Emily White was born seventeen years ago with so many birth problems in her body. Some of her organs, bones and muscles were out of shape. No one expected her to survive. She did make it but with her strange body figure, everyone could recognize her, even from a distance.
In Emily White’s hometown, there was a yearly outdoor performance in the school auditorium (大礼堂). It had been performed for so many years and actually had become one of the most important events of the Christmas season for many of the town’s people.
Many people tried out each year for it, but so many were turned away. It can only include the most excellent people in the field.
Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens — her music teacher to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a look at Amy’s body and said, “Child, you just don’t fit. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”
Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.
This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Buttler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.
Emily didn’t want to be rejected again, so she hesitated a little about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Buttler called, “Emily, you’re next.” Although kind of nervous, Emily did as Mr. Buttler told her to do. Mr. Buttler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Buttler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.
Emily couldn’t sleep that night. She was suffering from the feelings that she didn’t fit and the great need to be accepted. By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain because of stress.
注意:续写词数应为150左右Paragraph 1: The next day, Emily nervously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Finally, the day of performance came.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . The Battista family of New York City was on vacation in Ocean City, Maryland when their 2-year-old Fisher went lost on July 4, 2020.
The Battistas immediately blanketed the area with missing posters, barraged (炮击) social media, and even got Fisher face-time on a local floating billboard (广告牌).
With no leads, the family decided to remain in the area for an extended stay. They hired a tracker and even consulted with an “animal communicator” in hopes of tapping into Fisher’s whereabouts (行踪) — all to no avail.
The family also set up a find-fisher Facebook page, which quickly gathered 8,000 followers, and launched an online fundraiser to raise awareness and help them in their efforts to bring their beloved fur baby home.
“Signs have been posted, and we’ve extended our stay in Ocean City and arranged to bring in a professional dog tracker, in addition to making continuous searching trips in a car, on foot, and on a bike,” Matthew Battista wrote.
On April 20, 2021, 290 days after Fisher made his unauthorized Independence Day exit, Baltimore City resident Wayne Horn was repairing his motorcycle when he noticed a stray (走失的) dog in the road. When a friend of Horn’s posted picture of the found dog to Facebook, the responses of “That’s Fisher!” came back faster than a boomerang (回旋镖).
Informed of the news, Elissa Battista recognized Fisher immediately. “From the moment I saw the photos I knew it was him from the markings and his little tongue sticking out,” she posted to Facebook.
The reunion was quickly arranged. The Battistas had some local friends pick him up from the Horns, and then Elissa made the five-hour trip to retrieve Fisher and bring him home. Apart from minor signs of possible frostbite (冻伤), Fisher was in excellent shape.
1. What was described in detail in the text?A.Battistas’ regret for losing their loved dog. |
B.Online responses to the Battistas’ request. |
C.Different comments on the touching story. |
D.Efforts made to search for the lost dog. |
A.Online viewers recognized its photos posted online. |
B.One of family members discovered it in the road. |
C.Wayne Horn sent it back shortly after he found it. |
D.A professional dog tracker brought it back soon. |
A.Break down. | B.Take apart. | C.Pay back. | D.Get back. |
A.Chance favors the prepared mind. | B.Loyalty always comes first. |
C.Never giving up pays off. | D.Misfortune may be an actual blessing. |
3 . Scientists don’t have all the answers to the question “How to Strengthen Your Immune System?”, but exercise, proper diet, and stress management can make you more recoverable at any age.
One aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that has kept us guessing since the early days is why some people who get the virus don’t suffer much and others become desperately ill. All the more, while the elderly have been particularly hard hit, some— even centenarians(百岁老人)— survive, whereas countless younger people, whose immune systems are supposed to be stronger, have succumbed to it. So what factors give some people a stronger immune system than others, regardless of age? What does it mean if, for example, your partner or child gets sick and you don’t, or vice versa?
We know that our immune systems slowly decline as we age. Doctors call it immunosenescence. It’s slow and insidious (在不知不觉之间加剧的). Think of a photo of yourself from ten years ago versus one taken this afternoon. “You see changes in your face, skin, and hair color,” says Insoo Kang, MD, director of allergy and immunology at the Yale School of Medicine. “It takes time. Same process with your immune system.”
The difference in rate of decline between individuals is one of science’s big mysteries. The immune system is complex, but most of us understand the basics: Our bodies detect an intrude— a virus, bacterium, parasite, or foreign object— and produce white blood cells to fight against the problem. How many of these cells you produce when you’re, say, 73 versus when you were 45 is the million-dollar question. And it’s at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, we won’t always be in a pandemic. But we can use this one to gain an understanding of how the immune system changes with age and how we might slow the decline and stay stronger in the future.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To state a fact in life. | B.To solve a problem. |
C.To introduce a topic. | D.To voice an opinion. |
A.Fought against. | B.dealt with. | C.Succeeded in. | D.Died of. |
A.By listing lots of numbers about it. | B.By comparing photos of different ages. |
C.By doing some physical research. | D.By making a comparison questionnaire. |
A.Immune System Declines with Age | B.Immune system and COVID-19 |
C.Slow the decline of Immune System | D.Stay stronger in the future |
4 . When I was a little girl, growing up in Anammosa, lowa, my favorite thing to do was read— same as today. So when I thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I figured I’d be a librarian. Our town librarian, Mrs. Tonne, was really important to me becoming me. The library had a two-book limit, but she knew I’d blow through those in just a few days, so she always let me check out a big stack. And when I was in fourth grade, our school librarian, Mrs. Ketelsen, sent some poems I’d written about dinosaurs to Highlights magazine. My first published writing!
At the University of Iowa, majoring in journalism, I quickly learned that I did not want to be a newspaper reporter. I’m shy about interviewing people, which amuses almost everyone who knows me and thinks I’m outgoing. (I am, but only with people I know! ) So I was thrilled when I was selected for a summer internship (实习岗位) at Reader’s Digest.
Ten years after that, I came back to RD to work as an editor. I’ve worked at other magazines too, but I’ve spent most of my career here, reading magazines, newspapers, websites, and books for stories we could condense; writing articles; even choosing jokes.
This issue seems like the perfect one to introduce myself to you all. “The Tractor War” takes me home to the Midwest. “Something to Sneeze At” reminds me of all the sneezing I did when I moved to New York City and was suddenly allergic to grasses and trees. “Pet Besties” makes me think about my cats, brothers Reggie and Smoky, who are sitting together at the windows as I write.
I relate to lots of our stories this month, and I hope you do too. Enjoy!
1. What was the author’s favorite thing to do, when she was young?A.Writing. | B.Reading. | C.Speaking. | D.Studying. |
A.Because she is confident enough. | B.Because she is a private person. |
C.Because she is outgoing to anyone. | D.Because she is always brave. |
A.An introduction to the author. | B.A comment on a current issue. |
C.A news report on a social problem. | D.An experience on Reader’s Digest. |
5 . Although Mark Twain is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers, the world-renowned author once indicated that he would have preferred to spend his life as a famous Mississippi riverboat pilot. Though the comment was probably not entirely serious, Twain so loved life on the river that as a young man, he did in fact work as a riverboat pilot for several years.
Twain, whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens, felt so closely tied to the Mississippi River that he even took his pen name, Mark Twain, from a river man’s call meaning “two fathoms deep.” When he was eleven, his father died, and he left school to become a printer’s apprentice. He worked as a printer in a number of different cities before deciding at age twenty-one to pursue a career as riverboat pilot.
When the Civil War closed traffic on the Mississippi, Twain went to Nevada. There he worked as a journalist and lecturer, developing the entertaining writing style that made him famous. In 1865, he published “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” which made Twain became an international celebrity. Following the publication of The Innocents Abroad, a successful book of humorous travel letters, Twain moved to Hartfort, Connecticut, where he was to make his home for the rest of his life. There he began using his past experiences as raw material for his books. He drew on his travels in the western mining region for Roughing It and turned his childhood experiences on the Mississippi into The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The latter title in particular so greatly influenced other writers that Ernest Hemingway praised it with these words.
“All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.”
Twain traveled widely throughout his career, and his adventures abroad were fuel for a number of books. After living in Europe for several years, he returned home with his family. Following the death of his wife and three of their four children, Twain’s writing depicted an increasingly pessimistic (悲观) view of society and human nature. His work, however, continued to display the same masterful command of language that had already established him as one of America’s finest fiction writers.
1. Why did Mark Twain prefer to be a riverboat pilot?A.He was paid well. | B.He loved life on the river. |
C.He missed the Mississippi River | D.His father wanted him to do the job. |
①An apprentice ②A printer ③A journalist ④A lecturer ⑤A riverboat pilot
A.①②⑤ | B.②③④ | C.②④⑤ | D.①②③④⑤ |
A.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. | B.Roughing It. |
C.Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. | D.The Innocents Abroad. |
A.Humorous. | B.Ridiculous. | C.Inspiring. | D.Negative. |
Caleb slipped his hand into mine as we stood on the bottom step of the staircase, watching the road. He was afraid. “Will she be nice?” asked the five-year-old softly, “will she sing, like mama did?” “She will.” I confirmed. But even papa didn’t sing anymore since mama died years ago. “Anna,” Caleb said, his voice low, “if you remember her songs, then I might remember her, too.” My eyes widened and tears came.
Sarah arrived that afternoon, tall and plain, wearing a bright yellow bonnet(软帽). She took Caleb’s hand, then mine, giving us some beautiful seashells. “Now we have some sea here.” she grinned. Then we walked through green grass fields that bloomed with India paint bush, red and orange, to home.
Sarah came from Maine, a faraway place by the sea, while we have vast plains and violent storm here. Sarah’s stew was tasty. She brushed my hair and tied it up with a rose ribbon. We picked flowers, hanging them from the ceiling in little bunches. “I’ve never seen this before,” said Sarah. “What is it called?” “Bride’s(新娘)bonnet,” I told her. Caleb smiled at the name.
The days grew longer. Papa taught Sarah how to ride his horse and drive his wagon(马车). When the housework was done, we sat in the meadow with Sarah, watching papa finish his job. His eyes shone when he smiled at her.
Sarah sang a song we had never heard, it was about the sea, blue and gray and green. “There are always things to miss, no matter where you are.” She smiled a sad smile, and then held us in arms. She promised to teach us how to sing and to paint the sea with real colored pencils.
“Will she leave us or stay and be our new mom?” Caleb secretly asked me, “I could be sick and make her stay.” I shook my head, upset with Caleb’s question, tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. But there was no time to cry, for suddenly papa called out from the barn “Caleb! Anna! Get inside!”
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段, 每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Looking up, we saw a huge cloud, horribly black, moving towards us over the north fields. “A storm!”
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Paragraph 2:
The next morning, we awoke to find Dad and Sarah out, thus feeling a bit worried.
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Troublesome Homework
I stared at the clock in despair as precious minutes ticked by. It was one o’clock in the morning but I still had a lot of homework to complete. I was completely exhausted but I still had to carry on. Giving a great yawn, I leant back against my chair and rubbed my dull eyes that were tearing. Letting out a long breath of sigh, I got up to get myself a glass of milk from the kitchen. As I walked past my brother’s bedroom, I saw that my elder brother Jerry was not yet asleep. An idea struck me.
“What? You’re still awake at this hour?” Jerry exclaimed in disbelief when I entered his room. Throwing myself on his bed, I poured out my homework and chattered to him. Jerry listened sympathetically. As I ended with a sigh, he nodded and fell silent. I hesitated in conveying my request, searching for the right words to begin. “What else are you left with?” he spoke up finally. “One English composition and a set of mock examination paper. I was wondering...” Before I could even finish my sentence, Jerry offered, “I’ll complete them for you. I’ll leave them on your study table when I am done.” “Thank you!” I sprang up in bed, overjoyed with gratitude.
With the weight on my shoulder lifted, I drifted off to sleep once my head hit the pillow. The next day, I overslept. Knowing that my brother would not fail me, I did not check through the work at all just sweeping the paper into my school bag, grabbing some bread and rushing to the bus station. Upon arriving at classroom before the bell rang, the class was in mess with the endless complain of the tough homework. I was secretly glad and walked to my seat at a brisk pace. When teachers asked us to hand in our work, I submitted them with self-satisfied confidence.
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。
However, just when the school day was about to end, I was called to the teachers’ office.
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Time dragging terribly, Mr Mackay remained quiet.
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1. 事情过程;
2. 你的感受;
3. 表达感谢。
注意:
1. 词数80左右;
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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On July 26, 2021, Team USA swimmer Katie Ledecky won the gold medal in the first-ever 1, 500-meter freestyle event for women, while the men’s event has been held
When the modern Olympics began in 1896, no women
In recent years, the IOC
10 . My nephew Tyden and I were playing at a local amusement center. It was the kind of
Tyden won top prize of tickets, so we went to
I needed to
He pulled the turtle out from behind his back and gave it to me. My eyes filled with tears and my heart
I held him tightly in my arms, and told him how much I
A.place | B.park | C.gift | D.shop |
A.borrow | B.make | C.select | D.deliver |
A.happy | B.boring | C.pleased | D.sad |
A.play | B.date | C.quarrel | D.meeting |
A.noticed | B.caught | C.got | D.fed |
A.center | B.turtle | C.store | D.showcase |
A.money | B.points | C.tickets | D.choice |
A.Unluckily | B.Happily | C.Surprisingly | D.Unexpectedly |
A.lose | B.win | C.offer | D.exchange |
A.found | B.companied | C.saw | D.left |
A.excited | B.frightened | C.annoyed | D.disappointed |
A.hurt | B.burst | C.stopped | D.broke |
A.story | B.play | C.conversation | D.question |
A.because of | B.instead of | C.more than | D.or rather |
A.thanked | B.admired | C.respected | D.loved |