“Conventional wisdom tells us that we can feel happier if we smile or that we can get ourselves
As a single mother, I’ve never doubted my daughter Jane’s dream to be a singer on the stage. At an early age, she was crazy about singing. Whenever she had a chance, she would sing to her heart’s content. Her sweet and charming voice tended to get people around attracted to her songs.
Living in a small city, I took several odd jobs, determined to do everything in my power to support her. Soon after Jane attended school, her music teacher Mary noticed her talent by chance and volunteered to give her some guidance on how to sing. Jane practiced so hard that before long she made great progress in singing.
Unfortunately, one noon a year later, Jane was crossing the street when a careless driver knocked her down. She was rushed to hospital. When I hurried there, the doctor told me that my daughter would probably not stand on her own feet. I froze with shock, feeling as if I had been thrown into a dark world. Weak and dizzy, I was about to fall to the ground when someone took hold of me.
It was Mary, who got the news and raced here. She comforted me, saying firmly, “Grace, Jane needs you. You must stay calm and strong.” I nodded. Having calmed down, I entered the ward with Mary.
That night, Jane recovered her consciousness (知觉) and opened her eyes. Holding her hand, I said, “My dear, everything would be fine.” Mary comforted her gently, “I know you are a strong girl, Jane. Don’t worry. We’ll be standing by you.” I was heartbroken to see tears streaming down Jane’s cheeks.
After two months, we returned home from hospital. Her teachers and friends frequently visited her. Jane eventually accepted the fact that she would have to get around in a wheelchair. Never did she refer to the subject of singing again. I knew she was a nice and understanding girl, who was afraid that talking about her original dream would upset the two of us.
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。
One day, however, Mary came with good news.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the host announced it was Jane’s turn, she was wheeled onto the stage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My great-grandmother Eileen is fierce, loyal and strong and a bit of a legend in her own lifetime, which now stretches to 92 years. I should add that we’re not allowed to call her Gran, because she says it makes her feel old.
That summer, I lost my job and felt hopeless. One day, I paid a visit to her. She picked up a box which she placed on the coffee table. “There you go,” she said. “You do know what you’re doing with these things, don’t you?”
It was a new phone. Her current mobile was pretty ancient. I was amazed it was still going.
“Yes,” I said.
“Good. That’s why I ask you. You young people know more about such things than us oldies. You can take it home with you and get it all set up,” she went on. “Then, when you bring it back, you can show me how to use my new phone, such as getting on the internet, sending e-mails and so on.” She smiled so sweetly that I felt a surge of love for her.
I grabbed the box and stood up. Setting up the phone would be easy. It was teaching her how to use it that may prove challenging.
The following day I headed back to my great-grandmother’s with the phone. “Here’s your phone. It’s all ready to use.”
For the next hour, I was busy setting up her passcode and fingerprint recognition, which she said was like something out of James Bond.
She chose a picture for her screen and it was all going so well until I tried to show her how to swipe (滑动屏幕). “What do you mean, swipe?” she asked. She was 92, I reminded myself. This had been tiring for her.
She pressed at the up arrow and got angry when nothing happened. When I finally got her to swipe, she didn’t put the right amount of pressure on and the menu slipped away. After what seemed like hours, she threw the phone across the room and it landed on the sofa. “Take it away!” she howled. “I want my old phone back!”
I picked up the phone and was about to leave to give her time to cool down when I realized I didn’t want to go home when she was angry and upset.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1
“Come on, Eileen. One more try.” I said.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2
I was not feeling so hopeless any more now.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green was founded in 1872, it was East London’s first public museum. Today, we are transforming this beloved building into a new national museum of design and creativity dedicated entirely to children.
Relaunching later this year as Young V&A, the museum will be a place to imagine, play, create, debate and design. Young V&A will help children to develop abilities such as creative thinking, problem-solving and collaboration through imaginative, hands-on gallery displays and creative programming for schools, families and community groups.
How you can help
In a climate of growing inequality and reduced funding for the arts, it is vital that we young people’s creative development. We rely on your generous donations and are thankful for your support. Whether you can give E 25 or f 25,000, all donations will help to complete this project.
25 could buy books for the new Reading Room.
75 could buy sensory materials to help bring the collection to life for young visitors
150 could conserve and display an international object in the permanent galleries
5000 could help furnish the new creative studios in the Learning Centre.
Ways to give
*To pay by debit, credit card, use the QR code, visit www.vam.ac.uk appeal or call 020 7942 2905 to speak to a member of the Development team.
*Return a completed donation form or post a cheque directly to the museum or hand it in all the V&A Membership Desk or the Members’ Room.
*To find out about donating by bank transfer, making a regular monthly donation, or to make a larger gift, please email the Development team at appeals@vam.ac.uk.
1. Who are the target visitors of Young V&A?| A．The general public. | B．Seniors. | C．Art lovers. | D．Children. |
| A．Repaint the Reading Room. | B．Help bring the collection to life. |
| C．Conserve an inspirational object. | D．Furnish the new creative studios. |
| A．Scan a QR code. | B．Send a cheque to the museum. |
| C．Call 020 7942 2905. | D．Email the Development team. |
| A．SVO | B．SVOC | C．SV IO DO | D．SV |
6 . For making contact and communicating with a person, effective eye contact is essential to our everyday interaction with people, and also to those who want to be effective communicators in public places.
Generally in Western societies and many other cultures, eye contact with a person is expected to be regular but not overly persistent.
Overly lasting eye contact is also a sign of a person’s over-awareness of the messages they are giving. In the case of people who try to lie to someone, they may distort (扭曲) their eye contact so that they’re not avoiding it.
However, Scotland’s University of Stirling found that, in a question-and-answer study among children, those who maintained eye contact were less likely to come up with the correct answer to a question than those who looked away to consider their response.
| A．This is a widely recognized indicator of lying |
| B．Constant eye contact is often considered to be rude |
| C．Eye contact is the act of looking into someone’s eyes |
| D．But there’s something you may not know about eye contact |
| E．Overpowering eye contact can make the other person excited |
| F．Even between humans and non-humans, lasting eye contact is sometimes unadvisable |
| G．Eye contact, as a socializing device, can take a surprising amount of effort to maintain |
7 . It was a cool and breezy night. As I stood on the deck, I could feel the warm tangy smell coming from the sea. Earlier on, the ocean liner (邮轮) was still full of people who
I sat down at a corner and decided to rest my
Suddenly someone shouted, “The ship is sinking!” Waters were rushing in as the side of the ship was damaged. I was
Until today, that terrifying
| A．fed | B．feasted | C．entertained | D．treated |
| A．highly | B．soundly | C．lately | D．solidly |
| A．murmur | B．shout | C．breath | D．weep |
| A．faint | B．heavy | C．clear | D．thick |
| A．storms | B．spots | C．dots | D．drops |
| A．rough | B．tough | C．sharp | D．deep |
| A．gently | B．abruptly | C．violently | D．swiftly |
| A．paced | B．swept | C．rolled | D．slid |
| A．turn down | B．die down | C．die off | D．turn away |
| A．relief | B．satisfaction | C．delight | D．anticipation |
| A．in confusion | B．at a loss | C．at ease | D．in chaos |
| A．lose | B．save | C．throw | D．leave |
| A．pleased | B．terrified | C．startled | D．amazed |
| A．board | B．push | C．squeeze | D．drive |
| A．event | B．challenge | C．encounter | D．adventure |
8 . The Chong Yang Festival has a history of over 2,000 years. It comes on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, so it is called the Double Ninth Festival.
There are many kinds of activities on the Chong Yang Festival. It is a time when it’s getting cold, so Chinese people make the festival a time for sending winter clothes for the dead family members. Because autumn has a clear sky and fresh air, it is a very good time to climb a mountain. Climbing a mountain has been the tradition of the Chong Yang Festival since the Western Han Dynasty. Also, it is good for our health. On the Chong Yang Festival, people also eat Chong Yang cakes, enjoy chrysanthemum(菊花) flowers, and drink chrysanthemum wine.
Today, the Chong Yang Festival has got its new meaning —a day for showing respect to the old. On the festival day, people show their respect, care and love to old people, and they also do lots of things to help the old. Many parks, communities and organizations plan the activities for old people, such as an autumn trip, singing songs or sending presents to them. We hope the old are happy and stay healthy by taking part in these activities. Many young people accompany(陪伴) the old on outings, or make some delicious food for them.
1. The Chong Yang Festival has a history of __________.| A．about one month |
| B．about nine months |
| C．over 3,000 years |
| D．over 2,000 years |
| A．Make wine. |
| B．Plant flowers. |
| C．Send clothes to the poor. |
| D．Eat Chong Yang cakes. |
| A．Because it is a way to remember the dead. |
| B．Because it’s a time when the weather is getting cold. |
| C．Because it’s a good time to climb a mountain. |
| D．Because it is a tradition from the Western Han Dynasty. |
| A．To go outing. |
| B．To show respect to the old. |
| C．To plan activities for young people. |
| D．To eat delicious food. |
9 . Online training is one of the fastest growing parts of the fitness industry. If you’re considering joining the online fitness community, consider these benefits and drawbacks.
One of the most popular reasons for working out following an online video is that it offers ultimate convenience. No need to roll out of bed at 5 a. m. to attend that 6 a. m. boot camp class, which may end up being full when you arrive.
Online training also has broad offerings. When you head online, you have instructors from around the globe, all ready and willing to help you master your favorite moves.
All these are undoubtedly positive-online training provides fitness resources to general consumers wherever they are, without requiring access to a gym or fitness studio.
Very few online fitness programs enable the instructor to see you, check your form, and offer corrections based on your performance.
| A．Another is the price. |
| B．But it’s not without problems. |
| C．The same goes for different types of exercise. |
| D．However, online personal training isn’t for everyone. |
| E．Instead, you can turn it on at home at your convenience. |
| F．That being said, online workouts aren’t perfect when it comes to safety. |
| G．This means you could perform exercises wrongly, or even unsafely, without knowing it. |
10 . Spending time outdoors has long been linked (联系) to better health. Gardening goes beyond just beautifying outdoor spaces—it can have a deep effect on our physical and mental (身心上的) health.
Gardening involves physical activity that works all the main muscle (肌肉) groups, which is helpful for overall health. “Activities such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting require movement and can help to improve strength,” said Clayton, CEO of an online lawn care company. “Performing these activities regularly can help burn calories, and keep a healthy weight.”
Beyond burning calories and building muscle, lots of studies have shown that gardening can improve the immune system (免疫系统). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, and gardening is listed as a suitable activity. Doing garden work for that time each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, spending time outdoors makes us get close to natural sunlight, which is important for vitamin D synth.
Gardening provides a chance for social connection, too. It can be a shared activity among family members, friends or neighbors, building relationships and a sense of belonging.
Gardening also offers cognitive (认知的) benefits. It excites the senses, improves focus and encourages problem-solving and creativity. It provides a chance to learn about plants, ecosystems and the environment, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature.
1. What is Clayton’s attitude towards gardening?| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear | D．Uncaring. |
| A．It improves focus. | B．It is a waste of time. |
| C．It can keep a body in shape. | D．It helps to reduce the risk of diseases. |
| A．It contributes to creativity. | B．It encourages problem-solving. |
| C．It builds relationships between people. | D．It improves people’s awareness of safety. |
| A．How to Start a Garden | B．Choose a Garden or Not |
| C．What Plants Grow Best in a Garden | D．Start Gardening and Get the Health Benefits |
