I like staying overnight at my Gramma’s house — that is, until Gramma starts telling me how wonderful my cousin Maya is. Then it’s Maya this and Maya that until I don’t ever want to hear another word about her.
That’s why I wasn’t too excited when Gramma called me on the phone to “come on over and bring your pajamas.” When I got there, it was worse than I’d expected. There, in Grandpa’s big leather rocker, sat Maya, all dressed up and formal-looking and wearing fancy shoes as if she’d just been to a party.
“Surprise, Kristen!” Gramma said. “Your cousin Maya and her parents have traveled in from the East Coast on business. Maya gets to stay with us this afternoon.” Gramma chattered away about how excited she’d been for this surprise get-together, and how cousins ought to get to know each other better.
I hung my baseball cap in the closet and set my backpack by the stairway, all the time smiling and nodding as if I’d been waiting forever for this chance to spend an afternoon with Maya. Grandpa’s chair squawked (咯咯叫) as Maya rocked back and forth. It’s the chair I like best in the house, the one I usually sit in. I sat down on the sofa across from her.
Shortly, Gramma went off to the kitchen to “see about some lunch,” she’d said. That left me stuck in the living room with rocking Maya.
She was still small but taller than I’d remembered her from her last visit four years ago. She was good at small talk, though, and was chatting away about how nice it was to see me again. But I could tell that she didn’t really think so. The last time she was here, we’d had hours of fun together building caves out of Gramma’s sofa pillows.
After that, I’d heard about her only through Gramma’s tales. Maya taking piano lessons. Maya learning math. Maya, Maya, Maya. Now Maya was here, looking great with the latest haircut and a fancy dress.
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。
Glancing down at my jeans and my old sneakers, I wished I hadn’t come.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“How do you know all these things about me?” I asked.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My mom is a world class chef, at least in my eyes. She is capable of the most dangerous cooking crafts, ranging from southern to northern Chinese cuisine, spiced with some Western influences.
As her daughter, I felt it a responsibility to use this time living at home to learn a few family dishes. I grew up watching my mom spin in the kitchen and I dutifully ate all the remainders. It seemed that Chinese cuisine was full of flexible rules and the ways could be dangerous and thrilling. It’s about time that I should stir (搅动) my appetite for cooking and not just for eating.
I was starting to cook at the not－so－tender age of 18. I could actually pull off a few Western dishes in fashion. But Chinese food was a whole new scene. I stepped into the new world with some great fear. Ahead of me was a war of massive mission — cutting, frying, chopping. HOT OIL. BURNING. But at least I figured I might find some cooking genes.
We began with a simple but hearty Chinese noodle dish: the egg and tomato noodle with green onion. With my mom’s excited looks, I pulled over my apron (围裙). The beginning of the lesson started off smoothly enough. I washed the tomatoes with great expertise. I proceeded to wash the eggs.
It started getting heated when I was separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. It was quite depressing. It took a good 10 minutes before the mission was completed. The next step was beating the eggs with just a small amount of water. This wasn’t too bad. Even cutting up the tomatoes wasn’t too difficult.
The worst part was to come — the eggs frying in a pot. I’m deadly afraid of hot oil. I danced around nervously, waiting for the oil to get to the right temperature. “See if the oil is ready,” my mom asked. I gave her a question mark. She sighed in despair, “Go put your hand over the oil.”
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。
“You want me to dangerously drop my hand over the hot oil?” I repeated unbelievably.
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Eventually, I placed my “masterpiece” on the table.
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This Old Chair
“Mom! I’m home!” John slammed the door and dropped his books on a nearby chair.
“Hi, John, home already?” His mom turned around, “Spring is coming, and I am doing our annual spring cleaning. Come and help me, okay?”
“Okay, okay,” John agreed reluctantly.
They cleaned upstairs, downstairs, inside, outside, until everything was spotless. Exhausted, they sank into the couch. Wearily pointing to Pop-Pop’s chair, which was faded and worn, John’s mom exclaimed, “Oh my! That old chair has got to go. We’ll buy Pop-Pop a new one. Let’s take the chair to the curb (马路边缘). Tomorrow the garbage truck is picking up on our block.”
As they attempted to move the chair, Pop-Pop, John’s grandpa, who lived with them since Grandma had died, worked his way through the door. Seeing what was happening, he quickly blocked their way. “Oh, no!” he protested. “You can’t take my chair.”
“It’s old. . . It’s worn. . . . ” John’s mom argued, a slight edge to her voice.
“No,” Pop-Pop persisted, trying to push his chair back into place.
“But Pop, we’ll buy you a new one,” John’s mom tried to persuade the old man.
“I don’t want a new one,” Pop-Pop’s voice trembled.
“I give up.” John’s mom let go of the chair. “We’ll discuss it tonight when Matt gets home.”Matt, John’s dad, was still at work. With a sigh of relief, the old man sank into his chair and closed his eyes.
“Pop-Pop, why won’t you let us get rid of the chair?” John asked when his mother left the room. “It’s so old.”
“You don’t understand, John.” Pop-Pop shook his head and said, “I sat in this chair, with your grandma right here, when I asked her to marry me. It was so long ago, but when I sit in this chair and close my eyes I feel she is near.” The old man tenderly stroked the arm of the chair.
It’s amazing, John thought, how Pop-Pop can remember things from the past. In the present, he forgets almost everything. John sat down on the floor by Pop-Pop’s feet and listened as the old man went on.
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。
That night, however, John’s parents carried the chair out to the curb.
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After rescuing the chair from the garbage men, John rushed to find his mom.
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4 . “Leave her alone.” Hans Hubermann entered the fray (争吵). His gentle voice made its way in, as slipping through a crowd. “Leave her to me.” He moved closer and sat on the floor, against the wall. The floor was cold and unkind.
“You know how to roll a cigarette?” he asked her, and for the next hour or so, they sat in the rising pool of darkness, playing with the tobacco and the cigarette papers and Hans Hubermann smoking them.
When the hour was up, Liesel could roll a cigarette well. She still didn’t have a bath.
To most people, Hans Hubermann was barely visible. An un-special person. Certainly, his painting skills were excellent. His musical ability was better than average. Somehow, though, and I’m sure you’ve met people like this, he was able to appear as merely part of the background, even if he was standing at the front of a line. He was always just there. Not noticeable. Not important or particularly valuable.
The frustration of that appearance, as you can imagine, was completely misleading, let’s say. There definitely was value in him, and it did not go unnoticed by Liesel Meminger. (The human child — so much cleverer at times than the stupid adults.) She saw it immediately.
His manner.
The quiet air around him.
When he turned the light on in the small, humble washroom that night, Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father’s (养父) eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver. Like soft silver, melting. Liesel, upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot.
When Liesel finally had a bath, after two weeks of living on Himmel Street, Rosa gave her an enormous tight hug. Nearly choking her, she said, “It’s about time!”
After a few months, they were no longer Mr and Mrs Hubermann. With a few typical words, Rosa said, “Now listen, Liesel — from now on you call me Mama.” She thought a moment. “What did you call your real mother?”
Liesel answered quietly. “Also Mama.”
1. What might be the cause of the fray before Hans interrupted it?| A．Liesel refused to have a bath. |
| B．Liesel was annoyed by Rosa’s cooking. |
| C．Liesel wanted to learn how to roll a cigarette. |
| D．Liesel suffered from living with Hans and Rosa. |
| A．His musical ability. | B．His painting skills. |
| C．His being invisible. | D．His personal qualities. |
| A．Shy and thoughtful. | B．Sensitive and clever. |
| C．Naughty and tough. | D．Imaginative and easy-going. |
| A．Liesel started to call them Hanns and Rosa. |
| B．Liesel was sent back to her real parents. |
| C．Liesel adapted herself to the new family. |
| D．Liesel was used to Rosa’s strange manner. |
5 . Many years ago, I was living with my best friend and we had many happy moments together. But there was one night that
On the night of November 25, 2011, I got into a fistfight with my best friend in our kitchen. It all started because I was trying to help him. He was drinking a lot, arguing with everyone and
I thought alcohol
That Christmas my friend didn’t have any place to go, so I invited him home to my parents’ house in Lancaster. They
That year my friend and I both received gifts that we would
| A．defined | B．inspired | C．created | D．changed |
| A．defending | B．separating | C．protecting | D．locking |
| A．communication | B．investigation | C．exploration | D．promotion |
| A．put up | B．take away | C．break out | D．call off |
| A．talking | B．crying | C．fighting | D．laughing |
| A．access | B．addition | C．abuse | D．affection |
| A．look | B．break | C．drive | D．carry |
| A．time | B．holiday | C．gift | D．family |
| A．happily | B．generally | C．formally | D．hurriedly |
| A．awake | B．asleep | C．available | D．absorbed |
| A．generosity | B．curiosity | C．ability | D．creativity |
| A．admitted | B．realized | C．recognized | D．accepted |
| A．exchange | B．present | C．treasure | D．appreciate |
| A．day | B．test | C．skill | D．eye |
| A．kind | B．grateful | C．blessed | D．healthy |
“It’s been potatoes all week, mom! Can’t we go to the diner for a burger and an ice cream? That’s all I want for my birthday!” Eve’s 8-year-old son Dylan threw his arms around her shoulders, looking at her hopefully. In her hear, she wanted to throw Dylan the biggest birthday party ever, with balloons and a delicious cake with 8 beautiful candles on it. But in reality, Eve could afford none of that. After being let go from the third temporary job and paying the overdue bills, she didn’t have enough money left.
“Sorry, baby. I can’t afford meals...” Eve said sadly. Seeing tears in his mother’s eyes, Dylan quickly changed his tone (语气). He’d seen her struggling to make ends meet and couldn’t stand hurting her. “Actually, mom, that potato salad looks delicious! Can I have some more?” He asked her cheerfully.
After the humble meal, Eve did housework. Dylan took out an envelope hidden on his bookshelf. He’d secretly saved a few dollars from the lunch money his mom had given him over the past few years. He counted the money. “$28!” His eyes lit up. “I can get a good meal for c mom!”
Dylan slid out with the envelope and walked to the next block, where he saw exactly what he’d expected—the mobile food truck! He’d seen it a few times and wondered why the place was always crowded. He waited until the crowd waiting to buy food at the counter cleared away
“Sir! Please give me everything I can get for $28!” Dylan requested eagerly. But Martin, the owner of the food truck, replied, “Sorry, kid. We’re out of everything today!”
Disappointed, Dylan was seated on the sidewalk, mumbling(咕哝): “It’s my birthday, but I can’t even treat her to a nice meal. She does so much for me. I thought, for once, I would do something nice for her.” He kept talking out loud to himself, giving into his urge to cry.
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。
“Woah, happy birthday, boy!” Martin said, sitting down next to Dylan.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning, Eve woke up to a food truck outside her house.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This new little stepsister is getting on my nerves. She won’t stop talking. What was Dad trying to prove with this family vacation? We can’t instantly become the ideal family. I just became a teenager, and Christina is only 8 years old.
Dad and I finished putting up the large tent. Then I walked back to the car for my backpack, only to knock a pink one to the ground. Before I could pick it up, Christina appeared. “Why’d you throw my stuff on the ground?” she roared.
After lunch, Dad suggested I take Christina to see the sequoia pines (红杉松树), circling on the map where giant sequoias were.
I jammed the map into my pocket and then set off. When I glanced back at Christina, all I saw was a pink cap. I shook my head. Dad and my new stepmom were crazy if they thought we’d instantly bond. I was not ready to be a big brother.
As we walked the trail, the forest canopy (树冠) became thicker, blocking out direct sunlight, making the temperature drop slightly.
“You warm enough?” I asked. She nodded but didn’t look at me. I noticed her hands had got completely covered with the sap (汁液) of a plant. I took a hand wipe from my pack and wiped her hands.
Reaching a small hill, we climbed up it. Sunshine filled the meadow (草地) below. I could see the tops of sequoia pines popping out above the forest on the other side. I pointed them out excitedly to Christina and finally saw a smile light her face.
“Come on, Sean!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me down into the meadow. Then I saw it, sitting on a rock in the middle of the field: a brown-colored bear cub (幼熊). Cute as it seemed, I knew it was dangerous.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
I instructed Christina to stay close to me and hold my hand firmly.
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Keeping a tight hold on her hand, we walked on along the trail marked on our map.
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My stomach dropped as Mrs. Nelson said, “This is just a reminder that tomorrow is the Open Day!”
I hoped Mom to be free tomorrow so Dad would not have to come. What would people think of him? I put all negative thoughts aside with the determination that Mom would be able to come, and that was the end of it!
When arriving home, I walked in the kitchen and smelled fresh bread. It was one of Mom’s baking days! She greeted with her usual warmth, asking. “Well, hello there! How was your day?” “Nothing special. It was just another day,” I replied casually. Hearing this, her face showed her disappointment, but then here yes kept probing(探查) mine trying to read if I was being honest. It worked. She saw there was something on my mind. “Heidi, are you sure you have no news for me?” she continued.
I explained that tomorrow was the Open Day. And Dad was walking in the backdoor just in time to hear the news. I quickly asked Mom, “You are free, aren’t you?”
“Sorry dear, Ⅰ have made lots of arrangements for tomorrow. Maybe Dad will be willing to go.”
“Do you want me to come with you, Heidi?” Dad asked with a smile, “I would really love that!”
“Sure, Dad. That would be cool,” I said. But Dad really did not notice my lack of enthusiasm as his face brightened and he started talking about how much fun it was going to be.
I loved Dad’s optimism and enthusiasm. He had made life so exciting and adventurous for the family and I adored him for it. But would people see him the way I saw him? His thin body with practically bald(秃的) head was not exactly what my friends would consider a “cool dad”. Dad was also much older than most of my fiends’ parents. Their dads would be professional businessmen, doctors, dentists, or engineers. Dad was a draftsman(绘图员)and he worked in an office at home.
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。
Well, whether I liked it or not, the next morning came.
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When we arrived,we walked into my class.
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9 . My father was always able to cheer me on to complete any task. No matter what I
In my mid-twenties, still trying to
When my father called one day to invite me out for dinner, I almost
He asked why I looked so
Now, I’m still
| A．faced | B．expected | C．admitted | D．realized |
| A．heard | B．answered | C．doubted | D．repeated |
| A．give up | B．find out | C．pass down | D．clear away |
| A．clothes | B．jobs | C．hobbies | D．schools |
| A．happy | B．calm | C．short | D．popular |
| A．refused | B．interrupted | C．noticed | D．pardoned |
| A．eventually | B．directly | C．anxiously | D．naturally |
| A．quality | B．standard | C．opinion | D．goal |
| A．shy | B．down | C．energetic | D．frightened |
| A．poor | B．different | C．lonely | D．stupid |
| A．choice | B．luck | C．hope | D．patience |
| A．surprised | B．moved | C．nervous | D．careful |
| A．promises | B．schedules | C．possibilities | D．difficulties |
| A．giving away | B．searching for | C．thinking about | D．going through |
| A．Instead of | B．As for | C．Thanks to | D．Along with |
Daniel and Lucas are twins. They are teenagers, studying in the same class. Their teenage life is rich and colorful. Tony is their grandpa, whose age is 70 this year. The two grandsons like to take exercise with their grandpa and even go out on adventures.
In the summer of last year, they paid a visit to Stone Mountain Park with their grandpa. They had the opportunity to spend the day with their grandpa, seeing the various beautiful sights and attractions. One thing that three of them had really desired to do was climb to the top of the mountain. Stone Mountain isn’t a very high mountain and fortunately there are some walking routes to the top of it, but for the two teenagers, along with a rather old grandpa, it’s a difficult task.
Daniel and Lucas were much more interested in the walk than their grandpa, and they viewed it as an exciting adventure. But climbing the mountain was a rather big challenge for Tony, who was old and thin. He decided to start the slow walk up to the mountain.
It seemed like that Tony was taking forever to climb just a short distance, but considering his personal safety, he had to remind himself that it took him two steps to equal his grandsons’ one step. When he walked closer to his grandsons, he had to stop for a while to regain energy, and then tried to catch up with them, over and over again.
Tony was very tired. He just wanted to arrive at the top of the mountain as soon as possible to enjoy the beauty of the mountain top. But the twin grandsons were not focused at all on the trial of climbing the mountain. On the contrary, they were simply enjoying the journey of the walk. They enjoyed all that they had seen and all that they had heard along the way up to the top of the mountain. They stopped now and then to look at every large rock and observe the unusual plant formations. Suddenly, they found a strange plant. Daniel called out, “Grandpa, here is a special plant. Come and have a look.”
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。
Tony was hurrying towards his grandsons when he fell down.
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Daniel and Lucas wondered how to get their grandpa to the top of the mountain.
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