“I’m not putting up a Christmas tree this year. I just don’t have the spirit,” my husband Bill’s mom said sadly over the phone.
My husband’s parents used to have a big Christmas. There were many lights in their yard, decorations hanging from the ceiling, a big well-decorated, freshly cut tree, etc. It was amazing.
But this year would be different. With Bill’s dad passing late that November, it was understandable that his mom’s holiday spirit was nonexistent. Christmas decorating had been something husband and wife had undertaken together for over fifty years, and she simply would not do it alone.
Still, it was heartbreaking to think that not even a tree would decorate their home this year. Phone calls were made to Mom and conversations were made with her children and grandchildren in order to try to bring back her holiday spirit. Yet, it was no use.
That season, every Christmas song I heard in the stores only made me sadder as I thought of the barren (荒芜的) spot in Mom’s heart. There had to be something that could be done to bring some joy back into her life.
One afternoon, while passing a discount store, I saw many fresh green tabletop trees. They were so beautiful. Then I got an idea. I walked into the store, and selected a multi-colored string of lights and many other decorations I could find. Then I grabbed the largest tree, paid for all the things and walked home with four bags in one hand and a tree in the other.
I couldn’t imagine what I looked like, out in the cold, carrying a tree for half a mile. I only knew I felt a boost in my own heart — a boost I hoped Mom would also feel when I delivered the tree to her. And I wanted her to know that if Dad had still been alive, he would have wished her to be happy. If he had seen her unhappy, he would have been sad.
When I got home, Bill saw the tree. I told him that I would give it to Mom.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
But he shook his head, saying, “I wouldn’t give this to her. She’s not going to like it…”
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Just when Bill and I secretly put the tree in Mom’s yard, the door suddenly flew open.
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My mom was a kind woman. She had an unusual view on helping others that I didn’t really understand until one cold, winter day when we picked up my brothers at school.
“Who is that child?” Mom pointed at a skinny, angry-looking girl across the street. “She doesn’t even have a coat. It’s freezing!” “That’s Becky Ingler. She always looks mad like that,” I replied. Becky didn’t have a father, and everybody laughed at her. “I’ll visit her tomorrow,” Mom said.
The next day, we went to the Inglers’ house. A tired-looking woman appeared, and Mom smiled, “Hello, Mrs. Ingler. I’m just visiting some of our neighbors.” Once inside, I noticed there was a rusty coal stove and a big messy bed. Mom looked at each of the children carefully.
As we left, Mom told Mrs. Ingler she would visit them again soon.
Mom’s old sewing machine (缝纫机) worked for two days and nights to turn some shabby clothes into stylish winter coats. She said to me, “I need your help to send these coats to the Inglers this afternoon.”
“Wow!” I said. “They’re lucky to get these.”
“No,” said Mom as she faced me. “We’re the lucky ones to be able to help them. We must make sure these coats are given freely, without the Inglers paying a price for them.” I didn’t understand what Mom meant. Mom explained, “I don’t want these coats to cost them their pride or dignity (尊严). We can’t show we are somehow better than they are.”
I asked Mom what we should do if they refused the coats. Mom smiled and said, “I have a plan in mind.”
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。
Later that day, we went to the Inglers’ house again.
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As we left, I noticed Becky examining the coats happily.
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1. What is the speaker?
| A．A tour guide. | B．A hotel clerk. | C．A bus driver. |
| A．In a hotel. | B．On a bus. | C．On a bridge. |
| A．It is a coastal city. |
| B．The death rate there is high. |
| C．It is famous for its restaurants. |
| A．Drink some water. |
| B．Take care of their belongings. |
| C．Contact Manuel in advance. |
A Girl’s Baseball Dream
Marcenia Lyle loved baseball even though she couldn’t afford baseball cleats (运动鞋). If there was anything in the world better than baseball, Marcenia didn’t know what it was. She dreamed of growing up to be a professional ballplayer, so she could play ball all the time. Her friend Harold gave his old gloves to her. Boys had teased (取笑) her when she first started playing baseball with them. Then when they saw she could run, hit, and throw as well as they could, the teasing stopped. They had let her play.
One day after school Marcenia went to the playground. The boys stood and talked quietly. They cast excited glances at the man who was watching the field. “Do you know who he is?” Harold asked Marcenia as she joined the group. He tipped his head toward the man. “That there is Mr. Gabby Street. He’s running a baseball camp this summer.”
Marcenia knew about Gabby Street. He was a famous coach. “What does he want?” Marcenia asked. “Kids for her baseball camp.” Harold said, “It’s going to be right here on the field every day except Sunday. Sundays are game days.” “What is the cost?” Marcenia asked. “It’s free! It’s free!” said Clarence. “All you need is your own glove and baseball cleats.” Harold added. Marcenia could hardly contain her excitement. She would do anything to be one of the players in Mr. Street’s camp.
That afternoon Marcenia played with purpose. She scored three runs just like she wanted and hit a home run. When Mr. Street approached the players after the game, Marcenia crowded in close so he could see her. “I just saw some good ball,” Mr. Street said, smiling. “Who wants to come to my baseball camp and really learn to play this game?” Every hand went up. Mr. Street shook them all. He shook Marcenia’s hand last. “You’ve got a good arm, little girl, and you run fast,” he said. “I’m sorry but I don’t take girls in my camp.” Marcenia looked down so no one would see her disappointment. She began striking dust from her dress, thinking to herself, “I must hold on to my dream.”
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。
Marcenia decided to give Mr. Street a reason to change his mind.
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Mr. Street waved Marcenia over and handed a new shoe box to her.
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1. Why do some American churches cancel Christmas Day services?
| A．To let people gather with their families. |
| B．To celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. |
| C．To buy gifts and go to parties. |
| A．The name of an old man. |
| B．The name of traditional music. |
| C．The name of Christmas Day service. |
| A．All Americans. | B．Non-Christians. | C．Christians. |
| A．On Christmas noon. | B．On Christmas Eve. | C．On Christmas Day. |
Trudy was a child of the British Columbia Care System.
In our home, we already had a child of our own, Margaret, who was thirteen. Our friends thought we were mad to take on another teenage child.
That afternoon, Trudy arrived, She stepped into the front hall and clung to the walls. The first thing that came to my mind was that she looked like a hunted animal. Margaret grabbed her hand and said proudly: “Come and see your room. I helped make your bed.” Trudy pulled back, but didn’t let go of her hand.
At this point, I stepped towards her and said, “Welcome to our home, Trudy.” Her eyes darted back and forth like a creature looking for a way out. This had been her fifth foster (领养) home since she was eleven. No wonder she was afraid. I put my arms around her and told her she would be safe with us.
Trudy was very quiet but pleasant and the two kids got on along well, One day, I took Margaret shopping for a new winter coat, and Trudy came too. Trudy had picked out a jacket that she liked, She walked up to Margret, modelling the jacket, and sighed, “Isn’t it beautiful?” Margaret agreed as they both looked in the mirror. Replacing the jacket on the rack, she rejoined Margaret.
While they were busy, I quietly asked the salesperson to wrap up the jacket that Trudy had tried on. We bought the coat that Margaret had loved, and the salesperson had placed the parcel containing Trudy’s coat where the girls couldn’t see it.
When we arrived home, Margaret proudly modelled her new coat. Trudy was complimenting on her choice. I chose that moment to say, “Trudy, would you please go out and bring in the parcel I left in the car?”
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。
She happily headed for the parcel and when she returned, laid it on the table.
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I left and went to my room so she would not see my watery eyes.
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Linda went for a job interview at a firm that had several start-up businesses under its wing. She applied to be Executive Secretary of the CEO, but her chance of getting the job was slim because she came in late for the interview.
“I’m truly sorry I have come late, sir,” Linda apologized. “But I had an emergency to attend to earlier today and that is why I couldn’t make it on time. I hope you can give me a chance,” she added. “But the job is to be my secretary and being late for your interview is just not good,” George, the CEO, told her. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to hire you.” Depressed, Linda left.
When Linda got home, her son Jack found that something seemed to be bothering his mom. Then he asked, “What’s wrong, Mom? How did the job interview go?” “I didn’t get the job, son. I didn’t make it in time for the interview,” she sighed. Jack was almost crying upon hearing this, but Linda tired to comfort him. “It’s all right, son. There are many other jobs I can apply for. It’s no big deal,” she said, hugging him.
The following day, Jack copied the address from his mother’s notebook and came to George’s office without telling his mom. “Hi, sir, I’m Jack. My mom came for an interview yesterday, but you rejected her. Could you please give her a second interview, sir?” he said to the CEO.
“Why should I give her another chance?” George asked. “It was because of my fault that she didn’t make it on time. I accidentally dropped some food juice on my shirt. She had to wash it because it was the only uniform that I could wear in school. It took a while to remove the stain (污渍), so she was late,” Jack said.
“My mom works hard, sir. My parents once ran a cleaning supply and equipment business. Owing to something unexpected, the company was closed down. My parents had to start all over again,” Jack continued.
George listened thoughtfully and began to feel sorry for Linda. He thought the position of Marketing Director would better suit Linda since she had relevant experience. Then he told Jack that he would give his mom a second chance.
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。
The next day, Linda received a call from George, who informed her that she could have a second chance.
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Calming down, Linda asked George why he had changed his mind and had given her another chance.
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It was a freezing cold morning in early 2023. I was on my way to work. I’d been training hard for an upcoming marathon, and was limping (跛行) slightly from a pain in my hip. I figured it was nothing serious. But later it turned out to be a hairline stress fracture (应力断裂).
So, when I slipped on the icy New York City sidewalk, I somehow lost my balance and broke my hip. I tried several times to stand up, but failed each time due to the sharp pain. As more and more passers-by gathered around, I felt extremely embarrassed.
Just at that time, a stranger emerged from the crowd and knelt beside me. All I remembered was seeing her kind face, all covered up, with a big hat and scarf. She pushed everyone out of the way and said, “I’ve got this.”
The woman introduced herself as Sharon Evans. As she helped me up, all I could think about was that I needed to get to work. But I was in terrible pain, and could barely stand. Seeing this, Sharon told me to stay put while she called a taxi.
“No, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure you have places to be, please don’t, I can do it,” I said to her. “No, the taxi is arriving anytime,” she replied.
Once the taxi arrived, Sharon supported me into the taxi and went with me. I tried to tell her that it wasn’t necessary. But she was persistent. To be honest, I was secretly relieved to have her company.
When the taxi pulled up to the hospital, Sharon took charge again. “You know what, I’m going to go get the wheelchair for you and I’ll wheel you in.” I hesitantly said, “Please don’t do that. You’ve done so much.”
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。
My condition was serious and I needed an immediate operation.
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Six months later, I fully recovered and managed to get her address.
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1. Who is the speaker probably?
| A．A teacher. | B．A student. | C．A painter. |
| A．To present an artist. | B．To introduce a course. | C．To recommend a painting. |
| A．From the online shops. | B．From the teachers. | C．From the college shops. |
| A．Explore London. | B．Learn English. | C．Visit artists. |
1. What can we learn about “prom”?
| A．It is a formal celebration. |
| B．It is held at the start of college. |
| C．It is a unique American tradition. |
| A．In Canada. | B．In Australia. | C．In the US. |
| A．It’s a sign of becoming an adult. |
| B．It’s an opportunity to find a job. |
| C．It marks the end of their schooling. |
| A．Schools. | B．Students. | C．Parents. |
