1 . When I was a little boy growing up, my Mom, Dad, brothers and I lived in my Nana’s old house. It was surrounded by four huge vegetable gardens. And around the house so many flowers were planted. It was so beautiful there in the spring and summer. That wasn’t all, though. On the back porch Nana had dozens of potted plants hanging on hooks. She watered them, talked to them and nurtured them. And in the winter she would carry them all inside and set them on shelves near the windows of our enclosed front porch. There with a little water and a lot of love she kept them alive, green, and growing even during the coldest, darkest months.

As a boy I was puzzled by all the effort she put into them. I understood the vegetable gardens. They helped to feed the family all winter long. I even understood the flowers around the house. They were pretty and smelled so sweet in the summer months. The reason she put so much effort into caring for those potted plants, however, eluded me. They didn’t give us any food and they rarely had any flowers on them. They remained a mystery to my child’s mind.

Now as I’ve grown older I am beginning to understand why my Nana had those potted plants. It is the same reason I have so many pictures of sunrises and forests hanging in my home. They remind me during the dark, cold, winter months full of bare trees and yellow grass that light, love, and growth still exist. They remind me that Spring will come again. They remind me that God loves us and is still with us even when the earth doesn’t show it.

Today I see Nana’s potted plants in a new light. They are worth every bit of the love and care she put into them. But what tells me most about light and love is Nana herself. She is light to my soul even in my darkest times. And her love lives on in my heart even if she is in Heaven. May we all learn to love as she loved, shine as she shined, and live as she lived.

1. Which of the following is close in meaning to the underlined word “eluded” in paragraph 2?

A．Upset.

B．Misguided.

C．Confused.

D．Distracted.

2. Why was Nana fond of potted plants?

A．They were a sign of hope.	B．They resembled sunrise and forests.
C．They constantly kept Nana company.	D．They were portable and easy to nurture.

3. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To advocate growing potted plants.	B．To sing the praise of Nana’s spirit and love.
C．To stress the benefits of a positive lifestyle.	D．To recall beautiful memories spent with Nana.

4. What’s the type of the passage?

A．A non-fiction.	B．A book review.
C．An agricultural leaflet.	D．A celebrity biography.

2 . The arrival of spring always means a trip to the bamboo forest for Kaitlyn Hennacy and her family, followed by an afternoon making bamboo buns (包子). This ________ started when Hennacy’s mother and grandmother discovered ________ bamboo growing near the University of Maryland, where her mom was studying in the early 1990s. Hennacy said her grandmother immigrated to the U.S. from Zhejiang, China, where she ________ cooking with bamboo often.

The trip to ________ bamboo usually happens in late April. Each person in the group has their own bag to ________ as they get each bamboo shoot out of the ground. However, no one picks more bamboo than Grandma. The entire ________ of picking the bamboo and making the buns reminds Hennacy of how ________ her grandma is — and it ________ her own work ethic. “She turned 80 this year and still hikes up a hill,” Hennacy said.

To make buns, the bamboo has to be cut into small pieces and ________ with other fillings. Hennacy learned how to make the buns by ________ her grandma, but she had to work to measure everything and write it down because her grandmother cooks from ________.

Hennacy said she and her family are ________ to have Grandma living with them. She ________ everyone’s favorite foods and routinely ________ healthy meals. “That’s how ________ a person she is.”

Hennacy said. “She shows her love through cooking.”

1.

A．season

B．journey

C．tradition

D．gathering

2.

A．wild

B．dried

C．cheap

D．tough

3.

A．dropped out

B．came back

C．moved on

D．grew up

4.

A．eat

B．buy

C．choose

D．collect

5.

A．grab

B．fill

C．carry

D．clean

6.

A．life

B．group

C．process

D．advantage

7.

A．nature-loving

B．hard-working

C．quick-thinking

D．food-enjoying

8.

A．honors

B．displays

C．inspires

D．highlights

9.

A．mixed

B．covered

C．paired

D．compared

10.

A．calling

B．visiting

C．serving

D．watching

11.

A．interest

B．memory

C．practice

D．imagination

12.

A．ready

B．fortunate

C．hopeful

D．eager

13.

A．knows

B．accepts

C．appreciates

D．respects

14.

A．wants

B．stores

C．orders

D．fixes

15.

A．caring

B．daring

C．demanding

D．promising

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。

Grandpa Dixon’s last grandson passed away from a rare disease. With all of his relatives gone, the man grew lonely as he entered his late 80s. His house was big and empty, and he often thought about his lost family. His grandson had lived with him after his parents passed away, and the old man loved him dearly. Grandpa Dixon took care of him in his final days, and he struggled to overcome the loss when he was gone. He even gave up his woodworking hobby.

With no one left to care for, the elderly man started looking towards his community, and he slowly got to know his neighbors. His one neighbor, Sarah, was always pleasant, and he discovered they had much in common. She was a single mother with no other family left. She didn’t have much, and she made a bed for her little Cherise in an empty drawer every night. So, when Grandpa Dixon found out about this, he gave her his late grandson’s old crib (婴儿床) that he had made himself.

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you! The woodwork is lovely, Grandpa Dixon. Where did you get it?” she asked when he showed up at her house with the crib.

He explained he had built it for his grandson before the boy was born. She gave him an impressed look, thanked him again, and the two carried the crib into her room. That night, baby Cherise slept very well, only waking up once. Sarah was so happy about the new crib that she showed it off to all her friends.

“My goodness, Sarah! Where did you find this?” they all wanted to know.

“Grandpa Dixon, the sweet man next door, showed up on my doorstep with it and said he had built it for his grandson. The poor man has no one left after his grandson passed away. I feel so bad for him. I wish there were something we could do.”

The story of Grandpa Dixon and his incredible crib spread through the community.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1: Soon people showed up at his front door, asking whether he would build them a crib as well.
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Paragraph 2: After a while, he made it his late career out of the hobby.
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5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How old is Jane?

A．21.

B．24.

C．25.

2. What is Beth?

A．A teacher.

B．A student

C．An engineer.

3. What can we know about Tina?

A．She has got a new job.

B．She loves playing the piano.

C．She will graduate this June.

4. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．The weather.

B．Their travel experiences.

C．Their family members.

6 . 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。

On the walk home from school, my friend, Cherry, happily said, “Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I’ve been saving up for the past month and plan to buy my mother the perfume (香水) she’s been wanting for so long.” Her excitement made me realize that I hadn’t prepared anything special yet. But I only had a little money left. I began to regret spending so much on snacks every day. “See you next week!” Cherry’s voice pulled me back to reality. We waved goodbye as she went into a perfume shop.

I continued walking along the road, carefully thinking about what gift I should choose. I planned to buy something like flowers or chocolate, but now it seemed like those were way too simple. Therefore, I pushed open the door to a mall (商场) and tried to find the perfect gift. The bright lights illuminated (照亮) the collection of various goods. I picked up a lipstick (口红) but immediately (立即) put it back after seeing its price. I could never afford that! Then I walked into another shop and saw a lovely cup. This cup, besides being beautiful, would also remind my mother to drink water. It’d be a wonderful gift. I picked it up and turned it over to see the price listed, hoping it was not too expensive. But once again, I couldn’t afford it even with all the money that I had. Feeling sad, I continued to wander around the shops. Time flew by quickly, and before I knew it, the sky began to darken, so I had to go home.

Since there was no time or money for me to pick out a gift, I decided to make a simple card. When I finished, the clock on my bedroom wall struck 11 p.m. I held up the card, examining its hardcover, handwritten letters, and the tiny pictures I’d drawn of my mom and me. It’s probably never going to compare to the expensive gifts that my friends bought for their mothers, I thought sadly.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Soon, morning came, and it was time to give my mother my handmade card.
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“I love this card!” My mother said excitedly.
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9 . 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。

By the time we reached the airport, my mother was angry. “We’re going to be late,”she said as she pulled into the newly opened parking area.

My husband David and I had come to pick up my oldest son, who had flown to spend theNew Year with the family. As always, Mom had insisted on driving us to the airport.

We picked a lane (车道) that didn’t look too busy. When our turn came, Mom rolled down her window to grab the parking ticket from the machine. We watched and waited for the gate to lift so we could drive through. Instead, we heard a voice,“Please take the ticket.”“Give me a minute,”Mom answered.

It’s a well-known fact that I often talk to myself. So does my mother. So at that time, Ididn’t think anything of my mother’s words.

The machine sounded again. “Please take the ticket.”

“I’m trying. I can’t reach it,”she said.

This time, my husband and I glanced at each other with our eyebrows raised. Certainly,Mom knew the voice was automated (自动化的) and not a real person speaking to her.

“Please take the ticket.”

“I’m trying. I’m trying. It’s too far away. Give me a minute.”

In fairness to my mother, automated machines had recently arrived in the world, and there weren’t many around yet. We had never run into one at the airport before. In the old days, the machine spit out a parking ticket, and if you couldn’t reach the ticket, you simply opened your door and grabbed it. Now, the new metal safety railings (护栏) on either side of the car made it impossible to open the door.

“Please take the ticket.”

“It’s too far. I’m trying. I’m trying.”

The traffic behind us grew impatient. I saw people trying to back their cars so they could find another lane. All the while, the machine continued,“Please take the ticket...”

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。

Mom was frustrated (沮丧的).

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I managed to reach for my mother’s safety belt and tried to unfasten (解开) it.

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