As a young boy, I was always a troublemaker and up to no good. I liked playing tricks and enjoyed treating animals in an unfriendly way, like running after cats crazily, making them scared at the sight of me. Besides, I often used a handmade catapult (弹弓) to shoot at birds on the trees.
All this did afford me indescribable pleasure but also got me unkind stares and blames from people around. My parents disapproved of my behavior and were constantly criticizing me for the tricks I played. I was even given a good beating from my father from time to time. Nevertheless, I ignored their warnings and did not correct my ways until an incident occurred.
One summer noon when I was eight, I was alone at home and just finished lunch. Feeling very hot and bored, I decided to hang around the neighborhood, holding my trusty catapult.
Soon, I came to Mr Smith’s house. His pet dog, big and strong, was tied to a post outside his house, lying in the shade lazily. Looking around, I found that no one was in sight. I decided to make good use of my catapult to play tricks on the massive dog. Picking up a few small stones from the ground, I aimed at the dog and fired them one by one. Several stones hit the poor dog and it began to bark (吠) loudly in pain and jump up and down. But I felt so fun that I didn’t stop doing so. Eventually, the dog’s anger was fueled and it barked wildly at me while struggling to break away from the rope. Not realizing anything wrong with my crazy behavior, I was just laughing happily.
Suddenly, the rope that tied the dog loosened and the big dog got free from its bonds. In no time, with a few powerful steps the dog was on me. Its sharp teeth sank into my leg. I screamed with pain and fright and fell to the ground, shouting out for help.
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。
Luckily, my miserable shouts caught Mr Smith’s attention.
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His words left me ashamed and I decided to make a change.
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2 . Under the background of the slow growth of its total population to 1.44 billion, China has seen a sharp rise in older adults over the past decade, solidifying the country’s rapidly aging pattern, the latest national census (人口普查) data shows. The population on the Chinese mainland increased by an average of 0.53 percent annually during the past 10 years to 1.41 billion, compared with an annual growth rate of 0.57 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to the 7th national census published by the National Bureau of Statistics.
“The growth of the total population has slowed down but remains at a steady pace,” Ning Jizhe, head of the bureau, said at a news conference. “Based on trends in recent years, China’s population will grow at an increasingly slow rate in the future while remaining above 1.4 billion.” The increasing elderly population has become a defining feature of the past decade.
Ning said an aging society will set the tone for China's population structure for a long time, presenting challenges and opportunities. “A graying population will pile pressure on supply of labor force and social services, as well as adding to families’ elderly care burden. But more elderly people could also motivate consumption of products and services targeting this age group, and advance the development of some technologies,” he said.
Ning added that those between the ages of 60 and 69, who are equipped with knowledge, experience and skills and are generally in good health, make up nearly 56 percent of all older adults. “Their potential to continue making contributions to society and playing a constructive role is big,” he responded to a question on the outlook for raising the retirement age and carrying out other potential measures aimed at addressing the aging trend. Some population economists also said the latest number and proportion (比例) of elderly are largely within predictions, and the aging trend will continue for a long time.
1. What does the 7th national census data show?| A．The aging population of China has risen rapidly. |
| B．The annual growth rate has increased by 0.04%. |
| C．The annual growth rate was 0.57% during the past 10 years. |
| D．The total population of Chinese mainland increased to 1.44 billion. |
| A．It is beyond predictions. | B．It brings few advantages. |
| C．It has sharply slowed down. | D．It will increase pressure on family. |
| A．Objective. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Negative. |
| A．The aging trend brings problems |
| B．An aging society presents opportunities |
| C．China’s population gets old as growth slows |
| D．Measures are to be taken to tackle the aging trend |
3 . Ways to Show Gratitude (感激)
COVID-19 has a way of making people feel like their world was turned upside down overnight. They struggle with feeling frightened and feeling like everyone is overreacting (反应过度).
Give thanks for everyday things
One way to make gratitude a regular part of your day is to make it a habit to think of three things you are thankful for each day. It doesn’t really matter whether you perform this exercise first thing in the morning or just before you go to bed. The important thing is that you’re taking time and reflecting on what you are grateful for.
Keep track of everything you’re grateful for
Using a phone app like Gratitude Plus, you can record the things you’re grateful for. Another option is to use social media or even post-it notes to express your gratitude.
Reflect on past negative experiences
Look back on the worst moments in your life.
| A．Make gratitude a daily habit. |
| B．Stick to expressing gratitude in public. |
| C．Then, compare those with where you are now. |
| D．Gratitude doesn’t have to be over the top or something significant. |
| E．You can hardly stay strong while recalling the moments that ever happened. |
| F．But learning to practice gratitude every day can bring some changes to your life. |
| G．The key is to use a method to help you remember the things you are grateful for. |
By morning, Afiq knew what he had to do. He had not slept a wink but had sat in the balcony all night thinking. He stretched his body and went back to his room. His brother Affin was still asleep.
It was Saturday and there was no school. Afiq's mother asked him to buy some groceries for her. On his way out, he glanced at his motorcycle with the broken front lamp and scratches on the side. Afiq straightened his shoulders and went to complete his purchase.
It was late morning when Afiq was free to carry out his plan. He marched down the road to Osman's house. When he arrived, Aniya appeared at the doorway and greeted him warmly. She invited him in and served him tea and some cakes. Afiq nervously asked to speak to Osman. She told him that her father was out but would be home very soon. Sure enough, the elderly man returned in ten minutes.
Afiq cleared his throat a few times and said that he had come to confess (坦白). “I'm so sorry. I was careless yesterday and knocked into your parked car,” Afiq said. Osman looked at the 17-year-old youth, surprised, “So, you are saying that you are the culprit (肇事者) who crashed into my car and then ran away?” Afiq went red. He nodded, “I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. I was too frightened.”
The elderly man smiled and said, “But you're not too frightened to confess now?”
Afiq said uncertainly, “I could not sleep last night thinking about it. I knew I had to do the right thing.”
Osman was silent for a minute before saying in a kind voice, “Do you think it a right thing to cover up for your brother?”
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右。
2. 请按下列格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Afiq went pale, “I... I…you know the truth?”
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Afiq thanked Osman for his kindness and then set off home happily.
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When I was young, I lived in a small village in Melaka. The spirit of neighborliness was very strong then. The village had a variety of trades to serve the needs of the villagers. There was a barber, tailor, coffee shop owner, grocer, and so on. All of us were quite poor but we got by. However, one family which could be considered as living a marginal existence was the Lim family living in the bicycle shop opposite our dwelling.
Mr. Lim, the bicycle mechanic, had a large brood of children — twelve to be exact. My mother was a kind-hearted soul. Often, she would remark that his children were dressed in ragged clothes and looked malnourished (营养不良的). My family was relatively better off in the village. My parents would bring over whatever food we could spare to the Lim family.
I remember one particular year when times were very hard. Even my family had to make do with two meals a day. We stopped the practice of giving food to Mr. Lim. One day, I noticed my mother looking troubled. She had learned that the Lim family had not been eating for the past two days. She decided to sacrifice a portion of our meals to the family despite the protests (抗议) from my brothers that were too hungry. Fortunately, the lean spell (困难时期) did not last long, and the children in our family resumed our three meals a day again.
As time went on, the number of customers at Lim's shop had increased rapidly. Business at his shop took off like a rocket as Japanese bikes were very useful and popular for transport. They were much better off than before.
It was at this time that my father's health was worsening. We were confused by the mysterious illness he was suffering from. Because of lack of attention to his provision shop (食品店), the business became worse. My father then sold our family car to pay off the mounting bills. My brothers and I had to stop schooling because we could not afford the fees.
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。
They say that one good deed deserves another.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With the help of Mr. Lim, the situation in my family took a turn for the better.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . As the popularity of hiking vacations grows , scores of walkers have discovered hiking over trails(路线) sparks an instant connection with the land. This interaction with nature also provides fantastic exercise, combining sightseeing and workouts into one.
Inca Trail, Peru
The four-day, 27-mile trail starts outside the tiny town of Ollantaytambo and winds through a number of passes in the Andes Alone the wav the trail passes nearly a dozen archaeological sites that serve as evidence of the Inca culture.
Cape Scott Trail, British Columbia
The new five-day, 36-mile Cape Scott Trail begins gradually. From the trailhead at Cape Scott Provincial Park, the trail follows an old settler's road along a stream. The highlights of this hike are its river crossings. Hikers must pull themselves across the cable-car crossings for both water ways , an effort that leaves shoulders suffering pain from overuse. Still, the thrill of crossing wilderness rivers is hard to get anywhere in life.
Skeleton Gorge(峡谷) , South Africa
The three-day trail through Skeleton Gorge is absolutely a natural feast to the eyes. The trail begins just outside Kirstenbosch, one of eight National Botanical Gardens in the country. Starting at Cecilia Forest, the trail is flat for the first section, and then climbs steeply into the gorge. This second part of the hike is tricky, with two ladders and loose river stones to negotiate as the peak comes into view.
Larapinta Trail, Australia
Australia's Larapinta Trail, a 130-mile hike across the northern desert of the island continent, is divided into 12 sections, each of which can be completed in l or 2 days. Each section is accessible by off-road vehicle. The route itself passes some of the most spectacular natural features: Simpsons Gap, Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge and Glen Helen.
1. Which trail takes the longest time?| A．Inca Trail, Peru. | B．Larapinta Trail, Australia. |
| C．Skeleton Gorge, South Africa. | D．Cape Scott Trail, British Columbia. |
| A．Little effort to complete it. |
| B．An old settler's road of exploring. |
| C．Great pleasure to swim in the stream. |
| D．A unique experience of crossing rivers. |
| A．Various natural features. | B．Different botanical gardens. |
| C．Wonderful desert scenery. | D．Convenient off-road vehicles. |
The trade routes are of great importance. In march, the Suez Canal, one of the world's most important sea trade routes,
In early history, The Silk Road was the most important trade route,
Though the Silk Road was mainly a trading route, it was
