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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . My mom had spent years as a stay-at-home mom. However, I could tell that she
My mom could make anyone
With her birthday coming, I realized what I
Within two months, my mom made a
| A．trusted | B．envied | C．understood | D．opposed |
| A．playing | B．performing | C．working | D．exploring |
| A．reflect | B．calm | C．pause | D．laugh |
| A．heart | B．potential | C．objective | D．requirement |
| A．figured out | B．thought about | C．given up | D．succeeded in |
| A．fortunate | B．shameful | C．late | D．boring |
| A．ambition | B．fear | C．confusion | D．trust |
| A．merely | B．eventually | C．gradually | D．actually |
| A．strength | B．guidance | C．permission | D．freedom |
| A．apology | B．congratulation | C．comment | D．encouragement |
| A．sweat | B．weep | C．rise | D．practise |
| A．timely | B．constant | C．real | D．limited |
| A．gift | B．hobby | C．taste | D．need |
| A．regular | B．disappointing | C．successful | D．conventional |
| A．interests | B．supports | C．outlooks | D．careers |
3 . I was an angry adolescent in my first year of college. One day I had a serious fight with my father.
I saw him as
So, outside the classroom, I took an index card and wrote “I’m the son of an idiot!”, as I could only think about the
Wednesday, I got to class early and
Dr. Simon’s comment kept emerging in my mind. Slowly, my thinking began to
| A．controlling | B．demanding | C．frustrating | D．confusing |
| A．stole | B．stormed | C．marched | D．paced |
| A．bound | B．proper | C．tricky | D．due |
| A．take in | B．let in | C．bring in | D．get in |
| A．comment | B．grade | C．criticism | D．standard |
| A．guide | B．admission | C．contribution | D．entry |
| A．conflict | B．race | C．talk | D．deal |
| A．denied | B．recalled | C．regretted | D．delayed |
| A．connect | B．expose | C．recommend | D．introduce |
| A．stood | B．froze | C．cried | D．hid |
| A．cause | B．height | C．heart | D．surface |
| A．shift | B．focus | C．wander | D．form |
| A．credit | B．action | C．responsibility | D．blame |
| A．automatically | B．mildly | C．dramatically | D．swiftly |
| A．concluded | B．started | C．proceeded | D．helped |
The Perfect Gift
Colin walked through the mall with his head down. He couldn’t bear to look at another window display of great Christmas gifts he couldn’t afford. There were only a few days left until Christmas, and Colin still didn’t t have a present for his parents. He had only managed to save four dollars and seventeen cents. He counted the money in his pocket and sighed heavily.
“You look upset today, Colin. What is the matter?” Colin’s older sister Whitney asked.
Colin explained his problem to his sister.
“Why don’t you make them something?” Whitney suggested.
“Making presents is for babies,” Colin said. “Mom and Dad won’t like baby stuff.”
“Hey, that is not true. When I was your age, I wrote Mom and Dad a poem for Christmas. They loved it so much that they had it framed (给……做框),” Whitney said.
Colin knew that was true. The poem was hanging in the living room right above the fireplace. Mom and Dad often stood at the fireplace and read the poem to him. But Colin wasn’t good at writing poems, so that didn’t really help him.
“It doesn’t have to be a poem,” Whitney said, “It could be anything that makes them think of you whenever they look at it. That’s why homemade gifts are special — because they make you think of the person who made it.”
“But I don’t know how to make anything Mom and Dad would actually want!” Colin said, kicking a tiny stone across the parking lot.
Whitney opened the car door. “Yes, you do! You’re always drawing those funny little comics. Why don’ t you do a family portrait(全家福) as a comic? Mom and Dad would love it.”
”Maybe," Colin said. He thought about the idea the whole way home. He even pictured how he would draw everyone.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: For the next two days, Colin drew one picture after another.
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Paragraph 2: After all the other presents were opened, Colin handed his gift to his parents.
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5 . Last May, my 15-year-old son, Benjamin, told my wife and me that he would attend a Kendrick Lamar concert. We
Later I received a
To learn about Mr Lamar and his
The truth is the concert was really
It’s so easy to sit in our towers,
| A．convinced | B．informed | C．comforted | D．promised |
| A．refused | B．struggled | C．prepared | D．expected |
| A．notice | B．ticket | C．message | D．gift |
| A．relieved | B．guilty | C．embarrassed | D．confident |
| A．singing | B．sharing | C．planning | D．welcoming |
| A．rule | B．means | C．round | D．point |
| A．fit in | B．benefit from | C．care for | D．complain about |
| A．story | B．music | C．family | D．influence |
| A．creative | B．formal | C．noisy | D．impressive |
| A．appropriate | B．bearable | C．useful | D．convenient |
| A．As long as | B．In case | C．Because | D．While |
| A．compared | B．referred | C．introduced | D．recommended |
| A．divided | B．threatened | C．broken | D．tested |
| A．Eventually | B．Consequently | C．Gradually | D．Fortunately |
| A．hobby | B．sense | C．right | D．freedom |
6 . Every day, there are 25,000 flights in America. Accidents are so rare that flying is much
That’s what
In a world where most focus on what’s happening on a screen, we can
| A．cheaper | B．faster | C．safer | D．closer |
| A．doubtful | B．panicked | C．curious | D．depressed |
| A．happened | B．appealed | C．applied | D．mattered |
| A．handled | B．removed | C．noticed | D．predicted |
| A．casually | B．cautiously | C．frankly | D．reassuringly |
| A．noise | B．equipment | C．situation | D．call |
| A．Unless | B．Because | C．Until | D．As |
| A．particular | B．entire | C．final | D．usual |
| A．relax | B．celebrate | C．remember | D．learn |
| A．protecting | B．discouraging | C．saving | D．distracting |
| A．look up | B．take off | C．break in | D．stand out |
| A．against | B．behind | C．around | D．like |
| A．brave | B．confident | C．open | D．grateful |
| A．attendants | B．neighbors | C．passengers | D．friends |
| A．unknown | B．rough | C．special | D．busy |
7 . Dr Tamara Scully, a psychologist who works with children, young people and adults, shares how grandparents can help children’s well-being.
It is difficult to search for the answer to the main mental health challenges facing children. Over the past two years, there has been an increase in child and adolescent mental health difficulties. In particular, there has been a significant increase in anxiety and eating disorders, both of which are the consequence of the COVID-19. Young people are also reporting a much higher level of solitude (孤独), which may arise from spending too much time on cellphones, televisions and computers.
All these will deeply affect how they behave in their daily life. And it’s absolutely normal for young people to move up and down the mental health curve (曲线). “We get concerned when we notice big changes in their behavior that don’t pass in a few weeks. For example, grandchildren stop meeting friends, stay in their bedroom or lose interest in things they used to enjoy.”
So what role can grandparents play in ensuring their grandchildren’s well-being? According to Scully, the most important thing grandparents can offer is simply themselves, just being there, listening and accepting. There’s a lovely saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Relationships are the biggest predictors of happiness and success throughout the whole life. Strong positive relationships build resilience (抗逆力) in our young people.
Grandparents should also be present and give their time. They can give their time directly to their grandchildren and to their own children. A parent who is allowed time to refuel will show up as a better parent. They can help their grandchildren by being on their team and sitting with them when times are tough. All children benefit from something called relational wealth and this is a grandparent’s most important contribution to the growth of their younger generations.
1. Why do young people suffer from increasing loneliness?| A．They have less non-screen time. |
| B．They prefer enjoying various take-out. |
| C．They fail to conquer emotional disorders. |
| D．They concentrate more on ups than downs. |
| A．Children should form great resilience. |
| B．Children should learn to predict their success. |
| C．Children should be brought up by all villagers. |
| D．Children should grow up in a harmonious relationship. |
| A．Disapproved. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Tolerant. | D．Skeptical. |
| A．How to accept the youth of today. | B．How to be a qualified grandparent. |
| C．How to help grandchildren’s welfare. | D．How to tackle the mental health challenges. |
“Why can’t I just get a dog, Mum!”
“Because of your allergies (过敏)! How many times do I have to tell you, Violet!”
Violet was filled with anger. The rain started to fall. Large raindrops slid down the window, just like the tears on her face. There was violent anger in Violet’s eyes. She walked angrily to her room and threw herself onto the bed. Her anger was now like an angry bull.
She screamed into her pillow as loud as she could and threw it onto the ground with all her strength. She dialed her best friend Darla, who happened to also be her neighbor.
Darla picked up in an instant.
“I could hear everything.” Darla immediately chuckled. “I’ve known you and your mum since primary school. She’s not letting you get a dog.”
“Was I that loud?” Violet questioned herself in disbelief.
“You’ve been asking for a dog since you were seven! There’s no chance she was going to just give it to you. Plus, you have so many allergies that I’ve even lost count.”
“It’s just not fair. You get two dogs and I’m stuck with my younger sister who has basically a rat.” Violet announced unappreciatively.
“You have to be grateful for what you have. Anyway, I’ve got to have dinner with my family. I can call in half an hour, see you later.”
After the call disconnected, the words from Darla’s mouth about being grateful sunk into Violet like a dry sponge (海绵) filled with water, She remembered the countless times that she was admitted to the hospital for an allergic reaction while her family stayed and cared for her. Violet never really thought about the things she had, she only thought about the things she didn’t have. Violet had a tamily which accounts for more than everything, even a dog. Family love is stronger than any love. Violet knew she was blessed to have this love.
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。
From that day onwards, Violet stopped asking for a dog.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The allergies were disappearing with age.
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Jim dreams of becoming a famous artist to help lift his family from poverty. However, an illness in the family forces Jim to give up everything he worked so hard for.
Jim used to draw skyline on the roof of the school building, with a broken piece of pencil lead he’d found in a rubbish can. His drawing was close to perfect except for some color. His family lived from hand to mouth so Jim could only rely on himself. He had to help out on the local farm after school and saved some of the money for paints.
One day Mom fell seriously ill and was rushed to hospital at once. While the rest of his family were still at the hospital waiting, Jim ran back home to get the household emergency money. But his heart sank when he saw the pitiful money. It’d never be enough to pay for Mom’s medical treatment. He ran into his bedroom and reached for his savings.
“Goodbye, paints and brushes,” Jim said as he added his to the emergency money.
One night on the way home, thinking of Mom in hospital he wanted to do something for her. He bent down beneath a streetlight and put his fingers in the dirt on the roadside. Before he knew it, he drew a portrait (肖像) of Mom.
He found red dust and mixed it with mud to add shadow, then picked up some grass and turned it into some kind of paint. He used this to add definition around Mom’s nose, eyes and hair.
When he was finished, Jim stood back up to study his work. The linework and shading were fine, but the colors…
“It’s still no good,” Jim shook his head.
“I disagree.”
Jim turned around and found a stranger standing behind him. He gave Jim a friendly smile and introduced himself as Mr. Finn.
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 am an editor for an art magazine.” Mr. Finn continued.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
With the payment from the magazine, Jim could not hide his joy.
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When I was young, my father was quiet and seldom talked to me, so we were not so close. The times I loved most were the special moments we had together. To this day, I still hold those memories dear. When I had a son, I was always worried that my absence might have an impact on his future life and that I might miss all his milestones since I travelled a lot. I knew how important it was for a boy to have his father near. I decided that if I couldn’t be with my son as often as possible, I would make every effort to create special moments for us.
When my son was five, I was sent to the branch in Shanghai, which meant I had to be away from my family for nearly a year. The hardest time for me was the summer and winter vacations when my son was out of school and families could get together doing something fun. To ease the separation, we kept writing letters to share any precious moments in our life. In one letter home, I promised my son that we would make a lantern together and sign up for the community lantern design competition on the Lantern Festival.
Everywhere I went on business, I would pick up things for our lantern adventure and send them to him. I bought a couple of handbooks on how to DIY a lantern, and I sent those on. I found special bamboo for the frame. I sent him one piece at a time, carefully packed. When I was in Hangzhou, I found the most beautiful silk with gold threads woven through it. Perfect lantern material. I sent it home. I found a golden Chinese knot that could be attached to the bottom of the lantern. I sent that home, along with some auspicious cloud(祥云) paper-cuttings that would serve as splendid decorations. Then I was on my way home.
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 arrived home at night and couldn’t wait to see my son.
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Then, the lantern design competition finally arrived.
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