1 . At the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, among mountain songs and ethnic costumes and special ceremonies, I am noticeable despite my modern dress, as my green “VOLUNTEER” nametag brands me as a perfect target for curious tourists. I have volunteered to learn about global customs; my knowledge of my native culture is limited. I had boxed up my past before moving to America eight years ago, when a new continent considered my old self foreign.

Here on the National Mall, I am the only means of communication between the Americans and the artisan (工匠), who were invited from China to display their talents. They see my awkward hand gestures as I test my mother tongue, speaking Mandarin (普通话) and putting it into English for visitors.

The artisans possess exceptional skills. He Guoyao can read thousands of pictographic characters (象形文字) and bears the duty of passing on Dongba culture. Cheng Zhirong creates fantastic animal figures with a spoon and melted sugar in minutes. Standing among them, I wonder about the contributions a 16-year-old girl can make.

“Ooh, it’s so pretty!” A young girl sticks her nose close to a sugar dragon. Zhirong, the candy maker, signals to me, and I explain to the girl that the dragon is pure sugar. “Mommy, it’s candy!” she excitedly says. “Beautiful...” The crowd breathes in awe. One woman taps me on the shoulder, saying, “Please, tell her that her work is surreal... a gift from another world.”

As Zhirong takes my hand and calls me “little sister”, I find my place in this group of extraordinary people who crossed oceans to build a bridge between different ethnicities and nationalities through sugar sculptures and painted words. I, too, am a bearer of traditions．

I smile at Guoyao, as he paints in pictographic characters the English words I have taught him, “You’re welcome.” I come to know that culture is not shelved behind glass cases in museums. It is in the life that I once thought backward and dull — the Chinese way of life that is a part of me.

1. Why does the author attend the Smithsonian Folklife Festival?

A．To learn about global traditions.

B．To improve her interpersonal skills.

C．To interview some talented artisans.

D．To appreciate the wonderful artworks.

2. What is the author’s role on the National Mall?

A．A visitor.

B．A translator.

C．A tour guide.

D．A security guard.

3. What does the underlined part “in awe” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．In doubt.

B．In silence.

C．In satisfaction.

D．In amazement.

4. What does the author realize in the end?

A．Chinese culture has been part of her own identity.

B．Culture should be presented in different forms.

C．Culture can only be kept alive through exchanges.

D．Chinese culture has helped her better adapt to her new life.

2 . My mom enjoyed inviting people for Thanksgiving. After my family moved far away from all our _________, Mom started filling the house with _________ guests—whoever had nowhere else to go for Thanksgiving.

I missed our big family gatherings before moving here, but Mom had a(n) _________ heart. This year, when Mom showed me her guest list, almost half the size of our small town’s _________, I was annoyed.

Our first guests arrived: three foreign exchange students. Mom’s original plan was to _________ one. But she was told those unable to go home sometimes _________ in tears, so here came three. The next guests _________ through the door, a single mom and her six kids. With more guests, the volume and the temperature in the house instantly _________. Luckily, dinner was ready before the house or I _________. However, seeing my name card placed among the six kids, I murmured angrily, “How would I get such an __________ seat?”

After dinner, Mom suggested sharing something we were thankful for—another annual __________ at our house. “I’m so __________ to your family for opening up home to us.” The single mom spoke with watery eyes. Then one student expressed how much it __________ to be with a family on Thanksgiving.

Suddenly something __________ me: the essence of generosity and inclusion. Thanksgiving is about more than family—it’s about a shared __________ full of kindness.

1.

A．colleagues

B．relatives

C．neighbours

D．strangers

2.

A．close

B．random

C．specific

D．favorite

3.

A．generous

B．energetic

C．curious

D．powerful

4.

A．applicants

B．beggars

C．population

D．volunteers

5.

A．shelter

B．award

C．repay

D．host

6.

A．set out

B．took over

C．broke down

D．showed up

7.

A．burst

B．dropped

C．pulled

D．fell

8.

A．recovered

B．declined

C．rose

D．stretched

9.

A．exploded

B．suffered

C．slid

D．withdrew

10.

A．impressive

B．unlucky

C．unusual

D．awesome

11.

A．contest

B．opportunity

C．anticipation

D．tradition

12.

A．grateful

B．sympathetic

C．familiar

D．addicted

13.

A．cost

B．worked

C．remained

D．meant

14.

A．inspired

B．convinced

C．struck

D．drilled

15.

A．welfare

B．community

C．friendship

D．future

3 . On New Year’s Day, my 13-year-old son Mike broke his leg while skiing. Honestly speaking, it was no more than another ________ in the past five years. My family had suffered a lot and we had ________ that spending time outside together in winter would bring great fun and lead us through the pandemic. Thus, I wouldn’t let this accident leave my kids in low ________ — I wanted to ________ the very best of better plans.

At dinner on a Tuesday, it came to me. In the coming springtime, I announced, we would have a family roller disco party in the house. My children looked up, their ________ hanging open like caught fish — they were ________. I knew I was supposed to provide more ________. I said, “When Mike recovers, we will order roller skates and rainbow strobe lights to decorate our doorways, push the furniture to the side and have a roller disco party.”

Later that day, my youngest son wore his roller skates and ________ the news when he joined a Zoom call with his third-grade class. Unfortunately, ________ he could finish announcing the news, he slipped and fell, breaking our computer. He was all right but we ________ bought a new computer.

________, the accident didn’t affect us much, for the party gave us something to look forward to and kept us entertained. It may not have happened yet, but the ________ and joy that we experienced while ________ for it have been worth it. That was the _________. Over the course of all the planning and excitement, the broken leg and computer, I knew that even in the ________ of times, there is always something to look forward to.

1.

A．ache

B．challenge

C．ceremony

D．adventure

2.

A．hoped

B．discovered

C．explored

D．proved

3.

A．mood

B．benefit

C．spirits

D．abilities

4.

A．part with

B．come up with

C．put up with

D．stick to

5.

A．eyes

B．heads

C．faces

D．mouths

6.

A．moved

B．inspired

C．surprised

D．impressed

7.

A．details

B．benefits

C．choices

D．examples

8.

A．stressed

B．shared

C．celebrated

D．updated

9.

A．after

B．when

C．until

D．before

10.

A．eventually

B．frequently

C．typically

D．immediately

11.

A．Therefore

B．Besides

C．Still

D．Despite

12.

A．expectation

B．tension

C．memory

D．change

13.

A．searching

B．preparing

C．accounting

D．apologizing

14.

A．beginning

B．difference

C．point

D．answer

15.

A．shortest

B．happiest

C．simplest

D．toughest

4 . 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 New York Marathon (马拉松) is my goal for this year. I know I am never going to win a race but now, when I get anything negative, I will think of the kind gentleman who really believed, “You very good… you very fast.”

At the time, I was living in the Bay Area, and my mother had come to visit for a few days. On the last day of her stay, I was preparing to go out for a run. I picked up a T-shirt I just bought the other day from a Chinese clothing shop — it had some Chinese characters on the front, and a scene of Honolulu Chinatown on the back. I didn’t speak Chinese, but somehow this special T-shirt was quite soft and good for exercise.Working in a very negative environment, I found morning runs very beneficial — body tired but mind awake.

And I had always met an elderly Chinese gentleman walking on the opposite side of the trail (道路) when I was running on other mornings. I had always said, “Good morning,” and he had always smiled warmly and nodded his head slightly.

As I was going out the door, my mother suddenly said, “I don’t think running is so hot — that famous runner died.” I started to recount what I had read about Jim Fixx, and how running had probably been the contributing factor to his living far longer than most of the other members of his family, but I knew there was absolutely no point.

As I started running on my favorite trail, I found I couldn’t shake my mother’s statement. I was so discouraged that I could hardly run. I began thinking, “Why do I run at all? Serious runners probably think I look silly! I might have a heart attack on the trail — my dad had a fatal (致命的) heart attack at 50 years old, and he was seemingly in better shape than I am.”

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。

My mother’s statement remained in my mind like a giant blanket.

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Upon hearing the man’s words, I felt more unexplained strength in my step.

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

Lots of times, I’ve looked at that tree on the sandbank across the estuary (渡口). One day, I’m sitting on the beach with my friend Duncan. The tide is in, it’s all the way across to the sandbank. "I could swim to that tree,” I say.

“Go on, then,” says Duncan. I put down my towel and walk to the edge. I surge into the water with three heaves of butterfly stroke (蝶泳), just to feel how strong I am in the water and how the sun feels on my back as I fling out of the sea like a fish.

One, two, three, I’m breathing steadily and my arms are lifting in rhythm (有节奏地). Then I remember that story in the paper last week. A man jumped into the water and grabbed a shark by its tail. How could I forget that shark? I’m sprinting (冲刺) through the water, which is suddenly so immense (无边无际的), so deep. Soon my arms and legs feel heavy. It’s that feeling I get at the end of a race when I’ve given it everything.

I’ve got to pace myself, I think. The tree is far off ahead somewhere. When I turn and look back at Duncan, he seems so far away. I must be nearly halfway, I think. I tread water for a moment, looking across at my tree.

It hasn’t come any closer. Up out of the sea I rise in a butterfly surge, breathing one, two, three, “It’s easier,” I say to myself, even though I can now feel the tugging (拖、拽) of the outgoing tide, and the salt water slaps my face more than I want.

I must be nearly there, I think, and stop and look back at Duncan. His T-shirt is just a red blur (模糊不清的事物) on the beach. I smile to myself, thinking that not many people would do this swim, but I can. I turn my head to look for my tree.

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。
But something was wrong.
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My heart stops pounding (怦怦跳) in my ears so much.
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6 . I have struggled with feelings of unworthiness since forever. My most painful moments were at parties. My friends made fun of me because I was rhythmically (有节奏地)__________ and I couldn’t get my__________ body to imitate the latest dance moves. I was never chosen to dance. I felt like I didn’t__________.

Around age 12, I decided that the way to__________ these feelings of unworthiness was perfection. If I was just perfect then I would fit in. But this strategy didn’t__________.My self-esteem (自尊心) was high when I got good grades and felt__________, but crashed when I didn’t do well__________, or was left out.

After several years of spiritual growth, it__________ me that for many of us, self-worth is tied to our__________. We experience low self-worth__________ we fail or lose approval. So I have begun to cultivate an unconditional self-worth. It’s not about doing things perfectly.__________, “Unconditional self-worth” is the______ that you deserve to be alive, to be loved and cared for.

The__________ to unconditional self-worth is not always easy. It takes courage to free yourself from the __________ you’ve placed on your worth. But this journey is beautiful and worth taking. So I challenge you to embrace yourselves and find your metaphorical (隐喻的) __________ floor and move freely.

1.

A．adjusted

B．bothered

C．challenged

D．compromised

2.

A．twisted

B．annoyed

C．limited

D．awkward

3.

A．belong

B．appeal

C．match

D．deserve

4.

A．solve

B．cure

C．release

D．arouse

5.

A．sustain

B．work

C．hatch

D．dismiss

6.

A．included

B．excluded

C．inspired

D．appreciated

7.

A．internally

B．academically

C．professionally

D．contemporarily

8.

A．occurs to

B．happens to

C．calls on

D．knocks on

9.

A．desires

B．strengths

C．accomplishments

D．harmony

10.

A．as well as

B．as soon as

C．as much as

D．as far as

11.

A．Still

B．However

C．Meanwhile

D．Rather

12.

A．definition

B．resolution

C．sense

D．pose

13.

A．discovery

B．access

C．journey

D．experience

14.

A．emphasis

B．burden

C．demand

D．conditions

15.

A．valley

B．forest

C．dance

D．balcony

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。

“Bang. . !” Sara pushed the door open. She threw her school bag onto the floor and called out, “I’m home!” No answer. The house was silent. It sounded empty, but she knew it wasn’t. Her mum and dad were working upstairs.

Sara got a glass of orange juice, went into the conservatory (玻璃房) and sat down in her favourite chair. The garden was still in the dark afternoon. On one side, her mum’s garden was neat and tidy with boring short grass, boring straight flowerbeds and boring straight paths. But on the other side, Sara’s Nature Garden looked wild and exciting with big dead sunflowers and tall grasses.

“Nobody is interested in me. Mum and dad only think about their work,” she thought sadly.

Then she recalled: One month earlier, she learned in a magazine that many dogs were abandoned because their owners got bored with them; One hour earlier, she saw a cute dog wagging its tail and licking her friend’s face.

Sara knew today was special. Today things were changing. She couldn’t wait any longer. It’s time to talk to her parents.

So Sara got up from her chair and climbed all the way to the loft (阁楼). “Mum, I want a talk.” said Sara. “Just a minute!” Her mum clicked on the keyboard, took off her glasses and turned to her daughter. Sara coughed, took a deep breath, and told her mum that she wanted a dog. “No, Sara. That’s impossible,” her mum said firmly. Sara went to her father but got the same answer. She rushed into her room angrily and slammed the door shut.

Later, Sara’s mum knocked at the door and went in. “Darling, we know this is important to you. You can have a dog if you take the responsibility. But look at your Nature Garden, your school bag, your bedroom! What a mess! Do you think you can take good care of a dog?” said her mum.

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。

Sara was lost in thought and decided to make some changes.

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With the dog’s company, Sara began her busy but joyful life.

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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。

Grandma tried to straighten out her fingers. “Jessica, I think I am done knitting (编织),” she said. “My fingers just won’t do what I tell them any more.” I looked at Grandma’s hands, remembering that she had taught me how to knit gloves for my dolls since I was little and that her hands had been sure and strong whatever she had knitted. Grandma had always said that I was very good with her knitting needles and balls of yarn (纱线).

But this winter she could hardly bend her fingers. The doctor said Grandma had arthritis (关节炎), suggesting she should keep her hands warm. I made her cups of tea to hold and moved her chair closer to the fire. However, her fingers were still difficult to move.

I wasn’t used to seeing Grandma’s hands so still. In the morning, her hands were still in her lap. In the evening, her quiet hands even made her voice stay still. I tried to help her find her voice. “Grandma, tell me about when you were a little girl like before,” I begged, knowing she loved to tell interesting stories of her nine brothers and sisters and herself during their childhood. “That was so long ago, Jessica,” whispered Grandma. “I can barely remember.”

This winter there were no hats with matching gloves or soft sweaters knitted by Grandma. But I missed her voice more than those. What about her sister Olga giving their snowman a bath in hot water? What about her brother Peti cutting off her doll’s beautiful hair and then hiding it? Were those words still moving silently in her head?

After dinner, Grandma fell asleep in her rocking chair. Mom sorted through our knitting items, among which an old pair of gloves caught my attention. The gloves were Grandma’s favorite ones with the names of Grandma and her nine brothers and sisters on the fingertips. Each time she wore them, all her happy childhood memories would become very interesting stories in her mouth.

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 gloves gave me an idea.

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“Grandma, shall we knit a new pair of gloves?” I asked hopefully.

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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。

Grandma tried to straighten out her fingers.“You know, Ann, I think I am done knitting.” she said.“My fingers just won’t do what I tell them any more.”

I looked at her hands.When I was little, she had taught me how to sew dresses for my dolls and how to embroider (刺绣) the faces of my dolls on the dresses.

But now she can hardly bend her fingers.The doctor said she should keep her hands warm.I made her cups of tea to hold and moved her chair closer to the fire.But it didn’t work.

I wasn’t used to seeing her hands so still.When I came downstairs, her quiet hands made even her voice stay still.I missed her voice more than ever.

I tried to help her find her voice.“Grandma, tell me about when you were a little girl,” I begged, knowing she loved to tell stories.“Tell me about Peti and Zoe.” Peti and Zoe were her brother and sister.“That was so long ago, Ann,” whispered Grandma.“I can barely remember.” But I still remembered her story about Peti cutting off Zoe’s two beautiful long braids (辫子) and then hiding them in the closet.Were those words still moving silently in her head?

Mom was sorting through our clothes for spring.“Ann, take these out to the trash,” Mom said.“There’s no need to keep worn-out clothes.”

I looked sadly at the pile of sweaters and then picked it up.

“Wait,” Grandma said as I walked by her and put the pile downstairs.“Let me see those.”

“Ann, wind the yarn (纱线) of the old sweater into a ball, like this.Then you can use the yarn to knit something new.” Grandma wrapped yarn around and around her fingers, first in one direction and then the other to keep the ball round.

After dinner Grandma fell asleep in her chair.

Mom came downstairs with an old pair of gloves with small holes to add to the pile of sweaters.

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。

Suddenly, the pair of old gloves gave me an idea.

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“Your family,” I said, handing the gloves with the faces of Peti and Zoe to Grandma.

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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。

My dad was a cleaner in my school. When I was 12, I decided to study hard to have a life different from his.

One day when Dad asked me to play basketball with him, I just replied, “I’m busy. I want to study well so that I can become a rich man. I don’t want to be a cleaner like you, Dad!” He was shocked (震惊的), but I didn’t care and continued studying hard. Finally, I graduated from high school with honors, and decided it was time to break free from my dad and follow my dreams.

“Dad, I got a scholarship to a law school in California,” I told him. “I’ll leave in 3 days.” My dad was surprised but proud of me. As I left for the airport 3 days later, he said, “Son, wherever you go, welcome back home.” I ignored his words and flew to California.

After I graduated, I found a great job there. Later, I was made manager and earned much money. I no longer remembered my father was a cleaner. I had forgotten my dad, who was still cleaning my school. I seldom answered his calls or wrote back to him. I was busy; I still had a lot more to achieve.

With time, the more success I tasted, somehow, the lonelier I became. I felt especially lonely on my 31st birthday. I kept checking my phone, hoping someone wished me a happy birthday. But there wasn’t a single call or message. Later that evening when I returned home from my office, something in my mailbox drew my attention.

“A letter?” I whispered and saw it was from my father. He never forgot to mail me a letter on my each birthday. However, I never took the trouble to read it. “How did I ignore him?” I thought. I brought the letter home and took out his earlier letters. And I opened one. It read, “Wherever you are, I love you to the last drop of my blood. I wish you a happy life.”

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 picked up another letter and read it.

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Finally, I arrived at my dad’s house and saw him sitting alone in the yard.

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