A Blessing From A Homeless Person
On the way back from work every evening, more often than not, there would be a homeless man standing at the exit of the freeway. He seemed to be in his late 40s, but was probably a little younger. Although wearing ill-fitting clothes and a mismatched pair of shoes, he seemed neither scruffy nor gloomy. With a huge grin highlighting his face, he always waved at every car and sometimes almost danced, which made the thick moustache appear “stylish” and even adorable.
Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare change, and put it aside to give him if I saw him. A feeling of joy would come over me every time I caught sight of him while coming down the ramp. He did have that effect. I’d quickly roll down my window and give him the coins. Occasionally the red light would be on for a minute and we would ask each other about our day. His answer would always be the same— “I’m blessed!” I knew what his answer was going to be every time, yet I would still ask just as if his words could work their magic on me. It amazed me that even in his situation of being homeless he was so positive, and his answer would always remind me how blessed I was: a single mother of four amazing kids, with a place to call home and a job to provide for my family.
One day I was called into my boss’s office and informed that I was being laid off due to the depressing economy. This came as a nasty shock for a single mother whose big family survived on this salary. A feeling of helplessness and grief engulfed me, then followed by endless worry. For the rest of that day, all I could think of was “How am I going to provide for my kids? How am I going to pay rent? And what am I going to do?”
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。
Needless to say, I was very sad and upset on my way home that day.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________You see that day he gave me more than a dollar bill; he taught me a valuable lesson.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A Little Boy
A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people rarely visited. The house was very old and shabby and the owner hardly ever came out. When he did come out, he would not say hello to his neighbors or passers-by but simply just glared at them.
The boy knocked on the door and waited, sweating from fear of the old man. The boy’s parents told him to stay away from the house, and a lot of other neighborhood children were told the same thing from their parents.
Dusk found the boy lingering on and hesitating what to do. As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. “What do you want?” the old man said impatiently. The little boy was very afraid but he had a quota (定额) to meet for school with selling the magazines. So he got up the courage and said, “Uh, Sir, I am selling these magazines and, uh, I was wondering if you would like to buy one from me.”
The old man just stared at the boy without a word. The boy could see inside the old man’s house and saw that he had dog figurines (小雕像) on the fireplace mantle. “Do you collect dogs?” The little boy asked. “Yes, I have many collections in my house. They are my family here and they are all I have.” The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul.
“Well, I do have a magazine here for collectors. It is perfect for you. I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much.” The old man was ready to close the door on the boy and said, “No, boy. I don’t need any magazines of any kind, now goodbye.”
The little boy was sad that he was not going to make his quota with the sale. He was also sad for the old man being so alone in the house that he owned. The boy went home and then had an idea. He had a little dog figurine that he got some years ago from an aunt. The figurine did not mean nearly as much to him since he had a real live dog and a large family.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
The little boy headed back down to the old man’s house.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From that day on something changed inside the old man.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . From my second grade on, there was one event I feared every year: the piano recital(独奏会). A recital
My father has had a(n)
For a moment after my father sat down at the keyboard, he simply stared down at his fingers. Has he forgotten the
“I’m
With his first recital, my father taught me more about courage and determination than all the words he used those 30-plus years ago.
1.A.reflected | B.explained | C.proved | D.meant |
A.stage | B.goal | C.journey | D.opportunity |
A.trouble | B.strength | C.satisfaction | D.disappointment |
A.rising | B.changing | C.falling | D.climbing |
A.attempt | B.challenge | C.desire | D.promise |
A.educated | B.stuck | C.protected | D.entertained |
A.persuaded | B.invited | C.inspired | D.allowed |
A.words | B.videos | C.notes | D.lessons |
A.moments | B.hours | C.weeks | D.years |
A.play | B.freeze | C.click | D.adjust |
A.different | B.same | C.warm | D.dirty |
A.predicted | B.imagined | C.realised | D.insisted |
A.pass over | B.turn up | C.bring in | D.concentrate on |
A.proud | B.aware | C.doubtful | D.ashamed |
A.gently | B.anxiously | C.beautifully | D.frequently |
4 . The stands were always filled with family members to support their favorite players. I attended each of my son’s games. His father worked nights for years, and missed out on most of his games. My son Jorden knew if his dad could, he would be there sitting right beside me.
When Jorden was younger, some family members would occasionally come to watch. But gradually they stopped showing up. Never once did Jorden lead me to believe that this bothered him, but apparently it did. It wasn’t until when he was asked to give a speech at his baseball event that he made it very clear not only to me but a room filled with over 150 people just how important it is to have extra fans in the stands.
His speech was anything but like I thought it would be. It wasn’t short and bittersweet. It wasn’t his quick thank you to his coaches and teammates. He poured his heart out, saying he seldom had grandparents, aunts or uncles coming to support him. He was grateful that his teammates’ family members showed up to support not just their own loved ones but the entire team of boys. Clearly Jorden desired more than just me. Never did I ever think my son would be hurting inside as he looked out to the bleachers to see only me at each and every game.
As he struggled to get each word out through tears, I promised I would attend as many events of the children around as I possibly could. There was no way I could allow another child to feel what my son was feeling. This small simple gesture would mean so much to any child. Neither Jorden nor I was upset with those who never attended his games. Jorden just wanted someone else besides me to witness his craft in action. I understand all of our lives become complicated and that everyone is busy with their own children and jobs that may not allow them as much free time as they’d like.
1. What do we know about Jorden’s father?A.He had long been misunderstood by Jorden. |
B.He had few chances to attend Jorden’s games. |
C.He managed to be with Jorden in every game. |
D.He had made excuses to miss Jorden’s games. |
A.His ambition to win the championship. |
B.His gratitude to his mother and coaches. |
C.His complaint about his family members. |
D.His desire for support from more people. |
A.Depressing. | B.Complicated. | C.Astonishing. | D.Absurd. |
A.She tried to be actively involved in children’s games. |
B.She promised not to miss out on games of every child. |
C.She offered to invite many relatives to Jorden’s games. |
D.She decided to lead Jorden to trust his family members. |
5 . Zhao Yuan, who was a dance teacher, lost one leg in an accident at the age of 24.
In 2020, she set up an offline sales platform called Good and Fresh, which mainly sold goods produced by Zhao’s disabled friends.
She became a livestream host on social media platforms,
With the
A.Similarly | B.Especially | C.Finally | D.Formally |
A.teaching | B.singing | C.learning | D.selling |
A.ask | B.search | C.pay | D.care |
A.In spite of | B.Rather than | C.Apart from | D.Due to |
A.tried | B.stopped | C.started | D.kept |
A.got over | B.picked out | C.put through | D.turned to |
A.exchanging | B.pushing | C.explaining | D.quitting |
A.leg | B.arm | C.finger | D.eye |
A.block | B.culture | C.job | D.rule |
A.disabled | B.intelligent | C.honest | D.humorous |
A.noticed | B.run | C.admired | D.expected |
A.loss | B.agreement | C.development | D.information |
A.proud | B.curious | C.afraid | D.shy |
A.surprise | B.attract | C.follow | D.train |
A.enjoyment | B.value | C.difference | D.responsibility |
Henry Crawley was a cab driver who drove long circuits every day. His job kept him away from family for long hours. It was the topic of many quarrels he had gotten into with his wife, who understood why he was away so often but could not resist the urge to cry out for her husband’s physical absence.
To make up for not always being there for his daughter, Leslie, Henry was determined to make it to her 16th birthday party on time. On the day of her birthday, Henry conveyed as many passengers as he could as usual. When he finally finished the last order to a distant town outside the city, Henry rushed back to his city for the small party.
However, he got caught up in a heavy snowstorm that restricted mobility on his way back. Stubbornly, he decided he would press on anyway and continued driving even though he had to go at a snail’s (蜗牛的) pace.
It was 6: 00 pm and Leslie’s party started at 6: 30 pm. He complained about the weather as he fastened his eyes on the slippery road. As time passed, he got closer to the city. Suddenly, he spotted a person sitting beside the road. He stopped his car to check on it, and found it was an elderly woman who was unable to speak but almost freezing. Her bedroom clothes told him she must be from the town nearby he just drove past.
Henry decided to take the woman to her town, but he remembered that his wife would be upset with him if he missed his daughter’s birthday party. He called his wife to explain things. As he predicted, she said nothing, ending up the call. That made him uneasy and almost turn back to his car. But he knew that he could not leave the woman helpless. “I’d want someone to care for my wife or daughter if they ended up in such a tough situation,” he said to himself.
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。
Without any hesitation, Henry was determined to help the stranger.
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Upon his arrival, it was late at night and Henry became more uneasy.
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7 . My wife and I moved into our home two years ago. We had a yard with a lot of
Last summer, I found a tiny little plant in the yard that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either.
We decided to let it
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the
That’s when I
We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the
A.flower | B.insects | C.vegetables | D.rocks |
A.water | B.fertilizer | C.color | D.shape |
A.stop | B.continue | C.improve | D.escape |
A.weak | B.strange | C.lonely | D.pretty |
A.collect | B.tend | C.remove | D.watch |
A.unusual | B.wonderful | C.terrible | D.valuable |
A.passed | B.started | C.left | D.died |
A.air | B.top | C.sun | D.house |
A.hoped | B.realized | C.doubted | D.regretted |
A.fill in | B.put in | C.worry about | D.believe in |
A.forget | B.hate | C.aim | D.wait |
A.wish | B.plan | C.ability | D.idea |
A.faith | B.energy | C.virtue | D.courage |
A.aware | B.afraid | C.proud | D.tired |
A.forgive | B.support | C.upset | D.affect |
Yesterday I went to the shops, I was a bit tired but
Thanks to the timely medical treatment, she was recovering. We held hands.
I’m really glad that I can be of service, and that I can be directed in ways
Nancy took me by the hand and walked me into the house like I was a five-year-old child. Didn’t she know I was turning 15 years old? This was the third home Nancy was placing me in. I guessed she might feel a little sorry for me. The bright lights threatened to burn my skin as I walked towards a lady with curly hair and a smiling man. They called themselves Allie and Alex. After Nancy completed the foster (寄养的) process with them, Allie and Alex took me to their home. This time, there were no other foster children and no other biological children.
Over the next few weeks, Allie, Alex, and I fell into quite a nice routine. Allie would make pancakes for breakfast, or Alex would fry some eggs. They sang a lot, and even danced as they cooked. And they always seemed to be full of energy and happiness. They must have just bought the house because, on most weekends, we were painting a living room yellow or painting a coffee table brown.
But I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. When would they start threatening a loss of pancakes if I didn’t mow (修剪) the lawn? When would the eggs be replaced with unidentifiable food because they didn’t feel like cooking in the morning? However, it never happened. They kept cooking, singing, and dancing like a couple of happy fools. “Maybe this is where I belong,” I told myself.
It was a Saturday afternoon when Allie decided it was time to paint the fireplace white. First, we cleaned the dirty old fireplace, and then we pulled the burnt wood out. Suddenly, we noticed a tiny treasure box. We looked at each other in excitement. Allie actually said, “I wonder if a fairy has left it!” While judging her to be such a silly woman, I couldn’t help but laugh and felt a little closer to her. We looked at each other and wondered what would be inside the box. Would there be something valuable like a golden ring?
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。
Allie and I managed to pull the box out.
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Then Allie and Alex called the former owner of the house.
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I loved being a teacher, but for years I had been eager to become a librarian. However, the timing was never right for me to go back to school. Finally, the time came and I received my media specialist degree. But my biggest difficulty was yet to come. I wanted to find a job as a media specialist in a nearby elementary school, and those positions were hard to get.
The new school year started, and I was teaching fourth grade again. As the months passed from August to December without any job opportunities, my optimism and faith began to fade. To stay positive, I listened repeatedly to several inspiring songs in the car on my commute to my son’s school and my job. Every morning, I thanked someone in my heart of hearts for my new job as a media specialist as if I already had it, my family. and the other blessings in my life.
In the beginning of January that school year, I saw a job posted online for a media specialist position, but the school was on the opposite side of town from where my son was attending school. My mind was filled with questions. How would I get my son to school if my job was on the other side of town and I had to go to work an hour earlier than his school started? Should I still apply? I hoped for guidance and good luck. I knew I had to have faith, so I applied for the job, but I didn’t hear anything for weeks.
I played my inspiring music so much that my son, who knew the words, would sing along. I continued to thank someone in my heart of hearts for my good luck and tried to stay positive. Yet, by the end of January, I started to doubt myself. As I drove my son to school, he seemed to know how I felt, but said nothing. Then one evening, I received a sign appearing on my mirror, which looked like a Chinese symbol.
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 searched Chinese symbols for the meaning of the sign.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Within days, I received a phone call from the school to which I had applied.
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