingerprints can totally avoid the risk of fraud. |
| C．Switching to fingerprints might lock out many customers. |
| D．Passwords and PINs are preferred by banks due to their simplicity. |
| A．Using veins instead of fingerprints isn’t workable. |
| B．There must be other ways to get into bank accounts. |
| C．Its greatest advantage is its high speed of recognition. |
| D．Passwords are still the most reliable security measure now. |
| A．Comparing password and fingerprint security. |
| B．Enhancing and upgrading bank security measures. |
| C．Presenting fingerprint technology challenges in banking. |
| D．Advancing fingerprint and facial recognition technology. |
5 . In my senior year of high school, while living with my grandparents, I discovered a unique talent: perfect timing. This discovery of my perfect timing was so astonishing that I kept it to myself, thinking no one would believe my ability to time my arrival at school with extraordinary precision.
My mother passed away when I was 13, leaving me, the oldest of four, in the care of our grandparents. Our father was absent, so financial challenges were part of our daily life. This prompted my grandfather to work as the janitor (门卫) of our school—a large building for grades 1-12. To help out, I started assisting him after school to ease his burden, such as sweeping rooms and emptying wastebaskets, earning a small wage in the process. I continued this work until my final year of high school.
By that time, Grandpa was eight years past retirement age. When the first cold snap of that year arrived, he fired up the school’s furnace (火炉). He quickly realized how difficult it had become for him to shovel the huge pile of coal chips required to fill the hopper (漏斗) of the furnace’s stoker (司炉).
I volunteered to take on that job, a commitment that required me to set my alarm clock an hour earlier each morning. I’d fumble into coal-darkened jeans, go over to the school, and shovel a half-ton of coal into the hopper, enough to keep the fire blazing for 24 hours. The next morning, I’d fill it again.
After finishing that chore, I’d go home, clean up, change clothes, and eat breakfast. I’d pace my preparations by glancing at the clock in the dining room—it would be years before I’d have a watch. Then I’d head back to school, always at the last minute. It was during those morning rushes to school that I discovered my superpower.
What initially seemed like mere coincidence—arriving at the exact moment the first bell rang—quickly became a deliberate challenge. I meticulously (小心翼翼地) planned each morning to maintain this precise timing, revealing in the master y of my routine.
Years later, at a school reunion, I recounted this story to Harold Spiry, the school headmaster during my time. I boasted about my perfect timing, recalling with pride how I had mastered my mornings to the second. ‘Oh that,’ he said, his eyes narrowing as he thought back to that time. ‘Do you recall that my desk and office windows looked out over the front of the building? I often saw you coming. And when you hit the sidewalk, I’d ring the bell.’ Oh, my ‘perfect timing’ was actually his doing.
1. What can we infer about the author’s character from his perfect timing?| A．He lacks confidence. | B．He is naturally lucky. |
| C．He prefers to work alone. | D．He values precision and discipline. |
| A．He was passionate about cleaning. |
| B．He found it was the only job available. |
| C．He needed the job to support the family financially. |
| D．He wanted to stay close to his grandchildren at school. |
| A．He wanted to learn a new skill. |
| B．He needed extra money for personal expenses. |
| C．He wanted to relieve his grandfather’s workload. |
| D．He was interested in the mechanical operation of the furnace. |
| A．The author’s devotion to aiding his grandfather with coal shoveling. |
| B．The author’s daily routine of waking up early to attend school. |
| C．The author’s development of a new skill in coal shoveling. |
| D．The author’s realization of the importance of punctuality. |
| A．Our accomplishments are often supported by unseen kindness. |
| B．Challenges can only be overcome through personal hardships. |
| C．Personal talents bring pride and joy to an individual’s life. |
| D．Perseverance leads to the development of unique skills. |
6 . Welcome to our annual Poetry Contest! We invite poets of all ages and experiences to show their creativity and compete for the chance to be published in our magazine. Follow these guidelines to ensure your submission meets all the necessary criteria for entry. Good luck to all participants!
Submission Dates: May 1st-July 1st, 2024.
Poem Pattern
Type your poem single-spaced in at 10-point font（字体）. Double-space between stanzas（节）. Creatively title your poem using whatever font and font size you like. Print two copies of your poem. If your poem takes two pages, please do not print double-sided and do not attach together. You may submit 3 different poems at most.
How to Enter
Entering is as easy as 1-2-3! Fill out the Entry Form online to be given an Entry ID number. Fill out an online Entry Form for each poem, which you do not need to print. You may also download and print an Entry Form to mail in with your poem instead of entering online. In this case, do not write any Entry ID number on your poem. On both copies of your poem, type or write your Entry ID number on the top right corner and your Age Group number on the top left corner.
Where the Contest Profits Go
All contest profits go to our charitable arm, the Home School Foundation, which uses them to provide low-income homeschooling families with access to educational and legal resources to help them pursue homeschooling.
Entry Fee
To participate in our Poetry Contest, each entry requires a fee of $15. This fee supports the administrative costs of the contest and contributes to our charitable efforts. Foreign checks are not accepted. Mail your poem and entry fee, payable to Poetry Foundation. Remember to include an entry fee for each poem—they may be combined onto one check.
Judging and Other Information
Poems will be judged by a group of judges chosen by Poetry Foundation. Poems will be judged on originality of thought, writing style, artistic use of poetic techniques, and the theme and form requirements. Poetry judging is relatively subjective, but it is our goal through a wide group of judges to select winning poems that show excellence in all these areas. The decision of the judges is final.
All contest participants will be told the results by email one month after the deadline for submissions before they are published on the website. The prize-winning poetry will be published in the magazine.
1. What must you do to participate in the annual Poetry Contest?| A．Keep your poems shorter than two pages. | B．Present your poems before May 1st 2024. |
| C．Use whatever font size to type your poems. | D．Submit no more than three different poems. |
| A．By submitting the Entry Form and poem online only. |
| B．By making a registration call to the contest organizers. |
| C．By mailing the poem via email without an Entry Form. |
| D．By entering online or mailing the Entry Form with the poem. |
| A．Combining onto one check and submitting online. | B．Paying in cash upon personal submission. |
| C．Sending the entry fee via foreign checks. | D．Mailing a check to Poetry Foundation. |
| A．Judges evaluate on multiple criteria. | B．Winning poems published online. |
| C．Participants also judge poems. | D．High rewards for winners. |
| A．In July 2024. | B．In August 2024. | C．In May 2024. | D．In June 2024. |
7 . After months of unsuccessfully trying to secure a summer job at a newspaper to show my independence, I found myself struggling to prove my capabilities. Despite my persistence, all my attempts were
On my first day, I arrived at the construction site on Monday. The foreman gave me a reflective vest (反光衣) to wear and a Stop / Slow bat to hold. My role was to
After sticking it out all summer, I actively
| A．in place | B．in vain | C．in time | D．in doubt |
| A．directing | B．serving | C．repairing | D．expecting |
| A．Because of | B．Regardless of | C．Instead of | D．Apart from |
| A．training | B．raising | C．applying | D．employing |
| A．on the whole | B．on the spot | C．on the way | D．on the move |
| A．manage | B．examine | C．rescue | D．invest |
| A．based | B．positioned | C．focused | D．guaranteed |
| A．prediction | B．calculation | C．investigation | D．observation |
| A．signalled | B．ignored | C．questioned | D．annoyed |
| A．useful | B．complicated | C．simple | D．inclusive |
| A．standing | B．leaping | C．jogging | D．bending |
| A．chill | B．flame | C．sunburn | D．mixture |
| A．save | B．recommend | C．accept | D．quit |
| A．rejected | B．sought | C．dismissed | D．avoided |
| A．permitting | B．highlighting | C．polishing | D．reminding |
| A．interview | B．task | C．promotion | D．award |
| A．anxious | B．sensitive | C．curious | D．doubtful |
| A．go in for | B．drop in on | C．step out of | D．put up with |
| A．denying | B．inspiring | C．producing | D．confirming |
| A．relieved | B．delayed | C．interrupted | D．marked |
| A．hiding | B．to hide | C．hidden | D．being hidden |
| A．has made | B．has been made | C．have been made | D．have made |
| A．in response to | B．in memory of | C．in touch with | D．in possession of |
