For as long as I can remember. I have spent every Sunday afternoon until I was a teen, around the table at Grandma’s house. As soon as Grandma and I would return from Sunday Morning Mass at St Joseph’s Parish. Grandma got started on the meatball.
Ever since I was just two years old, Grandma would always allow me, her only granddaughter at the time, to sneak a meatball before dinner was served. There was something about that snuck meatball. For some reason, it tasted so much better than the one she placed beside my macaroni, once we all sat down. My Italian Gamma had a way of keeping an eye on all of her meatballs, to make sure no one snuck a meatball but me, who she gave that special VIP sneak. How did she do it? Well, she would make my “before dinner meatball” slightly bigger than the rest.
The meatball stealing games was all fun until Jeanine came along. Allow me to introduce you to my sister Jeanine, my Gramma’s second granddaughter born five years after me, just three years after I fell in love with Gramma’s yummy meatballs.
My younger sister Jeanine was quite the fussy eater. She did not care that her gramma made the world’s best meatballs, or that our mama made almost as yummy meatballs as her mother did. All Jeanine cared about was being done with dinner as fast as possible so she can go back to playing, and so she can get her evening snack, cocoa and popcorn. Jeanine knew the rules. She knew no snack unless you finish your dinner at least 90 percent. Jeanine was not giving up her favourite snack. She knew she had to develop a plan! She did indeed!
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。
So, one day when she was given a meatball on her plate, she stole that meatball.
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One day my mother noticed that something smelt funny in our closet.
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One day, a boy transferred to my class. He walked to the front of the class and introduced himself. “I am Brady, from California. I like basketball and dance.” “Dance!?” Steven yelled. “That’s for girls.” The whole class laughed. Brady’s face turned bright red. At lunch, Brady walked to an empty seat at my table. He was about to sit down when Steven put his foot on the chair. “This seat is taken,” he said. “Sit with the girls.” The others laughed loudly. Brady lowered his head and walked away.
After school, Brady sat alone on the school bus. I felt sorry for him. I thought about sitting with him, but I didn’t want to be made fun of. I remembered how everyone laughed at me when I, a boy, knitted a scarf for my favourite teacher. I didn’t like being laughed at, so I gave up knitting.
But what would have happened if I’d stood up for myself? An overwhelming sense of regret and guilt was lingering in my mind all night. So, I was determined to stand by Brady.
The next day, we had gym class. The coach announced that we would have a basketball game and Steven and I were the captains of the two sides. When I picked teammates, I looked around and noticed Brady. I had butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t want to get laughed at again. But soon I knew what I should do.
注意：1. 词数应为120个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“I choose Brady!” I said firmly.
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Steven lowered his head and walked to Brady.
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Monday morning started out like any other school day. Ms. Castle assigned topics for the school science fair. Anxious, Anna silently begged not to receive the bugs topic. Ms. Castle stopped in front of Anna’s desk and placed the piece of paper on it.
Science topic: Beetle (甲虫)
Partner: Tali Perkins
A small sigh escaped Anna’s mouth. Beetles and Tali, known for her know-it-all attitude, are two things Anna feared. Throughout the day, she couldn’t shake off her worry about them.
On Tuesday morning, Tali ran up to Anna before class started and said, “I told Ms. Castle we’d catch a beetle and put it on display. She approved our proposal so we’re good to go.” Hearing this, Anna shouted, “Why didn’t you ask for my opinion? Weren’t we supposed to make decisions together?”
“I didn’t think you’d mind,” Tali said. “I know you’re not good at science.” Before Anna could say anything, Tali turned and walked away. Anna took a while to cool down and wrote an email to Tali.
Tali,
I’m a little upset that you chose our project without my input. I think it was unfair. I know a lot about science. I just don’t like beetles. I’ve had beetles crawl (爬) over my feet, and it was NOT FUN!
Your partner,
Anna
The next morning, Tali brought a collection of beetle photographs, which she thought could help Anna get used to beetles. And then Tali invited Anna to collect beetles in the woods that night. Unwillingly, Anna joined Tali and was amazed to find the beetle interesting. She even built a home for their beetles, realizing Tali had helped her overcome her fear.
Finishing the beetle display, Anna invited Tali to prepare the class talk together. Tali hesitated, but Anna insisted they were a team. Later, Anna received an email from Tali.
Anna,
You’re afraid of beetles, but I am afraid to speak in front of a group. That’s a million times worse. Help!
Your partner,
Tali
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Anna decided to help Tali overcome her fear.
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When the presentation day finally came, Tali still seemed nervous.
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4 . People whose brains are high in vitamin D are less forgetful in old age, a new study suggests.Scientists in America examined samples of brain tissue from 209 older adults who had died, finding for the first time that vitamin D is present in four key areas of the brain. Levels were higher in people who did not suffer dementia (痴呆) and showed less cognitive (认知) decline in the years before their death, said the research team from Tufts University in Massachusetts.
The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin, and it is also found in foods including oily fish and red meat. Besides, milk and orange juice contain vitamin D, which helps to boost the body’s immune response and to maintain healthy bones.
The study looked at vitamin D in four regions of the brain — two associated with changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, one associated with dementia caused by poor blood flow, and the other region which is not linked to memory loss. High vitamin D levels in all four regions of the brain are connected with better cognitive function including language skills, memory and attention duration.
However, the scientists said it was unclear exactly how vitamin D might affect brain function or whether it helps to prevent dementia. Dr Kyla Shea, the lead author of the study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, said, “We now know that vitamin D is present in reasonable amounts in human brains, and it seems to be connected with lessdec line in cognitive function. But we need to do more research to identify the neurophysiology (神经病理学) about why vitamin D is linked to brain function before we start designing future interventions such as telling people to eat more foods with vitamin D.”
1. What does the research find about vitamin D in older adults’ brain?| A．It has something to do with cognition. |
| B．It is to blame for memory loss. |
| C．It speeds up the aging process. |
| D．It prevents people developing dementia. |
| A．By taking pills. |
| B．By exercising regularly. |
| C．By bathing in the sun. |
| D．By drinking apple juice. |
| A．Lack of attention. |
| B．Poor blood flow. |
| C．Quicker language learning. |
| D．Continuous memory loss. |
| A．Varieties of foods rich in vitamin D. |
| B．The amount of vitamin D in human brains. |
| C．Methods of improving brain function quickly. |
| D．Reasons for the influence of vitamin D on the brain. |
Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks (盯着他们).
One day, Ali took Zahra’s shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali’s running shoes. Zahra’s school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.
Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.
The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
He looked forward and found three boys running ahead of him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Ali came to life, he was already at home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I used to hear about the story of Ella’s father. He sacrificed his life to save the villagers from flood when Ella was a baby. Therefore, the statue of her father was built at the edge of our village and also a large warning bell was fixed there.
One day, all the kids gathered at the statue to play hide-and-seek. Sam, the biggest and loudest boy, loved making jokes at others’ expense, and Ella was his favorite target. He watched Ella with a sly (狡黠的) smile and said to her, “I bet your father wished he’d had a boy to follow in his footsteps.” Holding her fists tightly, Ella was about to hit Sam when I patted her on the shoulder. “Enough,” I shouted. “Let’s begin our game while it’s still light out. I’ll count first.” Then I leaned my head against the statue and started to count.
In no time, the rest of the kids ran away to seek hiding places. Sam looked annoyed because his fun had been interrupted, and Ella’s cheeks also burned with anger. But they both didn’t want to be left out. Sam dashed away from the village to hide in the woods, while Ella headed back into the village and hid behind the grassy wall.
Soon most kids were caught, waiting for a new round to begin. Sam had yet to be found, so we thought he must be staying perfectly still and quiet, enjoying the scream and laughter of the game.
Suddenly, the large warning bell for thick fog began to ring. We all sensed the danger and immediately ran to our regular gathering place to seek shelter.
I threw the door open wide, waiting for other kids to arrive. Ella was one of the last to be back. I started the head count, only to find Sam was missing. All kids insisted on shutting the door, but Ella shook her head firmly. She rushed away toward the edge of the village with a torch to look for Sam. She swung it back and forth, until she reached the statue of her father.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The heavy fog blocked her path but she made her way into the woods.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next day, we gathered at the statue again, Sam standing beside Ella.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . Ever wondered why your partner is up with the lark (百灵鸟) while you are happily sleeping till noon? It could be thanks to Neanderthal genes, according to a new study.
Scientists comparing ancient DNA with the genetics of modern humans discovered a “striking trend”, said John Capra, an epidemiologist (流行病学家) at the University of California in San Francisco. The researchers found that the Neanderthal genes that remain affect the body clock —increasing tendency to be a morning person.
Neanderthals lived at higher latitudes (纬度) than our ancestors who migrated from Africa — further away from the equator, with the days longer in summer and shorter in winter. “The gene that makes people early risers likely enables more rapid alignment (协调一致) of the circadian clock (生物钟) with changing seasonal light patterns,” Dr Capra said, “when Neanderthals were able to make the most of daylight hours to hunt.”
Scientists have previously explored how the circadian rhythms of insects, plants, and fish have developed depending on latitude. But that hasn’t been well studied in humans. There searchers wanted to see whether there was a genetic reason for differences in circadian rhythms between Neanderthals and modern people, and found 16 variants (变异体) associated with greater “morningness”. They suspected that as Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans mated, people today could have followed Neanderthal “circadian variants”.
To test this, scientists analyse the genetics of several hundred thousand people from the UK Biobank and found many of the variants that affect sleep preference. “Most noticeably, they found that these variants increase morningness,” the researchers said. This is consistent with what has been found in other animals that have adapted to living at a high latitude, as Neanderthals did.
1. Why does the author mention “your partner is up with the lark” in paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the following context. |
| B．To compare two morning life styles. |
| C．To praise those who get up early. |
| D．To express gratitude to Neanderthals. |
| A．The capability of hunting animals. | B．The genes from African ancestors. |
| C．The environment at higher latitudes. | D．The daylight hours around their habitats. |
| A．Morningness in human is unlike that in plants. |
| B．Insects’ circadian rhythms are impacted by latitude. |
| C．Scientists have previously studied the genes of animals. |
| D．The genes of Neanderthals is the only reason for morningness. |
| A．By analyzing statistics of the subjects. |
| B．By observing people’s sleeping habits. |
| C．By interviewing participants in the experiment. |
| D．By comparing sleep preference among human and animals. |
When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks and always tried to behave well. But he was so sensitive and shy that he always hid behind his hair, which he wore long around his face. To make it worse, Marco was naturally shorter than the other kids. This added to his already low self-confidence.
At 14, he and his younger sister Sandra moved in with their dad and his new wife. His father was busy and their communication was nonexistent. The only time his dad ever spoke to him was to be demanding or critical. He began to fear coming home from school every day, feeling desperately alone and isolated.
One day his father, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The angry reaction left Marco in despair, thus crying out, “That’s it! I’m going to kill myself.”
“You don’t even have the guts!” replied his father.
For two days, all Marco could think of was wanting to die, but he didn’t want to prove his father was right. Angry and sad, Marco was stuck.
Two days later, his aunt called him. This seemed like a miracle. Aunt Ginette usually only called on his birthday. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest and she thought about him. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like those kids, since she had seen him do skits (幽默短剧) for the family at Christmas.
Marco was shocked. Him? In a public speaking contest, which was contrary to his shy personality? But Aunt Ginette was sure it was something he could do. Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed.
All that winter, twice a week after dinner, he took three different buses in each direction for the three-hour round-trip to practice in the place where the competition would take place. Marco was taken by a feeling he never felt before. The hours and the obstacles no longer counted. The criticism from his father around his absence for after-dinner chores didn’t matter.
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。
Four months later, the big night arrived.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With the championship, Marco’s new life started.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paul’s old clock was supposed to wake him up at six in the morning of August tenth, but, unfortunately, the hour hand stopped in the early hours again. Instead, Paul was awoken by the noisy breakfast-table talk of the Stephen brothers next door.
“Now. I’ve won the National Poetry Creative Award!” the older brother shouted loudly.
“You have to do the housework for the coming whole week!”
“Okay,” the younger responded unwillingly.
Paul rushed down the stairs of his apartment to the news kiosk (报刊亭) by the street in his pajamas. Among the crowd of the seven o’clock Los Angeles, he was unique, in a funny manner, like a clown escaped from a circus group. Despite that, he caught the eyes of nobody. He threw a few coins into the glass jar and then grabbed the newspaper from the old kiosk owner. His behavior didn’t frighten the old woman-he was the most loyal customer of her store for the past few years.
Paul liked to invent something, and he was fond of literature and had been dreaming of becoming an editor. He skimmed through the annual nomination (提名) on the front page of the newspaper, the brightness in his eyes turned less bright as he moved down the list of names, which eventually faded when he reached the end. He lifted his sight from the newspaper and started staring at the kiosk owner dully (无精打采地), an expression similar to that when he arrived. The old woman sighed-she was so accustomed to this lifeless look on his face but had prayed to see something new every August.
“Bad luck”, with this, Paul slid away rapidly. When approaching the corner of the street, he narrowly knocked down an old gentleman, the kiosk owner’s husband, Arthur, who once was a chief editor of a local famous magazine and now he was retired.
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。
After hearing what his wife said about Paul, Arthur decided to give him a hand.
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One morning of next year’s August, with the magazine he had edited in hand, Paul stood beside the news kiosk nervously to sell it.
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It was a busy morning and I had to go out to deliver something before the day became too hot to be outside the house. As I was walking by the side of a busy road I saw an old lady, maybe in her 80s standing dangerously close to the traffic. Although my mind was preoccupied, I thought to myself that I should warn her not to stand so close to the busy traffic rushing by.
When I reached the spot where the old lady was standing, I noticed that she was trying to get attention of passersby who of course were too busy to take note of her. She kept pointing to the middle of the road. When I tried to gently move her back further away from the edge of the busy road, she said that she was standing there because she had dropped her house key in the middle of the road and was unable to open her house without the key. I looked around and no one seemed to be interested in the two of us. I knew I was getting delayed but decided to help.
The traffic was busy on the road with commuters on two-wheelers and office goers in cars as well as school buses rushing with school children. It was the worst time of the day to cross a busy road without a traffic light. I asked the old lady to stay at a safe distance, took a deep breath, and carefully stepped onto the road waving my hands wildly almost expecting to be hit by an oncoming vehicle. At first one lane (车道) stopped and then I moved further on to the middle of the road continuing to wave my hand. Just then a school bus was approaching me and I carefully stepped in front of it to stop it. My experience has been that school bus drivers are always considerate of reckless (莽撞的) pedestrians like me.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The school bus stopped exactly opposite the spot where the key had fallen.
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Suddenly, the elderly lady gently pulled me by the hand.
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