1 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Harry’s reward

Harry didn’t want to learn to swim. He couldn’t figure out what the use of learning to swim was. But Harry’s parents believed it was a great pity for a healthy boy to be afraid of the wind and the sea.

“Everybody, especially every Englishman and boy, should know how to swim,” Papa had said. “There is never any knowing the use it may be of.”

“Isn’t it very hard to learn?” Harry asked.

“It takes some patience,” his father said. “But in three weeks or so, you should be able to swim fairly well, if you have a lesson every day.”

There was no escaping it, however. Papa, though very kind, was very firm, and once he said a thing, it had to be done. So with a rather white face, poor Harry set off every day for his swimming lesson. He was a quick and clever boy, and a strong boy, and his father knew this. After the initial fear was overcome, it went on better and faster than could have been expected. Two weeks later, Harry had the pleasure of hearing his father say to his mother, “He swims already very nearly as well as I do myself.”

Seacliff, the place at which the family was spending the summer, was not a fashionable watering place but a little village. There were a few gentlemen’s houses in the neighborhood, so that in fine weather merry groups met at the little sheltered bay among the rocks.

One day, Harry, having finished his own morning swim, set off to walk home at his ease. Suddenly a sound disturbed his pleasant thoughts. A carriage was rushing wildly along, coming nearer and nearer. The driver, Ann, stood upright in the carriage (马车), hitting the poor horse as if she were mad, while from time to time she screamed, “Help, help!”

“What is it?” screamed Harry too, as Ann passed. She would not stop, but she threw back some words through the wind. “My sister—Alice—is drowning (淹溺). Go to the village to fetch someone who can swim.”

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Harry ran back to the bathing place at once.

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There were plenty of hands to help carry them to land once they were within a safe distance; however, it was Harry who was the true hero.

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2 . Most Popular UK Destinations for a Staycation

Looking for a cheap stay cation to brighten up your winter? Here are the most popular destinations in the UK.

Blackpool

Whether you’re seeking the thrills of Blackpool Pleasure Beach or are keen to catch a glimpse of Blackpool Tower, the city’s most appealing attraction, the seaside town offers various amazing views. It’s no wonder the town has gained 980.8 million views on TikTok. With accommodation price £75 for a night, you’ll have a golden opportunity to enjoy Blackpool's Illuminations (彩灯) display and the Seaside Trail.

Searborough

North Yorkshire’s Scarborough sees 49,500 monthly searches and 686.4 million views on TikTok. One of the local highlights is the annual St Nicholas Fair. While a one-night stay in Scarborough costs £85, the town offers holiday-makers opportunities to experience ancient British culture at the 12th-century castle ruins.

Swansea

The Welsh town sees 27,100 monthly searches and has 622.4 million views on TikTok. Swansea’s Waterfront Wonderland brings with it the Alpine Village and various amusement attractions. Spending a night here costs just 10 pounds more than in Scarborough. But if you book a week earlier, you can get a 5 percent discount in total. With Cardiff only being an hour’s drive from Swansea, you have the perfect opportunity to catch a game of ice hockey.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth isn’t called Sunny Bournemouth for nothing, as holiday-makers can enjoy breathtaking views along the Jurassic Coast. With a World Heritage Site within its borders, it’s no surprise to see this town with the high number of views on TikTok (868.3 million). A one-night stay will cost you £105, giving you the perfect opportunity to get relaxed.

1. What is the most attractive in Blackpool?

A．Blackpool Pleasure Beach.	B．Blackpool Tower.
C．The Illuminations display.	D．The Seaside Trail.

2. How much will a tourist at least pay for a night in Swansea?

A．£ 70.

B．£ 85.

C．£ 85.75.

D．£ 90.25.

3. Which of the following has the second-highest number of views on TikTok?

A．Blackpool.

B．Swansea.

C．Scarborough.

D．Boumemouth.

3 . A great skill to have is the ability to solve problems effectively, specifically interpersonal and behavioral problems. In order to achieve this, you need to follow a few key requirements.     1    

First, you should understand “why” the problem exists.     2     If you know something about why the problem exists, you’ll have a better time to resolve the problem. Let’s take the example of a child who doesn’t want to come to school. Before you can reach a solution, it is important to find out why the child doesn’t want to come to school.

Once you have clearly identified the problem, you need to understand what you have control over and what don’t.     3     You may not control whether a child comes to school, but you are able to deal with the barrier to the child not wanting to attend school.

Don’t jump to conclusions. Once you have all of your information, analyze it carefully and look at it from various viewpoints. Be as objective as possible and don’t be quick to judge.     4     This is a time for you to use your critical thinking skills.

    5     How many options do you have? Are you sure? Which options seem reasonable? Have you weighed the pros and cons (事物的利与弊) of your options? Are there any limitations of your options? Are there any options better than others and why? Are there advantages and disadvantages you need to take into consideration?

A．Now determine your options for solutions.

B．Remain judgment-free as much as possible.

C．Ask yourself questions about what options you have.

D．That means figuring out the actual root cause of the problem.

E．Read on to find how to become a more effective problem solver.

F．The strategies in problem-solving are good lifelong skills to have.

G．Your efforts must be within the areas where you are in the driver’s seat.

4 . Writer Andrew Leland started losing his sight 20 years ago, when he was in high school, as a result of a progressive eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (色素性视网膜炎). His first experience of loss of sight happened temporarily at night, in which he was confused that everyone else seemed to see in the dark so much better than he did. Over the years, his disease has progressed gradually. He’s now legally blind, although he still has a narrow field of vision, which allows him to see about 6% of what a fully sighted person sees.

Leland analogized his vision to the view you might get by looking through a toilet paper tube or a keyhole. He said, “Imagine having that toilet paper tube tied to your head and trying to walk down the street; there’s a whole bunch of things you don’t see but that you really ought to, like dogs.”

In his new book, The Country of the Blind, Leland writes about losing his vision and preparing for blindness, how his condition impacts his identity, how the world sees him and his marriage, and something valuable he has learned.

He said he was not going to try to tell people that having vision was not an unbelievably useful thing for a human being for many reasons. When talking about the experience of being alive and being conscious, he referred to James Joyce — Joyce believed that he was only losing one world among many, and that vision was only a tiny part of experiences when he was going blind.

He thought if you looked at the things that blind people were capable of imagining, like John Milton writing Paradise Lost as a blind person, there was this unbelievable richness in humans’ consciousness that vision had nothing to do with. Other realms (领域) such as the mental and emotional realms were all so rich that they could also help unfold things on earth before you.

1. What do we know about Leland?

A．He went totally blind in high school.

B．He experienced night blindness at first.

C．He was born with a narrow field of vision.

D．He was aware of his condition throughout.

2. Which is closest in meaning to “analogized” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Connected.

B．Reduced.

C．Compared.

D．Exposed.

3. Why is James Joyce mentioned?

A．To help explain an opinion.

B．To stress the value of good vision.

C．To state his considerable influence.

D．To show the inconvenience of blindness.

4. What message is conveyed in the last paragraph?

A．Practice is the best teacher.

B．The blind have more vivid imagination.

C．Things are not set in concrete.

D．Vision is not the only window in the world.

5 . A heart-to-heart talk refers to an honest conversation between two people. When sharing a heart-to-heart talk, people will generally share innermost (内心最深处的) thoughts and feelings. This talk usually takes place without other people being present.     1     Some people also refer to this type of conversation as a heartfelt talk, or speaking from the heart. Here are tips on having a heart-to-heart talk.

Share personal stories.     2     When you share a personal story with someone, you put yourself out there in a brave way. Hopefully, the person will follow suit and be receptive to your sharing. Make sure that your disclosure (披露) is proper for the level of relationship you have with the other person. And remember not to push yourself too hard.     3    

Listen to understand. Being an active listener is important during a heartto-heart talk. When you actively listen to what another person is saying, he is more likely to open up.     4     Instead, try to listen to really understand what the other is trying to communicate.

    5     When you’re trying to get someone to open up and go deeper in conversation with you, you are expected to avoid questions that close off the discussion. For example, you might immediately start trying to learn the person’s likes and dislikes by asking “What’s your favorite color/food/season?” The problem with such a question is that it doesn’t promote (促进) a more detailed answer because it can be answered with only one word (e.g. “Purple. Pizza. Summer.”).

A．Raise questions actively.

B．Avoid close-ended questions.

C．Many times, you may listen to prepare an answer.

D．So it’s considered that the talk will be kept secret.

E．You should share what you feel comfortable sharing.

F．Self-disclosure opens the door to a deep conversation.

G．People find comfort in expressing unhappiness with others.

6 . I played on the high school basketball team. I played the ball before the game started, and then sat on the bench (长凳) cheering for guys who were actually going to play in the game. When we won, I hugged (拥抱) my teammates.

I enjoyed that. But I didn’t know how my dad felt about my role. I imagined it was hard for him. Dad was a gifted athlete. And my older brothers were sports stars at college. I was not sure how he felt about going to games to watch his son SIT. Still, Dad was always there in his suit and tie. After the game, he’d come up to me, smile, shake my hand and say “Good game!”, even though I did nothing to make the game good. It changed until the last game of the season.

It was a great day for our team — we were up by about 20 with two minutes left. The coach suddenly looked towards me and said, “Walker! You’re in!” The next two minutes seemed not real to me. I remember running up and down the field a few times. When someone started counting down the last seconds, my teammate passed the ball to me. I heard guys on the bench shouting “Shoot (投篮)!” as I faced the basket and shot. We won. But then I didn’t know what to do. I was unprepared for a time when I had hit a last second shot. Naturally, I looked for Dad. He was there, smiling at me as he always did.

Whether good times or bad, Dad was always there to smile, to support and to love. Now I’m in my 50s with a teenage basketball player in my family. I keep trying to be there, no matter what, because I know what it can mean.

1. What was the author’s role?

A．He was a green hand.	B．He gave players suggestions.
C．He was a fan of the basketball team.	D．He replaced those who couldn’t play.

2. How did the author feel after he scored?

A．Lost.

B．Tired.

C．Calm.

D．Encouraged.

3. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Sports-Loving Family	B．A Successful Basketball Match
C．Dad Always Being There	D．Dad Helping Me Succeed

7 . Creative is just a simple short word. However, creative thinking is the key to success, but how to think creatively? Here are tips you can try.

Think that all can be done. Be sure that we can do it for something we are working on.     1     Then replace it with expressions full of optimism, such as “I certainly can do it”.

    2    The pattern is marked by fears of conservative (保守的) thinking to accept changes, although the changes are advantages. Conservative way of thinking cuts the creative thinking.

Increase the quantity and quality of work.     3     Being satisfied means you have closed yourself to other jobs that can enrich the development of your thought. Accept another job, so we open ourselves to the new challenges that we’re required.

Improve the habit of asking. Asking questions is a sign that our minds are still “alive”.     4     An asking habit shouldn’t be considered that we do “not understand”.

Become a good listener. A good listener can listen to information from the outside.     5     Being a good listener means knowing any information coming into the mind. We’re required to think creatively so that we could respond as desired.

A．Don’t get satisfied quickly enough.

B．Look at things from a different view.

C．Remove conservative way of thinking.

D．With it we have many opportunities to think about what we hear.

E．By asking, we can show that we're trying to test our critic power.

F．Critical and creative thinking are the two most basic thinking skills.

G．Throw away your pessimistic expression like “I might be able to do it”.

8 . Tim Gjoraas doesn’t have much time left. However, there’s no ________ of supportive people in his corner.

Last year, Tim found out he had cancer. In the following months, his health ________ and then he got the news that he likely only has months left to live. He quickly retired from the Washington High School and decided to devote every moment to spending with his ________.

After ________ that he may not have much time left, Tim began taking steps to ensure his loved ones will be ________ . While he was catching up with Doug Rinken, a friend and retired teacher, Tim asked him to ________ his house next summer. He ________ that his wife Lisa has always wanted blue walls. Little did he know that the job would be finished much ________! One Saturday in September, Tim opened his doors to a(n) ________ sight. Doug had shown up with paint tools and about a dozen of Tim’s fellow teachers and friends.

This wasn’t the first time they had ________ him. After they heard about his disease, they organized fundraisers to help with his medical ________ . The project took less than a day ________ their efforts. Of course, it left a ________ mark on Tim. What a powerful act of kindness! No matter what happens, Tim ________ knows he and his family members will always hold a place in their community’s ________.

1.

A．record

B．evidence

C．shortage

D．indication

2.

A．recovered

B．maintained

C．improved

D．worsened

3.

A．friends

B．family

C．teachers

D．students

4.

A．accepting

B．announcing

C．proving

D．admitting

5.

A．caught up with

B．put up with

C．taken care of

D．kept away from

6.

A．rebuild

B． repaint

C．repair

D．reuse

7.

A．guessed

B．ignored

C．forgot

D．explained

8.

A．later

B．better

C．sooner

D．harder

9.

A．incredible

B．familiar

C．unavoidable

D．frightening

10.

A．got hold of

B．given way to

C．broken up with

D．come through for

11.

A．supplies

B．bills

C．facilities

D．problems

12.

A．as for

B．but for

C．thanks to

D．regardless of

13.

A．permanent

B．visible

C． primitive

D． fresh

14.

A．largely

B．simply

C．precisely

D．definitely.

15.

A．memory

B．heart

C． power

D． history

9 . You might have heard of the expression “a guilty pleasure”—maybe it’s the chocolate bar you buy on the way home from work, or the new clothes that you don’t really need.     1     . Perhaps we don’t feel we deserved it, or we don’t think it was a responsible way to spend our money. But should we feel like this? Do we really have to feel guilty about treating ourselves?

Perhaps not. Psychologists have suggested that buying things for yourself can make you feel better as it provides an opportunity to take control of your situation.    2     . It may be that as well as lifting your mood, when you buy a treat, you might just be looking after yourself.

Of course, there are also examples of people turning to destructive behaviour when faced with stressful circumstances. People might spend money that they don’t have or turn to dangerous addictions. Psychologist Leon Seltzer considers the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurturing.    3     , while self-nurturing is taking responsible decisions to satisfy our needs and take care of ourselves in ways that don’t have a significant impact.

    4    . So, many universities publish guides with advice for coping with exam stress. Reflecting the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurture, they recommend rewarding yourself for your efforts, doing things that you enjoy and are good at so that you can feel accomplishment.    5     . Thus, perhaps, as long as we make responsible decisions, we shouldn’t feel guilty about our guilty pleasures.

A．Exams are vital for students.

B．Self-indulgence can have negative consequences

C．The difference becomes evident when students manage exam pressure

D．They also recommend embracing activities that could dampen your spirits

E．Besides, you should avoid things that may make you feel worse afterwards

F．It comes from the idea that when we treat ourselves, it can sometimes leave us feeling guilty

G．It can give you social contact as well as a confidence boost from changes you make to your self-image

10 . After taking up a position in the community, he ________ (commit) himself to keeping the neighbourhood safe ever since.