1 . We decided not to tell the kids. Marla knew that once our three daughters understood that their mother had been given 1,000 days to live and they’d start counting.
They would not be able to enjoy school, friends, their teams, or birthday parties. They’d be watching too closely how she looked, moved, acted, ate, or didn’t. Marla wanted her daughters to stay children: unburdened, confident that tomorrow would look like yesterday.
In 2009, Marla’s physician called to tell her that she had early-stage breast cancer. She was also BRCA-positive, meaning that she carried the gene for the disease, a troublesome marker. After several medical operations, she needed eight rounds of chemotherapy (化疗) to clear the cancer found in her lymph nodes.
Our kids were 8, 9, and 11 at the time, and though they understood then that she was undergoing treatment, we never told them the news. We soon learned from Memorial Sloan Kettering’s head of breast-cancer oncology: Marla had a triple-negative cancer cell, the most severe of them all. It is commonly referred to as “the breast-cancer death sentence”. This specialist outspokenly told her: “Go live your next 1,000 days in the best way you know how.”
Despite the sickness of chemotherapy, she went on running long distances, for her own mental fitness, and more importantly, so her kids would see her strong. I knew these miles were a wonder. Marla earned and survived a little more than 3,500 days instead of 1,000 since her initial diagnosis. In her lifetime, she celebrated 25 anniversaries, 57 children’s birthdays, three college acceptances, and two high-school graduations. But the next numbers make me numb: Zero college graduations. Zero weddings. Zero grandchildren.
Marla said to me at the hospital, “No glory days for us. We almost had the kids out of the house, and now you’re alone. I’m so sorry.” I replied, “Sorry about what? You made life worth living. When you kissed me, I melted. I admired your pureness, your power. You outran science. Thank you for taking me on your magic carpet. Rest easy, my one and only girlfriend.”
1. If the children were told about Marla’s illness, they would ________.| A．remain innocent | B．study harder | C．hang out with friends | D．live with burden |
| A．She continued sports activities. | B．She accepted it angrily. |
| C．She avoided social life. | D．She refused medical treatment. |
| A．Their precious memories. | B．Seriousness of her illness. |
| C．A mixed feeling of joy and regret. | D．Importance of family celebrations. |
| A．Life is not all roses. | B．Live life to the fullest. |
| C．Love overcomes thing. | D．Happiness takes no account of time. |
2 . In the old-fashioned town of Willowbrook, two friends named Emma and Liam shared an intimate bond. They were inseparable and spent every moment together, laughing, exploring, and creating unforgettable memories.
One cold winter morning, as the first snowflakes gently fell from the sky, Emma woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. She tried to brave it and get ready for school, but her body felt weak and achy. Unwillingly, she called Liam to let him know she couldn’t make it to school that day.
Liam was concerned when he heard the tiredness in Emma’s voice. “Don’t worry, Em. I’ll take care of everything at school for you,” he assured her. Feeling grateful for Liam’s understanding, Emma forced a smile and replied, “Thank you, Liam. You’re the best friend anyone could ask for.”
After school, Liam hurried to Emma’s house, carrying a meal he had prepared for her. He knocked on the door, and Emma’s mother welcomed him with a warm smile. “Oh, Liam, you’re such a thoughtful friend,” she said.
“I brought some soup and tea for Emma. I hope it will make her feel better,” Liam replied, some concern in his eyes. Entering Emma’s room, Liam found her curled up under a blanket, looking pale but relieved to see him. “Hey, I brought some comfort food to cheer you up,” he said, setting the food on her bedside table.
Emma’s eyes lit up, and she smiled weakly. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This means the world to me,” she whispered. Sitting by her side, Liam kept her company, chatting softly and making her laugh despite her illness. The warmth of their friendship enveloped the room, bringing a feeling of comfort to Emma’s tired soul.
As Emma regained her strength, she realized just how lucky she was to have a friend like Liam. His unwavering presence and kindness had made her recovery easier and brighter. Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, and from that moment on, they knew they would be there for each other through thick and thin.
1. What does the underlined word “intimate” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Satisfactory. | B．Informal. | C．Close. | D．Temporary. |
| A．It was too cold to go outside. | B．Liam failed to pick her up. |
| C．She was in a bad condition. | D．School was closed for the heavy snow. |
| A．Considerate and caring. | B．Brave but lazy. |
| C．Selfless and active. | D．Independent but stubborn. |
| A．Emma’s illness. | B．A precious friendship. |
| C．Liam’s company. | D．How to help a friend. |
3 . When Chandra saw his baby girl, Karunia, for the first time, he wept. But as he looked upon his little daughter’s face and hands, the dreams and hopes he had prayed for came
The girl’s fingers were formed together into a club (一团), where there had five
Neither Chandra nor Angelina had a good education and they
Early intervention and monthly
“She is our own flesh and blood, and we have to
| A．turning over | B．picking up | C．taking off | D．crashing down |
| A．perfect | B．strange | C．regular | D．close |
| A．ignores | B．affects | C．chooses | D．attacks |
| A．formal | B．ashamed | C．shaky | D．joyful |
| A．story | B．example | C．condition | D．danger |
| A．attempted | B．struggled | C．pretended | D．hesitated |
| A．specialized | B．unknown | C．direct | D．accurate |
| A．Obviously | B．Generally | C．Additionally | D．Gradually |
| A．broadened | B．replied | C．lessened | D．abandoned |
| A．medical | B．disabled | C．educational | D．mental |
| A．discover | B．access | C．count | D．list |
| A．ordered | B．refused | C．covered | D．calculated |
| A．mended | B．created | C．delayed | D．followed |
| A．mobility | B．behaviour | C．operation | D．connection |
| A．attend | B．train | C．teach | D．influence |
After little Julie lost her parents, she lived with Aunt Clara, who worked day and night to support her and her own daughter Mira. As the school prom (舞会) approached, both Julie and Mira dreamed of buying beautiful dresses for the occasion. However, Clara’s limited budget posed a challenge, as she could only afford one dress.
To determine who would receive the dress, Clara suggested the girls draw lots (抽签). Unfortunately, luck was not on Julie’s side, but she remained optimistic. “Don’t worry about me,” Julie smiled. “I’ll figure something out.”
Julie reached under her bed and pulled out a box containing money from Grandma. Grandma loved Julie and Mira very much. Every year, Grandma would send cash gifts to both of them. Julie had carefully saved her money and now had enough to buy a prom dress. With excitement and anticipation, she purchased a beautiful black dress, imagining being the prom queen at the prom.
The following Sunday morning, Aunt Clara left for work early. When Julie woke up, she was shocked that the dress she had hung over the nearby chair was gone! She looked out of the window and froze in horror at the sight of the family dog tearing it to pieces.
She screamed as she ran toward the dog. “What have you done to my dress?” Mira soon learned of the situation and rushed to help Julie to remove her dress caught between the dog’s teeth. However, it was already completely ruined and unable to be repaired. Julie felt heartbroken at the thought of not being able to afford another dress.
Lost and unsure of what to do, Julie went to her grandma’s house with the remains of her dress, seeking comfort and advice. When Grandma answered the door, Julie cried and said what had happened. Grandma comforted her and offered a glimmer of hope. “I can help you with your dress,” she smiled. “Follow me."
Grandma, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease (帕金森病),walked slowly and led Julie into the dining room. There, she removed the cover from her old sewing machine and instructed Julie to open the top drawer of the dresser, where an abundance of colorful cloth was stored.
Paragraph 1:Julie said, “But I’m afraid that you couldn’t sew anymore. You know, your hands.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Eventually, their joint efforts bore fruit, and they completed a new prom dress.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What do we know about the speakers?
| A．They are colleagues. |
| B．They are business partners. |
| C．They are former classmates. |
| A．On a train. | B．On a plane. | C．In an office. |
| A．Visit an exhibition. | B．Deal with business. | C．Conduct an interview. |
| A．Getting up early. | B．Meeting tons of people. | C．Balancing work and life. |
| A．Jenny’s workmates. | B．Jenny’s company. | C．Jenny’s stories. |
1. 成长与收获；
2. 表达感恩；
3. 继续努力。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| A．She is feeling unwell | B．She has to work overtime | C．She needs to look after Jake |
| A．John has too few dreams. |
| B．John doesn’t like dreaming. |
| C．John doesn’t put his ideas into practice. |
1. Why does the man think Charlie is the worst roommate?
| A．Charlie is unclean and noisy. |
| B．Charlie often argues with him. |
| C．Charlie doesn’t let him listen to music. |
| A．Try to get more sleep. | B．Buy some music CDs. | C．Talk to Charlie. |
