1 . I grew up on a dairy farm. The particular life location to which I got assigned-“stuck” is a better word if you’ve ever been there — was a small family-owned-and-operated outfit.
I remember the Christmas when our main hired hand dropped out of the work rotation. Sixteen and the oldest of the kids left at home, I was called on to fill in. Halfway through the first day, I realized I had never noticed exactly how much that worker did. For five days I either milked or slept, fed calves (牛犊) or slept. I have to admit this gave me a deep appreciation of how hard my parents worked day in and day out for 30 years, and that understanding solidified my determination to do whatever it took to not stay on that dairy farm my whole life.
Eventually, my determination paid off. I got into college. Now, I no longer have to worry about my father’s voice yelling, “Stace, come out here! We need help!” To be honest, I’m grateful. But at the same time, I also don’t have a compelling reason to be up in time to see the beauty of a sunrise. Nor do I have the opportunity to dance with my sister in the dairy barn, work side-by-side with my dad and hear the old stories.
Now, there are whole stretches of days when I don’t feel any pressing need to even go outside. And I can go months without petting an animal or watching in amazement at their keen sense of the environment around them. Instead, I have neighbors within shouting distance but who feel like they live a planet away.
Eighteen years I lived my life on that dairy, not really knowing there were people who didn’t get up and go out and work together to get the same overwhelming tasks done day after day. Sometimes I wish I had never found out there were.
1. What did the author come to understand on her first day working on the farm?A.She couldn’t manage so much work. |
B.Her parents sacrificed a lot for her family. |
C.The tasks were dull and challenging. |
D.The work was more demanding than expected. |
A.Lack of opportunities on the farm. |
B.A passion for academic study. |
C.Her dissatisfaction with farm life. |
D.Encouragement from her parents. |
A.Mixed. | B.Regretful. |
C.Content. | D.Relieved. |
A.She has become tired of her daily routine. |
B.She misses the connections she had before. |
C.She regrets leaving her family behind. |
D.She has lost interest in the beauty of nature. |
Scanning the court, Luis pretended to pass the ball to another teammate but finally gave it to Nicholas. As Luis expected, Nicholas kicked hard and… GOAL! Just then, Devon walked up angrily. “What were you DOING there, Luis?!” he yelled. Luis rolled his eyes.
Devon started playing soccer with them weeks ago. He was nice when he felt like things in the game had gone his way. Otherwise, he would lose temper.
“Playing soccer.” Luis shrugged. “Why didn’t you pass to me? I was closer to the goal than Nicholas.” Devon yelled again.
As the group walked in, Devon continued. Luis ignored him to avoid arguing. Nicholas approached and began complaining about Devon’s yelling and disrespect. “What can you do about that?” Luis asked. Nicolas said he wanted to organize a new team without Devon. Luis was upset to hear that. Nicholas said, “It’s more fun before he started playing with us. I’ve told the other teammates. They agreed.”
Reaching home, Luis dragged his feet into his bedroom, which confused his mom. “What’s wrong?” She asked. Then, Luis told what happened to her. “Have any of you tried talking to Devon about this?” She asked. “I don’t know.” Luis scratched his head.
“Maybe a boundary could help. When playing soccer, how do you know whether someone is at the right position on the court? What’s that line called?” Mom reminded. “A boundary.” Luis murmured.
“Tell Devon whether he’s crossing a line with how he talks.” She suggested. Luis took the advice and decided to have a try.
The next day at school, Luis found Devon and told him all the teammates liked playing soccer with him but they didn’t like being yelled at by him.
“I don’t yell at people.” Devon immediately interrupted.
“You yelled at me the other day because I didn’t pass to you,” Luis reminded calmly. “And you are yelling now. If you keep yelling at your teammate, we won’t play with you anymore.”
Devon was too embarrassed to speak. “Being yelled at isn’t fun but playing soccer is supposed to be fun.” Luis said, patting Devon’s shoulder gently.
Later, during the training, Luis met Nicholas and told him what he’d told Devon.
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里作答。
“Just give him another chance, okay?” Luis whispered.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the training came to an end, Luis and Nicholas jogged towards Devon.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Rich Danieu, a man awaiting a heart transplant (移植), had to stay in Strong Hospital in Rochester, New York, since January. His days were filled with uncertainty, medical procedures, and a longing to be with his family. The slim hope of getting cured had almost driven Danieu’s mood down to the ground. He was close to giving up. What’s worse, he was frustrated at the thought of missing a crucial event: his 5-year-old daughter Mara’s school’s father-daughter dance.
Shortly after Danieu’s arrival at the hospital, Mara had excitedly shared the news of her school’s upcoming father-daughter dance. She had been eagerly looking forward to her father’s participation. But Danieu’s illness had kept him away from his daughter’s joyous event. As the day of the dance drew near, Mara’s excitement began to be replaced by a deep sadness. “My daughter was a little upset, for I couldn’t go with her,” Danieu said to a nurse with a heavy heart.
Mara’s grandfather stepped in to take her to the dance, hoping to make the evening special for her. They both got dressed up, arrived at the school hall, and even had a beautiful photo taken. However, for Mara, something was wrong, because she noticed everybody else was with their dads. Excitement gave way to disappointment. On their way home, Mara was walking silently, without saying a word, when her grandfather received a call from the hospital.
The nurses at Strong Hospital had been closely following the family’s story. Having witnessed what Danieu was experiencing due to missing such a crucial moment in his daughter’s life, they decided to do something. They knew they couldn’t make a big change, but they could certainly create a moment of magic. On the night of the dance, with delicate care, they transformed an empty hospital room into a magical dance floor, complete with twinkling lights and soft music playing in the background.
At the same time, Danieu lay in his hospital bed, a sense of disappointment at his heart. When he was gazing out the window, a nurse came in with a warm smile.
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。
Led to the room, Danieu didn’t know what awaited him.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That special dance brought great strength and hope to Danieu.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . How long have you been going to the same hairdresser or barber? It’s a question that gets us thinking about the unique friendship we
You have confidence in each other. You have a laugh together and regularly
Many people have
While she cut my hair recently, we chatted about that special
For Claire, the customer interaction is something she loves about the job and that she has
A.break | B.promote | C.form | D.begin |
A.catch up on | B.make up for | C.put up with | D.end up with |
A.request | B.desire | C.occasion | D.recipe |
A.resolve | B.remember | C.cherish | D.evaluate |
A.reliable | B.unforgettable | C.imaginable | D.inseparable |
A.shapes | B.models | C.styles | D.sorts |
A.Besides | B.Despite | C.Given | D.After |
A.injuries | B.emotions | C.reasons | D.changes |
A.brought | B.shared | C.observed | D.emphasized |
A.link | B.role | C.habit | D.pattern |
A.other than | B.rather than | C.no less than | D.not more than |
A.eventually | B.gradually | C.immediately | D.frequently |
A.caring | B.hanging | C.worrying | D.talking |
A.desire | B.ambition | C.hobby | D.job |
A.fascinated | B.struck | C.uplifted | D.impressed |
Every Saturday, Arizona hung out at her grandma’s laundry and dry-cleaning store while her mom worked. Arizona loved being with her grandma, but she wanted to do more than just draw and read.
“How about I write down what people bring in and pin a number to it?” Arizona offered.
With Grandma nearby, she did fine. But the next order was an enormous bedspread (床单). Arizona checked it in, but when she went to lift it off the counter, it wouldn’t move a bit. She tried sliding it, but it fell over on her. “I’m OK!” She giggled from under the soft mounds of material. Grandma lifted the bedspread off her and smiled.
“Why don’t you draw for a little while,” she suggested. “You’re such a good artist.”
Arizona sighed. “But I wanted to help you.” Arizona was too short to reach the tall rod (竿) that held the fresh clothes in neat alphabetical order. Grandma didn’t want her handling the iron. She could slide cardboard into the ironed shirts, but that was about it.
“Why don’t you draw a picture of more customers coming in?” Grandma joked. “Maybe that would help!”
Arizona went outside. It was a crisp fall day. The last leaves were starting their lazy drift to the ground. She spotted her babysitter, Stephanie, across the street. Stephanie was painting big letters on the window of the hardware store.
“Stephanie!” Arizona called. “You’re going to get in trouble.”
Stephanic laughed. “The high-school cheer leading team is painting windows for our home coming football game next weekend. Some of the shop owners said we could.”
“Does that paint wash off?” Arizona asked.
“Yep. It’s just cornstarch, soap, and food coloring,” said Stephanie.
Arizona saw other kids from the high school painting designs on windows up and down the street.“GO, TIGERS!” said the window of the nail salon in huge letters. “HEAR US ROAR!” said the window of the smoothie shop.
“I can help you!” Arizona called to Stephanie, her heart pounding. “I can draw!”
“Sorry,” Stephanie said. “I’m out of paint, and I have to get home. Thank you, though!”
Arizona was so disappointed she could taste it. She stared at Grandma’s windows. They have nothing on.
注意:1.续写字数应为150个左右 ;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly an idea burst into Arizona’s head.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When she finished, Arizona went inside to get Grandma.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . A 40-year-old man in China found his calling — teaching quantum mechanics (量子力学) on social media — after being unemployed for more than 20 years. Li Wei, from Qinghai province in northwestern China, became
Such is his popularity, he has
Photovoltaic
A.evident | B.attractive | C.effective | D.popular |
A.accumulated | B.told | C.urged | D.admired |
A.listening to | B.waiting for | C.dealing with | D.talking about |
A.needed | B.gained | C.offered | D.refused |
A.employment | B.experts | C.information | D.applications |
A.game | B.career | C.relationship | D.growth |
A.left | B.saved | C.joined | D.believed |
A.anxious | B.horrified | C.surprised | D.eager |
A.results in | B.responds to | C.looks for | D.refers to |
A.strange | B.reputable | C.secret | D.renewable |
A.desire | B.tradition | C.character | D.knowledge |
A.full | B.free | C.true | D.aware |
A.introduced | B.expanded | C.found | D.chose |
A.caring | B.ending | C.setting | D.calling |
A.late | B.busy | C.good | D.easy |
7 . This happened on March 1, 2020. Just weeks before much of the country issued shelter-in-place orders, a mother and her teen daughter
When they began, the pair—Briana Sullivan and her daughter Cambyr, who started out 13 but
Eventually, the pandemic made it
Throughout their journey, “
A.set out | B.came up | C.looked ahead | D.got around |
A.running | B.climbing | C.hiking | D.walking |
A.got | B.turned | C.changed | D.became |
A.long | B.then | C.before | D.until |
A.results | B.effects | C.causes | D.reasons |
A.connected | B.avoided | C.escaped | D.disconnected |
A.experience | B.challenges | C.lessons | D.questions |
A.smooth | B.rough | C.tight | D.difficult |
A.Luckily | B.Hopefully | C.Sadly | D.Unfortunately |
A.refer to | B.send to | C.turn to | D.get to |
A.exciting | B.dull | C.surprising | D.embarrassing |
A.Instead | B.Therefore | C.Besides | D.Otherwise |
A.conducting | B.offering | C.building | D.providing |
A.Chance | B.Pressure | C.Positivity | D.Activity |
A.hopeful | B.happy | C.light | D.low |
8 . When Lucy was ten, she went to the theatre to see a play The House at Pooh Corner with her parents. Immediately, Lucy fell in love. But although she took part in school and college plays, she never thought it could lead to a career. Instead, she studied business at university, working for the Land Register of Scotland until she retired in 2012. Her newly free time reignited (重新,点燃) a decades-old spark. “I still wanted to do something with my brain so I went back to university to study theatre and performance,” says Lucy.
That year, she took part in a folk drama workshop and discovered mumming, an ancient masked form, in which male actors travel through villages, performing simple plays, often in exchange for food or shelter. “It’s a simpler story than conventional plays. It has one central conflict rather than slow character development. It’s rooted in history and involves more improvisation (即席创作) because the play is always tailored to a local audience,” says Lucy.
Interest grew and Lucy set up her group — the Meadows Mummers — as a charity, to attract wider support and donations. Its first performance was in 2015, at the Meadows festival in Edinburgh. Things snowballed from there. As well as touring central Scotland, the group went to the International Mumming Symposium and Unconvention in Gloucestershire in 2016, and learned more about the history of folk drama.
More recently, life circumstances have made performing difficult. “I’ve had health problems.” She says that, at times, she has considered giving up, but gets too much joy from doing it to stop. “We’ve just done one performance this year but I’m really excited that we’re getting ready for more festivals next year.”
The drive to keep going is inspired by an experience more than 30 years ago. “I was in a national park in Yugoslavia when I saw a woman staring attentively at this green river,” she says. “She told me she was going blind and wanted the river to be the last beautiful thing she ever saw.” Whenever doubt creeps in (不知不觉产生), Lucy recalls that encounter and feels forced to continue grasping life with both hands. “Just because you’ve reached 60, it doesn’t mean the drawbridge has been pulled up,” says Lucy.
1. Why did Lucy study theatre and performance after retirement?A.To further her study. | B.To please her parents. |
C.To recollect her interest. | D.To find a better job. |
A.Its history. | B.Its characteristics. | C.Its importance. | D.Its prospect. |
A.Stuck. | B.Collapsed. | C.Developed. | D.Froze. |
A.We should try to live in the moment. | B.Roman was not built in a day. |
C.Where there’s a will, there is a way. | D.Art is long, life is short. |
Crab Lessons
My son Geordi was a rather spirited boy. Very little held his attention for long. He spent most of his spare time thinking up new ways to scare me half to death. Like the time he decided to “surf” on a tiny plastic table that was meant to hold a few drinks rather than a six-year-old boy. Geordi had just begun learning about the ocean in school and was surprisingly fascinated by it. We lived in Delaware, so any discussion about the ocean usually included horseshoe crabs, which crowded our coasts to mate in the late spring.
As part of the lesson, Geordi’s teacher brought horseshoe crab shells (壳) to school for the children to touch and examine. Hearing that horseshoe crabs had been around for over 300 million years, even before the dinosaurs, Geordi thought that was officially the coolest thing he had ever heard. He could not stop talking about it for days, and I decided it was time for us to take a drive to the Delaware Bay.
As we stepped out from the car, strong wind nearly blew my poor forty-five-pound child to the ground. Being a six-year-old mischievous (调皮的) boy, Geordi saw this as an opportunity to showcase his amazing talents, which included falling down, getting up, falling down and, yes, getting up again. This, of course, was always complete with giggles (咯咯笑). The drama came to a sudden stop as Geordi spied the dozens of army-truck-looking creatures in the sand. The next sound effect was “Wow!” as his body froze and his eyes widened with wonder.
Geordi ran around excitedly, not knowing which one to check out first. He settled on a horseshoe crab that was on its back, legs waving wildly in the air, desperate for water. “Mom, look at this one!” he screamed. “He’s cool!” I pointed out the different body parts of the crab for him, and he listened quietly and absorbed the information. He said, “I really liked him. I think I will name him Spike because he had all those really cool, spiky (尖的) things on his back.” Then I picked up the crab, turned it over to its proper position and placed it at the edge of the water.
注意:1.续写词数应为150 左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
Geordi asked what I was doing.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Geordi spotted many more horseshoe crabs on their backs.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . My friendship with the students in a primary school in Uganda started on a shaky ground. The
I greeted them with a broad smile, and they replied with ice cold
The little things we do for each other bring us great joy and
A.anger | B.fear | C.desire | D.belief |
A.sharp | B.all | C.long | D.deaf |
A.silence | B.blame | C.comment | D.agreement |
A.puzzle | B.doubt | C.reminder | D.relief |
A.official | B.simple | C.academic | D.unusual |
A.turn out | B.break off | C.die away | D.take over |
A.laziness | B.shyness | C.loneliness | D.calmness |
A.share | B.clear | C.search | D.exchange |
A.prevented | B.forced | C.accompanied | D.allowed |
A.Suddenly | B.Gradually | C.Accidentally | D.Obviously |
A.miss | B.leave | C.refuse | D.find |
A.worn out | B.put out | C.made out | D.carried out |
A.packed | B.cleaned | C.abandoned | D.repaired |
A.freedom | B.chance | C.warmth | D.challenge |
A.friendship | B.admiration | C.sympathy | D.confidence |