When I was seven years old, my family moved from Mexico to America. In Mexico, I was a cheerful girl who loved making people laugh with my jokes and inventing fun games to play with my friends. However, when I arrived in America, I found it hard to fit in, and I became quieter.
We lived in a small house with a modest yard where we grew vegetables—my responsibility. While I took pride in watching them grow, there were times when I dreamed of having a beautiful garden like my schoolmate Luella’s, with its delicate tulips (郁金香). Although Luella lived in the same neighborhood as me, we barely knew each other.
It was after a tornado that Luella and I finally became close friends.
The tornado struck on a Sunday afternoon.The gentle breeze transformed into a strong wind, and thick gray clouds filled the sky. Gradually, the tornado took shape, starting as a thin rope and growing into a large black funnel (漏斗). My entire family gathered in the bathroom, seeking shelter from the storm. Terrified, I sat close to my mom, knees in my chest. After the storm had passed, our worries and fears were replaced by relief that we were unharmed and that our house had remained undamaged.
As I stepped outside, I witnessed the extent of the damage the tornado had caused to our neighborhood. Across the street, a tall tree had fallen, crushing Luella’s garden in front of her yellow house. We hurried over to check on it. Fortunately, her family seemed to be away at the time, and no one was injured. However, her once-beautiful garden was in ruins, with the fallen tree destroying the tulips and debris (碎片) spread everywhere. I could only imagine how heartbroken they must feel seeing this.
Then my mom’s usual words rang in my ear, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and my family started to think about how we could 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。
Just at that moment, Luella’s family returned in their car.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella’s sorrow for her lost garden.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Honking cars, blasting stereos and babbling neighbors are
The cameras
However, Erica Walker, who studies the joint
On the other hand,
3 . While some allergies (过敏症) disappear over time or with treatment, others last a lifetime. For decades, scientists have been searching for the source of these lifetime allergies.
Recently, researchers found that memory B cells may be involved. These cells produce a different class of antibodies known as IgG, which ward off viral infections. But no one had identified exactly which of those cells were recalling allergens or how they switched to making the IgE antibodies responsible for allergies. To uncover the mysterious cells, two research teams took a deep dive into the immune (免疫的) cells of people with allergies and some without.
Immunologist Joshua Koenig and colleagues examined more than 90, 000 memory B cells from six people with birch allergies, four people allergic to dust mites and five people with no allergies. Using a technique called RNA sequencing, the team identified specific memory B cells, which they named MBC2s that make antibodies and proteins associated with the immune response that causes allergies.
In another experiment, Koenig and colleagues used a peanut protein to go fishing for memory B cells from people with peanut allergies. The team pulled out the same type of cells found in people with birch and dust mite allergies. In people with peanut allergies, those cells increased in number and produced IgE antibodies as the people started treatment to desensitize them to peanut allergens.
Another group led by Maria Curotto de Lafaille, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, also found that similar cells were more plentiful in 58 children allergic to peanuts than in 13 kids without allergies. The team found that the cells are ready to switch from making protective IgG antibodies to allergy-causing IgE antibodies. Even before the switch, the cells were making RNA for IgE but didn’t produce the protein. Making that RNA enables the cells to switch the type of antibodies they make when they encounter allergens. The signal to switch partially depends on a protein called JAK, the group discovered. “Stopping JAK from sending the signal could help prevent the memory cells from switching to IgE production,” Lafaille says. She also predicts that allergists may be able to examine aspects of these memory cells to forecast whether a patient's allergy is likely to last or disappear with time or treatment.
“Knowing which population of cells store allergies in long-term memory may eventually help scientists identify other ways to kill the allergy cells,” says Cecilia Berin, an immunologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “You could potentially get rid of not only your peanut allergy but also all of your allergies.”
1. Why did scientists investigate the immune cells of individuals with and without allergies?| A．To explore the distinctions between IgG and IgE. |
| B．To uncover new antibodies known as IgG and IgE. |
| C．To identify cells responsible for defending against allergies. |
| D．To reveal cells associated with the development of allergies. |
| A．Make. . . less destructive. | B．Make. . . less responsive. |
| C．Make. . . less protective. | D．Make. . . less effective. |
| A．MBC2s make antibodies and proteins that prevent allergies. |
| B．Memory B cells generate both RNA for IgE and the corresponding protein. |
| C．JAK plays a role in controlling antibody production when exposed to allergens. |
| D．Allergists are capable of predicting whether an allergy will last or disappear. |
| A．RNA Sequencing Is Applied in Immunology Research |
| B．Specific Cells Related to Peanut Allergies Are Identified |
| C．Unmasking Cells’ Identities Helps Diagnose and Treat Allergies |
| D．Newfound Immune Cells Are Responsible for Long-lasting Allergies |
One sunny morning, the sun began to rise, casting a warm golden glow over the park. Two young men named Tom and Jerry, who was lost in their own books, found themselves siting on opposite ends of a bench. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the distant sound of children playing. Their eyes met for a brief moment before they both bent down to pick up their pens. It seemed as if they had known before. They quickly became friends and then began to spend many happy times together. They played basketball, watched movies, and spent many unforgettable days together. However, as time went on, their lives changed, and their friendship was put to the test.
A few years later, Tom became a successful lawyer, while Jerry chose a different path and became an artist. Despite different kinds of changes in their lifestyles, they still kept in touch and would gather together every once in a while to recall the good old days.
One day, Tom received a letter from Jerry. The letter said, “Dear Tom, I hope you can come and visit my art exhibition. I know you may not be interested in art, but I think you will like these works. They are all paintings I made during the days we spent together. I hope you can feel the friendship between us.”
After reading the letter, Tom immediately decided to attend Jerry’s art exhibition. He bought a bunch of flowers as a gift and arrived at the exhibition site. When he walked into the exhibition hall, he was shocked by what he saw. The walls were filled with Jerry’s works, each painting full of life and emotion. He saw scenes of them playing basketball in the park, watching movies together, and walking in the rain. These paintings made him feel the deep friendship between them.
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:
At the exhibition, Tom met many old friends.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
With the bunch of flowers, Tom still kept looking for Jerry.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mr Jackson was a well-respected teacher in their small town. He had always paid much attention to his students, especially the ones who needed help. When he noticed that one of his students, Emily, was not getting on the school bus with all the other children and that her exam results had dropped a bit, he became worried.
One day, he decided to follow her and was surprised when he saw her walking towards an old factory building. He parked his car a few blocks away from the factory and waited for Emily to enter. After a few minutes, he carefully moved toward the building, his heart racing with each step.
As he entered the dark and dirty inside of the building, his mind was flooded with a sense of pity. Then he saw Emily sitting on the floor, surrounded(包围) by her textbooks and notebooks.
“Emily, what are you doing here?” Mr Jackson asked, surprised.
Emily looked up and was surprised to see her teacher. She said, “Oh, Mr Jackson! I came here to do my homework. It’s quiet here, and I feel safe.”
“Why don’t you go home?” he asked, his concern(担忧) growing.
“I live with my mother. Recently, my mother lost her job and we haven’t found a house yet,” she replied. “And my father used to work here, so it’s a familiar place to me.”
Mr Jackson was heartbroken to hear this. He knew he had to do something to help Emily. He sat down beside Emily and asked her to tell him everything that was going on.
Emily shared stories about her father, who had passed away a few years before. She talked about how her mother had struggled(努力) to make ends meet.
Mr Jackson listened carefully. The more he knew about Emily, the more he realized that being a teacher was not only about teaching subjects, it was also about shaping young minds and making a difference to their lives. He decided to take action.
Paragraph 1:
The next day, Mr Jackson went to see Emily’s mother.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
One day, Emily’s mother came to Mr Jackson’s house to pick Emily up.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
— OK, I will.
| A．facilitate | B．complicate |
| C．compensate | D．conserve |
“Why can’t I just get a dog, Mum!”
“Because of your allergies (过敏)! How many times do I have to tell you, Violet!”
Violet was filled with anger. The rain started to fall. Large raindrops slid down the window, just like the tears on her face. There was violent anger in Violet’s eyes. She walked angrily to her room and threw herself onto the bed. Her anger was now like an angry bull.
She screamed into her pillow as loud as she could and threw it onto the ground with all her strength. She dialed her best friend Darla, who happened to also be her neighbor.
Darla picked up in an instant.
“I could hear everything.” Darla immediately chuckled. “I’ve known you and your mum since primary school. She’s not letting you get a dog.”
“Was I that loud?” Violet questioned herself in disbelief.
“You’ve been asking for a dog since you were seven! There’s no chance she was going to just give it to you. Plus, you have so many allergies that I’ve even lost count.”
“It’s just not fair. You get two dogs and I’m stuck with my younger sister who has basically a rat.” Violet announced unappreciatively.
“You have to be grateful for what you have. Anyway, I’ve got to have dinner with my family. I can call in half an hour, see you later.”
After the call disconnected, the words from Darla’s mouth about being grateful sunk into Violet like a dry sponge (海绵) filled with water, She remembered the countless times that she was admitted to the hospital for an allergic reaction while her family stayed and cared for her. Violet never really thought about the things she had, she only thought about the things she didn’t have. Violet had a tamily which accounts for more than everything, even a dog. Family love is stronger than any love. Violet knew she was blessed to have this love.
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。
From that day onwards, Violet stopped asking for a dog.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The allergies were disappearing with age.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. What could Dan Friedell be?
| A．An official. | B．A reporter. | C．A keeper of the clock. |
| A．Since January 1st. | B．Since August 21st. | C．Since November 12th. |
| A．The repair project will cost about $40 million. |
| B．The last time the bell stopped was in 2007. |
| C．The clock will continue to tell the time silently. |
| A．She made a proposal. | B．She made a complaint. | C．She made no comments. |
1. Why does Mike look tired?
| A．He just took two exams. |
| B．He studied for a whole night. |
| C．He got up too early this morning. |
| A．Unsatisfied. | B．Encouraged. | C．Surprised. |
| A．The one on how to do research online. |
| B．The one on writing term papers. |
| C．The one on test-taking skills. |
| A．Have a rest. |
| B．Talk to a professor. |
| C．Go to the Study Skills Center. |
10 . Modern life is full of things that can influence your ability to be sensitive and responsive to your child. These include extra work, lack of sleep, and things like mobile devices. Some experts are concerned about the effects that distracted (分心) parenting may have on emotional bonding and children’s language development, social interaction, and safety.
If parents are inconsistently available, kids can get distressed and feel hurt, rejected, or ignored. They may have more emotional outbursts and feel alone. They may even stop trying to compete for their parent’s attention and start to lose emotional connections to their parents.
“There are times when kids really do need your attention and want your recognition,” explains Crnic, a psychologist. “Parents need to communicate that their kids are valuable and important, and children need to know that parents care what they’re doing,” he says.
It can be tough to respond with sensitivity during tantrums, arguments, or other challenging times with your kids. “If parents respond by being bad-tempered or aggressive themselves, children can copy that behavior, and a negative cycle then continues to upgrade,” explains Dr. Carol Metzler, who studies parenting at the Oregon Research Institute.
According to Crnic, kids start to regulate their own emotions and behavior around age three. Up until then, they depend more on you to help them regulate their emotions, whether to calm them or help get them excited. “They’re watching you to see how you do it and listening to how you talk to them about it,” he explains. “Parents need to be good self-regulators. You’re not only trying to regulate your own emotions in the moment, but helping your child learn to manage their emotions and behavior.”
As kids become better at managing their feelings and behavior, it’s important to help them develop coping skills, like active problem solving. Such skills can help them feel confident in handling what comes their way.
“When parents engage positively with their children, teaching them the behaviors and skills that they need to cope with the world, children learn to follow rules and regulate their own feelings,” Metzler says.
1. What may distract parenting according to the text?| A．Working overtime. | B．Too much sleep. | C．Negative emotions. | D．Social interactions. |
| A．Bad habits of ignored children. | B．Bad effects of parents’ absence. |
| C．The outcome of parents’ availability. | D．The behavior of emotional children. |
| A．Mental relaxation. | B．Extreme anger. | C．Heated discussions. | D．Desperate hunger. |
| A．Be strict with your children | B．Regulate your emotions |
| C．Stay available to your children | D．Set a good example for children |
