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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2 . How to Make Friends at a New School
Starting with a new school can be difficult. Everything seems to be different, and you don’t even know where to go for your own classes.
Remember to be nice to the people you meet at your new school. If you think that you will say something that may make them feel sad, do not say anything and just nod your head if they talk to you. Also, remember to be as helpful as possible!
Believe in yourselfA smile goes a long way. When you walk in the halls, don’t keep your eyes on the floor. Raise your head and make eye contact with other people.
You like it when people use your name, and so do other people.
A.Be friendly to others. |
B.Making new friends can be hard, too. |
C.Join after-school activities like |
D.Never change what you are to try and fit in. |
E.If you see someone you know, smile or say “Hi”. |
F.People may become angry if you just begin by saying ”Hey“ each time. |
G.Don ‘t sit at the back of the classroom where other people don’t notice you! |
1.你对家庭的理解;
2.如何创造充满爱的家庭氛围。
注意:
1.写作词数应为80左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Hello, everyone.
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Thanks for listening.
4 . Family time is one of the most important times in a child’s life. My family and I spend a lot of time together, including having dinner together every night.
There have been many recent studies showing kids are “wilder” than they used to be.
I have noticed in old TV shows and my parents’ stories that not long ago sitting at the family dinner table was not a choice, but a must.
A.There are certainly many reasons for this. |
B.I did a little research on the “family table” idea. |
C.Children just watch TV and play computer games. |
D.It is important for parents to teach children how to behave. |
E.Nowadays, it seems harder for people to find time to be together. |
F.What’s more, they learn better behaviors during the time with their parents. |
G.We don’t watch television. Instead we sit down at the table to eat and discuss our days. |
Andy, a 15-year-old boy, and his mother Emily didn’t have much in life, living daily with just enough to eat three meals and pay the bills. Without his mother knowing, Andy had been saving up his pocket money for months to buy her a birthday present. He had collected a total of $25.
As a cleaner at a nearby park, Emily never took a bus, choosing to walk to and from work to save money. One day, Andy noticed that her mother came home wet to the skin. She told him her umbrella broke because of the strong wind and she wanted to get home in time to have dinner with him.
The following day, his mother woke up with a fever. “Mom, I’m sure you have to stay in bed today” Andy told her. “I’ll look after you. Here is your medicine,” he said, handing her a glass of water. Then, Andy left the house and walked towards the nearby supermarket to buy vegetables with which to cook some so up for his mother.
It occurred to him that his mother’s birthday was in a couple of days, so he decided to get his mother an umbrella first and spend the rest of his money on food.
“What is your strongest umbrella here, sir?” he asked the shop assistant. “I am looking for one that won’t break easily.” The man showed Andy a variety of umbrellas. Andy believed the purple one would be the best choice, his mother’s favorite color. It was $22. Andy almost jumped with joy! The boy was happy that he managed to lend his mom a hand by finding her something she really needed. Also, he even had some money to spare!
Stepping out of the shop with the gift and vegetables in his shopping bag, Andy realized it was starting to rain. He was running to a nearby bus stop to seek shelter with other people when he noticed an old lady walking slowly and struggling for a balance. It was pouring down. Without hesitation, he took the umbrella out of his bag and ran over.
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:
The old lady looked up and realized an umbrella was sheltering her from the rain.
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Paragraph 2:
Anxious about his sick mom, Andy rushed home, all over wet.
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1. What is the man doing?
A.Visiting a city. | B.Seeing the woman off. | C.Waiting for a friend. |
A.On the phone. | B.Face to face. | C.By e-mail. |
A.To share a project. | B.To do research. | C.To travel. |
7 . When Schauna Austin was 20 years old, she lost her husband in a car crash. Unable to raise a baby alone, she made a difficult decision during pregnancy — to place her baby for adoption. She gave birth to a child she named Riley, and held him for 72 hours straight. “It was perfect,” Austin said, holding her new baby. “I knew I would have him for a short time, so I made every minute count. I didn’t sleep for three days until the time came to let him go.”
Her Riley became another family’s Steven. Like most closed adoptions, a firewall went up between Austin and Steven’s new parents — no communication whatsoever. But that only lasted about a week. Adoptive mother Jennifer Schoebinger and her husband, Chris Schoebinger, said they had no interest in excluding the birth mother. “You know, you can’t have too many people loving you, right? Why couldn’t he be both of ours?” Chris Schoebinger said.
So, year after year, they sent Austin piles of pictures and bound books detailing Steven’s every major and minor milestones. The Schoebingers said they did this so that when Austin and their son were ready, they could pick up right where they left off. The two reunited when Steven was 7 years old. Austin taught him how to fish, and they have kept in contact ever since. Austin felt blessed beyond words, and Steven felt he got the best of both worlds.
Steven is now 26, married, and with a baby boy of his own. Much to the delight of Austin, he named the child Riley. “I think the lesson we learned is that sometimes we create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. And when we pull down those barriers, we really find love on the other side,” Chris Schorbinger said.
That love on the other side has continued to grow. The families spend Thanksgiving as one, and will of course be getting together again in the days ahead.
1. What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean?A.The less people love you, the better. |
B.There are too many people who care about you. |
C.Being loved by many people is desirable. |
D.It’s a burden to be cared about by too many people. |
A.Tolerant. | B.Grateful. | C.Uneasy. | D.Angry. |
A.They did not give birth to any children. |
B.They contacted Austin as soon as they took Steven in. |
C.They felt blessed beyond words when Austin taught Steven how to fish. |
D.They believed it better to get the biological mother involved. |
A.Biological parents are crucial to a child’s growth. |
B.People create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. |
C.Adoptive parents and biological parents should raise children together. |
D.Love is found when we pull down unnecessary barriers. |
8 . My daughter is out of the ordinary. Three years ago, halfway through college, my 22-year-old daughter dropped out and became a farmer in Vermont. Next stop was California, where she raised goats. Now she is in Costa Rica, where she manages a wellness retreat center. But I’ve learned to let go and accepted that her choices are not mine.
As I saw how my daughter had chosen to live her life, I thought hard about my own, especially the part about jumping off the set path. Over time my job had become less fulfilling. As I looked at what I wanted to accomplish in the last years of my working life, this wasn’t it. So I prepared carefully and left my job.
To celebrate my new freedom, my daughter and I had decided to meet in Arizona the week after my job ended. We went to the Shaman’s Cave. At the top of it, the road became narrow. I stepped on to the path behind my daughter and looked down at the canyon floor. I walked backward, my heart beating fast. Sitting down hard on a rock, I started to cry, the fear becoming more serious.
My daughter sat beside me, soothed me and promised not to leave my side. She sang quietly encouraging me to breathe deeply. Then, after sitting quietly for a while, I took my courage and followed her.
I know that my cry that day was less about the drop of the mountain and more about the drop I’d just made in my life. Leaving my job hit me at some point. Luckily, my daughter was there. From that day on, I saw my daughter in a new way. I began to learn to appreciate her.
1. What do we know about the author’s daughter?A.She performed badly at school. |
B.She quitted school in the middle of college. |
C.Her mother couldn’t understand her. |
D.She managed a wellness retreat center when in college. |
A.Protected. | B.Observed. | C.Refreshed. | D.Comforted. |
A.Her job failed to give her the sense of achievement. |
B.She followed her daughter’s footsteps. |
C.The pressure of her job made her depressed. |
D.She hoped to communicate with her daughter more. |
A.It made her regret leaving her job |
B.It gave her courage to face challenges. |
C.It caused her to see her daughter in a new perspective. |
D.It made her love her daughter more. |
9 . When I was little, I often helped my mother plant our family’s garden. In April, I would kneel by Mum’s side for hours, carefully digging holes and
When I grew up, I was unwilling to do any planting.
“Would you please help me with the planting today?” she asked, I mumbled (咕哝) something along the
I
As I listened to my mother tearfully tell Sara’s story, I realized the true
I won’t ever
A.packing | B.driving | C.pushing | D.directing |
A.Naturally | B.Surprisingly | C.Awkwardly | D.Obviously |
A.stopped | B.followed | C.grabbed | D.reminded |
A.roles | B.scenes | C.clues | D.lines |
A.turned around | B.slowed down | C.burned out | D.looked up |
A.peace | B.panic | C.puzzle | D.pain |
A.calm | B.noble | C.guilty | D.crazy |
A.thought | B.forgot | C.talked | D.inquired |
A.exposed | B.tied | C.lost | D.left |
A.perceiving | B.suffering | C.approaching | D.encountering |
A.seriously | B.proudly | C.bitterly | D.brokenly |
A.die out | B.run out | C.catch on | D.live on |
A.cost | B.style | C.power | D.test |
A.memories | B.wonders | C.prospects | D.services |
A.spend | B.miss | C.recall | D.waste |
My dad believed in new experiences!
I have to admit the examples from his youth fascinated me. He specialized in his adventures growing up in Omaha in the early 1900s. His brothers threw him into a lake to teach him to swim. His family kept a cow, which he led into the church at Christmas to give Baby Jesus milk at the age of four. On and on! He used those stories to urge me to fresh experiences.
One day he came home from work early and saw me watching a local TV show — Talent Sprouts, a daily con test for kids fourteen and under. It didn’t take Dad long to look me in the eye. “You should go on Talent Sprouts.” He added, “You can play ‘Ave Maria’ — an original by Schubert (舒伯特). Think of it — an unforgettable experience to be on TV as an eleven-year-old!”
I quailed (退缩). I didn’t want to. I was basically shy. But I knew it would be useless to argue, so I mailed my application with the required information. Days later, I received a notice about performance.
Dad was over the moon when I told him I had been assigned a day to perform less than two weeks away. Still, I had very little confidence in my talent. I did practice several times each day. However, I either skipped some beats or unable to grasp the rhythm well when practicing. I could never have played Schubert’s original perfectly, so I was increasingly uneasy about the coming performance.
When my Monday came, I took a bus to the TV station with my Dad. I checked in at the desk. The host of Talent Sprouts, and the musical director welcomed the participants and described the routine for us. Everything was fresh there. The crew in the auditorium pushed big cameras on wheels and adjusted lights. I waited on the seat and soon I was called.
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。
Para. 1
I went to the piano and began to play.
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Para. 2
Disappointed, I returned to my seat, where my dad was waiting for me.
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