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.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. 作品要求；
2. 作品提交的截止日期和地点。
参考词汇：手工创意大赛handicraft competition
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Notice
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________the Student Union
China has many famed explorers. There was Zhang Qian,
Born in 1587, Xu Xiake grew up in a rich family. Yet he rejected the
“On the surface, Xu's travel can neither be classified as great affairs of state
Xu Xiake traveled across China for 34 years. Perhaps his
4 . “Few articles change owners more frequently than clothes. They travel downwards from grade to grade in the social scale with remarkable regularity,” wrote the journalist Adolphe Smith in 1877 as he traced a coat’s journey in the last century: cleaned, repaired and resold repeatedly; cut down into a smaller item; eventually recycled into new fabric. But with the improvement in people’s living standards, that model is mind-boggling in the era of fast fashion. The average British customer buys four items a month. And it is reported that 350,000 tonnes of used but still wearable clothes go to landfills in the UK each year.
Yet the gradual revival of the second-hand trade has gathered pace in the past few years. At fashion website Asos, sales of vintage clothes (古董衫) have risen by 92%. Clothing was once worn out of necessity, and now it is simply a way of life. Busy families sell used items on eBay, teenagers trade on Depop and some fashion people offer designer labels on Vestiaire Collective. Strikingly, it has become big enough business that mainstream retailers (零售商) want a slice of the action.
For some buyers and sellers, the switch to the second-hand is born of financial difficulties. Only a few have become worried about the impact of their shopping habit on the planet. But the shift is only a partial solution. Some people worry that some mainstream brands may “greenwash” — using second-hand goods to improve their image, rather than engaging more seriously with sustainability.
However, the biggest concern may be that people keep buying because they know they can resell goods, still chasing the pleasure of the next purchase but with an eased conscience (愧疚). Boohoo, a powerful fast fashion company, has seen sales and profits rise, despite concerns about environmental problems in its supply chain that led to an investigation last year.
A new Netflix series, Worn Stories, documents the emotional meanings that clothes can have: Each old item is full of memories. Actually, a handbag from a grandmother and a scarf passed on by a father are both valuable for us. A love of style is not a bad or an unimportant thing. But a committed relationship is better than a quick flash. Can we learn to appreciate our own old clothes as well as others’?
1. What does the word “mind-boggling” underlined in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Unbelievable. | B．Popular. | C．Reasonable. | D．Influential. |
| A．old clothes are more popular than new pieces |
| B．the online second-hand markets are booming |
| C．the fashion world begins to favor vintage clothes |
| D．many clothing brands are innovative in their new products |
| A．It makes people feel free to pursue fast fashion. |
| B．It makes people more cautious about their budgets. |
| C．It encourages people to choose eco-friendly clothes. |
| D．It pushes people to be more engaged with sustainability. |
| A．Old items have lost favor with the public. |
| B．Old items are worthy of being long cherished. |
| C．Older generations attach great importance to old items. |
| D．Older generations care about the quality of their clothes. |
5 . Anew study reports that a mosquito’s sense of smell is more complicated than we once thought. And it may explain why this annoying insect is so good at seeking you out at a barbecue or in your bedroom and biting you—as well as lead to new strategies to prevent the potentially deadly diseases transmitted by its bite.
Meg Younger, a neuroscientist at Boston University, is co-author of the study. She exhales(呼气)gently into one of the mosquito-filled cages. A waft of carbon dioxide blows across the insects, and they go wild. “And now, they’re looking fora target like the complex mixture of human body smell—a smell that’s attractive to the mosquitoes,” Younger explains.
In many parts of the world, this attraction isn’t merely an annoyance for humans. It’s a major health problem. Mosquitoes transmit diseases to humans. These diseases include dengue, Zika, chikungunya fever and malaria. The last disease alone causes over half a million deaths each year.
So scientists have attempted to break this attraction. But try as they might, the little mosquito has resisted. “They’re really good at what they do,” Younger says. Most of what we know about the neuroscience of smell comes from mice and fruit flies, where the wiring is fairly simple. Each neuron(神经元) in the nose has one kind of receptor(感受器) that detects a single kind of smell—say, a banana. And all the neurons with receptors for the banana smell connect to the same part of the brain. Younger and the others studied mosquito brains, where she found that each neuron has multiple receptors that can detect multiple smells.
This work could give researchers additional ways to battle the insects like developing traps that contain new smell mixtures that are more appealing than people.
“It’s an enormous study,” says Josefina del Marmol, a neurobiologist at the Harvard Medical School. She says there’s more work to be done to check. neuron by neuron, that each one actually responds to all the smells it has receptors for. But regarding the central finding, she says, “It really does change a lot about what we know of how insects perceive the world.”
1. Why does Younger exhale into a mosquito-filled cage?| A．To keep targeted mosquitoes alive. | B．To confuse the experimented mosquitoes. |
| C．To experiment on mosquitoes’ sense of smell. | D．To see if breath contributes to disease transmission. |
| A．They have a clearer smell mechanism. | B．They have more neurons to detect smells. |
| C．They have bigger brain parts focusing on smell. | D．They have more smell receptors in each neuron. |
| A．It may have found an ideal way to study insects. |
| B．It inspires new methods to prevent mosquito bites. |
| C．It proves the previous assumption about mosquitoes. |
| D．It sheds light on how mosquitoes transmit diseases. |
| A．It is a big step forward. | B．It has many weaknesses. |
| C．It is far from impressive. | D．It has a worldwide influence. |
6 . Mary Dickins had been a member of the audience at poetry nights before and knew “the poetry clap”. She made a polite tapping of fingers. But when she made her debut (首次演出) as a performer at the age of 62 at the legendary Bang Said the Gun night in south London, she said, “It was so wild — like nothing I had ever seen before.” The audience stamped their feet and shook shakers. “It felt transformative. I thought, ‘I’ve got to have more of this,’ ” Dickins said. Becoming a performance poet has given her a place on a stage of her own making.
All her life she has written, mostly without being seen or heard. Her mother died when she was nine, and, after she went into a care home at 13, Dickins’ writing stayed in notebooks. Really, she says, a lot of her adult life has been about getting over childhood shyness. At university — she studied education — she met her husband of 40 years, but in three years of seminars she did not say a word. Some of this results from her years at the children’s home. She says, “It gave me a sense of what it’s like to be excluded. I never fitted in anywhere.”
After she graduated, she discovered that she loved working with people with learning disabilities. She became an expert in inclusive education. “That was my niche (称心的职业),” she says. She published books and returned to the University of North London as a senior lecturer in early childhood studies.
Dickins now sees that in adulthood she has been giving herself permission to be silly. “The sillier I allow myself to be, the better the writing is,” she says. Her observations are humorous.
“Putting things into words and giving shape to your emotions is an important part of coming to terms with the things that happen in life,” she says.
Does she still feel like an outsider?
“I think I’ve made it into a virtue. I celebrate the fact that I don’t fit into a box. Finally! You have to wait till you’re 62 to feel confident!” she says. “But I have a sense of who I am and I'm proud of it. I wouldn’t be anyone else now — and it took me a long time to say that.”
1. How did Dickins feel about her debut?| A．Calm. | B．Awkward. | C．Stressed. | D．Encouraged. |
| A．Her immature writing style. | B．Her experience at the care home. |
| C．Her struggle with her university studies. | D．Her difficult relationship with her husband. |
| A．It makes her land a good job. | B．It sharpens her sense of humor. |
| C．It enables her to get on well with her life. | D．It helps her overcome her learning disabilities. |
| A．Mary Dickins’ New Start after 60 | B．Mary Dickins’ First Performance |
| C．Mary Dickins’ Troubled Writing Career | D．Mary Dickins’ Impact on Performance Poets |
7 . Typing.com is an online typing tutor for students of all ages. Typing.com’s proven curriculum helps students from beginners to advanced learners, focusing on technique, accuracy, and speed. The following are some frequently asked questions about typing on our website.
How long does it take to type without looking at the keyboard?An average student without learning differences will learn to touch type within eight to ten hours. They may be touch typing at a very slow speed (8-15 words per minute).
Is it bad to look at the keyboard when typing?Yes. Not only does it prevent you from practicing your fingering, but it also slows you down and makes you type less accurately. It's far more difficult to notice mistakes when you're not looking at the screen.
How do you get faster at typing?The most important technique to learn to type faster is touch typing. This is a technique based on developing muscle memory for your fingers.
How can I learn to type correctly?Focus on accuracy rather than speed. Use the entire keyboard correctly. Learn some keyboard shortcuts. Practice every day.
How do I increase my typing speed?Arrange your fingers properly. The most important step in improving your typing speed is ensuring that you place your fingers correctly on the keyboard. Rest the index finger (食指) of your left hand on the “F” key and the index finger of your right hand on the “J” key.
Is typing.com free?Typing.com is a free online typing tutor and digital literacy (读写能力) platform used by millions of students and education professionals around the world. We aim to provide valuable learning tools to as many school teachers and students as possible.
1. What do we know about typing.com?| A．It charges very little. | B．It is suitable for every student. |
| C．It helps to improve writing skills. | D．It can automatically correct typing errors. |
| A．Managers. | B．Salesmen. | C．Athletes. | D．Teachers. |
| A．To promote a typing website. | B．To share typing experience. |
| C．To correct typing mistakes. | D．To teach typing skills. |
1. 活动简介；
2. 你的感受。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My Volunteering Experience
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9 . Steve is James and John’s big brother. One day, when their mum left for work, James and John started crying. They didn’t want her to leave. Steve tried to stop them crying and said, “Let’s play hide-and-seek (捉迷藏). You hide and I’ll count to ten. Then I’ll try to find you.” Steve found James under a chair and John behind a door. They played over and over again. Each time, the two boys hid in the same places. Finally, Steve felt too bored with the game. “Let’s take the dog for a walk,” he said.
When Steve walked the dog, he found James and John were running in the street. He thought it was so dangerous. Then he had an idea. “Anyone who walks back to the house with me can have some snacks!” Steve shouted.
At home, the boys ate some cookies and got ready for a sleep. James and John wanted a story. Steve told them the story about the little red hen. When their mum returned home, she was pleased to find the three sleeping boys.
1. James and John started ________ when their mum left home.| A．crying | B．running | C．reading | D．sleeping |
| A．Because he was not good at it. |
| B．Because he didn’t know where to hide. |
| C．Because his brothers made the room dirty. |
| D．Because his brothers always hid in the same places. |
| A．Staying in the house | B．Shouting at Steve |
| C．Running in the street | D．Eating some snacks |
| A．Angry | B．Pleased | C．Afraid | D．Sad. |
I had spent the long winter months waking up each morning with the sun and birds. Each day began like the previous one: sneakers (运动鞋), headphones and stretching. The fresh air filled my lungs as I ran out the front door, greeted by the empty streets and sidewalks. The world became my own training ground. As I ran, I found peace in the rising sun. This boring time quickly became my favorite time of the day.
I was born into a “running family”. I lost count of how many marathons my dad had participated in, and I was pretty sure my mom traveled on foot more than she did by vehicle. My brother, Mike, followed in their footsteps by running when he could, and competed in at least 4 races throughout the year. Unlike him, I didn’t naturally fall into the running life.
“Running is the best thing for you. I don’t know how people can dislike it,” my dad questioned during many dinner conversations in grade school.
“You would be a fool not to join the track team, Colleen,” my mom suggested in her serious voice.
“Of course I will,” I replied while rolling my eyes. “What could be funner than running?”
After hundreds of practices and a handful of track meets later, I found myself agreeing with my parents and laughing at the idea that I once disagreed with them. The time had come when my dad finally asked the big question, which I had been nervous about for a while.
“So, the marathon is in November. What are we thinking?”
I felt my heart sink and speed up at the same time. Oh no, was I ready for this? The words suddenly came out before I could even fully process the question.
“Yeah, let’s do it!”
I couldn’t let him down. He had been waiting years for this experience. Finally, we spent hours training and bonding together until the big day came.
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。
It was at mile marker 20 when my legs began to lose feeling.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The finish line was finally in view.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
