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.

2. What inspired the author to launch the act?

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.

3. Why does the author call the mail crate “a magical icebreaker”?

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.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Love for Writing

B．Priceless Family Letters

C．Love Letters to Strangers

D．The Art of Writing Letters

2 . It was a warm March evening, and I’d just taken a seat on the bus. A woman took a seat opposite me. Not speaking to anyone________, she tearfully________her story.

A thief had________one of her bags. It had contained half of the money she’d brought. The other half was rolled in a hankie and hidden under her blouse, so she________still had some money.

After a few minutes, an old man in ragged clothes got on the bus. The bus conductor started to collected ________. When he came to the old man’s seat, he became _______ and asked whether he had any money. The old man ________ that he had spent all his money this morning when he’d accidentally got on the wrong bus.

Upon hearing this, the bus conductor and the driver ________ the old man to get off the bus. The old man ________ them to let him take that bus.

The woman was observing the ________. When the bus driver and conductor raised their voices at the old man, she ________.

”Can’t you see he’s only trying to get home?“

”He doesn’t have any money!“ the driver shouted.

”Well, that’s no reason to throw him off the bus, she ________.

She reached inside her blouse, took out her ________ money. “Here’s his fare and mine.”

On the road of life, the ________ and smiles of strangers can lighten our loads and ________ our spirits. How much sweeter the journey when we make it a little smoother and richer for others!

1.

A．in particular

B．in doubt

C．in advance

D．in secret

2.

A．announced

B．narrated

C．complained

D．expressed

3.

A．stretched

B．seized

C．sought

D．stolen

4.

A．fortunately

B．frankly

C．kindly

D．grateful

5.

A．tickets

B．luggage

C．bags

D．currency

6.

A．awkward

B．disappointed

C．honored

D．suspicious

7.

A．excused

B．explained

C．urged

D．released

8.

A．removed

B．contributed

C．ordered

D．permitted

9.

A．begged

B．allowed

C．quested

D．advised

10.

A．matter

B．accident

C．incident

D．story

11.

A．indicated

B．expected

C．reminded

D．interrupted

12.

A．demanded

B．insisted

C．promised

D．agreed

13.

A．extra

B．available

C．remaining

D．original

14.

A．sincerity

B．honesty

C．responsibility

D．generosity

15.

A．improve

B．recover

C．lift

D．inspire

3 . Tim Gjoraas doesn’t have much time left. However, there’s no ________ of supportive people in his corner.

Last year, Tim found out he had cancer. In the following months, his health ________ and then he got the news that he likely only has months left to live. He quickly retired from the Washington High School and decided to devote every moment to spending with his ________.

After ________ that he may not have much time left, Tim began taking steps to ensure his loved ones will be ________ . While he was catching up with Doug Rinken, a friend and retired teacher, Tim asked him to ________ his house next summer. He ________ that his wife Lisa has always wanted blue walls. Little did he know that the job would be finished much ________! One Saturday in September, Tim opened his doors to a(n) ________ sight. Doug had shown up with paint tools and about a dozen of Tim’s fellow teachers and friends.

This wasn’t the first time they had ________ him. After they heard about his disease, they organized fundraisers to help with his medical ________ . The project took less than a day ________ their efforts. Of course, it left a ________ mark on Tim. What a powerful act of kindness! No matter what happens, Tim ________ knows he and his family members will always hold a place in their community’s ________.

1.

A．record

B．evidence

C．shortage

D．indication

2.

A．recovered

B．maintained

C．improved

D．worsened

3.

A．friends

B．family

C．teachers

D．students

4.

A．accepting

B．announcing

C．proving

D．admitting

5.

A．caught up with

B．put up with

C．taken care of

D．kept away from

6.

A．rebuild

B． repaint

C．repair

D．reuse

7.

A．guessed

B．ignored

C．forgot

D．explained

8.

A．later

B．better

C．sooner

D．harder

9.

A．incredible

B．familiar

C．unavoidable

D．frightening

10.

A．got hold of

B．given way to

C．broken up with

D．come through for

11.

A．supplies

B．bills

C．facilities

D．problems

12.

A．as for

B．but for

C．thanks to

D．regardless of

13.

A．permanent

B．visible

C． primitive

D． fresh

14.

A．largely

B．simply

C．precisely

D．definitely.

15.

A．memory

B．heart

C． power

D． history

4 . 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.

2. What did Ella gain from the help of the Trexo device?

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.

3. How did the school staff feel about Ella’s walking on the stage?

A．Embarrassing.

B．Doubtful.

C．Inspiring.

D．Romantic.

4. What lesson can we learn from Ella’s experience?

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.

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。

The summer vacation had just begun, and Alex and Maria were ready to spend all day outside. They decided to walk to the neighborhood park, where there was a river that they liked to swim in when it was particularly hot.

When they got to the river, they saw that it was too deep to swim in. Alex and Maria were disappointed. On the other side of the river, about fifty yards away, there was a fountain from which the water is flowing out. “We should go to play in the fountain,” Maria said. “How will we get there?” asked Alex.       

Maria looked around the grassy riverbank and noticed a few logs and branches lying close to the water. “We could build a bridge!” she said. She ran over to a thick log that looked long enough to be placed across the river. Together, she and Alex lifted the log onto their shoulders and walked to the water. Here, they stopped. How would they get the log across?       

Maria suggested throwing it down into the water and seeing if it reached the other side. That seemed improper to Alex-what if the log did not reach the other side of the river, and got stuck or swept away by the water? Then they would be unable to walk all the way across the river.       

Maria wondered if they could measure the distance from the riverbank they stood on to the other shore. They put the log carefully down and decided to test the distance with lighter, thinner branches. They found a few branches and they tied the branches together using hair bands.

At their first attempt, they tied two branches together and went back to the river to test the length. The branches only reached the center of the water. After tying two more branches together to the initial branches, Alex and Maria were able to get the thin model bridge to touch the far bank, “Hooray!” Maria said. “Now we know how long the log needs to be.”

注意：续写词数应为150左右。

They set the tied branches on the ground next to the log.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Alex and Maria managed to get to the other side of the river.

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6 . 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.

2. Why did Tao Tao’s mother let Tao Tao take charge?

A．To boost his confidence.	B．To gain people’s sympathy.
C．To foster his independence.	D．To improve his popcorn-making skills.

3. What is Tao Tao’s mother’s purpose in sharing the videos?

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.

4. What makes Tao Tao make continuous progress?

A．His spirit of perseverance.	B．The donations he accepted.
C．The help given by netizens.	D．The good education he received.

7 . 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。

Tripod’s story started one spring morning as I finished morning surgery at the veterinary clinic (兽医诊所) I owned. I was writing up medical records of the surgery patients when my receptionist stuck her head into my office, saying that a lady phoned that she’d just found a cat in her back yard with a badly injured leg.

I immediately sent my two pre-vet students in the clinic right out to pick up the cat. They eagerly accepted the challenge and soon returned with my newest patient. We gently removed the large gray tabby (斑猫) from the carrier and placed him on a warm towel on the exam table. He lay very still, his breathing rapid and shallow. His right front leg was mutilated (残废的) from just below the shoulder. The students hadn’t exaggerated; the odor (气味) coming from what remained of the leg was overpowering. This guy was in pretty bad shape, with a mangled (轧平的) front leg, some scars on his head and no collar or tag on him. The poor thing…We were close to tears, especially those two students.

“Looks like he was caught in a trap. See those ragged wound edges?” I felt the ice-cold toes and foot pads, recognizing there was little, if any, chance of saving the leg. The only way I could save him was to amputate (截肢) that leg. The students watched in somber silence as I carefully cleaned the wound. I knew from years of experience this guy didn’t have an owner. “Well, then,” I sighed, “Either remove the leg and see if we can find a home for him or put him to sleep.” Just then, one of the students stroked the cat’s head. Somewhere deep in the cat’s throat, a faint purr began. As the student continued to pet the tabby, I noticed the cat’s breathing became less labored.

“You’re a fighter, aren’t you, boy?” I whispered. “You deserve a chance.” After stabilizing the cat’s vital signs, I performed the amputation in the hope of saving his life.

Over the next few weeks, Tripod, who the students had named, went through many ups and downs. I was cautiously optimistic about his recovery. Word got around about the three-legged “miracle cat” and many clients stopped by on a regular basis to check on his progress.

注意：
1．所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:

The day finally came when I decided Tripod had truly survived.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

One day, one of our regular and favorite clients came in the door.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Bethany Meilani Hamilton was born on February 8, 1990, in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. Raised in a surfing family, along with older brothers Noah and Tim, Bethany learned to surf at the age of 7. She began competitive surfing at age 8, and by age 9 she had got her first sponsorship(赞助) .

In October 2003, after having placed 3rd in the Open Women’s Division earlier that year, Bethany’s life changed forever. Bethany went out to surf at Tunnels Beach in Ha’ena with her best friend, Alana Blanchard, and Blanchard’s father and brother. While lying on her board, Bethany suddenly felt huge pressure on her left arm and was pulled back and forth for a few seconds. Feeling no pain at first, she noticed the water around her had turned red, and her shocked friend first realized that she was attacked by a shark. Hamilton lost her left arm just below the shoulder.

As she recovered, she made two promises to herself. The first was that she would not moan(抱怨) about her terrible accident and the second was that she would get back on the surfboard. After only 26 days, she was surfing again! She is now one of the top 50 female surfers in the world. She also won first prize in the Explorer Women’s Division of the NSSA National Championships.

Bethany’s story has been turned into many books, including a few written by herself. She has appeared on many TV shows, magazine articles and in 2004 was named the Best Comeback Athlete and also received the Courage Teen Choice Award.

The last two books written by Bethany were based around the theme of being unstoppable. One of her books is named Be Unstoppable: The Art of Never Giving Up and has guided readers to be brave, enjoy life and never give up.

1. When did Bethany start to take part in surfing competitions?

A．In 1990.

B．In 1997.

C．In 1998.

D．In 2003.

2. What can we know about the terrible accident?

A．It happened during a competition.

B．Bethany lost her arms in the accident.

C．Alana was the first to find out Bethany was attacked.

D．It was so painful that Bethany passed out immediately.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The popularity of Bethany.	B．The promises of Bethany.
C．The books written by Bethany.	D．The prizes Bethany won.

4. Which of the following best describes Bethany?

A．Knowledgable.

B．Encouraging.

C．Outgoing.

D．Sociable.

9 . 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。

Along a beautiful river lived a young and beautiful bird named Hamsa. Besides, he was unique from all other birds that lived in the area. He had two heads and a single body.

One day, Hamsa was walking along the river bank. He saw a beautiful golden-reddish fruit lying on the sand. As soon as the first head saw the fruit, he cried, “Oh, my Lord... this is the most beautiful fruit I have ever seen. God has sent this fruit for me.”The second head replied, “Oh, you cheap fellow. Let me have it; I wanna taste it!”

The first head did not want to share the fruit. He said to the second head, “We both share the same stomach, so whether you eat or I eat, it really does not matter. So I will have it.” The first head picked up the fruit and gave it to their wife, who liked the fruit a lot. The second head was very disappointed with the artfulness(狡猾)of the first head. He kept quiet and did not say anything.

A few days later, Hamsa was again wandering along the banks of the river. The second head noticed a bluish and whitish fruit lying on the sands of the river. The second head immediately picked it up. When the first head saw the fruit, he understood what it actually was! He cried, “Oh, my dear partner, please throw away this fruit. Do not eat it. It’s actually a poisonous(有毒的)fruit. Both of us share the same stomach. If you eat it, we both will die. So save both of us.”

The second head was not in a mood(心情)to listen to the first head’s speech. He replied, “Oh, you double-dealing(口是心非)one! You are jealous(嫉妒的)now that I have been rewarded(回报)with a beautiful fruit. Now keep quiet and let me have it.”

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。

The first head kept warning him.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The wife served medicine to Hamsa.

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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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