Eight o’clock on a May morning, and Mary, my 17-year-old daughter, was in our study upstairs. It had served as her classroom ever since schools moved to remote learning due to the COVID-19.

From the kitchen, I listened to the sound of her tapping on the laptop or her communicating in their Google Meet session s with her friends and teachers. I resisted the desire to check on her. Way too often, I would find Mary texting friends and commenting on their Snapchat and Instagram posts about the fun they were having together. I felt it safer not to care. After all, we’d barely left the house for 10 weeks straight.

“Mom, everyone is hanging out today!” Mary’s voice came from upstairs. “Why can’t I?” I went up the stairs. Mary was lying on the floor, her laptop, school iPad and cell phone in front of her. “It’s unfair,” she said. “I have no one I can be with. I can’t wait until I’m 18. and can do what I want.”

We’d had this conversation before. Still, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I was sick of isolating (隔离) too. Even though Mary and I were at home together more than we had been in years, we might as well have been living in separate worlds.

“Wanna watch Netflix later?” I asked. “Bake some cookies?” “No, thanks.” Mary shook her head,   as if the idea of doing something together was quite beyond her. I was used to Mary’s rejection, but it still hurt. Teenage independence is healthy, but I worried that if I didn’t find a way to bond with my girl soon, I might never be close with her again. She’d be 18 in the fall and had already convinced herself she didn’t need me anymore. Maybe she was right. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to reach her. That evening, I logged onto Facebook and saw a friend’s family playing with their new kitten together. My mind went back to the difficult period when I was in high school and our family moved to the new city. It was a gray tabby (虎斑猫) with which Mom surprised me that brightened my days and got me through that difficult, lonely time.

It suddenly occurred to me that having a cat in our house might help.

We immediately decided to take the cat from the shelter home.

2 . I still remember that busy autumn evening as I hurried with my eldest daughter, Athena, to get to her classroom on time for the parent-teacher night. We walked in and all eyes were on me. A few adults quickly quieted their kids’ whispers. A classmate yelled to my daughter, “What’s wrong with your mom’s face?” Shocked, I started to explain my condition, but my six-year-old daughter looked at him and said, “It’s my mom’s birthmark! Don’t be rude!” I was extremely proud of how she handled that situation.

I was quite young when I realized I looked different because of my large facial birthmark. I always thought I would be alone because of it. Being compared to Batman’s evil Two-Face made me believe I could never find love. But I was lucky enough to meet my husband, who saw me for who I am inside. When I had my first daughter, I was overjoyed, but I began to worry if the world would judge my children. I always worried I might pass my condition onto my children; I didn’t want them to grow up feeling judged. Unfortunately, my facial difference has impacted my children. My daughters get disinvited from birthday parties or sleepovers, or I learn certain kids are no longer friends with mine after their parents saw me at school.

When my kids were young, I explained how my special purple skin was rare and we talked about acceptance and never judging others on how they look. When my girls kiss my purple-skinned cheek, I feel “normal” around them and their unconditional love. With time going by, both my daughters have become my strongest supporters. Thanks to them, I’ve begun to feel more self-confident as I try to be a good role model.

Their worldviews are similar to mine. We see the world a little differently and with a kinder, more accepting heart. As the saying goes, your daughters will grow up to be your best friends. I know that will be the case for me!

Knowing how valuable friendship is, we should be very careful in making friends. A real friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world     1     (walk) out. A real friend is someone     2     support we can count on. A real friend is someone who sees our true self, not just the face that we show to the world. Yet these days, the modern tools that keep us     3     (connect) are eating away at the meaning of friendship. We may be able to make many friends online,     4     these friendships can be quite shallow. Social media like blogs has come between us and the friends whom we love. Texting and messaging cannot take     5     place of face to face chatting. “     6     (share)”our experiences on social media is not enough to express the     7     (value) which matter most to us. “Liking” our     8     (friend) photos online does not develop the connection which we share. To put it     9     (simple), to make friends a real part of our lives, we should put down our smartphones and meet them     10     person.

4 . How to Make Friends at a New School

Starting with a new school can be difficult. Everything seems to be different, and you don’t even know where to go for your own classes.     1     However, if you use these skills, you can quickly turn some of those strangers into friends.

    2     If some people don’t accept you, they’re not the kind of friends you need. People often stay together because they have similar interests. For example, someone who does a lot of sports may make friends with those who also run or swim a lot.

Remember to be nice to the people you meet at your new school. If you think that you will say something that may make them feel sad, do not say anything and just nod your head if they talk to you. Also, remember to be as helpful as possible!

A smile goes a long way. When you walk in the halls, don’t keep your eyes on the floor. Raise your head and make eye contact with other people.     4     Introduce yourself. Tell them your name and where you’re from.

You like it when people use your name, and so do other people.     5     Besides, ask them in a kind way if they have a nickname. You’d be surprised how often this may come in handy.

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。

Catherine was the coolest kid in her class. Whenever she went, she was in the spotlight, with a bunch of kids following her and doing everything she did.

Her deskmate, Landy, however, was not in the cool kids’ group. Being the tallest kid in her class, she was teased by her classmates, who were always chanting “Landy, Landy, long as spaghetti (意大利面 )”. Every time Landy heard those silly chants, she could feel her face burst into flames. God knew how she wished the ground to crack and swallow her!

Catherine didn’t really like it when the kids chanted “Landy, Landy, long as spaghetti”. But she never told them to stop either, and nor did she ever talk to her. She liked being popular.

One weekend, Catherine went over to her grandfather for Thanksgiving. Her grandfather lives on a farm at the opposite end of town, where he keeps chickens. While helping to feed the chickens, Catherine noticed a peculiar one. Curling in the corner, it looked smaller than the others and was almost half-bare!

“What’s the matter with it?” She asked her grandfather, with a puzzled frown on her face. Her grandfather told her how chickens could act. “They have a pecking (啄) order,” he explained, wrinkles of concern spreading around his forehead. “If one chicken is different, the others will push it away and keep pecking it. Sometimes they peck it so much that it dies.”

“Oh, what a poor little thing!” Catherine let out a sigh as she scooped the frightened chicken up in her arms, whose heart was beating fast in the bony little body. Suddenly, she thought of Landy, the girl being “pecked” by her classmates. “I’m going to take it home and take good care of it,” she said with a determined look.

Back in school, Catherine told the cool kids about the chicken. “It’s looking healthy,” she said proudly. “It’s fatter and its feathers are growing. Even the cat likes it. She carries it around the garden, and...” Everyone was entertained by Catherine’s story of her lovely chicken, laughter lingering around the classroom.

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。

Paragraph 1. Then Catherine spotted Landy sitting by herself in a corner.

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Paragraph 2. But Catherine walked directly toward Landy, regardless of what they said.

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7 . Family time is one of the most important times in a child’s life. My family and I spend a lot of time together, including having dinner together every night.    1    Even when my father is away on business, my mother, my sister and I talk and have fun together. As a teenager, spending time with my parents is not the most fun thing I do but I feel it is necessary. I learn from them every time we talk, whether it is about my dad’s job or my mother’s days.

    2    Data show that only half of families sit down for dinner together every night. That’s a shame because researchers claim that kids who have these regular family dinners tend to have a sense of belonging and safety.    3    And they are also more likely to have better grades and a larger vocabulary.

There have been many recent studies showing kids are “wilder” than they used to be.    4     Some think less attention from parents might be one of them. If parents spend more time with their children, they will keep their kids away from television, video games and “wild” ideas,

I have noticed in old TV shows and my parents’ stories that not long ago sitting at the family dinner table was not a choice, but a must.    5    It is probably because parents and children are under more pressure from work and study. Although we all lead busy lives and are always running around trying to finish homework or play sports, we should all spend 20 minutes each day to eat dinner together.

10 . What a day! I started at my new school this morning and had the best time. I made lots of new friends and really liked my teachers. I was nervous the night before, but I had no reason to be. Everyone was so friendly and polite. They made me feel at ease. It was like I’d been at the school for a hundred years!

The day started very early at 7: 00 am. I had my breakfast downstairs with my mom. She could tell that I was very nervous. Mom kept asking me what was wrong. She told me I had nothing to worry about and that everyone was going to love me. If they didn’t love me, Mom said to send them her way for a good talking to. I couldn’t stop laughing.

My mom dropped me off at the school gates about five minutes before the bell. A little blonde girl got dropped off at the same time and started waving (招手) at me. She ran over and told me her name was Abigail. She was very nice and we became close straight away. We spent all morning together and began to talk to another girl called Stacey. The three of us sat together in class all day and we even made our way home together! It went so quickly. Our teacher told us that tomorrow we would really start learning and developing new skills.

I cannot wait until tomorrow and feel as though I am really going to enjoy my time at my new school. I only hope that my new friends feel the same way too.