I sat in the breakfast corner with my four-year-old son, Matthew, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. I was still recovering from a surgery. I hoped for strength and happiness. But the future seemed so hopeless.
Matthew jumped up from his spot on the kitchen floor. “Bird!” he shouted, rushing to the sliding door. Sure enough, there was a white dove seated on a rubber tree. It sat there a few moments, and then flew away. I’d never seen one in our neighborhood before.
When I dragged myself to the kitchen the next morning, the dove was back. This time it was with a mate carrying twigs (嫩枝), “Look, Matthew,” I said, pointing to the tree. “They’re going to make a nest.” The doves flew in and out of the courtyard all week, building on the top of the rubber tree. Matthew could hardly contain his excitement. Every morning, he’d run into the kitchen and take his spot by the sliding glass door, talking to the birds while they worked. As much as I was grieving (感到悲伤), I couldn’t help but look forward to the doves’ visits too. We watched their progress as if it were a real-life soap opera unfolding before us. Gradually, my pain disappeared, replaced by joy.
Then it all went wrong. The courtyard was a safe enough spot for a nest, but the rubber tree’s broad, thin leaves were far from stable. One night, a strong wind blew through, throwing the doves’ nest to the ground. I heard the twigs break apart. Nothing good ever lasts. I wouldn’t blame the doves if they never came back. But they returned. And they paid no attention to the pi le of sticks that had once been their nest. They started again from scratch, though the wind destroyed all their hard work. The next day, and the next, they renewed their efforts, as if nothing had happened.
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。
Paragraph 1: I knew I had to do something for the poor creatures.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:“The birds were back!” Matthew announced.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Hey! You have a hairless spot on the back of your head! " Mom’s alarmed cry hit me like a shock.
I tried to shrug it off. “It’ll grow back.” I worked to sound
At first, the loss was minimal.
As days went by, my hair started to fall faster and more.
We went to see a doctor, who diagnosed my condition as alopecia (脱发症) . He recommended an injection to try, which would be
I had to wear a wig to school every day, worried it might slip one day and that everything would
I came to realize that what had happened was not my fault, and not something I should feel
| A．mid | B．calm | C．upset | D．relieved |
| A．Checking | B．Polishing | C．Clearing | D．Covering |
| A．sense | B．chance | C．sign | D．way |
| A．wonder | B．panic | C．expand | D．relieve |
| A．Reaching | B．Shifting | C．Feeling | D．Running |
| A．delay | B．avoid | C．cease | D．keep |
| A．attached | B．connected | C．guided | D．applied |
| A．After all | B．Worse still | C．In brief | D．By contrast |
| A．motion | B．procedure | C．routine | D．mission |
| A．break out | B．draw to a close | C．fade away | D．come to light |
| A．reveal | B．restrict | C．distribute | D．highlight |
| A．Instead | B．Furthermore | C．Anyway | D．Thus |
| A．blow | B．credit | C．exception | D．miracle |
| A．proud | B．ashamed | C．fond | D．guilty |
| A．evaluation | B．introduction | C．acceptance | D．dependence |
3 . Those of us who shop online may scan customer reviews to get a better sense of products we can't judge for ourselves at a physical store. We may check out online testimonials before booking a haircut or visiting a new restaurant. But what happens if some of those reviews can't be trusted?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it was proposing new measures to crack down on fake reviews and other practices used to mislead consumers. The commission published a proposed rule that would prohibit companies from writing or selling fake reviews, buying positive reviews, suppressing negative reviews and more.
“Our proposed rule on fake reviews shows that we're using all available means to attack deceptive advertising in the digital age,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.
Research shows people overwhelmingly consult online reviews, but humans are also bad at telling which consumer reviews hold water and which are nonsense.
That's potentially worrisome given that nearly one in every three reviews is fake, according to one estimate.
In arguing for the proposal, the FTC cited enforcement actions it had taken against companies that manipulated reviews of their products.In 2022, for example, the commission forced the online retailer Fashion Nova to pay $4.2 million to settle allegations (指控) that it blocked negative reviews from being posted on its website — the first FTC action involving a company's effort to hide negative reviews. For its part, Fashion Nova said in a statement to The New York Times that the FTC's allegations were “inaccurate” and that it only settled the charges to avoid “the distraction and legal fees”.
Comments on the proposed rule have to be received within 60 days of its publication in the Federal Register, after which the FTC will decide whether to issue a revised final version.
1. What is the main purpose of the FTC's proposed rule?| A．To improve the quality of products and services. |
| B．To protect the interests of physical stores. |
| C．To ban negative reviews from online platforms. |
| D．To ensure true reviews are presented to customers. |
| A．Be credible. | B．Be prejudiced. | C．Be official. | D．Be misleading. |
| A．To delete negative reviews of its products. |
| B．To post customer reviews on its website. |
| C．To resolve allegations of deceptive advertising. |
| D．To prevent it from facing further criticism and legal fees. |
| A．It is well-received. | B．It is still under review. |
| C．It has proven to be effective. | D．It has encountered opposition. |
Jenny was the only child in her family. She had a quarrel (吵架) with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily. She couldn’t help weeping sorrowfully when she thought of the scolding from her mother. Having wandered aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat. She stood beside a stand (货摊) for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she gave a sigh and had to leave.
The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?”
“Oh, yes, but I don’t have money on me.” she replied.
“That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man, “Come in.”
The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently.
“What is it?” asked the man kindly.
“Nothing. Actually, I was just touched by your kindness!” said Jenny as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so merciless compared to a stranger!”
Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. Can you remember the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your gratitude to her?”
Jenny sat there, speechless and numb with shock: she remembered her mother’s familiar face and weathered hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful. Why haven’t I thanked my mum for what she has done for me?”
On the way home. Jenny made up her mind to make an apology to her mother for her rudeness as soon as she arrived home.
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。
Nearing the doorway, Jenny took a deep breath.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At that time, her mother came back and touched her hair gently, which called her mind back.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What did the man use last weekend?
| A．A shared bike. | B．A shared charger. | C．A shared umbrella. |
| A．The proper ways to use the sharing product. |
| B．Her attitude towards the sharing economy. |
| C．The advantages of the sharing economy. |
Last summer vacation, I traveled to Sanya in Hainan, China. When my dad told me one of the items on the journey would be one of the highest water slides (水上滑梯) in Asia, I asked my dad repeatedly whether I could stay at home. But my dad said that I would love it and we should go together.
Three days later, I was standing in front of that water slide in Atlantics Waterpark. The slide was located in a building. When I looked up at the tens of thousands of stairs leading to the peak of the building, I thought to myself, “If I fall from that place, I will definitely die.”
As we started climbing the stairs, I saw three words on the wall: Leap of Faith. I had never heard of these words, and at that time they reminded me of Road to Death. Five meters, ten meters ... I looked down and thought, “I am going to die today.” Fifteen meters, twenty meters ... I thought about the many things I hadn’t done and asked my dad whether I had life insurance. Twenty-five meters, thirty meters ... and we were finally at the top, ready to jump into the slide. I looked at the three people next to me and thought, “These are the last three people I will see in my life.”
Suddenly, the teenage boy ahead of me stopped in front of the slide and turned around, “Look down there. If we fall into the shark tank, we will be eaten by those hungry sharks.” We all paused and looked down at the shark tank above the slide tunnel. Just then, a younger boy next to me said, “Excuse me, if you don’t want to go now, I will go first.” Then he walked past the teenage boy and me and jumped into the slide, disappearing in an instant.
My father said to me jokingly, “Look, that boy is not even half of your height. Come on, Selina. You can do it.” The teenager turned and stared at me too, “Now, you go first.”
Paragraph 1:With a deep breath, I stepped closer to the edge of the slide.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2：
A moment later, my father came down.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . 近期你校对中秋、国庆双节学生度假情况进行了调查，并且制作成了图表。请你就此写一篇短文。要求如下：
1.描述图表内容。
2.发表你的看法及建议。
注意：1.词数 80 左右；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
How to make holidays count
As is shown in the graph,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was in the afternoon before the end of the Second World War that Antonio Black, who was twelve, caught sight of a beautiful brooch (胸针) in a shop window. The brooch is so beautiful that he was unwilling to leave the store until he had purchased it. But it was too expensive — $5. His family was very poor and his parents struggled to make ends meet. Five dollars would buy almost a week’s food for his family.
Antonio couldn’t ask his father for the money. Everything his father made through fishing went to his mother, Susan. Slim and beautiful, his mother was the center of the home and the glue that held it together. The housework was never-ending, and she struggled to feed and clothe their five children, but she was happy as her family and their well-being were all she cared about.
Nevertheless, he opened the shop’s door and went inside. Standing proudly and straight in his flour-sack (面粉袋改做的) shirt and washed-out trousers, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding, “But I don’t have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time?”
“I’ll try,” the shopkeeper smiled. “People around here don’t usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”
Antonio respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out. He would raise the money and not tell anybody, for he thought Mum would be surprised when she saw that brooch. On hearing the sound of hammering (锤打) from a side street, Antonio suddenly had an idea that he could raise money by selling the used nail bags. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails bought in bags from a local factory. Sometimes the used bags were thrown away at the construction site, and Antonio knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece. That day he sold two nail bags and hid the money in a rusty soda tin.
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。
Every day after school, Antonio started his plan.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The day finally came!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Every day Juanita Mengel, a 67-year-old woman from the state of Ohio, wakes up and puts on her prosthetic (假体的) leg.
Then, Mengel does the same for Lola-Pearl, her five-year-old cat. Lola-Pearl also missed her back left leg. Mengel has many cats. Most of them have disabilities. But Lola-Pearl is special. She is a therapy (治疗) cat. And, she and Mengel are partners of a kind. They are among 200 therapy cat teams registered in the United States by the non-profit group, Pet Partners.
The group helps humans and pets alike by setting them up into teams to provide animal-assisted (帮助) therapy. The teams visit hospitals, nursing homes and schools and assist those in need. Besides dogs and cats, Pet Partners registers other species as therapy animals, including horses, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, birds and mini pigs.
Taylor Griffin is national director at Pet Partners. She said, “Therapy animals are animals who’ve been gauged whether they are suitable for assisting some people, and are based on their ability to meet new people and enjoy the process.”
Mengel said Lola-Pearl showed signs that she would make a good therapy cat soon after the animal joined her family. “I just knew she would be a good therapy because she was so good with people. People really were attracted to her, too,” Mengel said.
Mengel was a traveling nurse when she was in a car accident that almost killed her. One of her legs could not be saved. Later, she connected with a friend in the state of Missouri who had a severely injured kitten. The cat’s legs were twisted together. An animal medical specialist worked to repair the damage, but in the end, they had to remove one of the baby cat’s legs. That kitten was Lola-Pearl.
Mengel took Lola-Pearl as her cat after talking with her friend. Despite the difficulties Mengel has faced, she is grateful to Lola-Pearl and their work in Pet Partners.
“It’s a really rewarding experience,” she said. “I get just as much out of it as the people that I visit.”
1. What can we know about Pet Partners?| A．It mainly provides animal-assisted therapy. | B．It is a non-profit group founded by Taylor Griffin. |
| C．It only offers help to patients in hospitals. | D．It doesn’t register birds as therapy animals. |
| A．Guessed. | B．Designed. | C．Explained. | D．Measured. |
| A．By working in Pet Partners. | B．Through one of her friends. |
| C．By repairing Lola-Pearl’s leg. | D．Through moving to Missouri. |
| A．Optimistic and helpful. | B．Proud and humorous. |
| C．Talkative and thoughtful. | D．Honest and talented. |
