When our youngest sister was born, my little brother Tom was six and I was eight. I had always been the “Big Sister” and he had always been “The Baby”.
Our sister’s arrival was a complete surprise to both of us. In those days no one worried much about sibling rivalry (兄弟姐妹间的较劲), and no “experts” told us how to deal with another child in the house. We had wise and loving grandpa and mom, however.
I was excited about the baby and loved to hold her and help care for her. Tom’s feelings were quite different! He just looked at her and left, preferring to spend the evening in his room. When I went to his room to talk to him and try to get him to play games with me, he just looked away. “Why did they have to get that baby?” Tom asked.
Later that night, Grandpa came over to see the new baby. As he held her, he said to Tom, “You know, she’s a lot like the baby lamb I’m raising on the bottle. I have to take care of her and feed her often, just the way your mom does with the baby.” Tom said, “I’d rather have the lamb.”
Grandpa heard and said, “Well, if you’d rather have a lamb, maybe we could trade your little sister for it. I’ll give you a day to think it over, and if you still want to trade tomorrow, we’ll do it.” I thought I saw him wink at Mom, but I knew I must have been mistaken because Grandpa never winked at anyone.
After Grandpa left, Mom read to Tom for a long while. Tom kept looking at the baby, and Mom asked him to hold our little sister while she went to the bathroom. When Mom came back. Tom was gently touching the baby’s smooth black hair, and as he held her hand, she took hold of his finger.
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。
“Mom, look! She’s holding my hand!” Tom smiled.
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“She’s a day older now. I think she’s worth five lambs now,” Tom said.
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3 . Nathan Smith is captain of Port Vale FC, and Tom Conlon has just signed for Oldham Athletic of the National League. These two football players, both 27, feel they have a responsibility to pass on lessons they learnt to the next generation.
They founded the Pro Level coaching school in 2021, offering free weekly classes at Keele University, in Staffordshire. To keep the academy run well, they then launched a charity to help children from all backgrounds and abilities get the most from the sport. They see the charity as an “antidote” to the football system, which has been heavily criticised for putting too much pressure on youngsters before many of them are thrown away. Although Nathan and Tom work with the abandoned players, trying to rebuild their confidence and love of the game, they stress that ability is not a criterion for attending the training.
They will provide some vital life lessons along the way, helping young people to overcome their shyness and become better communicators, and also support young players who have been rejected by professional clubs at an early age and feel football has little to offer them.
Tom said, “The sort of coaching shouldn’t just be for those who long to be the stars of the future-all children can benefit from the tactical (战术的), fitness and mentality work we do. Childhood has become increasingly challenging. We are looking to provide a place for all children to feel proud of who they are.”
“I want to offer them the same experience that’s helped shape the person I am now. And we see the children that we are coaching overcome their shyness and lack of confidence. You can see them growing as young people, developing relationship, becoming better communicators and socializing with others, “added Nathan.
Emily Cherry, director of the charity, said, “I’ve seen the boys coach and the difference it makes to the children. The kids benefit massively, and not just in terms of soccer skills.”
1. Why did Tom Conlon and Nathan Smith found the coaching school?| A．To raise money for children. | B．To hunt for professional coaches. |
| C．To train excellent football players. | D．To transform children through football. |
| A．Solution. | B．Addition. | C．Organisation. | D．Shelter |
| A．Soccer skills. | B．Free coaching | C．Life skills. | D．Physical fitness. |
| A．It becomes a hit. | B．It needs to be improved. |
| C．It makes much profit. | D．It makes much difference. |
Elsie watched her older brothers, Edward and Samuel, who were smiling while they held their spelling bee awards and stood at the front of the one-room schoolhouse.
The pale winter sun came through the window and washed the room in a soft light. Heat came from the wood-burning warming stove, and the little wooden schoolhouse was comfortable and warm despite the December weather.
The students could hear the rushing sound of the nearby stream flowing over the rocks. The air smelled salty from the sea, mixed with a sweet smell of fir trees.
Elsie smiled and clapped her hands with the other six students, but inside she felt a strange sadness. Every time she tried to be as good as Edward and Samuel she did not succeed.
She reached down to touch the ears of her puppy dog, Bear. He rewarded her with a stare of love, eyes shining against his thick dark fur.
“What is wrong with me?” her twelve-year-old heart asked her. She knew she was no longer a child. But she was not quite an adult either. Part of her felt and thought with childish ways. But she could tell another part of her mind was more like an adult.
“Congratulations, Edward and Samuel,” Jeanie, her teacher said. “You have been equally matched for the spelling bee champions.” “Those were difficult words. You both deserve to win.”
“When am I going to win something?” she thought. “Why is it always them?”
She felt small, forgotten and alone while the other kids went up to congratulate Edward, age 15, and Samuel, age 17.
She thought about her efforts to try to catch up to Edward and Samuel. Elsie wondered if she would ever be able to do what they did, and have her parents proud of her, too.
“Reading time,” said Jeanie. Elsie thought about the way her teacher taught the group, each person reading out loud for practice.
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:
Jeanie saw Elsie looking low in spirits and knew Elsie was a sensitive child.
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Paragraph 2:
Another Spelling Bee competition was coming and Elsie decided to try out for it.
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1.行程与见闻;
2.感受与收获。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Learning through, Traveling
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10 . Westminster is a day school in America for grades pre-first through 12, committed to creating an educational experience where bright, curious, motivated students can grow into leaders of responsibility.
JanTerm is an intensive, three-week course of study allowing upper grade students to focus on a single topic in great depth and at a faster pace. This learning experience offers unique, cross-disciplinary experiences in the classroom as well as off-campus field trips and opportunities for overnight travel.
In January 2023, 819 students chose from 43 courses including Food Chemistry &Global Perspectives, Sports Medicine, Storytelling Through Filmmaking, Literature &Ecology of Fly Fishing, Disaster Management, Innovations in Vehicle Design, and other options combining experiential learning across a variety of disciplines.
Each course participated in field trips as part of their curriculum, some within the Atlanta area and others throughout the United States and beyond. Altogether, students took more than 200 field trips to places like Florida’s coastal regions to study biodiversity, the Coca-Cola headquarters, and Broadway in New York City. Students met with famous leaders of Atlanta’s business and experts in a variety of fields. International JanTerm courses took students to countries like Czech Republic and Poland to learn about the Jewish experience from ancient times to present, and England to explore the country’s shifting landscapes. In addition, nearly 100 speakers presented to classes.
1. What is one feature of JanTerm?| A．It has over 200 classes. | B．It is a topic-focused course. |
| C．It organises a three-day trip. | D．It allows all students to attend. |
| A．Full scholarship. | B．Job opportunities. |
| C．Academic credits. | D．Learning resources. |
| A．A business magazine. | B．A book review. |
| C．An entertainment column. | D．An educational website. |
