1 . My grandma passed away last week. My mum began the painful yet necessary task of sorting through her belongings.

“Is there anything you want from grandma’s flat?” Mum texted me.

“Her aloe (芦荟), please.” I required zero thinking time.

Sometime around 1975, Grandma, always believing good things would happen in the future, received this plant as a gift, which she appreciated and placed in her doorway. It came from the local butcher. Five years later, my mum married the butcher’s son and had me. Grandma revealed to me this particular plant was a living relationship between the two families. And so was I.

Recently, whenever we visited Grandma’s flat, I attempted to fix this concept in my children’s minds. “That was a gift your great-grandma bought your other great-grandma! It’s older than me!” Then my kids would nod and ask Grandma for a sweet.

Numerous times, Grandma gave me cuttings or clippings of the plant, hoping I might raise my own and continue the legend. Yet, every time, my new branch died with my awful gardening skills. But that didn’t used to matter, because I could turn to Grandma, who would wait and accept my disturbance without becoming upset. Then I got another clipping and tried again. But now I can’t. So, I decided that the plant will go and live with Ann, my mother-in-law, who is a genius with a greenhouse.

The plan is for Ann to keep hold of the original plant. In time, she can teach me how to deal with its cuttings properly, and then maybe one day I can settle the plant in my place.

In the meantime, Ann will allocate (分配) clippings among my relatives, as Grandma used to do. My wife’s two sisters, for example, are both better at tending plants than I am, so it is quite imaginable they, too, will offer cuttings of the plant to their partners, spreading this loving plant across my entire extended family.

1. Why did the author want his grandma’s aloe?

A．He wanted to pass it down to others.	B．He showed a preference for gardening.
C．He had a pleasant memory of the plant.	D．He received it as a gift from his grandma.

2. Which of the following best describes the author’s grandma?

A．Optimistic and patient.

B．Generous and helpful.

C．Honest and fashionable.

D．Humorous and skillful.

3. The author took the aloe to his mother-in-law to

A．display his skills in gardening	B．have the plant better cared for
C．announce his grandma’s death	D．protect the plant from dying out

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Aloe: my family bond	B．Aloe: a mysterious plant
C．Grandma: my life coach	D．Grandma: a lovely gardener

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。

Ryan lost his parents in an accident when he was only two. Since then, his grandma,Elsa, raised him alone, and tried to provide him with everything he needed.

When Ryan was 15, his grandma retired from her company. She had prepared much of her savings for Ryan’s college education, so she just took on a part-time job to cover the daily bills. However, Ryan disliked his grandma’s part-time job. She worked as a cleaning lady at a nearby park and he was afraid one of his classmates would see his grandma and think lowly of them.

One day,Ryan was chosen to act the lead role in a school play. All others acting in the play invited their families to the big opening night, but Ryan was too ashamed to invite his grandma. Unfortunately for him,EIsa saw the flyer (宣传单) of the play while she was cleaning Ryan’s room. That night, when having the dinner in the living room, she talked to Ryan about the flyer, saying she would love to attend.

“You won’t be attending, grandma,” he shouted. Hearing that, Elsa wanted to know why. Finally, Ryan broke, “It’s because I don’t want my friends to find out you’re a cleaning lady!“ Elsa was shocked. She was hurt, and couldn’t find the words to respond to her grandson. Instead, she silently went to her room and cried all night long.

Little did Ryan know — his grandma kept working because of him. If she had the choice, she would rather stay at home and enjoy her retirement, but she knew she had to make money so that Ryan could continue living comfortably. And although Elsa was sad about Ryan’s behavior, she continued working.

Elsa’s legs and back had been experiencing bad pains for long because of her work. And she just secretly took painkillers (止痛药)without telling Ryan about her illness. However, the terrible thing happened.One Sunday morning at home, she found herself unable to stand up.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.开头已给出。

Soon, Ryan found it and rushed her to the hospital.

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Ryan decided to say sorry to grandma.

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5 . “How sick is she, Tim?” When Sandy came to herself, she asked her husband. Then, she recalled the sound of the doctor’s whispered “Oh, no”, but she had been too ________ to demand an explanation.

Sandy was________ for a glimpse of her newborn daughter, but as she ________ the nursery entrance, she________ , fighting panic. There in the box lay a tiny baby girl attached to lots of tubes.

“Hydrocephalus (脑积水). Your baby has the________ case I’ve ever seen.” A doctor spoke to them. “She will have a ________ chance of survival. And even if we give her a(n) ________ , she will also be likely to die of brain infection after the surgery.”

Gently, Sandy stroked the baby’s fist. Surprisingly, she grabbed Sandy’s finger. Immediately Sandy felt something ________ her heart: this pitiful baby ________ to her. “It’s like she’s asking me to fight for her. I________ to believe that there’s no________ for my daughter,” she said. “I want the operation done.”

Outside the operating room, the couple waited ________. After what seemed a century, “The operation worked out well”, finally came the doctor’s voice, which________ the whole world.

After so many years, the eight-year-old girl still________ with some health problems, but she was no longer________. The previous year, she gave Sandy a hand-drawn Mother’s Day card with words, “I love your heart.”

1.

A．stressed

B．weak

C．angry

D．confused

2.

A．prepared

B．responsible

C．desperate

D．suitable

3.

A．searched

B．left

C．approached

D．withdrew

4.

A．wandered

B．relaxed

C．continued

D．trembled

5.

A．worst

B．first

C．best

D．last

6.

A．slim

B．good

C．fair

D．reasonable

7.

A．cure

B．operation

C．treatment

D．check

8.

A．interrupt

B．restrict

C．disturb

D．strike

9.

A．stuck

B．attended

C．belonged

D．referred

10.

A．choose

B．agree

C．attempt

D．refuse

11.

A．demand

B．consequence

C．challenge

D．future

12.

A．excitedly

B．cautiously

C．anxiously

D．patiently

13.

A．lit up

B．made up

C．knocked over

D．took over

14.

A．cooperated

B．struggled

C．competed

D．toyed

15.

A．in crisis

B．in charge

C．in shock

D．in need

6 . We desire to see beautiful birds fly high in the sky and soar close to the clouds. _________ to our expectations, sometimes they may be injured and unable to fly. Such was the _________ of a friend of mine several years ago.

Everything was going well for my friend, _________ a loving and long relationship with his wife. There didn’t seem to be anything that _________ them from soaring. Then it happened. His wife was diagnosed with cancer and underwent urgent _________ to control the cancerous growth, but the symptoms_________. Then came radiation, chemotherapy (化疗) and still there was little, if any, _________. All the while, they attempted to live as close to the normal as possible. But with the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy, there were more bad days than good ones as she was _________ to the hospital bed for her last days. Needless to say, the blow to him was beyond _________.

Over the next two years after her death, he __________ a new character — one which showed little __________ to soar. He would sit alone at home at night within the same walls where so much love had been shared.

This story does have a __________ending, however. At first, there were a few __________. But as time passed and with the constant __________ of his friends, my friend jumped into the air again slowly testing his wings.

We may all face times when we meet difficult challenges, but we should live to feel the wind blow through our feathers, not to be __________ by branches.

1.

A．Subject

B．Contrary

C．Devoted

D．Accustomed

2.

A．case

B．concern

C．detail

D．trend

3.

A．generally

B．especially

C．intently

D．actually

4.

A．prevented

B．saved

C．defended

D．prohibit

5.

A．examinations

B．instructions

C．experiments

D．operations

6.

A．disappeared

B．functioned

C．returned

D．adapted

7.

A．revolution

B．treatment

C．motivation

D．progress

8.

A．restricted

B．laid

C．attached

D．submitted

9.

A．reach

B．preparation

C．expression

D．recognition

10.

A．kept back

B．picked up

C．killed off

D．took on

11.

A．quality

B．will

C．mercy

D．hesitation

12.

A．pleasant

B．dramatic

C．debatable

D．ridiculous

13.

A．barriers

B．advances

C．conflicts

D．chances

14.

A．rescue

B．company

C．appreciation

D．reaction

15.

A．bothered

B．frightened

C．injured

D．stuck

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。续写的词数应为150左右。

The routine practice in the school band came to an end. Mark and Steven smiled at each other, happily talking about the weekend arrangements. Steven was putting his saxophone (萨克斯) into the case when he tripped over a shelf. Unfortunately, it fell and hit his saxophone. Clang! “Oh no!” Steven yelled.

Mark quickly picked up the saxophone, checked it and then handed it to Steven, who stood still, at a loss. Mark helped Steven put away all the things and comforted him with the thought that it was not a new saxophone. Anyway, it already had a lot of dents (凹痕).

“I know. But it’s my grandpa’s. He is visiting us this Sunday.” Steven lowered his head, upset.

Steven’s grandpa used to be a great saxophonist in the national band. When Steven was even a baby, his grandpa always played some famous tunes like “Edelweiss,” “Rivers of Babylon,” “Forever in love” for him.

Staring at Steven in confusion, Mark asked what was wrong. Steven sighed deeply and then showed his concern that whenever his grandpa came, he would ask Steven to play with his beloved saxophone. “Maybe he won’t notice the new dent or maybe he won’t care,” Mark said with a shrug (耸肩). “But what if Grandpa notices the dent? How is he going to react? And how shall I tell him about it?” replied Steven.

On the bus home, Steven thought about all the possibilities. To avoid playing the saxophone, he could pretend that he had a fever. Oh no! He didn’t like lying. He could get his baby brother, Joseph, to take all of Grandpa’s attention. Or, he could turn to mum for help...

When Sunday finally arrived, Steven still had no idea what he was going to do.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Steven would have been delighted to hear Grandpa’s praise, but actually he was not.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . When I was eight, I had a terrible stomachache at school. My teacher sent me to the office and called my mom to _________ me up. About five minutes later, I heard aloud car horn (喇叭) and it turned out later that my mom was _________ for the honking (按喇叭声). After being _________ that she had to come inside and sign me out, my mom came in wearing a housecoat and slippers. And I _________ myself right then I’d never _________ my children when I was a mother myself.

_________ , my mother appeared to kick the annoying behavior into high gear when I entered high school. Whenever I brought a friend home, she’d peek into my room and _________ to be on her way to get the laundry. “Oh, Elena, ” she’d say. “How are you? How’s your mom? ” At such moments I always thought when I was a mom, I’d respect my kids’ need for _________ and not interfere so much in their lives.

I had the best _________ not to turn into my mother. Then I had my own children, and __________ turning into your mother is sometimes__________ . When I was a kid, I didn’t understand my mother’s __________ , but now I do. My mother walked into my school in her sleepwear not to embarrass me out because I was in __________ , and that mattered more than anything else, just like I once ran into school wearing a __________ T-shirt when one of my children needed me. It’s not that she didn’t respect my need for space. She did. It’s just after taking care of me for so many years and watching me __________, she was letting go — just not as quickly as I was.

1.

A．fix

B．take

C．cheer

D．pick

2.

A．anxious

B．responsible

C．concerned

D．prepared

3.

A．proposed

B．ordered

C．informed

D．warned

4.

A．promised

B．convinced

C．urged

D．advised

5.

A．damage

B．embarrass

C．demand

D．frustrate

6.

A．Unexpectedly

B．Comfortingly

C．Unfortunately

D．Hopefully

7.

A．happen

B．decide

C．attempt

D．pretend

8.

A．entertainment

B．privacy

C．friendship

D．affection

9.

A．intentions

B．wishes

C．ambitions

D．beliefs

10.

A．agreed

B．admitted

C．discovered

D．accepted

11.

A．unavoidable

B．tough

C．automatic

D．abnormal

12.

A．struggles

B．attitudes

C．emotions

D．motivations

13.

A．control

B．danger

C．trouble

D．despair

14.

A．shabby

B．comfortable

C．noticeable

D．suitable

15.

A．stand up

B．grow up

C．build up

D．catch up

10 . I was surprised to learn the sleeping arrangements at the log home (木屋)we were sharing with my parents-in-law for the week — specifically that my young daughter had agreed to sleep in a first-floor bedroom by herself.

“I hope we can see a _________ or two this week!” my wife shouted, as we discussed the number of deer we had spotted on our way up to the log home.

At bedtime, my wife and I went to the upstairs room, and my parents-in-law _________ a bedroom on the first floor. My wife and I were about to fall asleep _________ our daughter appeared with a _________ look on her face. She said a bear was scratching at her window. I _________ it would be best if I slept downstairs and my daughter _________ the room with my wife. On my way down, I passed my father-in-law, asleep in front of the television. Only a couple of minutes in bed, I heard a tap... tap on the window. Something was _________ out there, but it wasn't a bear —_________ that's what I told myself

Some time later, I was _________ by a loud, low-pitched growl (低吼). I saw a large __________ in the doorway and __________ as it inched closer to me. I realized what it was — only after my father-in-law leaned in to give me a __________. I said in my deepest voice, "Dad, it's me." My father-in-law jumped back. We both laughed __________ at that moment, and I explained his granddaughter's bedroom __________. I told him that the only thing scarier than a bear attack was Papa Bear coming in to kiss me good-night. He smiled in __________.

1.

A．deer

B．bear

C．tiger

D．elephant

2.

A．laid out

B．touched on

C．headed for

D．adapted to

3.

A．while

B．before

C．after

D．when

4.

A．confused

B．worried

C．determined

D．excited

5.

A．decided

B．doubted

C．demanded

D．debated

6.

A．provided

B．impressed

C．presented

D．shared

7.

A．rather

B．just

C．indeed

D．already

8.

A．at least

B．at first

C．at last

D．at best

9.

A．choked

B．awakened

C．recalled

D．twisted

10.

A．picture

B．sign

C．character

D．figure

11.

A．froze

B．watched

C．screamed

D．discovered

12.

A．hug

B．smile

C．sigh

D．kiss

13.

A．awkwardly

B．pitifully

C．unwillingly

D．happily

14.

A．location

B．reservation

C．exchange

D．decoration

15.

A．disappointment

B．agreement

C．curiosity

D．anxiety