1 . “Are you OK, Cassie?” Jonah asked, from the doorway of the Sea Holly Cafe.

Cassie had been sitting on a chair outside for the past 10 minutes, but not really taking in the beauty of the sea.

“Oh, I should be getting back to work.” She rose hurriedly.

“We’re not busy, take your time.” Jonah came with a cappuccino for her. “Thanks.” She accepted the coffee, “Everything’s fine.” Then Jonah nodded, revealing a comforting smile, and went back inside.

He was a great boss, but Cassie didn’t feel like telling him what was wrong.

Cassie had gone to study fine art hopefully but dropped out after only a year due to the unbearable homesickness. Since then, she hadn’t touched her paints for a whole year. Today was doomed to be a sad date, the anniversary of her exciting plans turning to dust. She felt a crushing sense of disappointment. In her painting, she had captured a good likeness of the cloudy sky and the reflection of the dying light upon the water, but the picture did have a sad, dreary (沉闷的) quality.

About 20 minutes later, she was shocked by a voice at her shoulder, “That’s beautiful.”

Cassie turned, and there was a woman wearing a blue coat. The woman eyed it again. “You have talent, but there is much sadness in it, for one so young.” Cassie’s eyes were filled with tears. “My name’s Willow,” the woman said kindly, “Why not try painting the sunrise instead, my dear? You might find it helps.”

With Willow’s words echoing in her brain, Cassie rose an hour earlier the next day, caught a bus to the beach and began to paint again.

When she finished, Jonah was just opening up. He picked the painting up and appreciated it at eye height. “Hey, this is good. It’s really —“For a moment he struggled for the word, then found it and turned to her, beaming, “Optimistic!”

In her picture the sun was powering into the sky, casting a clear, golden pathway across the sea.

1. Which of the following best explains “He was a great boss” underlined in paragraph 5?

A．Jonah offered a coffee to Cassie.

B．Jonah ran a successful cafe business.

C．Jonah figured out what was wrong with Cassie.

D．Jonah was considerate of Cassie’s emotional upset.

2. What led to Cassie’s low spirits?

A．That her paints were covered with dust.

B．That her homesickness was aroused again.

C．That her original plan was abandoned midway.

D．That her painting was full of a sorrowful and dull quality.

3. Why did Willow advise Cassie to paint the sunrise?

A．It was more beautiful.	B．It might cheer Cassie up.
C．It had artistic inspiration.	D．It made a difference to Willow.

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．The Sun Always Rises	B．Every Man Has Its Price
C．Strike While the Iron Is Hot	D．A Good Medicine Tastes Bitter

2 . Understanding Your Feelings Helps You Name And Tame (驯服) Them

We all experience various feelings all the time. Some of them feel great, some feel unpleasant, and it’s helpful to be able to recognize and understand how you’re feeling so you know how to deal with it.

    1     They can include anger, sadness, worry, loneliness and shame, as well as surprise, happiness, courage and hope, among many others.    2     All feelings are there to be felt and some can be more uncomfortable than others. It’s OK and natural to experience different emotions – and that includes emotions that might not feel nice.

To deal with your feelings you need to recognize what they are.     3     Are your fists clenched (攥紧)? Does it seem like there’s a knot in your stomach? Next, pay attention to what you’re thinking at this time.     4     Or are you thinking that you really don’t want to do something? Once you have identified how you’re feeling, you can label it by saying, for example, “I’m feeling angry” or “I’m feeling lonely” .

You can understand a difficult feeling and help yourselfto handle it.     5     If you’re upset about a difficult feeling, like “I’m feeling angry”, you might count to ten to calm down. Perhaps you notice “I’m feeling nervous”, and you might talk to someone about it. The person you talk to may be able to give you reassurance, more information, a different point of view, or even help you take action to deal with the cause of your difficult feeling.

A．Experts call this “name it to tame it” .

B．How can you deal with different feelings?

C．Perhaps you have the thought, “It’s not fair” .

D．Feelings are how people experience emotions.

E．First of all, notice what’s going on with your body.

F．They are shown through various body movements, to begin with.

G．Feelings are sometimes labelled as good or bad but that isn’t helpful.

3 . 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。
The Right Thing

My mother worked as a housekeeper and she was often given used toys as well as many other goodies by her clients. My elder sister and I always loved sharing the recycled books and board games brought home by my beloved mom, which we considered great gifts life presented us.

The long-awaited Christmas finally approached. One December day, an old model toy car arrived in the load of goods. It was as long as my forearm and took both hands to lift. My sister didn’t want it, so it was all mine. I immediately set down to wiping it clean and polishing it to a bright candy-apple red. It turned to be a thing of beauty, and I became overjoyed at possessing it. My elder sister was amazed at the newly-polished, refreshing toy car, with a hint of regret and envy in her eyes.

As was planned, our relatives from France came to visit us that Christmas. It was a time when the family bond got strengthened. I shared the prized toy car with Alex, my young French cousin. Eyes glued to it, he fell in love with the wonderful, shiny red automobile the instant he saw it. It was a rare moment to see him feeling so relieved and happy. He’d been unlucky so far in life, suffering severe, life-threatening illnesses as a child, leaving him mentally and physically stuck and the family starved of cash. Of course, such lovely toys like my dear model car were unreachable dreams for him.

Seeing Alex’s consuming thrill brought by the red car, I was seized by immense joy as well. But contrary to Alex’s excitement, a voice inside me constantly reminded, “Watch out! He’d keep it for himself.”, which got me faintly worried. I followed my cousin for fear of something.

My mother also noticed Alex’s fondness for the car. Approaching me, she asked gently in a low voice, “Would you like to give it to Alex?”

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。
Giving or keeping? I struggled with myself.
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In the moment of parting, my model car went with Alex.
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4 . 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。

We’ve all heard that laughter is the     1     (good) medicine, and it’s true. Laughter makes you feel better and it’s also good     2     your relationships. Laughter brings people closer, and is a     3     (power) tool for making you relax when feelings are running high. Whether with your friends and family, or co-workers, you can learn to use humor     4     (solve) disagreements, lower everyone’s stress levels, and communicate in a way that deepens the relationships.

Humor plays     5     important role in all kinds of relationships. In new relationships, humor can be a useful tool not just for attracting the other person but also for getting over any awkwardness (尴尬)     6     (arise) when we get to know each other. In old relationships, humor can keep things more exciting and fresher.

Sharing the pleasure of humor     7     (create) a sense of closeness and connection between two people—    8     (quality) that are signs of strong and successful relationships. When you laugh with one another, you create a positive relationship between you,     9     acts as a strong buffer (缓冲剂) against stress, disagreements and disappointments in your relationship. And laughter is spreading—just hearing someone laugh often makes you smile     10     (happy) and join in the fun.

5 . There are countless articles online that will give you advice on how to deal with homesickness. Here are some of my favorite tips that have helped me.

    1    

Learn to cook with your friends or find new places to eat. Eating with friends makes things so much better. It’s a way to bond and an excuse to get closer. You even get rewarded for it.

Call home—but not every minute of every day.

I saw so many online sources express it in this way, “Talk to your parents—but not too much. Call home—but not too often.”     2     However, it’s a problem when you’re talking to them so much that it’s stopping you from having real experiences in this new place.

Explore.

    3     It took me a while to do this because I focused so much on my studies, but it’s really important. To me, being homesick was a sign that I needed to organize my time better. So I could take a break and go for a walk.

Find a way to deal with your emotions.

I got a guitar during my sophomore (大学二年级) year of university because that’s what I like doing when I’m by myself. I keep a journal because it makes me feel better and productive if I need time by myself but I don’t want to feel lonely.

An outlet(发泄方式) for your emotions can take any shape or form. Whatever it is, it’s important that you find a way to deal with your emotions. Don’t avoid them, but try to understand them.     4     If you focus too much on the negatives, you might forget to see the positives.

Talk to someone.

There is nothing wrong with finding someone to talk to about how you’re feeling.     5     Or it may mean talking to a counselor(顾问) if that’s what you think you need.

There is nothing wrong with being homesick. It’s normal. It’s part of the experience. We all feel things differently, but everything you learn while you are abroad will help you grow.

A．Make food from your home country.

B．Going abroad may cost you a lot of money.

C．It’s good to keep in touch with your family and friends.

D．It’s also a good way to distract(使分心) you in a healthy way.

E．After the first few weeks abroad, many students will feel a little worse.

F．On that line of thought, truly try to explore the city that you’re studying in.

G．It can be friends, family, mentors or professors who you feel can understand you.

6 . 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。

As a child, I clearly remembered watching the PBS cartoon character Arthur get glasses. The poor guy felt ashamed and was laughed at by other kids due to his glasses. So I was thankful that I had good eyesight.

However, when I entered the eighth grade, I could no longer see very clearly the writing on the blackboard. Luckily, I was usually seated in the front of the classroom, and my study was not affected. So I didn't turn to glasses.

During my first year in high school, my eyesight became poorer. My eyes were examined, and the doctor determined that my eyesight was quite bad. I would either have to wear glasses full time, or try contact lenses (隐形眼镜). Since I had watched the cartoon character Arthur before, I was afraid to be judged by others due to my glasses — it made me believe the glasses would affect a person’s beauty. And being a teenage girl, I cared much about my self-image. Besides, at that time, there were few students around me wearing glasses. So I chose to wear contact lenses. I felt they would not affect my appearance. On the contrary, they would make me more attractive. And after wearing contact lenses, my entire world was transformed. Trees actually had leaves. People around me showed clear expressions. I was overjoyed at my new-found sight and appearance, and I had more self-confidence.

But when my junior year came along, I began to have trouble with my eyes. Once in a while, the contact lenses would irritate (刺激) my eyes, almost to the point where the pain was unbearable. It would take me thirty minutes just to get the lenses in comfortably every day, which made me so upset. With time going by, the pain only got worse.

In spite of endless visits to the hospital, my doctor found nothing wrong with my eyes. He tried countless mediations to ease my pain, However, none of them worked, and there was nothing left to try.

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:

He suggested that I wear my glasses full-time. __________________________

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Paragraph 2:

Later in my summer camp, I met a very outgoing girl who also wore glasses.

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7 . When your best friends are upset, sad, or disappointed, all you want to do is lift their spirits. Here are some easy ways to cheer them up.

Help your friend clean their room.

Being surrounded by a mess doesn’t do much for your mental state.     1     Helping your friend straighten up their room gives you something productive to do together. Plus, when they’re on their own, they can relax in a clean, peaceful space.

Encourage them to talk it out.

Talking is effective. Teenagers usually want someone to talk to when they are stressed.     2     If they aren’t interested in talking, invite them to do an activity with you and they will likely start talking.

Practice gratitude.

Thinking about and focusing on the good things in your life can do wonders for lifting your spirits. Help your friend turn their attention to those things.     3    

    4    

Staying active can help get depression (抑郁) away. Invite the person to join you in a dance class or anything else they may have mentioned before that they wanted to try out but never have. Fun time with friends is surely helpful.

Do an aimless act of kindness together.

    5     So go out, do things, even small things (e.g., opening a door for someone, paying for someone’s drink, smiling at and greeting a stranger. etc.), for others and see how your day changes.

A．Try new things together.

B．Plan for your future together.

C．Just be there for them and listen to them.

D．Together, you can each list all the things you’re grateful for.

E．Science has shown just being in nature naturally improves one’s mood.

F．Meanwhile, having a tidy space can help you feel more in control and calmer.

G．Oftentimes when we do things for other people, we are the ones that benefit.

8 . 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。

My three-year-old son, Charles, has loved watching trucks, cars and all types of vehicles (交通工具) since he could sit up and look around. Charles was a fan of fire trucks, ambulances, garbage (垃圾) trucks and other vehicles which have wheels.

Because of his deep love for anything with wheels, I always made it a point to take him outside to watch garbage trucks drive up and down. Charles loved watching the workers and would get so excited when the drivers beeped the horns (鸣喇叭) at him as they went by. Charles would wave and shyly say, “Thank you.”

There was a particular waste management employee who was extra friendly. Charles was attracted by him, and after we knew his name — Lonnie, Charles talked about him throughout the day. One day, Lonnie rode by and said, “Charles, I promise when this pandemic (流行病) is over, I’m going to let you ride in my truck.” However, we were going to move out of the state about a week later. I had to tell Lonnie the truth.

The next week, we waited for the garbage truck. Finally, late in the afternoon, I heard the loud noise of the truck. I raced to the door, carrying Charles. We did not want to miss seeing Lonnie on our last week in Birmingham. Lonnie stopped the truck and got out. He told me he had some things for Charles — a hat, a yellow safety vest, two toy garbage cans, coloring books and so on. Charles was absolutely excited, especially by the garbage cans, and I was so touched. The next day, Charles and I were playing in the front yard when a man approached me. He said, “I’m Lonnie’s manager, and he has something special planned for Charles. Are you going to be here around 11 am?” I said, “Of course we will.”

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。

At noon, something surprising happened.

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Even though we moved out of the state, Charles still misses Lonnie.

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9 . Have you ever felt like others don’t understand your pain when they seem to be living a happy life? You’re not alone in feeling this way, but the truth is that happiness takes work.    1    

Live in the present moment

Your past is important to learn from.    2     At the end of the day, though, the only thing that exists outside of your head is the present. In order to ground yourself in the now, you can practise noticing what’s around you, how you’re feeling, why you’re feeling that way, etc.

Be kind to others

    3     While you may not be at a place to help them financially (经济上), offering a smile or a kind word can help them feel better about where they’re in life. When others see you show kindness, they’ll also be more likely to do so.

Keep your mind open

Having an open mind is important for your growth. You may be right about something, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to look at it.    4     You are sure to learn something as long as you stay open to difficult conversations.

    5    

You’ll hear people say “I had that idea” every time you see someone create something great. Everyone had the idea for Facebook first. The reason Mark Zuckerberg got rich off it is that he went out and did it, while everyone else was talking about it. Ideas are useless if you don’t act on them. Less thinking, more doing.

A．Decide what’s important to you.

B．Here are several ways you can try.

C．Take action for what matters to you.

D．Your future is important to work towards.

E．Every day you see someone who needs help.

F．Listening to ideas you don’t agree with keeps your mind open.

G．So find something new and set goals beyond what you believe possible.

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整的短文。

If you are constantly lack of confidence and worried about what other people think about your shortcomings, you will never get to where you need to go in life. This was what I learned from my own experience.

My name is Peter. Before I was born, the doctors examined my mom and found there was something wrong with my face, and actually it was worse. With my “weird” face, I knew I was not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. I had never been to a real school before, not because of the way I looked, but all the surgeries I had. Mom homeschooled me. I became stronger, though. So maybe it was time for me to go to the real school.

One day, I happened to hear Mom and Dad talking about me quietly. “We can’t keep protecting him.” Mom whispered to Dad, “We have to help him learn to deal with it. We can’t just keep avoiding situations that… ”, but she didn’t even finish her sentence because she saw me. “Go back to sleep, Peter,” Mom said softly.

“Everyone will stare at me at school,” I said, suddenly crying.

Mom came over, putting her hand on mine. “Honey, you know if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. But we spoke to the principal (校长) , Mr. Green and told him how funny and smart you are. When I told him about all your surgeries, and how brave you are, ‘Wow, I have to meet this kid.’ ” Mom smiled at me.

“He is really a nice man. Besides, a real school is really good for you. Peter, you will make lots of friends and learn things you have never learned with Mom.” Dad added, raising his hand as if to swear.

“But… I don’t want to go. I am afraid... ” I said in a low voice.

“How about at least meeting Mr. Green before you make up your mind?” Mom asked.

I nodded, unwilling to accept the arrangement.

注意：
1. 续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
We arrived at the school a few weeks before the start of the school.
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Paragraph 2:
After taking a tour of the school and hearing Mr. Green’s words, I realized it was time to make a change.
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