1 . I survey the pile of dirty dishes jamming the sink after the party. With no working _______ except my two hands, the task is huge.

Hot water _______ the sink, I plunge (猛扎) my hands into the _______. Then it occurs to me that every dish and spoon brings back memories. I bring up a tiny spoon, still covered with applesauce. I smile as I _______   the eleven-month-old eating it with wild abandon. I pick up a _______ and I remember my oldest daughter’s trying to cut meat for the four-year-old sister while correcting the eight-year-old’s rude table _______. A bowl with bits of lettuce (生菜) stuck like glue reminds me of countless discussions among daughters about diet food and losing _______. Eating delicious food and keeping a perfect figure is an endless _________ for girls.

My three daughters, now, are _______ and have their own families. They get along as well as they did when they were ________. My grandsons seem to be ________ like their mothers. The two oldest wanted their bikes brought out to ________ together. The youngest delighted us when he, feeling the soft carpet, erupted with bursts of laughter. All memories ________. My three daughters did the same thing years ago — riding bikes, feeling the soft carpet...

The dishes are done, and the sink is ________. But my life is full. It is full of happy children and grandsons. I thank the dishes for ________ me.

1.

A．dish-washer

B．hand-drier

C．rice-cooker

D．air-conditioner

2.

A．washing

B．filling

C．heating

D．leaking

3.

A．coldness

B．darkness

C．warmth

D．length

4.

A．leave

B．stop

C．witness

D．recall

5.

A．knife

B．dish

C．spoon

D．fork

6.

A．settings

B．manners

C．patterns

D．arrangements

7.

A．appetite

B．sense

C．weight

D．direction

8.

A．chance

B．power

C．honor

D．struggle

9.

A．born

B．gone

C．abandoned

D．married

10.

A．sisters

B．daughters

C．children

D．friends

11.

A．on good terms

B．on active duties

C．in great need

D．in big trouble

12.

A．ride

B．find

C．steal

D．buy

13.

A．fade away

B．flood back

C．go far

D．bury deep

14.

A．clean

B．empty

C．dirty

D．sticky

15.

A．saving

B．engaging

C．reminding

D．attracting

2 . Last May, my 15-year-old son, Benjamin, told my wife and me that he would attend a Kendrick Lamar concert. We ________ him that he was too young to go. But my son and his friend, Josh, ________ to take no for an answer.

Later I received a ________ from Josh’s father: “How about taking the boys to the Kendrick Lamar’ concert!?” While I felt ________ to attend a rap concert in my fifties, Josh’s father was as excited as the boys. He also knew how to get tickets and had started ________ the whole evening. By this ________ it was impossible to say no. I couldn’t imagine anywhere I would ________ less.

To learn about Mr Lamar and his ________, I downloaded and listened to all his songs days before heading down to the Scotiabank Arena.

The truth is the concert was really ________. The best part, of course, was how happy my son was. I stood when ________, I didn’t dance, and occasionally my son gave me an encouraging, accepting nod. ________ Kendrick Lamar is still not my favourite artist, I’m glad my son ________ me to him, and I’m glad I went.

It’s so easy to sit in our towers, ________ by age or upbringing background. ________, we have children, like Benjamin, to expose us to new experiences. If, of course, we have the ________ to listen to them.

1.

A．convinced

B．informed

C．comforted

D．promised

2.

A．refused

B．struggled

C．prepared

D．expected

3.

A．notice

B．ticket

C．message

D．gift

4.

A．relieved

B．guilty

C．embarrassed

D．confident

5.

A．singing

B．sharing

C．planning

D．welcoming

6.

A．rule

B．means

C．round

D．point

7.

A．fit in

B．benefit from

C．care for

D．complain about

8.

A．story

B．music

C．family

D．influence

9.

A．creative

B．formal

C．noisy

D．impressive

10.

A．appropriate

B．bearable

C．useful

D．convenient

11.

A．As long as

B．In case

C．Because

D．While

12.

A．compared

B．referred

C．introduced

D．recommended

13.

A．divided

B．threatened

C．broken

D．tested

14.

A．Eventually

B．Consequently

C．Gradually

D．Fortunately

15.

A．hobby

B．sense

C．right

D．freedom

4 . My mother used to take me to my grandparents’ in Belgium during the school holidays. While I would play chess with my grandfather, he would tell me stories about growing up, falling in love, and travelling around the world.

I didn’t realize the importance of preserving memories until my grandfather passed away, which ultimately changed my outlook on remembering our loved ones and the stories we share. I thought about solutions to help other people record the precious memories for those they love—before it’s too late. So I began matching ghostwriters (代笔人) to clients to help them write a book as smoothly and beautifully as possible, and Story Terrace was born.

Since then, we have explored the power of stories and their ability to connect us with our past and make sense of the present. It has been documented that increased family connection is significantly linked to less loneliness. Learning more about one’s family history, however, has been linked to boosting emotional health, increasing compassion and providing a deeper sense of cultures and traditions.

What we have found through our own research is that so many of us have missed out on the opportunity to explore our origins. 56 percent of Brits agreed that much of their family history is lost because they are no longer able to speak with the person who knows the most about it. A further 51 percent expressed regret as they wished they could tell their younger self to document their family’s life story, feeling that most of it had been forgotten. But when it comes to telling these stories, many don’t know where to begin.

We have seen numerous times when people come to us with random journal entries and notes from over the years, and these can be developed into a wonderful work of art that can be passed down for generations to come.

Half of the projects we see at StoryTerrace are heritage stories, with family occupying a dominant theme for most stories. Alongside this, common themes we see are of course love, overcoming challenges, settling in new surroundings and so on. However, family is a thread that always ties these together.

1. What does Story Terrace do?

A．It boosts the mood of your family members.

B．It gives treatment to people with mental illness.

C．It links people from different cultures together.

D．It helps turn your beloved one’s stories into a book.

2. What does the author intend to show by listing the numbers in paragraph 4?

A．Why StoryTerrace matters.

B．How StoryTerrace functions.

C．What StoryTerrace focuses on.

D．Where StoryTerrace beings your story.

3. What can you infer about Story Terrace from the last paragraph?

A．It is part of the national heritage.

B．Its stories are mostly about family.

C．It dominates half of the market.

D．Its stories gain much popularity.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Family Stories Worth Telling

B．Create Your Own Story Books

C．Documents of Family History

D．Preserve Memories with StoryTerrace

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。

I like staying overnight at my Gramma’s house — that is, until Gramma starts telling me how wonderful my cousin Maya is. Then it’s Maya this and Maya that until I don’t ever want to hear another word about her.

That’s why I wasn’t too excited when Gramma called me on the phone to “come on over and bring your pajamas.” When I got there, it was worse than I’d expected. There, in Grandpa’s big leather rocker, sat Maya, all dressed up and formal-looking and wearing fancy shoes as if she’d just been to a party.

“Surprise, Kristen!” Gramma said. “Your cousin Maya and her parents have traveled in from the East Coast on business. Maya gets to stay with us this afternoon.” Gramma chattered away about how excited she’d been for this surprise get-together, and how cousins ought to get to know each other better.

I hung my baseball cap in the closet and set my backpack by the stairway, all the time smiling and nodding as if I’d been waiting forever for this chance to spend an afternoon with Maya. Grandpa’s chair squawked (咯咯叫) as Maya rocked back and forth. It’s the chair I like best in the house, the one I usually sit in. I sat down on the sofa across from her.

Shortly, Gramma went off to the kitchen to “see about some lunch,” she’d said. That left me stuck in the living room with rocking Maya.

She was still small but taller than I’d remembered her from her last visit four years ago. She was good at small talk, though, and was chatting away about how nice it was to see me again. But I could tell that she didn’t really think so. The last time she was here, we’d had hours of fun together building caves out of Gramma’s sofa pillows.

After that, I’d heard about her only through Gramma’s tales. Maya taking piano lessons. Maya learning math. Maya, Maya, Maya. Now Maya was here, looking great with the latest haircut and a fancy dress.

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。

Glancing down at my jeans and my old sneakers, I wished I hadn’t come.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“How do you know all these things about me?” I asked.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Hurricane Ian hit Florida and brought with it flooding, winds and a record high storm.

Karen is 84 years old and relies on a wheelchair to _________ because she is missing a leg. Her son Johnny tried _________ to get her to leave, but she refused again and again — she _________ the intensity of the storm.

Johnny lives four blocks away. When Karen reported the water in her house had reached her waist, he knew he had to take _________.

First, Johnny _________ his kids were taken care of. He gave them food and opened the attic (阁楼) so that they could _________ through the roof if water continued to rise. Then, he jumped out of a window and began to _________.

Johnny was racing against the clock. He knew he only had a(n) _________ period of time to get there before the water rose above Karen’s _________. It took him 40 minutes to swim four blocks. The sound of Karen yelling was __________ to his ears! She was still alive!

Everyone in Johnny’s family is now __________ although they’ve lost everything they owned. But they’re __________ just to be here.

“I didn’t lose __________. Life is like a computer. There’re two __________: a reset and a power — and we are blessed that it was just a reset button, not the power, that got __________,” he said.

1.

A．get around

B．help out

C．sit up

D．work out

2.

A．simply

B．repeatedly

C．obviously

D．particularly

3.

A．calculated

B．identified

C．experienced

D．underestimated

4.

A．care

B．place

C．action

D．charge

5.

A．proved

B．ensured

C．noticed

D．admitted

6.

A．expand

B．assist

C．escape

D．dominate

7.

A．run

B．ride

C．drive

D．swim

8.

A．short

B．efficient

C．ideal

D．indefinite

9.

A．waist

B．ankles

C．head

D．knees

10.

A．harm

B．music

C．advice

D．news

11.

A．responsible

B．remarkable

C．innocent

D．safe

12.

A．grateful

B．sure

C．concerned

D．surprised

13.

A．memory

B．hope

C．sight

D．weight

14.

A．screens

B．keyboards

C．buttons

D．monitors

15.

A．prepared

B．separated

C．injured

D．hit

7 . Many years ago, I was living with my best friend and we had many happy moments together. But there was one night that ________ our lives forever.

On the night of November 25, 2011, I got into a fistfight with my best friend in our kitchen. It all started because I was trying to help him. He was drinking a lot, arguing with everyone and ________ himself from others by keeping silent most of the time. This had been going on for weeks and finally I decided it was time for a(an) ________ I told him that he needed to stop drinking so much and tried to ________ his alcohol and he got angry and started ________ with me. It was scary, but by the end of the night, we were able to calm down and talk to each other.

I thought alcohol ________ was his main problem. But he was just using alcohol to ________ himself through. He was lonely, heartbroken and struggling to connect with people. So during the Christmas season a few weeks later, I gave him a ________ that I didn’t even know I had.

That Christmas my friend didn’t have any place to go, so I invited him home to my parents’ house in Lancaster. They ________ cleaned up our guest room for him and even bought him some Christmas gifts. I’ll never forget the night we arrived at my home. My parents were already ________, but my mom had prepared dinner for us, baked some cookies and left us a note. My parents are known for their ________, so I wasn’t surprised by this warm welcome. But when my friend read my mom’s note and saw all that she had prepared, he broke down and cried. That’s when I ________ how much I took my loving family for granted.

That year my friend and I both received gifts that we would ________ forever. I gave him the gift of a warm, loving, safe place to spend Christmas. And he gave me the gift of a new ________ on life. If I hadn’t shared my home with him, I wouldn’t have understood how ________ I am.

1.

A．defined

B．inspired

C．created

D．changed

2.

A．defending

B．separating

C．protecting

D．locking

3.

A．communication

B．investigation

C．exploration

D．promotion

4.

A．put up

B．take away

C．break out

D．call off

5.

A．talking

B．crying

C．fighting

D．laughing

6.

A．access

B．addition

C．abuse

D．affection

7.

A．look

B．break

C．drive

D．carry

8.

A．time

B．holiday

C．gift

D．family

9.

A．happily

B．generally

C．formally

D．hurriedly

10.

A．awake

B．asleep

C．available

D．absorbed

11.

A．generosity

B．curiosity

C．ability

D．creativity

12.

A．admitted

B．realized

C．recognized

D．accepted

13.

A．exchange

B．present

C．treasure

D．appreciate

14.

A．day

B．test

C．skill

D．eye

15.

A．kind

B．grateful

C．blessed

D．healthy

8 . Growing up, I was fortunate to have dinner with my family almost every day. Sometimes, the family dinner circle_________to include relatives stopping by. Yet, I knew some friends whose parents got home after dinner or even_________the entire evening. So I_________the quality time around our kitchen table, which witnessed countless valuable_________in my life.

_________,my kids cannot relate to my childhood memories. They have been left to_________with babysitters more times than I would like to admit. My husband and I have_________careers. And we often end up staying at the office way past dinnertime. When this happens too often, it_________the balance of our family.

Apart from suffering from_________,what else can a hardworking family do? I think we can all try to__________our own ways to spend time together. Surely there are days when I’m too busy to share a meal with my family. But I would make efforts to__________and chat later that day,__________       setting aside cellphones every time. And I even find a bedtime reading with my kids much__________.I am also proud to have our “big breakfast” routine every Saturday. My husband serves as the head chef, and my younger son__________       him to make the breakfast.

I am aware that my sons are growing up quickly and will be out of the__________someday. But now, I am happy to have so many wonderful things on my plate.

1.

A．widened

B．formed

C．lessened

D．closed

2.

A．missed

B．avoided

C．enjoyed

D．recorded

3.

A．wasted

B．treasured

C．limited

D．calculated

4.

A．shows

B．dishes

C．recipes

D．moments

5.

A．However

B．Otherwise

C．Therefore

D．Besides

6.

A．sleep

B．dine

C．study

D．play

7.

A．suitable

B．flexible

C．satisfying

D．demanding

8.

A．maintains

B．disturbs

C．improves

D．strikes

9.

A．fear

B．anger

C．guilt

D．hunger

10.

A．predict

B．create

C．evaluate

D．accept

11.

A．work out

B．calm down

C．hold on

D．catch up

12.

A．unwillingly

B．casually

C．consciously

D．carelessly

13.

A．louder

B．shorter

C．simpler

D．sweeter

14.

A．assists

B．guides

C．allows

D．orders

15.

A．office

B．kitchen

C．house

D．park

9 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

When a grandchild comes along for the first time, it’s important to have the right help. In our case, a lovely young couple seems    1    (absolute) perfect in bringing up our grandson. The new baby appears to really like them,    2    certainly takes away the worry for us grandparents.

Here’s the deal: we get the young couple to do most of the difficult work, like    3    (feed) the baby and changing nappies. He even lives    4    their house, which makes things a lot    5    (easy). We arrive for the good times, such as when the grandson is available to lie in our arms and glancing up at the world as if to comprehend its wonder.

Why, you may ask, would a young couple be willing    6    (do) all the hard work, while the grandparents enjoy the good times? It’s a fair question. When we arrive,     7    couple has usually been up, all night with dark circles. The grandchild, though, is full of energy. We, the grandparents, take    8    (turn) to rock him and he wriggles (扭动)in our arms. An hour    9    two later,when things are about to turn tricky, we hand him back to them and disappear down the steps.

Could these different work conditions really    10    (consider) fair? The young couple seems happy enough. The grandchild looks like them both, which may have helped.

10 . I woke to the sound of birds outside my window and lay in bed, going over the busy day ahead of me. Finally, I got up and attempted to switch on the light — nothing happened. I checked my phone. No Wi-Fi, no data. With our unstable cell service, there was no way of knowing if we had received alerts fbr a power failure. I grabbed a sweater, went downstairs, found a flashlight and a match to light the gas stove, and then boiled water to brew coffee. Outside the window, the falling snow obscured (遮蔽) the sunrise. Deep piles of snow covered the road.

My work meetings and deadlines, my sons’ classes and tests, my husband’s plans — everything would have to wait. Why does this happen today of all days?“ I asked. Thankfully, the wood stove was still going strong. I took a deep breath. I supposed we had everything we needed.

The house was quiet as I sipped my coffee and cuddled (搂抱) our dog. One by one, my husband and sons came downstairs and complained about the turn the day had taken.

I opened the curtains to let light in. We gathered around the table and had cereal. After breakfast, my husband played a game of solitaire. Then my sons joined him in building a house of cards that reached three levels until our cat jumped up to investigate and knocked it down. We played a round of Scrabble and had my favorite snow day lunch: grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Then we took a long walk in the woods behind our house, walking along the stream. We spotted deer tracks and played in the snow that was coming down in big fluffy flakes. When we returned, all the clocks in the house were blinking. I started to make dinner, happy to have things back to normal — even better than normal.

It was a day that began without electricity, cut off from the rest of the world, and ended with hot chocolate and power restored. We were recharged by the unexpected gift of a day together.

1. What did the author find when she woke up?

A．Heavy snow trapped the family in the house.

B．The electricity supply had been cut off.

C．It was still early for breakfast.

D．Her phone wouldn’t be turned on.

2. What was the direct impact of the power cut on the author’s family?

A．Their arrangements were upset.

B．They had to serve themselves with simple meals.

C．The family encountered a shortage of supplies.

D．Everyone was angry about this unexpected event.

3. Why did the author describe their family activities on that day?

A．To pave the way for her insight.

B．To present the daily life of the family.

C．To show the close family relationship.

D．To create a lighthearted atmosphere.

4. What did that day mean to the author?

A．It was a temporary disaster.

B．It was a day full of exciting adventures.

C．It was a lovely day of family togetherness.

D．It was a rare moment of leisure and freedom.