A SPECIAL DAY
When the 6 a. m. alarm went off on Father’s Day, Helen’s parents were awakened with a loud bang as she smashed (打碎) the piggy bank with hammer. “What’s wrong?” exclaimed by Helen’s mother, but Helen said it was a secret. She picked up the money on the ground, and rushed to the shoe cabinet to find father’s shoes secretly. Ten minutes later, Helen came out of the door with a piece of paper in her hand without telling anyone.
Helen hurried to a shoe shop and said to the salesman, “I want to buy a pair of shoes for adults. Can you recommend one for me?” The salesman said, “What size do you want?” Helen immediately took a piece of paper out of her bag and gave it to the assistant. “Why are there shoes prints on the paper?” asked by the clerk curiously. Helen said, “It was my little idea. I drew a picture of my dad’s shoes with a pen, and it was a great way to get the right shoes for him without letting him know.” At the salesman’s recommendation, Helen chose a pair of shoes, because her father had not bought a pair of good shoes for a long time, and his shoes were worn out and always wet on rainy days. The salesman took different sizes of shoes to make a comparison with the shoes on the paper, and finally decided on the right size. Then he smiled and handed it to Helen.
Helen took out a pile of one-dollar coins from her bag, and said to the clerk, “Here is all the pocket money I have saved.” The salesman was amazed by this 6-year-old girl when counting the coins. He said to Helen, “Your money is just enough, you are a good girl and your father will be very happy for that.”
注意：
1、所续写短文的词数应为150词左右;
2、续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
When Helen returned home, she found her father standing at the door, angry but worried.
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Paragraph 2:
Helen took out the new shoes for her father from her bag.
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2 . In South Korea, students should pay for everything they learn in classes from K-pop auditions to real estate deals. Now, top Korean firms are introducing artificial intelligence in hiring and job seekers want to learn how to defeat the robots to get a job.
Many major South Korean companies like SK Innovation and Hyundai use AI in hiring, which generates classes for AI hiring booming fast. Career advisor Park Seong-jung is now offering a three-hour training course in handling recruitment, screening by computers, not people.
Preparing for such tests doesn’t necessarily involve simply memorizing answers. “Don’t force a smile with your lips,” Park Seong-jung told students looking for work in a recent session, one of many in which he said he has conducted for hundreds of people. “Smile with your eyes.”
One AI video system reviewed by Reuters asks candidates to introduce themselves, during which it spots and counts facial expressions including “fear” and “joy” and analyses word choices. It then asks questions that can be tough: “You are on a business trip with your boss and you spot him using the company credit card to buy himself a gift. What will you say?”
Kim Seok-wu, a 22-year-old senior at a top university, recently failed to get beyond an AI interview for a management position at a retail company. “I think I will feel hopeless if all companies go AI for hiring,” Kim said. “The AI interview is too new, so job hunters don’t know what to prepare for and any preparations seem meaningless since AI will read our faces if we make something up.”
1. Why do students in South Korea pay to study courses like AI hiring?| A．They want to be more competitive when faced with AI interview. |
| B．Big companies are in favor of it and want them to beat the androids. |
| C．They want to learn some AI knowledge and learn how to smile before AI. |
| D．AI can analyze their facial expressions and help to prepare for the interviews. |
| A．By making a self introduction and answering some questions. |
| B．By asking interviewees how to deal with the boss’s asking for a gift. |
| C．By looking at what words the interviewees use when answering difficult questions. |
| D．By demanding an introduction, observing facial expressions and asking challenging questions. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. | C．Uncaring. | D．Contradictory. |
| A．A news report. | B．A job interview. |
| C．Scientific paper. | D．A job-seeking lecture. |
We sat on the bus waiting while other passengers piled on. A blond-haired girl, about nineteen years old, took the seat in front of us. The bus driver followed behind her. He demanded her fare.
“You pay $40 or get off the bus!” the driver said.
“I paid already. Yesterday, online,” the girl insisted.
“No, no record of it!” the bus driver pointed to the paper in his hand and waved it in her face. “See. No pay! You pay, or you must get off.” He angrily pointed to the exit door.
“But I don’t have money. And I paid already. Please.”
The bus driver picked up his mobile phone and made a call to find out if there had been an error with the paperwork. After failing to get through, he was getting angrier with the girl. So he cut the call and didn’t try.
“No, you have not paid. You must pay.”
“But please, I don’t have any money on me. I must get to LA today. Please.”
Tears streamed down her face.
I had boarded a bus headed to Los Angeles. I was very excited about experiencing LA. My dream of visiting Disney Land was about to come true. But while I sat there comfortably in my seat, thinking about my next adventure, this young girl was in tears, with a man standing over her, demanding money.
I wasn’t sure what I should do. Was she telling the truth? It wouldn’t be the first time someone had extracted money by telling a sad story that turned out untrue. Did she really not have any money? Maybe the bus driver would show some sympathy and allow her to sort the payment out later?
But no, the bus driver continued to demand she pay $40 or get off the bus. The young girl insisted that she didn’t have enough money for the fare and had no one she could contact for help. It seemed the driver would throw her off the bus.
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。
Suddenly, a messy grey-haired woman with a weathered face stood up.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At the next rest stop, I noticed that woman had no money for food.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was little, I lived in a house with a beautiful garden full of all kinds of Bowers. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting in the garden with my mother reading stories to me. When I was old enough to read, I enjoyed reading stories aloud to her.
I would never forget one day when I was in the third grade. I bad been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had rehearsed (排练) my lines so hard with me. But however easily I acted at home, the moment I stepped on stage, every word disappeared from my head. Finally, my teacher took me aside, explaining that she had written a narrator’s (解说员) part to the play, and asked me to change roles. Her word, kindly expressed, still hurt, especially when I saw my part go to another girl.
I didn’t tell my mother what had happened when I went home after school that day. But she sensed my pain. Instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked if I wanted to take a walk in the garden.
It was May and roses were blossoming and, under the trees, we could also see yellow dandelions (蒲公英) in the grass, as if a painter had painted our garden with red, yellow and green. I watched my mother casually bend down by one dandelion. ”I think I’m going to dig up all these weeds,” she said, pulling it up by its roots. ”From now on, we’ll have only roses in this garden. ”
“But I like dandelions,” I protested, “All flowers are beautiful-even dandelions.” “Yes, every flower is beautiful in its own way, isn’t it?” she asked thoughtfully. I nodded, pleased that I had won her over. “And that is true of people too,” she added. “Not everyone can be a princess, but there is no shame in that.” Relieved that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry as I told her what had happened. She listened and smiled to me gently.
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。
Para 1: “But you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said.
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Para 2: After the play, I took home the flower.
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In my childhood, my teacher Mrs. Hunter announced that our class would complete a pen-friend project. We would write letters to children in some African countries to make friends with them. So all of us needed to bring stationery (信纸) to school the next day.
Finding some beautiful stationery which was designed with lovely cartoon characters, such as Minnie Mouse and Snow White in the store, I asked my mother to buy it for me. At the store, we learned that a pack of ten pieces of such stationery cost close to seven dollars.
“You’ll have to use common paper,” my mother said. Then, she bought a pack of cheap common paper for me. Obviously, there weren’t any cartoon characters on the paper, so I was upset and disappointed. At that time, I didn’t know my mother was facing some financial (财政的) problems and was trying hard to support the family.
That night, my mother, a lover of schedules, sent me to the bed at the usual time of 9：30. But then instead of going to bed as she normally did, she remained in the living room. When I didn’t hear the voice of a news host through the TV, I wondered what exactly kept my mother up past her bedtime. Walking up to her I found she bent beneath our single lamp, sketching (画素描). When I asked what she was drawing, my mother just covered the page with her arms and ordered me to return to my bed. A week ago, I had begged her for a new box of crayons and she refused. Now I wanted beautiful stationery and she refused again. That night, I lay in bed looking at the moon, believing I was the unluckiest girl in the world.
The next morning, my mother’s eyes were black-ringed, and she looked so tired while preparing the breakfast of oatmeal (燕麦糊) in the kitchen. “Drink it before school,” she said, pointing at the food.
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 don’t want any,” I said unhappily, still upset she didn’t buy beautiful stationery for me.
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Paragraph 2：
“Mom, the cartoon characters are so beautiful”I said, with a smile.“Thank you.”
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6 . Humanities departments(人文院系)in America are once again being cut down. Earlier this month, the State University of New York(SUNY)StonyBrook announced a plan to abandon several of the college’s well-known departments for lack of fund. The University of Pittsburgh has cut its German and classics.
These are hard times. Instead of Shakespeare or French, there will be(perhaps there already are)college classes in how to cut corporate spending.
I don’t believe that the humanities can make you a decent person.
| A．These subjects are under attack |
| B．Students need practical skills to find jobs |
| C．Defenses of the humanities have appeared |
| D．This problem has also arisen internationally |
| E．Therefore, courses in the humanities are beneficial |
| F．It helps us learn how to think and live in a harmonious society |
| G．But they can expand our sense of what humans can accomplish and create |
7 . Tariq Qaiser, an architect, is trying to protect mangroves (红树林). The trees could save Pakistan’s largest city Karachi, sitting on the Arabian Sea, from natural disaster. He comes to Bundal Island several times a week to document the illegal cutting of mangrove trees. Very often, “You can’t hear a single bird because the chain saws are so loud. The trees are cut down illegally for firewood,” he says, shaking his head. Besides, developers clear the mangroves to make room for construction.
Karachi has a hot climate, and its concrete buildings and paved roads make it even hotter. Offshore, there are islands where mangroves grow. They could be the key to slowing climate change. Mangrove forests pull carbon dioxide out of the air, holding four times as much of the planet-warming gas as other forests can. They support diverse ecosystems. As sea levels rise with global warming, the trees could play a big role in protecting coastal cities like Karachi from flooding. Karachi’s mangroves are disappearing. But its numbers are rising in other parts of Pakistan. With replanting efforts, the country has tripled (三倍于) its mangrove coverage over the past 30 years．
Qaiser’s work may have worked. Recently, a court in Karachi declared Bundal Island’s mangroves to be protected forests. But unforested parts of the island remain unprotected, and developers want to build there. City officials say this could provide much-needed housing and bring in billions of dollars. They claim that some of that money could be used to plant mangroves in other parts of Pakistan.
Ecologist Rafiul Haq appreciates Qaiser’s “extraordinary work” educating the public about mangroves. But he wishes Qaiser would look at the bigger picture. “Only 7% of Pakistan’s mangroves are in Karachi,” Haq says. He thinks it’s wrong to focus on the losses in 7% of the country while ignoring the success in 93% of it. But Qaiser believes it’s important to protect every bit.
1. What do we know about Karachi’s mangroves?| A．They occupy the building land. | B．They’re home to various birds. |
| C．They’re primarily being used as firewood. | D．They protect the city from climate catastrophe. |
| A．Their birthplaces meet crisis. | B．They boast huge diversity. |
| C．Their bonds with nature are close. | D．They grow at a rapid speed. |
| A．Grow mangroves in other areas. | B．Destroy buildings to grow mangroves. |
| C．Build more mangrove reserves. | D．Use mangroves to make profit. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Effective. | C．Insignificant. | D．Partial. |
Helen and her family moved to a new location in the city. Helen was excited because most of her friends lived in the same street.
It was the first morning in their new house. She woke up early that day and went out on her balcony (阳台). She was expecting wonderful, lovely birds and beautiful greenery with fresh air, but instead it was the complete opposite. There was garbage right outside their front gate. There were no trees and instead of the sweet chirping (鸟叫声) of birds, there were annoying g traffic noises. Helen was angry. “What is this? Why can’t someone do anything about it?” she thought. She went inside the living room. She sat at the dining table, thinking about what she could do about the pollution in her locality.
The next day at school, she went into her class and asked loudly, “Who’s fed up with stinking garbage?” This caught many students’ attention. “Who’s fed up with air pollution and the diseases spread by it?” This time many students answered, “Me!” Helen smiled and then said, “We must clean our surroundings. So help me get rid of the garbage. Help me pick it up! That’s the best thing we can do. We will all go to other classes and ask if they want to join us. I am sure as long as we work together, our community will become a better place!”
In the break time, they all went to other classes, and by the end of the school day, Helen had gathered almost 25 students ready to help her. The day before cleaning, the students took out their pocket money and bought garbage bags, masks and gloves.
注意：1. 续写词数应为120左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The big day came and the students gathered at the school gate.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Soon the headmaster knew what the students did.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a pleasant New Year’s morning. Edward rose, washed and dressed himself in a hurry, because he wanted to be the first to wish everybody a happy New Year.
He looked in every room and shouted out the words of welcome. He ran into the street to repeat them to those he might meet. The festive atmosphere swept up the neighborhood.
When he came back, his father gave him two bright new silver dollars. His face lit up as he took them. He had wished for a long time to buy some pretty books that he had seen at the bookstore.
It was freezing and dry outside and the wind blew strongly. However, Edward left the house with a light heart, intending to buy the books.
As he ran down the street, he saw a poor German family, the father, mother and three children trembling with cold. “I wish you a happy New Year,” said Edward, a she was cheerfully passing by. The man shook his head, saying nothing. “I wish you a happy New Year,” repeated Edward, feeling a little puzzled. The man shook his head again, for he couldn’t understand or speak the language. “You do not belong to this country, do you?” asked Edward. Still the man said nothing, but this time he pointed to his mouth and to his children, as if to say, “These little ones have had nothing to eat for a long time.” Edward quickly understood that these people were in trouble. The family were in great need of help. At that moment, he took out his dollars, looked at them over and over, thinking for a short while and finally gave one to the man and the other to his wife.
How their eyes sparkled with gratitude! They said something in their language, which meant, “We thank you a thousand times and will remember you in our prayers.”
Without a word, Edward made his way home, delighted.
Paragraph 1:
When Edward came home, his father asked him what books he had bought.
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Paragraph 2:
“My dear boy, I saw you give the money to the poor German family,” said the father.
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10 . Group discussions are a way of expressing your thoughts and opinions with other people. It is an opportunity to learn more about other people and develop your own personality. You become better at group discussions because it will help you throughout your whole life.
Learn about the subject
Be confident when you speak
The best way to make your discussion go well is by being confident. When someone else is speaking, make sure that you consider their opinion and not simply wait for your turn to speak.
One of the most important aspects of group discussions is to be a good listener. Active listening is one of the most important skills in life, which is why you need to practice using it.
Use group discussion to express yourself
Group discussions are a way of expressing yourself. It is not just about talking; it is more about putting your thoughts in front of other people.
| A．Been an active listener |
| B．Choose your words wisely |
| C．When there is a conflict in opinion |
| D．When you are confident while speaking |
| E．Speaking your heart out can be hard at times |
| F．If you are also struggling with such kinds of discussions |
| G．It is very important that you first collect information about the topic |
