1 . As my kids and I walked around a community garden the other week, I asked them what veggies they could identify. We were in Alberta, where many plants were still in their early stages of growth — I wasn’t optimistic about what the kids would be able to name by leaves alone. However, they called out, “Tomatoes! Potatoes! Carrots!” Their answers made me even prouder than if they’d just explained some knowledge of physics. All the time we’ve spent in our home garden is actually sinking in.
Although I’ve been gardening for years, this year feels different. Spending time in the garden has helped me with my own well-being at a trying time, and it has given me a new way to connect with my kids when I’m running out of steam.
My garden is wild, full of life, and a bit messy. Honestly, the same goes for my kids — and I don’t expect perfection from them either. Unless you’re relying on your yield for money or food, it’s a good idea to have your expectations for gardening as low as possible. My kids say they “love the garden” but “don’t like gardening” — I think they mean they don’t like the chores. If I have some weeding or potting to do, I’ll also have some entertainment for them, which can be as simple as “find these 10 rocks” or “wet this plot with your water gun”.
Involving the kids in every stage of the process can be powerful and fun, even if what you have are just a few containers on a balcony. “Gardening allows us to spend free, unscheduled outdoor time with our kids,” writes journalist and author Shannon Brescher Shea in her book Growing Sustainable Together. “Let your kids lead the way. Invite them to participate in every step, from planting to harvesting, but don’t force it.”
One of the best things about gardens is the food, but frankly, my kids are not going to be pushing greens into their mouths any time soon. Finding uses for garden goods that go beyond food production can spark interest and supply you with some unexpectedly good results.
1. What can the author infer from her kids’ answers?| A．It’s worthwhile to spend time in her garden. |
| B．It’s great to witness her kids’ academic progress. |
| C．It’s necessary for kids to know common sense. |
| D．It’s difficult for kids to learn plants in early stages. |
| A．It is in a complete mess. | B．It has a rise in output. |
| C．It has been abandoned for long. | D．It goes as nature takes its course. |
| A．By giving rewards afterwards. | B．By giving more encouragement. |
| C．By adding recreational activities. | D．By asking them to have short breaks. |
| A．Teaching kids the power and fun of harvesting. |
| B．Encouraging kids’ active participation. |
| C．Allowing kids to observe every step carefully. |
| D．Setting an example for kids in doing gardening. |
| A．The woman’s babysitter. | B．The woman’s boss. | C．The woman’s child. |
A Panting Trout
Julia always enjoyed running through The Dark Walk towards the light at the end of it, which was a dark, damp tunnel of smooth branches. This year she had the extra joy of showing it to her small brother, Stephen, and of terrifying him as well as herself.
One day they found a hole on one side of the walk. Inside there was water, where they perceived (察觉、发现) a breathless trout (鳟鱼). They were both so thrilled that they were no longer afraid of the darkness as they bent down and peered at the fish panting (喘气) in his tiny prison, his silver stomach going up and down like an engine, otherwise he was motionless. Julia wondered what he ate and thought of his hunger. She found him a worm. But he ignored the food, and just went on panting. She bent over him, wondering how he had been here. All the winter, in the dark tunnel, all day, all night, floating around alone.
Nobody knew how the fish got here. Her mother suggested that a bird had carried it here. Her father thought that in the winter a small stream might have carried it down there as a baby, and it had been safe until summer came and the water began to dry up.
Before going to bed, Stephen asked his mummy to tell him a story as usual, while Julia lay in her bed, not interested in it. That night mom told a story about a trapped little fish. “And so, in the end, the naughty fish got bigger and bigger, and the water got less and less…Then a Fairy Godmother appeared…”
Passionately, she turned around and cried, “Mummy, don’t make it a horrible old story.” Staring at the moon she knew there was no such thing as a fairy and that actually the trout, down in the tunnel, was panting for his life:
She sat up in the silent night and Stephen was sound asleep.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Julia poured the trout out of the pot into the river.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 . Of all relationships, the parent-child relationship is perhaps the purest.
Give them your time. No matter how busy you are with your life, try to make some time for your parents.
Put yourself in their shoes. Whenever your parents say something that contradicts (与……矛盾) your opinion, try not to simply agree with them.
Try not to raise your voice at them. These will be times when you disagree with your parents. It is okay to try to help them understand your point of view. However, raising your voice is never a great idea, as it will leave your parents feeling hurt.
Be open with them. As children, we tend to share every detail of our lives with our parents, but as we grow up, we filter out certain things from them. Try to be as honest as possible and let them take part in the most important aspects of your life.
| A．Call them every day. |
| B．Lend a hand with household chores. |
| C．If the gap is too big, you will become a stranger. |
| D．Accept the generation gap between you and them. |
| E．Parents often feel lonely once kids go away to college. |
| F．Let them know you want them to be a part of your life. |
| G．It is also the one that goes through several transformations, good or bad. |
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。续写的词数应为150左右。
Miguel opened the door to his grandpa’s shoe shop. Grandpa was drawing a customer’s foot onto a piece of paper. He didn’t look up. Miguel sat down. He looked at the cut leather, hammer (锤子) and pliers (钳子).
The tools reminded Miguel of something else he loved. Grandpa always gave him a piece of candy whenever Miguel helped clean up. Miguel knew he wasn’t supposed to take candy without asking. But he was hungry then. It looked like Grandpa would be busy for a while. “Maybe I don’t need to wait,” Miguel thought.
Miguel reached secretly for the candy box. He hurried and put it in his mouth. Pretty soon the customer left. Grandpa was busy picking up a piece of leather and putting it in some water. Miguel ate the rest of the candy as fast as he could. Then he walked over to Grandpa.
Grandpa looked up from his work. “Hello!” he said with a smile. Miguel hugged Grandpa. He hoped Grandpa couldn’t tell he’d eaten a piece of candy. “It looks like you’re busy today,” Miguel said. “Do you need any help?” “Sure! Could you pass me that thread (线)?” Miguel nodded. He pulled it between his hands. “Wow, that’s strong.” Miguel said. Grandpa laughed, “It has to be, to last through the wear and tear of life.” Grandpa pulled the thread through the leather.
“You know, we need to be more like this shoe,” Grandpa said. Miguel looked at the leather, “Um. We do?” “Yes, indeed. We need to stay strong. That way temptations (诱惑) won’t make us fall apart,” Grandpa said with a nod.
Miguel suddenly thought of the candy. He knew he should tell Grandpa about it. Grandpa took an old shoe off the shelf, “See this big hole?” Miguel nodded. “This was once a small hole that could have been fixed easily. But the owner waited, and now it’s going to be much harder to fix. Bad habits and bad choices are like that hole. It is best to fix them early.”
Paragraph 1:
They kept talking as Grandpa worked.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Miguel told him all about taking the candy. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| A．In the dining room. | B．In the living room. | C．In the garden. |
1. Who is the newcomer?
| A．David Cook. | B．joe Sanders. | C．Li am Neeson. |
| A．He is a film director. |
| B．He is a program manager. |
| C．He is a department head. |
1. Who knocked over the vase?
| A．The cat. | B．The woman. | C．The man. |
| A．The woman’s mother. |
| B．The woman’s grandma. |
| C．The woman’s friend. |
| A．Fix the vase themselves. |
| B．Buy a new vase at an antique store. |
| C．Have the vase repaired somewhere. |
9 . My mom, who was 95, lived in an assisted living care center in St. Paul, Minnesota. I drove up from Chicago one weekend for a visit.
Her eyesight had grown
“Sure,” she said.
So I rubbed some Jergen’s lotion into her leathery palms and bent fingers, which used to play the piano so
“That feels good,” she said.
That was the
Those are the hands that
Those were the hands that
All I know to say this Mother’s Day is the same
“Thanks, Mom.”
1.| A．dark | B．clear | C．cloudy | D．rainy |
| A．increasing | B．slipping | C．developing | D．shining |
| A．brothers | B．sisters | C．sons | D．daughters |
| A．fell | B．shook | C．lost | D．burned |
| A．beautiful | B．dry | C．big | D．thin |
| A．skillfully | B．quickly | C．violently | D．loudly |
| A．let out | B．drive off | C．pick up | D．put away |
| A．first | B．least | C．most | D．last |
| A．caught | B．occupied | C．mixed | D．left |
| A．hatred | B．pity | C．love | D．interest |
| A．lifted | B．dragged | C．threw | D．put |
| A．ambitious | B．active | C．energetic | D．anxious |
| A．hatched | B．fried | C．rolled | D．painted |
| A．curiosity | B．dullness | C．beauty | D．difficulty |
| A．long | B．wonderful | C．light | D．simple |
For my fourteenth birthday, my mom offered to take me and several friends to the city near our small town to visit a mall, eat pizza in the food court, and then catch a movie. Afterward, we would all return to my house for a slumber party (睡衣晚会). It was just the kind of celebration a teenage girl longed for.
On the awaited day, all the friends I’d invited to join me on this birthday trip attended school — except Nora. When it came time to climb aboard the bus and ride together to my home, she still didn’t show up.
I felt confused. Then I felt mad. Why did she tell me she’d come to the party and then break her word without letting me know? By the time we returned to my house, I decided to call Nora. When she answered, I demanded to know why she had forgotten my birthday celebration. “It’s my birthday!” I declared. “You’re not coming to my party, and you didn’t even let me know. What kind of friend are you?”
Nora explained that she had to stay at home because she was sick.
“OK, so you’re sick ... but how was I supposed to know if you didn’t tell me?” I answered. The conversation only grew more heated from there. By the end of it, Nora could only sob sadly as we both hung up the phone.
At the mall that night, all of us had a great time. I hardly gave Nora or her absence from our fun another thought.
At school on Monday, I avoided seeing her. For the rest of the school year, we barely spoke to one another. I started high school the following year. Our friendship had been relegated (降级) to the past. It happens sometimes, I figured, so I just shrugged it off (不在乎).
Years later, I discovered that Facebook had suggested Nora as a friend. We’d attended the same schools, came from the same town, and had many friends in common; it made sense. It was at that moment that I began to reflect on that ugly phone conversation I’d made with Nora all those years before.
注意：(1)续写词数应为150左右；(2)开头已给出。
Recalling what had happened that day, I felt a deep regret for what I had done for the first time.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But only a few days later, she responded with a message.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
