1 . I was the only kid in college with a reason to go to the mail box, because my mother never believed in email, or cell phones in general. I was literally waiting to get a letter to see how the weekend had gone, which was usually the warmest comfort for me.
So when I moved to New York and got sucker-punched in the face by depression, I did the only thing I could think of — writing letters like my mother for strangers. I blogged about those letters and crazily promised I would write you a hand-written letter if asked to.
Overnight, my inbox became this harbor of heartbreak — a single mother in Sacramento, a girl being bullied (恐吓) in rural Kansas…, all asking me to write them a letter and give them a reason to wait by the mailbox. And this is how the act The World Needs More Love Letters was born, fueled by those trips to the mailbox. But the thing about these letters is that most of them have been written by people, who have grown up into a paperless world where some best conversations happen swiftly on a screen.
I’ve been carrying this mail crate (大木箱) with me these days, which is a magical icebreaker. So I get to tell total strangers about a woman whose husband was traumatized (受精神创伤) from war in Afghanistan, and how she left love letters throughout the house as a way to say, “Come back to me.” And the man, who had decided to take his life, tonight slept safely with letters just beneath his pillow, handwritten by strangers who were there for him.
These are the kinds of stories that convince me that letter-writing will always be needed, even in these days, because it is an art now.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The efficiency of write letters. |
| B．The author’s care for her family. |
| C．The author’s attachment to letters. |
| D．The author’s love for the college life. |
| A．The letters’ comforting effect on people. |
| B．Her intention of providing professional aid. |
| C．The positive influence of modern technology. |
| D．Her mother’s fear of modern communication. |
| A．It is capable of doing magic tricks. |
| B．It starts a conversation with passers-by. |
| C．It helps people to recover from traumas. |
| D．It is hot enough to melt ice on a cold day. |
| A．Love for Writing |
| B．Priceless Family Letters |
| C．Love Letters to Strangers |
| D．The Art of Writing Letters |
2 . In a heartwarming tale from Georgia, a 72-year-old senior recently celebrated his college graduation in cinema studies, an achievement made even more special by the presence of his proud 99-year-old mother.
Sam Kaplan of Lawrenceville decided to start on his educational journey at Georgia Gwinnett College in 2019, half a century after he had firstly chosen not to get higher education following his high school graduation in 1969. The catalyst for his return to academia came when he heard a radio announcement about a degree programme in cinema studies.
Recalling that moment, Kaplan said, “I was driving down the highway when I heard about the degree programme. The next exit led to Collinsville, so I immediately exited, and within five minutes, I was enrolling in classes. I’ve always had a passion for writing and storytelling. I longed to transform my narratives into screenplays, but I realized I needed the basic knowledge to do so,”
Kaplan admitted that the journey was a mix of anxiety and excitement, but it proved to be greatly rewarding. He graduated with a 3.975 grade point average and perfect grade honours, majoring in cinema and media arts, and had desires to continue creating screenplays in the future.
“It was an exciting and nerve-wracking (神经紧张的) challenge. Re-recognizing myself with the art of studying and communicating with fellow students was a lot of fun,” he told FOX5 Atlanta.
The most heartwarming thing of Kaplan’s graduation day was the presence of his mother, 99-year-old Virginia Kaplan, during the ceremony. Virginia expressed her huge pride, saying, “I am so proud of him. He faced numerous challenges but insisted, and I am delighted, pleased, and extremely proud,” the mother also added. “With his new degree, he’s going to stand out in whatever he does. Who knows, I might even make an appearance in the movies.”
1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To provide some background. | B．To tell the main idea. |
| C．To serve as a comment. | D．To offer an example. |
| A．Reason. | B．Vehicle. | C．Task. | D．Fact. |
| A．The mother desires to star in a film. |
| B．Kaplan takes much pride in himself. |
| C．Kaplan is excellent at whatever he does. |
| D．The mother offers the unshakeable support. |
| A．Failure is the mother of success. |
| B．It’s never too late to follow a dream. |
| C．The good seaman is known in bad weather. |
| D．All things in their being are good for something. |
3 . The ability to walk is the sort of thing many people take for granted, but for Ella Weiske, it’s a monumental achievement. Ella was born with cerebral palsy (脑瘫) and requires a wheelchair to get around, yet she always dreamed of walking across the stage to collect her high school diploma on her own two feet.
In spring of 2023, Ella finally got that chance! The teenager spent months before her graduation from Ripon High School in Wisconsin building strength and practicing walking on an innovative new device called a Trexo. All of her efforts were worth it when she stepped onto the stage to a standing ovation (起立鼓掌) from teachers and students.
Walking on graduation day was important to Ella so her family raised $45,000 with an online fundraiser to buy the Trexo device, which is a wearable robot designed to help children walk. The device is controlled by a tablet, and it helps Ella gently move her legs. She can adjust how much support is needed, walk angles, and speed.
Ella says just the feeling of her feet hitting the floor makes her happy, but it’s the independence the device offers that gets her really excited. She dreams of hanging around downtown, going to her brother’s baseball games, and opening up her world with help from her robotic legs. But first, graduation!
On the big day, Ella was able to use her Trexo device to walk across the stage with the other members of the class of 2023. The entire school body was on their feet, cheering for her, as she collected her diploma with help from her sister, Liz Weiske. It was an emotional moment for the teachers and students who have rooted for Ella for the past 4 years.
Just graduating is an achievement on its own, but Ella’s life-changing walk meant so much to her, and to everyone who knows and loves her. We’re so proud of Ella for working hard to accomplish her goals.
1. What words can best describe Ella Weiske?| A．Caring and responsible. | B．Honest and reliable. |
| C．Ambitious and hardworking. | D．Intelligent and creative. |
| A．A responsibility to help others. | B．A sense of living independently. |
| C．An ability to deliver a public speech. | D．An opportunity for further education. |
| A．Embarrassing. | B．Doubtful. | C．Inspiring. | D．Romantic. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. | D．Everything is possible to a willing mind. |
Michael saw the trouble coming. There standing in the hallway was Frank, the boy who enjoyed making fun of anyone at any given moment. Frank was tall and strong, so few of his victims stood up to him. Michael hated the idea that Frank always got away with his wrongdoing. Yet like most kids who were picked on, he just took it quietly and waited for the unpleasant to pass.
Frank walked up, his eyes locked on the books in Michael’s arms. When they met, Frank stopped unexpectedly, “Hey, let me see those books!” Some students watched as Michael held out the books he was carrying, trying not to give away his nervousness.
Frank took a book, looked inside for a second, and then threw the book at Michael, who dropped all the other books. “Hey, those are school property,” Frank barked, “Be careful!” Then he walked away, laughing loudly.
Michael, his cheeks turning red, half kicked the fallen books. Suddenly a hand picked up one book. “You look like you could use a p ally (盟友),” a friendly voice said. It was Ramon, the most athletic boy in the high school. Michael couldn’t believe Ramon was stopping to help him as they barely spoke.
“Thanks,” Michael sighed with relief. “It’s confusing. I don’t know what his problems is.”
“Well, as I see it,” Ramon said, “you need to find a way to end this.” Michael nodded, stuck for what to say. Ramon continued, “You know my grandmother used to tell me whenever I had a problem with someone. She’d say, ‘You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar (醋).’”
Looking puzzled, Michael asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means kindness may be more effective than anger,” Ramon explained.
“Can you just tell Frank to stop picking on me?” Michael suggested.
“That’s vinegar,” Ramon laughed as he walked away. “Try honey instead.”
Ramon’s words left Michael thinking.
The next school day brought Michael’s usual pain. There stood Frank, and Michael knew it would be just seconds before he had to face him in the middle of the hall. Frank came nearer.
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。
Then, suddenly, the unexpected happened.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Michael bent down and quickly picked up Frank’s books on the floor.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . A 17-year-old boy nicknamed Tao Tao with cerebral palsy(脑瘫) has made positive attempts to achieve greater self-reliance through selling self-made popcorn on the street on his own, touching the hearts of netizens and winning him an education opportunity.
According to Tao Tao’s mother: Yao Chuanhua, her son was born with the disabling condition. Over the years, she has continuously tried to train him to adapt and live as normally as possible.
As Tao Tao grew up, the idea of fostering his independence by selling homemade popcorn has brewed in the mother’s mind. She taught Tao Tao how to make popcorn at home and helped set up a stall in Xiaoshan district, Hangzhou city of East China’s Zhejiang province.
“Tao Tao, don’t worry. Take it easy even if no one comes to buy,” after a few words of encouragement, Yao stepped aside and let his son take charge.
Initially reserved and unaccustomed to street vending, Tao Tao struggled to attract buyers. To boost his confidence, the mother even paid some passers-by to buy popcorn from her son’s stall.
Gradually, despite shyness and physical difficulties, Tao Tao has become more active and confident, managing the business smoothly without relying on a megaphone to peddle the product.
“The moment you stood here, you were already a success,” Being proud of Tao Tao’s progress, Yao shared videos of her son’s popcorn selling story online, receiving immense care and support from netizens.
Some traveled specifically to buy popcorn from Tao Tao, and one viewer even ordered thousands of buckets. Many expressed a desire to donate, but Yao declined any form of donations.
“My goal is to encourage him to make a brave step forward and connect with the outside world. I hope that one day he could live independently through his own efforts.”
“Tao Tao is a persevering child. He insists on making and packaging the popcorn all by himself, trying his best his best to prove that he can make it,” Yao added.
The online video sensation has drawn the attention of the local education authority to Tao Tao’s situation. After learning that the teen failed to receive proper school education due to health conditions, they have arranged for local special education teachers to offer him door-to-door teaching.
1. What can we learn about Tao Tao from Paragraph 1?| A．He is a student who likes studying. |
| B．He suffered from cerebral palsy at 17. |
| C．He made a lot of money by selling popcorn. |
| D．He is a boy with a positive attitude towards life. |
| A．To boost his confidence. | B．To gain people’s sympathy. |
| C．To foster his independence. | D．To improve his popcorn-making skills. |
| A．To get the support from netizens. |
| B．To get him to sell more popcorn on his own. |
| C．To draw the attention of the local education authority. |
| D．To encourage him to boldly connect with the outside world. |
| A．His spirit of perseverance. | B．The donations he accepted. |
| C．The help given by netizens. | D．The good education he received. |
I am an outdoor lover and I’ve made it a routine to explore different regions annually with a friend during our vacation. This year, in addition to beauty of nature, I’ve experienced something more.
It was late afternoon. A few hours before sunset, Darcy and I decided to hike to Acomat Falls, hidden in the rainforest.
Expecting to spend no more than an hour at the falls, we wore T-shirts and swimsuits and hadn’t told anyone where we were going. After crossing the wide river at a shallow spot and walking upstream about 100 yards, we reached the falls at around 4 pm. We dived into the green pool and floated on our backs, amazed at the canyon(峡谷) walls.
By 4:30, Darcy reminded me that we needed to head back to the car before dark, but I was waist-deep in the river trying to photograph the falls, the hanging vines(葡萄藤), and the dreaminess of the place. Darcy had to wait on a stone. I finally took a good photo—and then she screamed.
With a crack like thunder, a violent wall of water rushed over the falls, turning the dreamy swimming pool into a churning(旋涡的) monster. Flash flood! I jumped out of the river seconds before the flood crashed over the spot where I’d just been standing. Darcy climbed barefoot off toward higher ground. Darcy and I climbed up the canyon on all fours, grabbing vines to pull ourselves up. I looked over my shoulder and saw that the water had risen 20 feet in less than a minute.
Darcy led us through the dense bush, prickly trees, and ankle-deep mud. After we’d climbed 200 feet, we stopped to catch our breath. Now we had a different problem: The road was on the other side of the swollen river. We were stuck in the forested mountain.
We had no rain jackets and were exhausted from the climb. Darcy asked if I had my phone. It was soaking wet, but still blinked on. No service. We decided to move toward higher ground to get a better signal. It was almost dark. For a moment, I got through, and I heard the faint voice of Grace, our rental host. She said she’d call for help. Then the phone went silent—no signal again.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
It seemed that we were in a desperate situation.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Trapped there, we wondered whether and how rescuers could find us.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I stood there listening to the angry words of my father. He gathered us all together and had the look on his face that told us that one of us had done something wrong. “Which one of you did this?” he asked in a sharp voice.
We all stared down at the floor covered with the art of a child’s handwriting in chalk. I stood there, trembling on the inside and had hoped that no one else could see it. Scared, the only words that came from my mouth were, “Not me, Dad.”
The others denied it as well. Of course, we knew that one of us must have done it. But I, being the youngest and smallest of the three, just couldn’t find the courage to tell the truth. It wasn’t that I was a bad kid. Lying was not normal for me. But the look on my dad’s face that evening sent a chill (寒冷) up and down my spine (脊柱) and somehow I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.
He had a way about himself when I was a child that made me afraid of him. But I loved him for it too, because it gave me my boundaries of what I could and could not do. I wanted to please him, of course. Maybe that’s why I held back the truth that day. I was afraid of displeasing the one man I looked up to.
Without saying a word, he disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a piece of paper and a pencil. “I want each of you to write exactly what you see on the step,” Dad said.
I was not a stupid kid and when my turn came, I purposely wrote the words differently. So when my dad compared the handwriting, he still couldn’t tell which one of us did it. Angrier, he stood a step above us and looked down at his three small kids. “I’m going to give you one more chance,” said Dad. “If none of you admit, you all will get a spanking (打屁股).”
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 did it.” someone said and I was pretty sure it wasn’t me.
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We didn’t talk about that day for many years until we were all older.
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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。
It was a Saturday in May. It was my third Mother’s Day. The air was warm, the sun was bright, and I spent the morning leisurely drinking coffee and getting ready with my daughter. My husband returned home from his shopping trip, giving me a Mother’s Day gift.
Afterward, I needed to head out and go to the grocery store. But I decided to take my daughter to play at the park first. She ran and played until she grew sticky with sweat and exhaustion (筋疲力尽). At that moment, I realized I had forgotten to pack any snacks. So I promised her I would buy her snacks at the store.
Thirty minutes later, we parked and headed in. I kept thinking about the gift my husband had given me, a dress for my cousin’s wedding the following month. My daughter was going to be the flower girl, and we still didn’t have a dress picked out for her. So I decided to check out the children’s clothes next door before buying groceries. In my excitement, I’d forgotten about the promised snacks. However, my daughter hadn’t.
We just spent two minutes looking at the girl’s section before my daughter began to scream. It felt as if her lungs could break glass and puncture (刺穿) the eardrums of everyone inside. I tried to help her calm down and allow us to look a little longer, but her scream deepened in volume.
We quickly made our way out of the store, with eyes following us as my daughter proved her vocal strength. We stopped just outside of the doors because my daughter began to lie on the floor and scream her heart out as the rest of the world looked on. Really, it was embarrassing and frustrating (令人沮丧的).
Just then, a grandma approached us. She wanted to pick up my sad daughter and comfort her. I had done that before, but at this point, my daughter was too far gone. She didn’t want anyone when she was angry. The grandma offered to hug her, but she refused and cried harder.
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。
That’s when another young mother approached.
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My daughter finally got tired of crying after a while.
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9 . Fashion always influences people. Isabella Springmuhl Tejada from Guatemala, one of the first professional fashion designers with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征), is proving that fashion goes beyond normal limits.
Tejada who discovered her hobby in childhood said, “I think that fashion design is in my blood.” After all, her grandmother had a studio where she produced Guatemalan-style clothing.And, when she was young, Tejada’s mother gave her fashion magazines to read. Tejada spent hours of her childhood reading the magazines and designing paper dresses for her dolls. By the time she reached high school, Tejada had decided to enter the world.
After being refused by several fashion schools because of her Down syndrome, Tejada found her own path. She signed up for a clothing-making course, where she began to make clothing for “worry dolls”, finger-sized traditional Guatemalan dolls. And she created life-sized dolls and dressed them in the colorful clothes that she’s now famous for. This design experience greatly helped Tejada. She fell in love with traditional Guatemalan patterns and colors. She explained, “I’m lucky to work with traditional cloth, inspired by our culture and representing our country.”
Tejada also pioneered fashion design for people with Down syndrome. She said, “It is difficult for people like me to find suitable clothes. We can be shorter or weaker. That’s why I decided to design clothes that would be perfect for people with Down syndrome.”
Tejada has created her brand, Down to Xjabelle. The new brand took off right away. It made it all the way to London Fashion Week. And the great designer has plans for the future as well. Tejada said, “I want people all over the world to know my designs and to know that people with Down syndrome can do what they set out to do. I want to be able to live on my own.”
1. What awakened Tejada’s love for fashion design?| A．Her family’s strong influence. | B．Her visit to a design school. |
| C．Her efforts to fight her disease. | D．Her work experience in a famous company. |
| A．It proved her ability to run a business. |
| B．It increased her interest in traditional design styles. |
| C．It strengthened her wish to travel around the world. |
| D．It inspired her to learn about different cultures. |
| A．Her illness has been successfully cured. |
| B．She won’t let her disability limit her. |
| C．Her brand is facing serious competition. |
| D．She can’t please normal customers with her design ideas. |
| A．Learn the Value of Traditional Culture | B．Fashion is Closely Connected with Daily Life |
| C．A Special Designer Turns Her Dream into Reality | D．Develop a Hobby from an Early Age |
Looking over the top of the book, I glanced across at the new girl named Rochelle. She only joined our class at the beginning of the week. It must be hard starting a new school in the middle of the year.
At last, the bell went for the end of the day. I spotted Rochelle running towards a tall woman who must be her mum. Then I saw a surprising thing. Rochelle’s mum was waving her arms round and making shapes with her fingers, and Rochelle was doing the same with hers. It was like they were talking to each other with their hands. Oh, could her mother be deaf? My mind was filled with questions.
The next day, I was reading this week’s words when I felt a tap (轻拍) on my shoulder. I looked up and Rochelle was standing in front of me. “Shall we test each other?” she asked, pointing to my spelling book.
“Yes, of course,” I replied. But I was still wondering how to ask the questions that had been tumbling (翻腾) around in my head since yesterday.
“So, um, that hand thing you did with your mum…”
“Signing.”
“Yeah, signing. Is it because she’s, um, deaf?”
“Yes, both my parents are deaf, so I communicate with them through sign.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. That must be really difficult.” I could tell by the frown on Rochelle’s face that I’d said something wrong, but I didn’t know what. “So, did your parents need someone to help them look after you when you were a baby?”
“Of course not,” Rochelle got annoyed. “Why would being deaf mean they can’t look after me? Being deaf doesn’t mean they’re stupid,” she was almost shouting. “In fact, they’re much cleverer than most people I know.” Hearing that, I got bet all over. I didn’t say her parents were stupid. But before I could explain, the bell went and she strode (阔步行走) out of the classroom. I hurried after her, but when I tried to speak to her, she kept her back to me as if I were her enemy.
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。
After school, I saw Rochelle and her mother moving their hands quickly.
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All of a sudden, Rochelle was coming over to me, with her eyes watery and red.
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