1. What has the woman been doing recently?
| A．Going on business trips. | B．Learning about gardening. | C．Visiting her relatives. |
| A．In New York. | B．In Atlanta. | C．In Chicago. |
| A．2 years. | B．4 years. | C．10 years. |
| A．Husband and wife. | B．Workmates. | C．Neighbors. |
My little sister, Meg, said that she wasn’t afraid of the dark anymore and she’d be OK staying with Aunt Lily in the country. “As long as you’re there, Mike,” she had said. Still, Mum was worried. Meg had never slept away from home, away from the city. So I told Mum I could handle everything.
Even though we were only staying overnight, Meg had brought six books-all about fairies (仙女). After we unpacked, Aunt Lily invited us to pick some flowers. As we followed her through the forest, Meg held my hand tightly. But once we reached the sunlit grassland, she let go. “Butterflies!” whispered Meg. She screamed with delight when one flew near her.
Maybe I had nothing to worry about, I thought. I still remembered when I was here last summer, I found some amazing insects, like fireflies (萤火虫) and walking sticks which I’d never seen in the city.
“Fairies are magical. See these beautiful flowers they grow!” she kept telling absolutely everything she knew about fairies. I was glad that if she kept it up until bedtime, then maybe she’d fall right to sleep.
Meg did keep chatting, right through supper. Then the sun began to set. “Does it get really dark out here at night?” she asked. Her eyes were fixed on the window.
“Sure, but we’ve got plenty of lights inside,” said Aunt Lily. She leaned over and gave Meg a warm smile. But I could tell she was still worried. “I could read to you.”
I hadn’t even finished a page when her bottom lip started shaking slightly. “Mike,” she said, her eyes starting to fill. “I want to go home.” I quickly searched through her book for something to keep her from crying.
The book fell open to a page that was dog-eared from use, a page that was obviously one of Meg’s favorites. The text read: “Among the trees deep in the forest, the lights of fairies gleam (闪烁).” Aha! How could I forget those “tiny fairies” out there?
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。
“Meg, there’s something outside I want to show you,” I whispered.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Tiny fairies, Mike!” she said, pressing her forehead against the window, “Everywhere!”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mr. Mosop’s Chickens
Mr. Mosop had a lot of chickens. But Pili Pili was rare and precious. I remember the day he brought her back to the village. “Her name shall be Pepper—Pili Pili,” he said, gently stroking (抚摸) her black-and-white feathers. He promised me, “Next time I get a chicken, you may choose a greater name.” Pili Pili was the pride of our village. But now she was missing. Everyone in the village joined in the search for her.
After school the next day, I ran all the way home. “Did they find Pili Pili?” I was out of breath. Mama sighed. “Yes, on the other side of the fence.” She nodded at the low fence of bushes that surrounded our village. Grace, my little sister, opened her eyes wide.“Ahyena (鼠狗) ATE Pili Pili! Only her FEATHERS are left!”
I ducked into our house. I took my notebook out of my bag as well as my most treasured possession: a box of markers. On a piece of paper I made a rough picture of our village and the smooth, blue hills all around it. Then I drew Pili Pili, the famous black-and-white chicken, standing strong and elegant. I was so busy drawing that I didn’t notice Grace had joined me on the floor. She was drawing something, pressing the tip of my purple marker flat.
“No, Grace!” I yelled, grabbing my marker. “What is that?”
“A hyena,” Grace said, and then ran outside to show Mr. Mosop her drawing. I followed.
The old man was weeding. He looked and. Grace ran over and threw her arms around his neck. “Did you cry?” Grace burst out. I rolled my eyes but Mr. Mosop laughed. “Me? An old man, cry over a chicken?” He smiled softly as we handed him our pictures. “Thank you, girls.”
The following day when I came home from school, Grace met me at the door of our house. “Mr. Mosop hns gone to market to buy a new chicken!” She pulled at the sleeve (袖子) of my school uniform. “What do you think he will call it?”
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
I suddenly remembered the promise Mr. Mosop had made.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mr. Mosop looked at me and asked, “Have you thought of a name?”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| A．He has a leg injury. |
| B．He withdrew from the football team. |
| C．He spent his holiday with his teammates. |
Green Thumb
All I did was show my little sister how to grow plants. Dig a hole. Put in a seed. Cover it with dirt. Water it. Wait. “See, Laynie,” I explained, “a whole plant will grow from this tiny seed. All we have to do is water it.”
Laynie had her own watering can so she could “help” me in the garden. One day, after everything was watered, she ran to the fence and started sprinkling water on another spot. I walked over and saw a fresh patch of dirt near the fence.
“Did you plant something there?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m growing a pencil. My purple pencil got too small, so I planted it.”
“What? But, Laynie—”
I should have explained things right then, but I just muttered, “Uh…I never grew one before.”
Later I got what seemed like a great idea. I dug up Laynie’s pencil and “planted” a brand-new purple pencil. Laynie was really excited when she saw it. “My pencil grew!” she shouted.
A few days later, Laynie was watering on the same spot. Two days later, new crayons sticking their pointy little heads out, thanks to me. Laynie jumped up and down and yelled, “They look like flowers!” She “picked” them and ran into the house.
Next, Laynie grew an adult bear doll from a tiny one, a soup spoon from a teaspoon, and a hand mirror from a piece of glass. When she claimed that she had grown these things, I just kept my mouth shut! Actually, it was fun trying to think of what should grow from Laynie’s seeds. And it was cool to see her get excited.
One day I saw her patting down some dirt near the fence again, so I knew she’d just planted something. My heart dropped to my feet when she asked, “How long does it take to grow a goldfish, Brad?” I couldn’t speak.
“Not long, I bet!” said Laynie. She knelt down to whisper “Grow, Molly. Grow!” before she skipped back to the house.
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。
I sat down with my back to the fence and thought for a long time.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later I found Laynie sitting by the spot where Molly was buried.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . Going out for a walk with their sons is a simple task for most fathers. But for Martin Ralfe and his one-year-old boy Leo, it can be a real
The pair have shared their special bond on Tik Tok and gone viral after showing how they go out for the day. Martin says it was actually his wife who
He said, “Our favorite
Martin’s TikTok account has thousands of
| A．pleasure | B．challenge | C．journey | D．misfortune |
| A．make | B．imagine | C．plan | D．enjoy |
| A．refuses | B．attempts | C．fails | D．decides |
| A．running away | B．settling down | C．falling down | D．hanging out |
| A．allowed | B．encouraged | C．taught | D．required |
| A．admitted | B．argued | C．protested | D．regretted |
| A．honest | B．generous | C．confident | D．ambitious |
| A．workouts | B．games | C．experiments | D．activities |
| A．catching | B．saving | C．feeding | D．raising |
| A．fortunately | B．particularly | C．probably | D．suddenly |
| A．followers | B．competitors | C．teammates | D．editors |
| A．honour | B．appreciate | C．protect | D．educate |
| A．keeping | B．playing | C．monitoring | D．making |
| A．comments | B．orders | C．suggestions | D．memories |
| A．different | B．normal | C．responsible | D．lucky |
7 . When Eugenie George first heard that her friend passed a financial exam, her heart sank. She’d
“Envy was eating me up,” recalls George. But anyway she
Finding
Too often, we think our friends
| A．taken | B．passed | C．failed | D．prepared |
| A．congratulated | B．forgave | C．blamed | D．ignored |
| A．badly-behaved | B．over-burdened | C．short-sighted | D．green-eyed |
| A．tough | B．honest | C．tolerant | D．optimistic |
| A．imagine | B．understand | C．share | D．increase |
| A．hope | B．passion | C．confidence | D．pleasure |
| A．even if | B．as if | C．now that | D．so that |
| A．platform | B．glue | C．booster | D．routine |
| A．support | B．annoy | C．upset | D．need |
| A．loss | B．change | C．interview | D．application |
| A．look forward to | B．contribute to | C．get used to | D．react to |
| A．envy | B．complaints | C．suffering | D．mistakes |
| A．predict | B．produce | C．choose | D．measure |
| A．fill | B．start | C．brighten | D．balance |
| A．survival | B．success | C．recovery | D．generosity |
8 . If you’ve got more than one kid, you’re showing favoritism, whether you know it or not.
“Parents may favor one child over another, for a lot of reasons. The child may have an easy temperament (性情) or might behave particularly well or may look like you,” says Susan Newman, a psychologist. “But regardless of the reason, every child must be made to feel loved and special, in order to fully develop.” Newman warns that favoring one child over their siblings (兄弟姐妹) publicly can have a significantly negative effect.
“The unfavored child can feel defeated, and unmotivated, as a result of working hard to get parental support, with no success,” says Yelena Gidenko, a licensed counselor. “He orshe may also suffer from depression and become angry, bitter, or jealous,” she adds Children feeling this way may act out, in an effort to get their parent’s attention, making matters worse. They may also behave inappropriately, becoming the black sheep, which they believe their parents already see. “Unfavored children may have a hard time accepting who they are, since they do not feel accepted by their parents,” adds Gidenko.
Favoritism is not exactly a boon for the favored child, either. Kids who feel that they are their parent’s favorite sometimes translate that into a go pass for their behavior in future relationships. “Favored children may feel a sense of entitlement, and that rules do not apply to them,” says Gidenko. This can negatively affect the way they act in school, at work, and in their friendships.
It may seem absurd, but the opposite can also occur. Favored children may experience anxiety and insecurity, resulting from their favorite child status. “Children are observant. They know when they are getting praise for things they have not earned, such as being your favorite. For this reason, they know, and fear, that these things might be taken away fromthem at any time, for any reason,” says Gidenko
Newman urges parents to remember that it’s not possible to treat children equally because they are all different. What parents can, and should do is talk to their kids about how, and why, they treat them the way they do. “According to research, parents don’t talkabout this. They don’t say why one child gets more time than another. If they do, they are preserving their bond with each child,” says Newman
1. What can we learn about unfavored children?| A．They want to please their parents |
| B．They care little about their siblings. |
| C．They tend to lack a sense of identity |
| D．They hope to be the black sheep of the family. |
| A．Blessing. | B．Challenge. | C．Honor. | D．Burden. |
| A．Treat their children equally |
| B．Explain themselves to their children |
| C．Strengthen their bond with their children |
| D．Remove the differences between their children |
| A．The solutions to parental favoritism |
| B．The consequences of parental favoritism |
| C．An analysis of why parents play favorites |
| D．A contrast between favored and unfavored children |
In the spring sun, my aunt and I headed for her flower shop. Normally I would be delighted to help in her shop, but not recently because of Rosa. Rosa was my sister, just one month old, who was settled in my old bedroom. For ten years, the small room was full of my toys and books. But now it was transformed into her baby room, decorated like a garden with pinks and yellows. My space, my old life, was gone.
“Here we are!” We arrived at the shop, a wave of colour and sweet smell washing over me. My aunt said I could pick some flowers for Mum and Dad. I used to love this, but today I was so overcome with tiredness and envy. Why bother to bring them flowers when they were enjoying Rosa at home without me?
Silently I helped my aunt arrange flowers. “Your mum told me there hasn’t been much shut eye recently for any of you.” “Not much, since Rosa the alarm clock was installed (安装).” I complained with a huge yawn (哈欠).
“I remember having to creep (蹑手蹑脚地走) around like a worn-out mouse when your mum was a baby. I spent the first months hating her so much.” “But you and Mum seem so close,” I said, guiltily hiding away my envy of Rosa.
“Now we are. But it took me years to grow into the role of big sister. Few flowers blossom (绽放) overnight, you know.” She pulled me in for aside hug, glancing up at the clock, and suggested I take a walk outside.
Behind her shop was a field dotted with spring flowers. Stepping into the field, I began to pick little flowers. It was like gathering my childhood memories. I remembered how I’d sit with Dad, making flower chains, crowning (授予) each other with the silliest titles: Queen of Junk Food and King of Mess. My smile grew wider. The shining yellow flowers reminded me of the color in Rosa’s baby room. Was she awake? I wondered.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
Suddenly I saw two familiar figures walking towards me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Rosa was wide awake in her baby basket beside the picnic blanket.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Some of my earliest memories involve sitting with my dad in his study every night when he came home from the office. I’d watch as he put his personal items away: his watch, wallet, comb and car keys. They would always occupy the same spot on the table every time.
Dad’s comb was jade green. I heard he bought it when he married Mum. Every night, he would smile, hand me the comb and say, “Be a good girl and help Daddy clean it, OK?”
I was more than happy to do it. At age five, this kind of task brought me such joy. I would excitedly turn the tap on, and then brush the comb with a used toothbrush as hard as I could. Satisfied that I’d done a good job, I would proudly return the comb to Dad. He would smile at me, and place the comb on top of his wallet.
About two years later, Dad left his sales job and started his own wholesale business. I started primary school. That was when things started to change. Dad’s business wasn’t doing so well, and our stable life started getting shaky. He didn’t come home as much as he used to. And when he did come home, it was always late and I’d already be in bed. I started to get mad. Why didn’t he listen to Mum and just stick to his old job? Why take the risk and place the whole family in trouble? Over the years, I stopped waiting for him to come home, and stopped going downstairs to check on him.
Now 28, I’ve graduated from college and got a job. Dad’s business has also started to get back on track. Yet the uncomfortable silence between Dad and me went on.
Two days before my birthday last year, Dad came home early. On that evening, I helped him carry his bags into his study as usual. When I turned to leave, he asked me to clean his comb. I looked at him for a while, then took the comb and headed to the sink.
It was a new comb. This one was brown. I hadn’t noticed that he’d changed it. After cleaning it, I passed it back to Dad. He looked at it and smiled. But this time, I noticed something different. My dad had aged. He had wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiled, yet his smile was still as heartwarming as before.
1. From the first three paragraphs, we can learn .| A．the earliest memories with Dad were full of joy |
| B．the precious green comb of Dad was made of jade |
| C．the author was unwilling to clean the comb for Dad |
| D．the author would study together with Dad every evening |
| A．That he was eager to get everything on track. | B．That he wanted to keep his family life stable. |
| C．That he was laid off and had to make a living. | D．That he hoped to earn a better life for the family. |
| A．cheerful→ mad→ warm. | B．mad → satisfied → warm. |
| C．satisfied → worried → angry. | D．warm → concerned → uncomfortable. |
| A．A Comb of Jade Green | B．Dad’s Wholesale Business |
| C．Evenings with My Dad | D．My Earliest Memories with Dad |
