Beautiful Birthmarks: The Power of Acceptance
Whenever you hear the word “birthmark (胎记)”, you probably think of one of those black or brown spots you have somewhere on your body. However, for me, it’s completely different — I have them both on my lips and inside my mouth, which make them quite visible and, to me, ugly. When
I was young, these birthmarks kept making me feel extremely awkward and self-conscious (难为情的). As these birthmarks always drew a lot of attention, people often asked me, “What are those black marks on your lips?” When I told people that they were birthmarks, they usually said, “How strange！”
In pictures, I used to hide my birthmarks by pursing (噘起) my lips, so I would not have to deal with people’s questions. As I was growing up, the situation didn’t get any better. In the school, my classmates would always tease me, making me feel hurt and helpless. In society, I often encountered individuals who would inquire about my birthmarks even before they knew my name.
Such experiences left me feeling disheartened. I felt like people judged me by my appearance without considering my personality.
My birthmarks are caused by a genetic condition from my mom’s side of the family. My mom’s mom has birthmarks on her lips, and my mom’s uncle and my uncle have some on their bodies. I used to try to cover them up with makeup, but it never looked good. I even consulted a doctor, wanting to have surgery to remove them. But when imagining the process, I would get nervous and eventually give up.
Whenever I cried to my mom about them, she would always comfort me and say, “Learn to accept them and see them as beautiful birthmarks.” However, it wasn’t easy for me to accept my own birthmarks. Every time I showed my birthmarks, people would look at me with strange eyes. I began to regret why I had given up on the surgery and chosen to accept my birthmarks.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 词左右。2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
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One day, I met my cousin, who also had a large birthmark on his arm._
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From then on, when I met people, I began to change myself.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A woman remarried a man from Mexico. She already had a 16-year-old daughter named Bethany, while her husband had a 14-year-old daughter named Maria. Maria and Bethany had been in each other’s lives since they were children. Their relationship as stepsisters was good until recently.
The entire family was busy planning Maria’s Quinceanera (成人礼). The woman’s husband and his ex-wife joined forces to get her a beautiful dress to celebrate the occasion. In total, the dress cost $3,000.
Bethany made it clear that she was jealous (嫉妒的) of the party. Her mom had to make her understand that in Mexican culture, a Quinceanera was a great deal, just like how she had a sweet sixteen party. However, Bethany kept comparing her party to that of Maria’s. It was a massive issue for her, and it reflected in the way she behaved around everyone at home.
Knowing how it made Bethany feel, the mom tried to spend more time with her daughter to assure her that she wasn’t being disregarded. They even got her a lovely dress for the Quinceanera, but much cheaper than Maria’s dress.
Two weeks before the big day, Maria and Bethany got into an argument regarding the TV. Bethany retaliated (报复) against her stepsister by tearing off the back part of her Quinceanera dress. After finding out what Bethany did, everyone was angry. The mom couldn’t believe what her daughter did and quickly gave her husband and his ex-wife money to get a new dress.
The mom told Bethany that she needed to get a job to pay back the total price of the dress. It was her punishment for such an unreasonable act against her stepsister. However, Bethany claimed her mom was unfair by choosing Maria over her. This made the mom question whether she was in the wrong for giving her daughter no choice but to find a job. She wrote about the story online, hoping to get opinions from others on whether what she did was wrong.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To her surprise, she got everybody’s support.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the mom was determined to teach her 16-year-old a lesson.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| A．Houses. | B．Cars. | C．Neighbors. |
| A．Sally. | B．Charlie. | C．Jennifer. |
After little Julie lost her parents, she lived with Aunt Clara, who worked day and night to support her and her own daughter Mira. As the school prom (舞会) approached, both Julie and Mira dreamed of buying beautiful dresses for the occasion. However, Clara’s limited budget posed a challenge, as she could only afford one dress.
To determine who would receive the dress, Clara suggested the girls draw lots (抽签). Unfortunately, luck was not on Julie’s side, but she remained optimistic. “Don’t worry about me,” Julie smiled. “I’ll figure something out.”
Julie reached under her bed and pulled out a box containing money from Grandma. Grandma loved Julie and Mira very much. Every year, Grandma would send cash gifts to both of them. Julie had carefully saved her money and now had enough to buy a prom dress. With excitement and anticipation, she purchased a beautiful black dress, imagining being the prom queen at the prom.
The following Sunday morning, Aunt Clara left for work early. When Julie woke up, she was shocked that the dress she had hung over the nearby chair was gone! She looked out of the window and froze in horror at the sight of the family dog tearing it to pieces.
She screamed as she ran toward the dog. “What have you done to my dress?” Mira soon learned of the situation and rushed to help Julie to remove her dress caught between the dog’s teeth. However, it was already completely ruined and unable to be repaired. Julie felt heartbroken at the thought of not being able to afford another dress.
Lost and unsure of what to do, Julie went to her grandma’s house with the remains of her dress, seeking comfort and advice. When Grandma answered the door, Julie cried and said what had happened. Grandma comforted her and offered a glimmer of hope. “I can help you with your dress,” she smiled. “Follow me."
Grandma, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease (帕金森病),walked slowly and led Julie into the dining room. There, she removed the cover from her old sewing machine and instructed Julie to open the top drawer of the dresser, where an abundance of colorful cloth was stored.
Paragraph 1:Julie said, “But I’m afraid that you couldn’t sew anymore. You know, your hands.”
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Eventually, their joint efforts bore fruit, and they completed a new prom dress.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. Where is the boy now?
| A．In his house. | B．At a stadium. | C．At school. |
| A．By bike. | B．By car. | C．By bus. |
| A．4：00. | B．3：30. | C．5：00. |
| A．Uncomfortable. | B．Enjoyable. | C．Troublesome. |
| A．She can finish the work alone. |
| B．She is willing to help the man. |
| C．She appreciates the man’s offer. |
9 . “Is there anything you want from Grandma’s flat?” My uncle, texting me, last week.
His mum had passed away. He’d begun the painful yet necessary task of sorting through her belongings. I required zero thinking time. Yes, I would like her aloe vera (芦荟) plant, please.
Here’s why. Sometime around 1975, Grandma received this plant as a gift. It came courtesy (礼仪) of the local butcher in recognition of her loyal custom. It could, I suppose, just as likely have been a calendar, or a fountain pen, or a box of biscuits. But it just happened to be a pot plant, which Grandma, who always had green fingers, appreciated and placed in her doorway. Five years later, my mum married the butcher’s son. And had me.
When my father’s mother died in 1993, Grandma revealed to me how this particular plant was different to the dozens of others she had in her home. This one had history. It was, she suggested, a living, blooming representation of the relationship that existed between the two sides of my family. As, indeed, was I.
Aloe vera is reasonably hardy, but, as I’ve learned, if you put it above a radiator, it dies. If you under-water it, it dies. If you over-water it, it dies. In short, with my awful agricultural skills, I’m better off with a plastic one. So, straight after I asked my uncle for this treasure, I put in place an insurance policy: the plant will go and live with Ann, my mother-in-law.
Ann, is a genius with a greenhouse. The plan is for Ann to keep hold of the original plant. In time, she can teach me how to care for its cuttings properly. Meantime, Ann will spread cuttings and clippings among her own family. My wife’s two sisters, for example, are both far better at tending plants than I am, so it is quite conceivable that they, too, will spread cuttings of the plant around their partners’ families; that this humble plant might yet spread across my entire extended family. What an amazing outcome!
1. Why did the butcher give my Grandma the aloe vera plant?| A．To contribute to the marriage. |
| B．To observe a specific custom. |
| C．To show the butcher’s loyalty. |
| D．To appreciate her regular visits. |
| A．She is a garden enthusiast. | B．She is loyal to her friends. |
| C．She is a local shop keeper. | D．She is ready to help others. |
| A．He is skilled at agricultural planting. |
| B．He has a preference for plastic plants |
| C．He is confident in feeding the plant himself. |
| D．He is anxious to keep the plant alive. |
| A．An amazing outcome | B．A family tree |
| C．A family history | D．Green fingers |
My father and I disagreed about my curfew (晚间在家的时间). He would say I had to be in by 9:30 on weekdays, and 11:00 on weekends, and there was no exception. One day, I took courage to first show my opinion on my curfew. I told him it made me feel like a junior high school kid. He explained that though a curfew might sound like a restriction, it was really about people looking out for one another.
The very next Friday after that exchange, my dad and I had tickets to see our own town’s professional football game. On that day he was driving his car to a nearby city to meet some major clients and told me that his getting home and our leaving for the game would be tight.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I was beside myself with extreme anxieties, assuming the worst had happened.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The heavy stone in my heart finally fell to the ground.
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