1 . Friends make life more rich and satisfying, and that’s for sure. But sometimes it can be hard to tell when you’ve crossed the line from “stranger” to “friend” with another person.
See if they have your back during hard times.
A true friend should be with you through the good, bad, and ugly. They should offer to help you however they can, and bring you back from the darkness into the light again. A true friend would never think of leaving you during a difficult time in your life.
Some people may pretend to be your friend, and they’d much rather see you fail or get into trouble.
| A．This happens occasionally, of course. |
| B．Decide if they help make you a better person. |
| C．Ask if they make time for you, even when they’re busy. |
| D．Friends won’t make it all about them in communication. |
| E．A fake friend will probably only stick around when things are going well. |
| F．Read on to find who’s a friend in your life by searching for some key factors. |
| G．Everyone makes mistakes, and your friend should be willing to accept that you’re no different. |
1. Where does the conversation most probably take place?
| A．In a police station. | B．In a school. | C．On the phone. |
| A．Two days. | B．A whole day. | C．The whole morning. |
| A．Red. | B．Blue. | C．White. |
1. Why does the pie the woman made look strange?
| A．She wanted to surprise her father. |
| B．She forgot to shape the pie properly. |
| C．She added a great many ingredients. |
| A．Put an egg on it. | B．Change its shape. | C．Beautify its top. |
| A．Father and daughter. | B．Brother and sister. | C．Customer and salesgirl. |
1. Who did the man meet while waiting for the woman?
| A．Norman. | B．Mr Pope. | C．Mrs Pope. |
| A．There is something wrong with his ears. |
| B．The woman speaks in a low voice. |
| C．It is too noisy nearby. |
1. Where is the woman’s garden?
| A．On her roof. | B．Behind the river. | C．In front of her house. |
| A．Her father. | B．Her neighbour. | C．Her cousin. |
6 . Courtney Rich is a mother of two, whose journey through the Big Cottonwood Marathon was a familiar marathoner’s battle. Her
Then, from the sidelines
As Avery
The onlookers
As they approached the finish line, the crowd’s applause grew louder, and Avery’s mother’s tiredness began to
| A．independance | B．courage | C．image | D．attraction |
| A．assistant | B．principle | C．determination | D．reputation |
| A．escaped | B．stretched | C．returned | D．emerged |
| A．disappointedly | B．instantly | C．regretfully | D．proudly |
| A．relieved | B．amused | C．worn | D．excited |
| A．reached | B．congratulated | C．challenged | D．moved |
| A．limited | B．significant | C．responsible | D．complicated |
| A．meant | B．missed | C．differed | D．repeated |
| A．chose | B．comforted | C．recognized | D．cheered |
| A．search | B．display | C．demand | D．condition |
| A．realize | B．predict | C．hope | D．explain |
| A．treat | B．visit | C．help | D．respect |
| A．practice | B．explore | C．match | D．provide |
| A．take over | B．flood in | C．die away | D．blow up |
| A．victorious | B．similar | C．painful | D．plain |
7 . With the rising cost of living, a growing number of adult children are moving back in with their parents. While lots of parents will enjoy the chance to spend more time with their grown-up children, having them move back in can also cause some problems.
Sit down and talk
While the situation is clearly hard for the parents, Counselling Directory member Octavia Landy advises them to take a step back. “
When things get heated, it can be easy to just storm off and not really hear each other out. But every effort needs to be made, on both sides, to properly listen. “As parents, you need a cool head,” suggests Landy. “Bring the conversation back to the matter at hand, and listen to your kids.”
Set clear boundaries (界限)
“Boundaries and communication lie at the heart of this difficult situation,” says Landy. “At the moment, it feels as if no boundaries will lead to a sense of anger on your part. Consider what your boundaries look like.
Ask yourself what you need to feel happy in your home
Landy suggests parents ask themselves what they need to feel happy and safe in their home—and the answer might be a difficult one to come to terms with. “It might mean that you need to ask your kids to leave,” she says. “
| A．So, what can parents do |
| B．Put everything in good order |
| C．Be prepared to listen patiently |
| D．Are they cheered by the news from home |
| E．You’d better set a proper time for a family meeting |
| F．Work together to set basic rules and a timeline to be reviewed |
| G．If you fear your kids get homeless, then address these fears directly |
When I was about four years old, I started washing my face on my own. However, I always ignored the area behind my ears on purpose though my mom would often remind me.
One summer, in July of that year, my mom drove me to my grandparents’ house for our annual summer holiday visit. When we arrived, I was told that Grandma had gone on a trip with her friends and wouldn’t be back for another two weeks. Feeling a bit down, I went to the yard to play while my mom and grandpa caught up on some things. Although I couldn’t hear their conversation clearly, I had a strong feeling they were talking about me based on their gestures and expressions. Later, my mom returned home, and she would come back to pick me up two months later.
After dinner that night, Grandpa asked me to take a bath before going to bed. Since I loved taking baths, I happily agreed. With the bathtub (浴缸) filled with water, Grandpa reminded me, “Just make sure you clean the area behind your ears really well. You wouldn’t want potatoes to start growing there, would you?”
“Potatoes?” I stopped in my tracks and turned back to look at him. “Yes, potatoes. If you don’t clean the dirt behind your ears, potatoes might actually sprout (发芽) and grow there,” he explained, causing my eyes to widen in surprise. “But I don’t have any potatoes behind my ears, Grandpa,” I said as I ran my fingers along the back of my ears. He took a quick glance and replied, “Oh, I see a couple of sprouts: starting right there!” He urged me to get into the bathtub immediately and scrub (擦洗) them away thoroughly.
I nodded, still in disbelief. This was the first time I had ever heard such a thing. Why hadn’t my parents warned me about this before? I wondered, but couldn’t find an answer. Nonetheless, I felt shocked by Grandpa’s warning.
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。
I hurried to jump into the bathtub, carefully scrubbing behind my ears.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“What are you looking at behind your ears?” Grandma asked me curiously.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With a wide smile on her face, 15-year-old Sirin eagerly rushed to her mom to show off her new painting. But Mom raised her eyebrows with eyes wide open, and spoke impatiently, “No time, baby. Right now I am busy with an important talk. Just wait for some time, OK?”
Holding her oil painting, she frowned (皱眉),and then searched for her dad. “Dad, see what I have done,” Sirin exclaimed cheerfully. Her dad turned around while adjusting his tie, grinned at her, and showed his thumbs up!
Immediately, Sirin replied angrily, “Dad, you haven’t seen it yet.”
He smiled at her saying, “No time, baby. I will see it later.” He just patted her back lovingly, kissed her forehead, and rushed for his office.
She was not a kid to be pleased with simple gesture or smile. She stood there for a few seconds, and then stormed off to her own bedroom. Hot air was blowing from her nostrils (鼻孔) ; her face turned into apple red. She threw the painting on the table, slammed the door and threw herself on her bed.
“Why is everybody so busy?” She recalled thousands of incidents that hurt her in preschool, middle school and even in high school too! She assumed at least her own family members would give some values to her thoughts, but they were no exception. Unconsciously, her eyes were filled with tears.
The knocking sound on the door put a sudden stop to her thought. Her mom was calling her for dinner. Sirin deliberately (故意地) came late to join them. She kept silent and didn’t look at anyone, scratching the table mat with her nail. Her mom was puzzled at the unusual behavior. Suddenly the morning incident came to mind. Softly, she asked, “ Honey, did I do anything wrong? ”
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。
At this very moment, Sirin could no longer resist her anger.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When back from school the next day, Sirin was surprised to see her beautifully-decorated paining on the wall.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the afternoon sun bathed the local beach with its warm, golden rays, four-year-old William sat on the beach with a mix of expectation and confusion. His dad, Steven, sat by his side. They were waiting for William’s friends to arrive and celebrate his long-awaited birthday party. William’s wide eyes, filled with hope and happiness, stared at the shoreline, looking for familiar faces.
He kept asking his dad where everyone was, and Steven just told him “they’re coming soon, ”trying to ease his son’s growing impatience. But the longer they waited, the more hopeless William became. He was extremely disappointed when the two invited families called and said they couldn’t make it to the celebration because of unexpected situations.
Steven watched his son, who had been eagerly expecting his special day for what seemed like ages. This year, William had been more aware than ever of his upcoming birthday, asking throughout the month when his birthday was, eagerly expecting a good time.
Feeling a sense of guilt for his son’s disappointment, Steven decided to turn to social media for help. He posted a lovely picture of him and William on the beach. Their faces were filled with a mix of hope and disappointment. The sincere words with the picture read, “William would love some friends to play with on the beach. To celebrate his fourth birthday, he has Hot Wheels, sand toys, dinosaurs, and we have some snacks and drinks. Any and all welcome. ”
William’s wish for companionship produced a strong response from the local people. They flooded the post with messages of support, birthday wishes, and offers to join the celebration. They were determined to make William’s day special.
“Going there. See you soon, ”one warm-hearted local commented on the post, promising to bring her family along. The message aroused the same feeling from many others, who were quick to follow suit.
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。
Soon, the beach was filled with scenes of joy.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After hours of laughter and games, the sun began to set.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
