A Sepcial Christmas Gift
December 1st. Always on that day, Mom would softly announce, “It’s time.” When we heard those words, we all knew was time to write our letters to Santa. So, we began our special letters. Jimmy asked for a baseball. Wilbur like anything to do with art. This was my letter to Santa.
My Mom and Dad say I have been very good this year. I only want two toys this year. But what I want most is a dog. I have been asking for one all year. Mom and Dad say we can’t afford to feed an animal right now. It makes me sad, but it’s alright. Maybe next year Mom will say it’s OK. That’s all, Santa. Say hi to Mrs. Claus. And Merry Christmas.
Love, Sheila
The next morning we would walk three blocks to the large red, white and blue mailbox on the corner of Stimson and Forth. It was a special mailbox, only for letters children wrote to Santa.
Christmas Eve finally arrived. I was so excited that I found it difficult to fall asleep. But sleep finally came and so did Christmas morning. I woke up hearing my brothers down the hall shouting at my Mom and Dad. “Wake up! Wake up! Santa came! Come on! Come on!” Jimmy came running and jumping on my bed. “Santa’s been here! Come on! Let’s open presents!”
We all ran downstairs. Our eyes were shining like wildfire as we eyed over plenty of presents under the tree. Then Dad handed out the gifs one at a time. I kept watching as my brothers unwrapped gift after gift. Dad said, “This year you are going to be last to get your presents, because you are the oldest.” I didn’t think anything of it but nodded.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下各式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One by one all of the packages had been opened, none left.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dad gently signaled to me to follow him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Last summer, I was suffering from too much stress, I’d just graduated from a challenging doctoral program and was
A dragonfly buzzed around me. With each
I watched that dragonfly carefully for many minutes. So did the dragonfly. “It’s not a matter of relaxing,” it seemed to say. “It’s a matter of
| A．distracted | B．withdrawn | C．exhausted | D．separated |
| A．tradition | B．strength | C．burden | D．habit |
| A．Generally | B．Eventually | C．Particularly | D．Exactly |
| A．settle down | B．break down | C．slow down | D．get down |
| A．concentrate | B．unwind | C．continue | D．pause |
| A．movement | B．change | C．advance | D．performance |
| A．convinced | B．informed | C．reminded | D．warned |
| A．way | B．mood | C．state | D．position |
| A．progress | B．admiration | C．consideration | D．stillness |
| A．remembering | B．understanding | C．appreciating | D．recognizing |
| A．life | B．history | C．moment | D．future |
| A．guessed | B．realized | C．agreed | D．admitted |
| A．value | B．content | C．reality | D．principle |
| A．concerned | B．doubtful | C．satisfied | D．regretful |
| A．enjoy | B．collect | C．suit | D．conduct |
6 . Growing up in Havana, Cuba, Mario Garcia was a well-known child actor. He was about 10 years old the first time he ever stepped on the set. It began with a chance encounter. Mario had been sitting on a bench outside a studio in Havana, waiting while his father and his band were performing.
Suddenly, someone approached him and said, “ We are trying to test for this commercial. ” So he got up and had an audition (试境). Even with no acting experience, it quickly felt like a natural career path. From the commercial, he went on to be on TV series and a movie and all that.
But a revolution came and in its wake, his career was broken off. Mario was 15 when he had to fly to America as a refugee (难民). He landed in Miami, where he went to live with his aunt and uncle while his parents stayed in Cuba. They joined him in Miami about a year later.
Mario clearly recalled the day he left: Feb. 28, 1962. He was in high school that first year in Florida. It was a challenge living in a foreign country with no language, no parents and going to school. He had to go from being an actor to being a waiter. He always went to an alley behind the restaurant and sat on a wooden box and dried the tears with his apron. But Mario’s optimism never failed him. He went on to earn his Ph. D. in Spanish language and literature from the University of Miami.
He currently teaches journalism at Columbia University. Still, he said, “ I’ m not giving up on getting a good part in a movie. ” Mario’s latest acting job was as an extra in the new musical drama film In the Heights. He continues to audition for new roles.
1. What do we know about Mario’s early acting career?| A．It had something to do with good luck. | B．It arose from his passion for acting. |
| C．It didn’t arouse his interest in art at all. | D．It was driven by his urge to achieve fame. |
| A．He involved himself in a revolution. | B．He failed to join his family in Miami. |
| C．He gave up his acting career completely. | D．He had to start a new life in America. |
| A．It was full of stories but interesting. | B．It was painful but ended in success. |
| C．It was hard and challenging for Mario. | D．It was a blow to Mario and his family. |
| A．Ups and downs make one strong. | B．An optimistic man can stick it out. |
| C．Fame is a great thirst of the young. | D．Experience helps to promote excellence. |
Having struggled with financial difficulties for six months and failing to find a way out, I had to close my technology writing business. Fortunately, I found a new job as a salesperson and soon got a client. At the time, I wondered if it was too good to be true.
By the second month, something didn’t seem right, and I developed a bad feeling about the client and the work. When the third month’s check didn’t arrive on time, I sent the client an e-mail to find out what was going on. But there was no reply. Then I sent another e-mail, and another. The check never arrived, and I never heard from the client again. With no hope in sight, I hit rock bottom. Panic replaced cautious optimism along with my last self-confidence.
I hid myself from friends and locked myself in my room. One night, the phone rang. The call was from Eric, a friend of mine from high school. When he was in high school, he told me many times about his parents’ divorce and his loss of confidence in the college entrance examination. During the difficult time, I gave him much comfort and encouragement. Later, he went to college and was always grateful for what I had done.
After the greetings, I told my problems and challenges, hoping my friend would say something comforting. What I didn’t expect was a string of sharp words. “What is wrong with you? You can do anything you want to do,” he said. “You are a writer, so start writing. Write for magazine.” “Write for magazine? Are you out of your mind? I don’t know the first thing about writing for magazine, let alone write things that anyone would want to read. And I have to know where I can send an application form-to what magazine and to what editor,” I shouted at him.
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。
Surprisingly, I felt a little better after the shouting.
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On finishing the application form I sent it to the editor.
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1、粽子的种类与制作；
2、与亲人们制作粽子过程的美好时刻。
注意：词数100字左右
参考词汇：芦苇叶 reed leaf；粽子 make rice dumplings
Rice Dumplings: a taste that is out of this world!
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Charles Darwin was born on February 12,1809. He was the British naturalist
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural
Darwin’s work had a great influence
10 . I have always loved food. At home, I do the things that every foodie does. I regularly attend food festivals, I cook five-course meals for my friends, and I watch Top Chef and dream of another life in which I might have become a chef.
However, it was not until five years ago, when my husband and I traveled to South Africa, that I combined my love for traveling with food. South African cuisine is a mixture of many different subcultures. If we have only been there to see the elephants,we would not have learned as much as we did about the vast and dynamic culture of the country if we had not taken into account its food. Sure, we could have opened a textbook and read of the history that brought all of these cultures together, but we would not have experienced it firsthand and taken home all of the priceless memories we did. Until then, I had no idea about the limitless benefits that one could gain from traveling for food.
You are wondering how food can be powerful. right? It is simple. Eating used all five sense. Not only do we taste our food, we also touch it, smell it, see it with our eyes, and listen to it sizzling (咝咝作响) in the pan. We are in a heightened state of being whenever we interact with food. Personally. the taste of Malbec transports me to a tasting room (品酒室) in Argentina. The smell of lime (酸橙) instantly brings to mind the Thai cooking class I took in Chiang Mai.
You see, food has the ability to shape your journeys and define your memories. Food is also an essential par of life and community, It is what makes us who we are as a people I read a lot of travel articles about how to save money on food while traveling and how to avoid street food so as not to get sick. I seriously question whether you can experience the authentic side of a culture without trying some of its local food. After all, what is Thailand without a plate of Pad Thai, Canada without poutine (肉汁乳酪薯条), and Mexico without tacos (玉米薄饼卷)? I am exaggerating a little.but you get the point.
The world is full of incredible foods beckoning to be eaten and they are all just a plane ride or road trip away. Even if you are not a foodie, well, you still have to eat. So why not eat a little, learn a little, and take home the leftovers?
1. What does the underlined word “dynamic” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Popular. | B．Traditional |
| C．Energetic. | D．Political |
| A．Demanding. | B．Multi-sensory |
| C．Powerful | D．Well-received. |
| A．Tasting allow visitors a better understanding of its culture. |
| B．It's wise of you to stay away from street food while traveling. |
| C．Food should be last thing to consider in order to save money. |
| D．Without characteristic foods, countries mus lose appeal to visitors. |
| A．To encourage people to enjoy food. |
| B．To stress the culture behind local foods. |
| C．To advocate traveling involving local foods. |
| D．To explain the benefits we gain from foods. |
