2 . A friend and I were having lunch and I asked about her son who was getting professional help for some behavioral problems he was having. Our conversation went like this: “There’s a good change in his attitude. He’s staying out of trouble, but I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” she said. “It’s hard to trust him yet. He is doing things that he’s never done before, which is great. But I still need to supervise him just in case.”

I asked a couple of questions: “Have you told him how proud you are of how far he’s come? Have you thanked him for the things he’s now doing but never did in the past?” She said no. And because she’s a very bright woman she followed it up with: “I really need to say those things because I am proud of him and I am grateful for what he’s doing now. All I keep doing is looking at what he’s still doing wrong and getting on him about that. How’s he ever going to feel good about himself and continue to improve if I don’t acknowledge him for all his improvements and growth?”

“If I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, it will!” I just smiled and told her I loved her and that she’s a great mom. The conversation moved on to a new topic. It’s worth taking a look at your close relationships, especially with your kids and asking yourself: Do I spend too much time letting them know what they’re doing wrong? Do I ignore their efforts toward positive change? Do I still find ways to be unsatisfied with their behavior?

If you answer yes to any of those questions, you’re now the one who needs to do some changing. Never forget that people love to be acknowledged — not just for the big things but the little things, too. Appreciation and love are the driving force that keeps them wanting to do well and do something nice for others.

1. The author’s friend ______.

A．was already satisfied with her son’s behavior

B．was particular about her son’s attitude

C．was still worried about her son’s behavior

D．already fully believed in her son

2. The attitude the friend holds towards the author’s advice is ______.

A．favorable	B．negative
C．unconcerned	D．doubtful

3. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．If I keep waiting for kids to correct mistakes, they will.

B．If I keep waiting for kids to change positively, they will.

C．If I keep waiting for kids to wear the other shoe, they will.

D．If I keep waiting for kids to make mistakes, they will.

4. The motivations for kids to keep behaving well are ______.

A．direct rejection and scolding

B．proper affection and admiration

C．blind love and appreciation

D．strict requirements and standards

5. The best title for the text is ______.

A．A Dialogue Between Two Women

B．Are You Proud of Your Child?

C．Be Patient When You Are a Parent

D．One Major Thing Most Parents Forget to Do

3 . Karla Torres, a recent graduate of Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Boyle Heights, designed and created an 18th-century-inspired dress with the support of her mom to enter the yearly “Stuck at Prom” scholarship contest, sponsored by a trademarked brand of duct tape (强力胶带). The Los Angeles teen was named a finalist last week with the grand prize: a $ 10,000 scholarship.

In the beginning, Karla often spent hours online looking for clothing ideas or different styles. But it wasn't until a recent visit to the J. Paul Getty Museum — the only field trip she took in high school — that she found her inspiration from the 18th-century French paintings, featuring impressive, grand dresses.

“We’ve never made a dress, much less out of duct tape,” Karla said. “We didn’t know how much duct tape we needed. We were just doing it by trial and error.” In the end, the college-bound teen and her mom spent at least 120 hours, over many days, working on the dress, and used l4 rolls of tape.

“Tape is so tough and you can’t move it easily,” Karla said. “It was really challenging to make it all come together.” But the fashion-forward teenager overcame that challenge. Of more than 200 entries to the contest, Karla’s work was selected among the top five, judged for color, quality, originality, and the use of the brand tape.

While it’s Karla’s name officially in the contest, this whole process was more of a collective effort by her family. “It means a lot to me. The $ 10,000 prize would go a long way as I plan to attend a California State University school in August. I wouldn’t want my parents to struggle trying to find a way to pay for it,” Karla said. “It would really help my parents.”

1. What inspired Karla to create the dress?

A．Social media.

B．The encouragement of her mom.

C．Her visit to a museum.

D．The impact of other competitors.

2. How did Karla’s work stand out among the other entries in the contest?

A．It showed great skills and originality.

B．It copied the style of modern paintings.

C．It reflected a variety of fashionable ideas.

D．It used expensive and high-quality materials.

3. Why is winning the contest important for Karla?

A．It’s a recognition of her mom’s efforts.

B．It allows her to find a job in the fashion industry.

C．It ensures her admission into the California college.

D．It saves her parents from struggling to pay for her college.

4. Which of the following can best describe Karla?

A．Creative and considerate.

B．Humorous and hardworking.

C．Responsible and brave.

D．Kind and generous.

4 . 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。

It was a bright and sunny Saturday when Mr. Jones moved in next door. He is an old gentleman with thick-framed glasses and a wiry beard. I could see his many belongings: antique chests, a large and tattered (破败的) painting of a rainforest, and boxes and boxes of old books. The line of movers bringing items into the house was endless! However, there was one item that Mr. Jones refused to let the movers touch. It was covered in a red velvet cloth and he carefully carried it inside himself.

That night, I heard an odd noise coming from Mr. Jones’s house. It was such a strange noise that I could not sleep at all! To my astonishment and anxiety, every night the strange sound would come up. After much consideration, I decided to investigate this mystery. I wondered what on earth Mr. Jones was? What could this strange noise be? What could he be hiding? Many doubts always echoed in my mind.

The next day, to confirm my guess, I slid into his house. Mr. Jones had left the window of his basement unlocked and I crawled inside without permission. Making several attempts, I made it! I felt around the walls for a light switch and when I finally turned the light on, I was amazed!

The basement was like a museum. There were many exquisite jungles and animals’ models which were often seen in museums. On the bookshelf were some academic books about zoo animals. I also noticed some remaining corns in the corner. When I glanced at the table, there was a first-aid kit on it! Determined to find out the truth, I was making my way across the room when I heard that strange noise again, coming from upstairs! Nervously, I walked up the stairs as quietly as I could but then on the last step… the floor beneath my foot creaked (嘎吱作响)! I paused, hoping no one was home to hear me.

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。

Suddenly, the door opened and there stood Mr. Jones staring right at me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And then in the other room I saw it-a large cute parrot in a delicate gold cage!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 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。

Sarah had unspeakable pain because she had to raise her children alone. But over time, she changed too much, looking skinny in the mirror, with dark bags under her eyes. She knew she had to stop burning herself out before it was too late. So she emailed her manager that she was taking an urgent day off.

It had to be the best day ever. Sarah hated instant coffee but didn’t have time for anything else. But not now. Sarah placed her favorite coffee maker on the stove and walked to the kitchen windowsill, enjoying her company when her phone rang loudly from her bedroom. “Yes?” “Hello, Sarah! How are you doing?” “Natalie? Oh, my goodness! Is this really you?” …Natalie was Sarah’s friend, but they’d lost touch after Natalie and her husband moved to Europe. Unfortunately, Sarah got so carried away by the conversation that she completely forgot about her coffee on the stove. The weather turned harsh, and strong winds blew the window curtain toward the stove, causing it to catch fire. Sarah put the phone down immediately when she smelled something burning and the smoke caused her to cough.

Sarah’s house was reduced to a pile of charred wreckage (残骸). Her neighbors looked at her pityingly and offered to shelter her until she could find a place to live. But Sarah couldn’t take their favor. She knew no one wanted to see a swarm of children at home, especially in the current economy. Sarah and her children had been dragged to a shelter in the street.

A few months later, it was Sarah’s birthday. She decided to take her children out for a good lunch and then get back to her work. But they didn’t want to and had a strange request. They blindfolded (蒙住眼睛) her, guiding her out of the house. Sarah had no clue what her children had planned for her. She knew they were heading somewhere far from the homeless shelter since they were on a bus at some point.

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。

As Sarah did remove the blindfold, her hands went to her mouth in shock.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Her neighbors had actually built her a new home.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________