I am not a gamer. I’ll be honest: video games and I don’t really see eye to eye, and I have no ambitions to become better. I never have the experience playing against my kids and winning. And that’s okay. Board games, on the other hand, are a different story. At least there, I stand a chance of victory.
One day, my 12-year-old son begged me to play a game with him. He held out a game controller and begged, “Just one game with me? You can use it to control the game through your movements.” His eyes were full of anticipation and I could see the excitement welling up within him. How could I possibly resist such a sincere and heartfelt request? “Just one game.” My son’s face lit up. In a matter of minutes, we were standing in our living room, virtually bowling away.
My son’s amusement at my lack of gaming skills was evident. I could see the struggle on his face as he fought to hold back his laughter. The game controller felt awkward and unfamiliar in my hand, but I did my best to copy my son’s movements and follow his lead. At one point, my son said, “No, Mom. You really have to put some force into it. Like this.” With that, he threw his arm back, stepped forward, and with plenty of force extended out his arm that was holding the controller. Instead of sending the virtual bowling ball flying, the controller went off his hand and broke the TV screen. The impact was immediate and destructive. The screen cracked, sending a crazy mosaic (马赛克) of colors dancing across its surface. It looked like something straight out of a dream.
The air stood still at that moment. The look on my son’s face was a funny mixture of horror, disbelief and guilt. He stayed absolutely frozen for a long moment. Then, slowly, he turned to me. “Mom...” with a weak smile, “Did I just... break the TV?”
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
Surprisingly, I wasn’t angry at all.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But my son insisted on keeping the broken TV.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . The Last Generation is an activist group in Germany, the name implying that our unsustainability will push us to extinction. To force their government into action, some of the group went on a month-long hunger strike in August 2021. It wasn’t a half-hearted effort: several ended up in hospital.
But I’d like to take the opposite framing. I think we have the opportunity to be the first generation that leaves the environment in a better state.
There are two kinds of optimism: complacent optimism and conditional optimism. Complacent optimism is the feeling of a child waiting for presents. Conditional optimism is the feeling of a child who is thinking about building a tree house, “If I get some wood and nails and persuade some other kids to help do the work, we can end up with something really cool.” The group actually did take bold action, yet I want to address the climate crisis from a different angle.
Yes, my framing seems hard to believe. I’ll explain why. Here I’m using the term “generation” loosely. I am from a generation that will be defined by our environmental problems. I was a child when climate change really began. I will see countries move from being almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels to being free of them. I will be 57 when governments hit the “2050 deadline” of reaching net-zero carbon emissions that so many have promised.
But, of course, there will be several generations involved in this project. There are a couple above me and a couple below me. And we all need to work together to achieve that.
For a conditional optimist, criticism is essential. We need to work through ideas to find the most promising ones. Most innovators have been optimists. But they were also strongly critical: no one would pick apart the ideas of Thomas Edison or Marie Curie more than they did themselves.
Don’t look away from the climate crisis that faces us. Let’s face up to it, not from a place of “damage control” but with a clear vision of the future we can build: one that not only stops warming in its tracks but builds a better world for us, all of us, and the species hat we share the planet with.
1. Why is The Last Generation introduced?| A．To blame them for their action. | B．To remind Germany of its duties. |
| C．To discuss the author’s perspective. | D．To demand urgent action from everyone. |
| A．Belief in kindness. | B．Passive expectation. |
| C．Brief satisfaction. | D．Love of presents. |
| A．Turn to. | B．Identify with. | C．Find fault with. | D．Make an assessment of. |
| A．Envision and engage. | B．Adapt and advance. |
| C．Inspire and Innovate. | D．Explore and expand. |
3 . Be a Beekeeper for a Day!
Learn about the fascinating world of honey bees in a way that few get to experience:
Your tour, led by a professional beekeeper, will include suiting up in protective gear, lighting a bee smoker, and getting up close with more than 100,000 bees.
Each tour is capped at 12 people, providing you an intimate experience of this fascinating species.
Guided tours include protective gear and select drinks.
At least one paid adult must accompany any children under the age of 18.
| Price | Starting at $35 Adult (Ages 13+): $50 Child (Ages 6-12): $35 |
| Time | Saturdays |
| Duration | 1.5 Hours |
| Place | Two Hives Honey Ranch |
Things to know:
Ensure you arrive a few minutes before your start time to sign waivers (豁免协议) and get signed in. Particularly for evening tours, it is important that we start on time so that we finish the tour before sunset.
Tours are weather dependent, so if the forecast calls for rain, please watch your email 24-48 hours before in case we need to cancel/reschedule.
What to bring:
We will have a variety of protective gear (beekeeping masks, gloves) for all of you. You will see that the bees are incredibly gentle and tame, but it’s better for everyone to enjoy their time and not feel worried about getting stung! Additionally, please adhere (遵守) to the below guidelines:
Closed-toe shoes that cover the ankle are required.
Wear long pants and a long sleeve top. Blue jeans are fine. Try to stick to lighter colors on top — button downs work great!
Choose clothing that is loose fitting — nothing especially tight! (Black yoga pants are NOT a good clothing choice.)
Avoid using materials that are hairy or made from sweater type materials.
Please avoid using any perfumes or heavily fragrant creams — the bees are not fans of our smells.
Finally, your tour guide may make his/her job look easy, but they work hard to ensure your bee experience is informative, fun, and most importantly, safe. If you enjoyed your time and the experience, a tip to show your appreciation for their work is not required but always appreciated.
1. What will you do during the tour?| A．Taste the honey from their hives. |
| B．Smoke bees out of their honeycomb. |
| C．Explore an active and living beehive. |
| D．Identify the bee queen and bee workers. |
| A．A cap. | B．A raincoat. |
| C．A beekeeping mask. | D．A pair of knee-high boots. |
| A．Put on a sweater. | B．Wear tight clothes. |
| C．Choose black yoga pants. | D．Give a tip to the guide. |
Hello everyone,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| A．Confused. | B．Worried. | C．Disappointed. |
| A．By plane. | B．By car. | C．By train. |
1. What does Linda do for plays and shows?
| A．She gives actors advice. |
| B．She assigns roles to actors. |
| C．She designs actors’ clothes. |
| A．The setting of the story. |
| B．The decoration of the stage. |
| C．The names of the characters. |
| A．The director. | B．The editor. | C．The photographer. |
| A．It pays very well. |
| B．It requires team effort. |
| C．It involves frequent travel. |
1. What caused the closure of Pittwater Road?
| A．A fallen tree. | B．A flooded river. | C．A car accident. |
| A．A police officer got hurt. |
| B．A passenger went missing. |
| C．The station roof was broken. |
| A．Drive at low speed. |
| B．Postpone their trips. |
| C．Follow traffic signs. |
| A．At the grocer’s. | B．At the tailor’s. | C．At the cleaner’s. |
1. What does Kevin think of abstract art?
| A．It has lasting artistic value. |
| B．It makes little sense to him. |
| C．It appeals mainly to children. |
| A．Hopefulness. | B．Nervousness. | C．Coldness. |
| A．Green. | B．Purple. | C．Red. |
| A．Attend an art class. |
| B．Visit an exhibition. |
| C．Buy an abstract painting. |
