1 . Recently, my husband and three kids were playing in the Mediterranean, swimming and floating in the picture-perfect sea. It was extremely beautiful in Majorca, Spain. The way the sun danced across the water and how the blue horizon was dotted with storybook sailboats were such beautiful scenes. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.
My husband and I always dreamed about taking our kids on a trip around the world. It was something we always wanted to do “one day”. It was one of the things we talked at length about, when we imagined our life with the children we hoped we would have.
Fourteen years later, we had three boys who were growing up faster by the day. It was time to make good on those plans.
We spent dozens of hours discussing, researching and planning. We had to learn how to “road school” our kids and arrange time off from work. We renewed our passports, and then packed our bags. We showed our kids the world. It was about experiencing the dozens of flights and trains and taxis together. We showed them how wonderful, how diverse, and how amazing the world is. We wanted them to learn all that we had learned ourselves, through our own travels as young adults.
But there was something more than that: What we really wanted is to slow down time. We wanted the days to last a bit longer, and the weeks to take their time. The years with our children are going too fast. We wanted to put the brakes on (阻止) our busy lives for a year, and just be with our kids. We wanted a break from the daily morning routine of making lunches, eating breakfast and rushing out of the door in time for school. We needed a family time-out.
It was a wonderful two-month trip in Europe, full of incredible moments. And when we look back at our lives, I know we’ll be glad we did it. I know we’ll be happy that this is a chapter of the story of our family.
1. What was the author’s attitude toward the trip when planning it?| A．Worried. | B．Calm. | C．Stressed. | D．Eager. |
| A．Change. | B．Realize. | C．Improve. | D．Cancel. |
| A．To teach her children to value life. |
| B．To allow her children to see the world. |
| C．To enjoy a family breakaway from their life routine. |
| D．To enable her children to learn something out of class. |
| A．Tired. | B．Satisfied. | C．Inspired. | D．Disappointed. |
I had run away from home after finishing high school. My parents had insisted I go to college, but I was tired of school. I hated it. I was determined not to go. And, besides, my father was too strict. I had too many chores to do around the farm. I haled the work!
There had been a quarrel between my father and me. I threw some things into a bag and left angrily, as my father shouted after me, “If you leave, don’t come back!” My mother cried openly, and I had seen those tears during a hundred sleepless nights.
Then it was time to write a letter to my father.
Dear Dad,It’s been more than a year now. I’ve traveled east to west. I’ve had dozens of jobs. None of them amounted to very much. Always the same questions: “How much education have you got?” It seems they always want college men for the good jobs.
Dad, you and Mother were right about everything. I know now that the work on the farm didn’t hurt me, and I’m convinced I need college. I’m also convinced that both of you loved me.
Dad, I’ve learned a lesson. I want to come home. I know you said if I left, I couldn’t come back, but I’m praying you’ll change your mind. I want to come home and be a part of the family again.
Give my love to Mother and the girls.
Love,Your son
As I folded the letter and put it into an envelope, I felt a refreshing relief. It was as if a heavy load had been lifted from my shoulders. And I had to be on my way home.
I started down the desolate road—the long road home. Fortunately, a car picked me up, and it was good to have someone to talk with. The driver was a salesman and very pleasant.
“Where you going, boy?” he asked good-naturedly.
There was a long silence before I said, “Home.”
“Been away from home long?”
I smiled, a little self-conscious, and said, “One year, one month and two days.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Having heard my story, he expressed his support for my final decision and told me something surprising.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, I arrived home when. it was completely dark.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| A．Co-workers. | B．Husband and wife. | C．Driver and passenger. |
1. What is Mr. Arnold?
| A．A writer. | B．A travel agent. | C．A teacher. |
| A．One year ago. | B．Two years ago. | C．Ten years ago. |
| A．Sea animals. | B．The environment. | C．School education. |
| A．Introducing a book. | B．Making an ad. | C．Hosting a meeting. |
1. 充分利用时间学习；
2. 养成良好的生活习惯。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 邮件的开头和结尾已经给出，但是不计入总词数。
Dear Mike,
We haven’t seen each other for a long time. How is it going?
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Yours,
Li Hua
6 . My son Nile has left for university. Even Mother seldom
As a concerned mother who had little to do, I
Recently, our communicating way had another
“Thank you, my son, for all the interesting articles, though I feel confused about the change of our
| A．cares | B．leaves | C．appears | D．works |
| A．warm | B．quiet | C．dirty | D．distant |
| A．missed | B．visited | C．helped | D．contacted |
| A．turned down | B．spoke of | C．looked through | D．checked on |
| A．surprise | B．curiosity | C．admiration | D．anger |
| A．encourage | B．meet | C．impress | D．monitor |
| A．breakthrough | B．change | C．meaning | D．result |
| A．carefully | B．privately | C．secretly | D．repeatedly |
| A．strong | B．wonderful | C．familiar | D．mixed |
| A．noticed | B．believed | C．supposed | D．allowed |
| A．searching | B．considering | C．sharing | D．agreeing |
| A．hobbies | B．habits | C．attitudes | D．roles |
| A．description | B．instruction | C．expectation | D．introduction |
| A．open | B．energetic | C．knowledgeable | D．confident |
| A．talking | B．freeing | C．reminding | D．comforting |
An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year -old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) perched (栖息) on their window.
The father asked his son, “what is this?” The son replied, “It is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?” The son said, “Father , I have just now told you, it is a crow!”
After a little while, the old father again asked his son for the third time, “What is this?”
At this time some expression of irritation (恼怒) was felt in the son’s tone when he said to his father with a rebuff (生硬回绝) . “It’s a crow , a crow.” A little while later, the father again asked his son the fourth time, “ What is this?”
This time, the son shouted at his father, “ Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?’
A little while later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered (发皱的) diary, which he had maintained since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:
“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I did not at all feel annoyed but I rather felt love for my innocent son.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150词左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
Paragraph 1:
After reading the diary,
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Paragraph 2:
Feeling ashamed , the son got down on his knees before his father.
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Caught in a flood
Mary and her parents were downstairs in the living room. Mary was looking through the windows at the endless rain outside. It had been raining non-stop for three days. She had never seen a storm this bad. It was making her nervous. The wind roared the rain beat on the roof and windows. Dad was listening to a weather report on the radio, while Mum was putting their important documents and disaster supplies into a bag.
“Mum, Dad,” said Mary suddenly, “I think we should leave here right away!”
“No” said Dad. “It’s too late! The radio says the city has already been flooded.”
“We can drive our car through the floodwater! Let’s just leave! I’m really scared!” cried Mary. “We can’t do that, honey,” explained Mum, “otherwise the moving water could wash the caraway!”
Mary walked to the door. She was curious to see how much water there was outside.
“Don’t open the door!” shouted Mum and Dad at the same time. “The water may flood in!”
Dad moved the dinner table against the door, in case the floodwater forced the door open. Mum waved to Mary to sit on the sofa. “Mary, don’t worry. Everything’s going to be OK,” she said softly, trying her best to comfort Mary. Her voice was calm, but Mary could tell she was worried too.
Without saying a single word, Dad walked to the sofa, sat down and hugged his wife and daughter. The sudden silence in the house seemed to make the wind and rain more frightening outside. What could they do?
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答；
3.提示词汇；
Para 1: After a brief discussion, Mum and Dad made a decision.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Para 2: Finally, the rain stopped.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . Thanks to a generous and kind soul, this winter is not cold any more. A Stockton teen will make sure seniors are staying warm and unforgotten during the holiday season, because dozens of elders across the nation are getting socks for Christmas — they couldn’t be happier about it.
Elle Gianelli, 17, is a student in high school, but most of her friends are elders. She has been making colored socks with silly designs for years, sending them to seniors in nursing and care homes to brighten up their day.
It all started from the closer-than-close friendship she has with her grandmother, which taught the value of spending time with elders. “I’m a grandma’s girl, I love love love my nana,” Gianelli said. On putting forward the idea, she was supported by her family and friends. Later, she was encouraged by her teachers who started the project Socks for Seniors when she was in her 7th grade, and she has so far lighted up 92 care homes in 48 states.
But as Christmas approaches, she’s making efforts to prepare her surprise in order to send boxes of silly socks to elders in all 50 states in time for the big day. “I know most people have toys for babies and things for kids but they always seem to forget about elders,” Gianelli told CBS. “Maybe they don’t have family or maybe they live super far away and they’re only getting something like a postcard.” To make sure that elders’ toes and hearts remain warm this holiday season, Gianelli is hoping to raise $10,000 through GoFundMe for a big sock drive. So far, with still 19 days to go before Christmas, she has received 95% of her total in donations.
1. What’s elders’ feeling on getting the socks?| A．Overjoyed. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Confused. | D．Frightened. |
| A．Teachers’ guidance. | B．Christmas project. |
| C．Love for her grandma. | D．Encouragement from friends. |
| A．She also has toys and things for kids. | B．She will send socks to seniors in 48 states. |
| C．She still has 19 days to prepare the surprise. | D．She has raised $10,000 through GoFundMe. |
| A．Warm Gifts From a Teen. | B．The Wishes of the Elders. |
| C．A Special Relationship. | D．A Wonderful School Project. |
People from different generations often live and work together. Sometimes they’re happy being together, other times they’re not. One of the reasons for their unhappiness maybe a generation gap. A generation gap is the difference between two or more generations—not the differences between their years but the differences between the generations’ ideas, attitudes, and interests. Of course, people can have differences and still be happy together, but according to the experts, communication between the generations helps everyone get along.
Good communication between the generations starts in the family. These days many families are changing their communication style. They are moving from a “one-way” style to a “two-way” style of communication. To show this change, let’s compare two families:
The Smith family uses the “one-way” style of communication. Mr. and Mrs. Smith show interest in their children, but they don’t discuss problems of feelings. The parents make all the rules and decisions. They don’t ask for their children’s opinions. They explain their decisions to their children, but they don’t discuss them. The explanation is clear and the children understand. The communication goes one way: from the parents to the children.
The Jones family uses the “two-way” style of communication. Mr. and Mrs. Jones show interest in their children and ask for their opinions. They discuss problems and express their feelings. The family makes rules and decisions together after a discussion. The communication goes two ways: from parents to children and from children to parents.
Better communication between generations at home means better communication between generations at work and in the community. When people from different generations understand each other better, they learn from each other more. This helps them form stronger bonds, work together more easily. As a result, people of all ages can team up effectively and come up with new ideas in different parts of life.
1. What is a generation gap?2. Where does good communication between the generations begin?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
If Jack’ parents discuss with him where to spend their summer vacation, they use the “one-way” style of communication.
4. To bridge the generation gaps, what other suggestions would you make besides better communication? (In about 40 words)
