1 . Which of your children is your favorite? Your response is probably “none of them.” What kind of parent would choose one child as his or her favorite? The truth might be surprising to you.

Years of research supports what many have suspected-most parents have a favorite child. Studies have explored reasons from birth order to gender (性别) and shared interests. Yet even with years of research that supports this idea, most parents tend to deny the fact that they have a favorite child. Even if there is no obvious parental favorite among siblings (兄弟姐妹), studies have shown that children often feel preferential treatment of their sibling by their parents. Favoritism often results in family conflicts and feelings of sadness among family members whether parents’ favoritism is real or only felt. Thus both the kids and their parents tend to be plagued by the favoritism.

The question isn’t whether or not you have a favorite child, since it’s pretty clear that many parents do. Typically, favoritism has little to do with loving one child more. It is more about how your personality resonates (产生共鸣) with one child’s personality more than the others’. Essentially, it’s a question of “like”. Still, why is it so hard for us to admit that one of our children might be our favorite? Some parents might worry about harming their children emotionally or psychologically. Some parents confuse liking one child’s personality with the love they show to each child. However, when recognizing that you might hold preferential feelings towards one child you are taking an important step towards creating a better relationship with all of your children.

Instead of denying the fact, you can reflect on how you relate to each of your children. Examining your feelings towards each of your children can provide a greater insight into your own personality and how you function in relationships -- and in fact, how you consider your children might reflect more about your thoughts and feelings of yourself than them. Increased awareness about your inner world can help you build and keep healthier relationships with your children.

1. How do most parents respond to the result of the research?

A．They’re quite concerned about it.	B．They’re unwilling to admit it.
C．They’re sensitive to it.	D．They’re regretful about it.

2. What does the underlined word “plagued” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Encouraged.

B．Troubled.

C．Separated.

D．Confused.

3. According to the passage, why do parents have a favorite child?

A．Because the child is worth more love.

B．Because the child has a good personality.

C．Because the child has more in common with them.

D．Because the child knows how to please them

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Is it OK to have a favorite child?

B．What kind of kids do parents prefer?

C．How can parents get along well with children?

D．Why do parents treat their kids differently?

2 . One thing my dad is good at is holding a grudge (怨恨). For most of my teen years, he didn’t ________ his younger brother, although they were at many family ________ together. I was never sure why my dad was so ________ with my uncle. But they spent many Christmases, Thanksgivings and Easter Sundays seated at the ________ end of the table.

When I was nineteen, I got a ________ in my college dorm (宿舍) that my dad was having serious medical problems. My mom ________ me up in the middle of the night so I could be there the next day when he was scheduled to move into a better hospital. That morning, as my mom and I arrived, ________, we saw my uncle standing beside my father’s bed.

My dad had had a brain aneurysm (动脉瘤) and ended up in hospital for quite a while. My uncle ________ with my mom and me the entire time. He ________ me to eat, making sure I actually ate something even though I had no appetite. He ________ my mom as she tried to stay strong for me. He ________ left our side once through the entire hard time.

Thankfully, my dad ________ eventually. It seemed like a wonder. The other wonder was my father’s new ________ with his brother. After that, my dad and his brother became very ________. It was incredible to watch them get to know each other again and become best friends. They always remind me of the importance of ________ and that all things are possible with love.

1.

A．hear from

B．speak to

C．agree with

D．think of

2.

A．conflicts

B．vacations

C．businesses

D．functions

3.

A．annoyed

B．familiar

C．impressed

D．honest

4.

A．far

B．opposite

C．lower

D．same

5.

A．letter

B．package

C．call

D．lesson

6.

A．picked

B．brought

C．pulled

D．cheered

7.

A．luckily

B．apparently

C．naturally

D．unbelievably

8.

A．argued

B．stayed

C．chatted

D．bargained

9.

A．forced

B．permitted

C．forbade

D．taught

10.

A．refused

B．blessed

C．supported

D．blamed

11.

A．ever

B．even

C．almost

D．never

12.

A．calmed down

B．started over

C．pulled through

D．turned up

13.

A．experience

B．relationship

C．discussion

D．conversation

14.

A．close

B．modest

C．mature

D．similar

15.

A．courage

B．confidence

C．patience

D．forgiveness

3 . 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。

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, which I knew deeply from my grandson. As a result of a rare disease, I lost most of my hair. Being hairless felt strange, I tried to cover my head. I experimented with each of my hats to find a proper covering. Unfortunately, they were all either too warm or too tight. It was really painful.

During the day, I usually put on a scarf at home. However, wore is away from the house. The wig certainly improved my appearance, but it wasn’t comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.

When my grandchildren visited me some months later, I wore my wig all the time. I put it on when I got up in the morning and didn’t take it off until bedtime. Since the piece looked similar to my natural hair, the kids weren’t aware of the difference.

All went well until my four-year-old granddaughter unexpectedly walked into my bedroom one morning. I was taking a shower and had temporarily placed my wig on top of a lampshade to keep it from flattening. My granddaughter saw the wig hanging over the lampshade and cried in terror (恐惧). She tore out of the room, sounding the alarm that something terrible had happened to her grandma. She grabbed her brother and dragged him back into my room to investigate.

Wondering what was happening outside, I walked out of the bathroom, with a bathrobe but nothing on my head. I couldn’t understand why my granddaughter was looking at me as if I were a monster (怪兽) from outer space.

She continued to stare at me in panic, as if wondering why this hairless creature was wearing her grandmother’s clothes. Where had her grandmother gone, and who was this strange person with the hairless head?

My grandson, who was seven and had heard about my disease, understood a few things about wigs. He tried to calm his sister, but she was still too upset to recognize me.

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。
I explained to her that the wig was fake hair.
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Several weeks after my grandchildren returned home, I received a small package.
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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。

Emily was a shy and quiet student in Greenfield High School. Emily was known for her quiet behavior and her love for literature, often found lost in the pages of a book during lunch breaks.

One day, as Emily walked through the hallway, she noticed a colorful poster announcing an upcoming English poetry competition. Her heart raced with excitement at the prospect of showcasing her talent, but her mind was immediately flooded with doubts. “What if my poem is not good enough? What if everyone laughs at me?”she thought to herself, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

As the days went by, Emily found herself caught between her desire to participate and her fear of failure. She talked with her best friend, Sarah, who had been by her side since they were little. She was known for her outgoing personality and her ability to make everyone feel included.

“You have a gift, Emily, ”Sarah said reassuringly, her blue eyes filled with encouragement. “Don’t let your fears hold you back. You never know what might happen unless you try. ”

With Sarah’s support, Emily decided to take a leap of faith and submit her poem for the competition. As the day of the event drew near, she felt a mix of nervousness and expectation. She spent hours perfecting her poem, carefully choosing each word and line to convey her emotions. She practiced her poem in front of the miror, trying to perfect her delivery and expression.

But despite her newfound confidence, Emily couldn’t shake off the feeling of doubt in her mind. These thoughts consumed her, making it difficult for her to focus on anything else.

It was during one of these moments of self-doubt that Sarah came to her rescue once again. “You’re an amazing writer, Emily, ”she said, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity. “Your poem is going to be incredible. Just believe in yourself. ”With Sarah’s words in her mind, Emily felt a renewed sense of determination.

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。
Paragraph 1:

On the day of the competition, Emily took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.   

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Paragraph 2:

In the end, Emily’s poem won first place.

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5 . 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。

As the afternoon sun bathed the local beach with its warm, golden rays, four-year-old William sat on the beach with a mix of expectation and confusion. His dad, Steven, sat by his side. They were waiting for William’s friends to arrive and celebrate his long-awaited birthday party. William’s wide eyes, filled with hope and happiness, stared at the shoreline, looking for familiar faces.

He kept asking his dad where everyone was, and Steven just told him “they’re coming soon, ”trying to ease his son’s growing impatience. But the longer they waited, the more hopeless William became. He was extremely disappointed when the two invited families called and said they couldn’t make it to the celebration because of unexpected situations.

Steven watched his son, who had been eagerly expecting his special day for what seemed like ages. This year, William had been more aware than ever of his upcoming birthday, asking throughout the month when his birthday was, eagerly expecting a good time.

Feeling a sense of guilt for his son’s disappointment, Steven decided to turn to social media for help. He posted a lovely picture of him and William on the beach. Their faces were filled with a mix of hope and disappointment. The sincere words with the picture read, “William would love some friends to play with on the beach. To celebrate his fourth birthday, he has Hot Wheels, sand toys, dinosaurs, and we have some snacks and drinks. Any and all welcome. ”

William’s wish for companionship produced a strong response from the local people. They flooded the post with messages of support, birthday wishes, and offers to join the celebration. They were determined to make William’s day special.

“Going there. See you soon, ”one warm-hearted local commented on the post, promising to bring her family along. The message aroused the same feeling from many others, who were quick to follow suit.

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。

Soon, the beach was filled with scenes of joy.

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After hours of laughter and games, the sun began to set.

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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。

Jeff and I had many conversations during the year, but I will always remember the time he told me about his family. His father, a successful physician, was cold and strict in Jeffs words. His father had even paved the way for Jeff to attend the same college from which he had graduated.

Jeff was twenty-seven and a successful business planner at a company — without a degree. His passion was skiing. When he graduated from high school, he decided to decline his father’s offer and, instead, to work with a ski patrol (滑雪巡逻队). With pain in his eyes, Jeff told me he still remembered the day when he told his father he was going to give up college and take a job at a ski resort.

Hearing Jeffs decision, his father looked off into the distance. Then came the words that still echoed in Jeff’s mind: “You lazy kid. No son of mine is going to work with a ski patrol and does not attend college. I should have known you’d never amount to anything!” The two had not spoken since that conversation.

Later, he was back in the area near where he grew up and he certainly did not want his father to know he was attending college. He was doing this for himself, not for his father. He said it over and over again. Jeff’s sister had always remained supportive of Jeffs decisions. She stayed in contact with their father, but Jeff had made her promise that she would not share any information about his life with him.

The day when the graduation ceremony came, I walked around talking to people before it started. I noticed a man with a confused expression.

“Excuse me,” he said as he politely approached me. “What is happening here today?”

“It’s graduation day,” I replied, smiling. “Well, that’s odd,” he said, “my daughter asked me to meet her at this address.” His eyes sparkled and he smiled. “Maybe she completed her associate’s degree and wanted to surprise me!”

I helped him find a seat.

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。

Paragraph 1: As I left him, he said, “Thank you. By the way, my name’s Dr. Holstrom.”

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Paragraph 2: Jeff was the last person to cross the stage.

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10 . The Healing Power of Music

Since Mom died and Dad lived alone, he was often angry, and lately he was getting more and more confusing. Today _______ to be worse than usual. He had a new aid named Linda, from our home country of Lithuania. The _______ of a stranger was bound to make Dad even more _______ .

Sure enough, Dad started _______ as soon as I got in the door. “This new girl doesn’t know anything,” he whispered with dissatisfaction.

“It’ll take some time for her to learn how to help you,” I _______ him.

The three of us sat _______ in the living room. I wished I could think of something to say. Lord, please help us feel more comfortable with this arrangement.

Linda _______ to her feet. Walking over to Dad’s record player, she _______ a Lithuanian folk record onto the turntable (转盘). The familiar accordion (手风琴) music played. Dad started _______ along to it. Liuda smiled.

The music seemed to drive all the ________ from the room. We chatted about Lithuania. It was one of the ________ visits Dad and I had ever had.

When I left, he hugged me good-bye and asked me to ________ old photos with him and Linda next time. ________ , I had a look at the old Dad, the man I’d always loved ________ time with.

I’d come to Dad’s house expecting the ________ . But with Linda’s help and a little music from the old country, I’d found what I would always love.

1.

A．promised

B．tended

C．planned

D．needed

2.

A．choice

B．presence

C．name

D．assistance

3.

A．absent-minded

B．ill-tempered

C．light-hearted

D．heart-struck

4.

A．shouting

B．warning

C．remarking

D．complaining

5.

A．advised

B．directed

C．comforted

D．informed

6.

A．impatiently

B．anxiously

C．awkwardly

D．boringly

7.

A．sprang

B．went

C．struggled

D．came

8.

A．threw

B．placed

C．grabbed

D．played

9.

A．laughing

B．singing

C．clapping

D．smiling

10.

A．tension

B．atmosphere

C．sound

D．warmth

11.

A．longest

B．strangest

C．nicest

D．rarest

12.

A．check out

B．hang on

C．get through

D．look at

13.

A．For a moment

B．At a time

C．By the way

D．On the whole

14.

A．treasuring

B．wasting

C．saving

D．spending

15.

A．best

B．commonest

C．worst

D．happiest