At first, Michael didn’t see the black smoke or flames shooting from the windows of his neighbors’ home. He and his wife had just parked around the corner from their own house when they got a call from one of his daughters: “The house next door is on fire!” He went to check. That’s when he saw two women and a girl helpless and heartbroken on their doorway.
“The baby’s in there!” one of the women cried. Though the fire department had been called, Michael, then 64, immediately ran inside. “The baby” was 8-year-old Tiara, the woman’s granddaughter and a playmate of Michael’s three youngest kids.
The thick smoke caused Michael to stumble blindly around, burned his eyes, and made it impossible to breathe.
After a few minutes in the smoke-filled house, he retreated outside to catch his breath. “Where is Tiara?” he asked desperately.
“The second floor,” her aunt shouted back.
Michael knew he couldn’t hold his breath for long. However, taking a deep breath, he went in a second time. The darkness was overwhelming. Yet because the house had a similar design to his, he made it to the second floor. He turned to the right and was met by intense heat. He was already out of breath.
“Baby girl, where are you?”
His throat and lungs burned as if he’d inhaled fire instead of the smoke in the air. Every blink stung his eyes. All he could hear was the crackling and popping of burning wood. Then a soft but distinct moan emerged. Still unable to see, Michael fell to his knees on the hot wood floor. He crawled toward the sound, feeling around for any sign of the girl. An unlucky thought crossed his mind: I’m probably gonna die up here.
注意：1．续写词数应为80左右；
2．每段开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Finally, Michael touched something.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Tiara was safe now; however, Michael fainted down to the ground, unconscious.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . There is always a lot of talk about what is fair, and what is not.
We definitely have no choice about how we come into this world. We have little choice early in life. But as we grow older, choices exist around. I have long believed that while we have no control over the beginning of our life, the majority of us have the ability to influence the outcomes we attain. Fairness is a state of mind, and most often, an unhealthy state of mind. Our state in life cannot, or at least should not, be blamed on our parents, our teachers, or our society.
I agree that challenges exist. I agree that many have an uphill battle due to the challenges they face.
| A．Most people tend to insist that life should be fair. |
| B．There is no absolute fairness in life, but it’s relatively fair. |
| C．Life is full of examples of people who complain about life being unfair. |
| D．In fact, it’s largely based on the choices we make, and the attitudes we adopt. |
| E．But I disagree with the attempt to use fairness to solve all problems in the world. |
| F．Stories like this are all around us-they are not miracles, nor are they the rare exception. |
| G．It doesn’t matter whether we are born with a silver spoon, plastic spoon, or no spoon at all. |
| A．One of the drivers drove after drinking. |
| B．The traffic signal stopped working. |
| C．The drivers didn’t keep to the speed limit. |
| A．Clothes. | B．A plant. | C．A season. |
Peter woke up early in the morning. He went downstairs in a hurry and started to have his breakfast as quickly as possible.
“Why are you in such a hurry, early bird?” Mum asked him. “We will have an English spelling test today, Mum,” Peter said. “Mr. White promised prizes for those who get score 100. I’ve been studying the word list since last week. Although the words are difficult, I am well-prepared for the test.”
Peter carefully checked the spelling of each word when Dad drove him to school. At last, it was time for the test. “Responsibility,” Mr. White started. Peter wrote the word on his test paper quickly and confidently.
“The second word: contribution,” Mr. White said.
“So easy,” Peter thought. He quickly wrote the word down.
Thirty words later, the test papers were collected by Mr. White. “I am going to mark your papers now,” he told the class. After marking the test papers, Mr. White said, “Three of you won a prize today for excellent test scores. Peter, David and Mary got 100 percent in the spelling test,”
Mr. White praised them. He gave each of the three students a dictionary. Peter’s was an English-Chinese dictionary — the one he liked most. Peter was so excited that he held it high as his classmates cheered. “This is making me so happy,” Peter thought.
After Mr. White had given the test paper back, Peter had a look at the words, feeling proud of his spelling. All of a sudden, the word “contribution” confused him. It didn’t seem right. Peter compared it to the word list. “C-o-n-t-r-i-b-u-s-i-o-n,” he whispered. He had spelt it wrong.
“What should I do?” Peter said to himself. “I want my classmates to think I’m a master of spelling. If I tell Mr. White I got one wrong, I’ll have to give my prize back or I will tell a lie.”
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请安如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Staring at the “100%” mark written on his test paper, Peter was lost in thought.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Slowly, Peter raised his hand.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7 . When you look at yourself in the mirror, do you focus on something you wish were different, and hear a critical inside voice?
1. Start with Mindful Awareness
Being aware of how you are treating yourself is really the first step.
Then, instead of criticizing yourself, be curious about what you did and the reasons behind it. Remind yourself that you are doing the best with what you have. And pay your attention to the positive side of the situation.
2.
We all are worthy of love and we need to show loving kindness to ourselves. That might seem awkward at first, but with a little practice, the process will become easier. Soon the positive feeling you receive from self-kindness will provide you with a sense of happiness.
One of the best practices to build up your self-kindness is called “Note to a Dear Friend”. When you are facing a challenge or difficulty, write a note to a friend as if they were facing the same problem.
3. Recognize That You Aren’t Alone
Not one of us lives a perfect life. Everyone faces challenges and makes mistakes.
| A．Practice Kindness |
| B．Show Others Kindness |
| C．It is important to face them |
| D．Simply name your feeling and inside voice |
| E．Write down what you think would help your friend |
| F．When we recognize that, valuable things will happen |
| G．If so, you may have the tendency to criticize yourself |
Major Snow (大雪), the 21st solar term of a year, usually
There’s a Chinese saying that goes, “A fall of seasonal snow gives promise of
Major Snow is not only a solar term
Though we have lots of fun
9 . The 2023 China-Germany Automobile Conference was held in Jilin, Henan, and Zhejiang recently. At the conference, people discussed plans for new energy vehicles (NEVs) and collaboration (合作) between Germany and China.
China has established a competitive edge in NEVs. In 2022, China’s market share of NEVs accounted for more than 65 percent of the global total, maintaining its position as the world’s leading NEV market for eight years, China Daily reported.
Reflecting on the journey of leading Chinese electric car manufacturer (制造商) BYD, Chairman Wang Chuanfu recalled about 2003 when BYD entered into the NEV industry amid doubts and mockery, as few people back then believed in the future of NEVs. Surprisingly, within a few years, China’s NEV exports increased greatly. In 2022, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported an impressive total export volume of 679,000 NEVs.
In the European market, Chinese brands, such as BYD and Hongqi, have entered the top 50 best-selling motor companies across Europe, The Times reported. Shu Youxing, general manager of BYD International Cooperation Division and the European Automobile Sales Division, said that the company’s pure electric buses have now hit the roads of more than 100 major European cities such as Amsterdam, London, and Copenhagen, helping Europeans cut carbon emissions by over 200,000 tons.
NEVs made in China are also popular in Mexico. One local, Israel Aguilar, is deeply impressed. After nearly a year of trying out a Chinese NEV, Aguilar said he may never go back to driving his traditional petrol car, stating that the NEV offers better comfort.
“Technology is truly very important in these times, especially for a vehicle. And it has been truly extraordinary for me to handle these technologies that come from China,” Aguilar told Xinhua.
The thriving global expansion of Chinese NEVs is primarily thanks to the efforts of companies to improve their capability for innovation. One major example of this is China’s drive to become the global leader in making EV batteries, fueled by an advantage in the supply chain and raw materials such as lithium (锂) and cobalt (钴).
1. What can we learn about BYD?| A．BYD always maintains the world’s leading position. |
| B．BYD lost hope due to doubts and mockery. |
| C．BYD suffered hardship in its development. |
| D．BYD exports 679,000 NEVs each year. |
| A．Only BYD and Hongqi have entered the European market. |
| B．Chinese NEVs can help protect the environment. |
| C．Pure electric buses have caused many road accidents. |
| D．Importing Chinese NEVs is a main task for The Times. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Satisfied. | C．Unclear. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The ability of creation. | B．Cooperation with partners. |
| C．The big overseas markets. | D．Making EV batteries. |
10 . Fancy spending your summer break improving your skills and preparing for your first jobs? We have gathered the best summer programs in Singapore in recent years. Now you will be able to narrow down your choices and make a decision.
Standout Global Summer Program
At Standout Summer School, one of your missions will be to work as an intern with leaders in the business world who have plenty of years of experience in the field. Through this program, you can boost your knowledge by interacting with experts in fields like digital marketing, entrepreneurship, investment, etc. Wherever you come from, the school will welcome you in their all-inclusive program.
NTU Summer School Program
Nanyang Technological University will take you on a unique experience in their summer camp. In NTU’s summer school, you will be able to enjoy your favorite business track out of five different options. Each track will lead you to an internship at a top-ranked company lasting from 3 weeks to two months.
NUS Summer School
The National University of Singapore offers one of the leading summer camps in Singapore. The program is designed for students who are from its partner universities located all around the world. With passion as one of the university’s core values, the NUS Summer School guarantees continuous development for its students.
SMU Global Summer Program
With its third Global Summer Program starting in July, Singapore Management University offers international students an unforgettable opportunity: 4 weeks of learning in Singapore, with a week spent overseas in another Asian city to merge in an unmatched experience.
Get in touch with us to get all your questions about global summer programs answered!
1. What can you do at Standout Summer School?| A．Enjoy your favorite business track. |
| B．Visit partner universities. |
| C．Learn for continuous development. |
| D．Work with experienced leaders as an intern. |
| A．1 month. | B．3 months. | C．10 weeks. | D．2 weeks. |
| A．Standout Global Summer Program. |
| B．NTU Summer School Program. |
| C．NUS Summer School. |
| D．SMU Global Summer Program. |
