There are too many treasures in life we take for granted, the worth of which we don’t fully realize until they’re pointed out to us in some unexpected way. So it was with Mama’s minestrone soup (意大利浓菜汤).
There was no recipe for her minestrone soup. For our large immigrant family, Mama’s soup guaranteed we would never go hungry. It was a symbol of security. Its recipe was created spontaneously (非计划安排地) from what was in the kitchen. And we could judge the state of our family economy by its contents. A hearty soup with tomatoes, pasta, beans, carrots, celery, onion, corn and meat indicated things were going well. A water y soup suggested hard times.
At one time, however, Mama’s soup pot became a source of embarrassment to me, for I feared it would cost me a new friend I had made at school. Sol was a thin, dark-haired boy, and an unusual pal for me because his father was a doctor and they lived in the best part of town. Often Sol invited me to his home for dinner. The family had a cook in a white uniform who worked in a kitchen with shining utensils (厨房用具). The food was good, but I found it bland (清淡的), lacking the heartiness of my home food served from flame-blackened pots. Moreover, the atmosphere matched the food. Everything was so formal. Sol’s mother and father were polite, but conversation around the table was subdued (克制的). And no one hugged! In our family, warm hugs were a constant and if you didn’t kiss your mother, she demanded: “What’s the matter, you sick?” But at that time in my life, all this was an embarrassment.
I had known Sol would like to eat dinner at our house, but that was the last thing I wanted. My family was so different.
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Finally when Sol asked again if he could come to our house, I had to say yes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But to my amazement, I noticed Sol took a spoonful of Mama’s minestrone soup.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Every Thursday afternoon, the food pantry (食品储藏室) at the local high school opens up to provide fresh food bags for families who can hardly make both ends meet to get their meals to last through the weekend. Nearly a hundred families rely on the extra food. Some are between jobs, some got hit hard with medical bills for a few months, and some are new to the neighborhood, placed there by refugee services.
On one breezy afternoon, two young mothers walked in together, each accompanied by a young child. There was nothing different about their dress, but their manner revealed a shyness that they struggled to overcome. When they spoke, it was clear why: Their accents were thick, even though they were trying hard to make their English sound American. They were uncertain of being understood. But the pantry is run by grandmothers who are never pressed for time when it comes to conversations. So they sat for a moment and told their story while the little ones were held in arms so very familiar with children.
The two lived in apartments in the basement of the Methodist Church. They had been in the United States for one month. Their husbands were well-educated but working labor jobs to pay for food and save for more typical apartments.
Both had fled the war in Eastern Europe, one family from Ukraine and one from Russia. They ended up in the same church basement and discovered that they needed each other. They became fast friends. Their children played together. They shared meals and navigated their new world together.
There were no bombs or soldiers or rations in their new neighborhood, only a chance to start over. Friendships are sometimes hard to come by, yet matter so much to each of us. A good friend gives us strength, love, laughter and the courage to keep trying.
These two families — worn down by uncertainty and war, thrown together in a new country, a new community with a new language — found so much in common. And isn’t that what we all need? A friend who faces the same life challenges, even if the forces above them have different political views. We are, after all, just mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors.
1. In the article, who primarily benefits from the services provided by the food pantry?A.High school students. | B.People with disabilities. |
C.Families with tight budgets. | D.Underpaid individuals. |
A.Their clothing. | B.Their language. |
C.Their children. | D.Their ID documents. |
A.They both live in the basement of the same church. |
B.They met at the same restaurant. |
C.They are from the same country. |
D.They both have similar professions. |
A.Challenges of Life and New Friendship | B.The Story of the Food Pantry |
C.New Life in America | D.From War to Peace |
Chinese speakers tend to use “spear and shield”
Nearly 2, 000 years ago, there was a man living in the State of Chu. One day, he went to a market to sell spears and shields—two most common
Then some of the potential buyers came closer to have a careful examination of the shields,
So today, instead of saying “you are contradicting yourself”, Chinese will say “you are attacking your shield
4 . Seven years after a terrible fall left me paralyzed, here I was, with my two teammates, on the way to becoming the first all-disabled team to cross Europe's largest ice cap, the Vatnajökull glacier, unsupported and unassisted.
A year before, when McCann first suggested making the 100-mile trip, I was excited by the
From our start point, we would need to
After 11 tough days, and countless
That moment at the
A.prospect | B.condition | C.schedule | D.observation |
A.curious | B.puzzled | C.enthusiastic | D.anxious |
A.recovery | B.fame | C.adventure | D.money |
A.battle | B.live | C.see | D.walk |
A.powers | B.limits | C.sources | D.dangers |
A.pushing | B.dragging | C.operating | D.following |
A.strength | B.responsibility | C.weakness | D.pressure |
A.resistance | B.protection | C.inspiration | D.failure |
A.closer | B.harder | C.higher | D.deeper |
A.steps | B.turs | C.falls | D.tricks |
A.set down | B.went beyond | C.kept off | D.moved into |
A.edge | B.base | C.center | D.summit |
A.ignored | B.fought | C.perceived | D.hid |
A.successful | B.disabled | C.brave | D.irresponsible |
A.curiosity | B.sincerity | C.willpower | D.innovation |
Tripod’s story started one spring morning as I was finishing a 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 (接待员) stuck her head into my office. She told me there was a big cat lying outside with a seriously injured front leg. What’s worse, nobody knew whom it belonged to.
Then I sent two of my pre-vet students to pick up the poor cat while I went back to my record-keeping. But it wasn’t long before I heard the students returning with this newest patient who seemed to be in pretty bad condition.
I carefully checked up the injuries which seemed to be caused by the pressing of a heavy object. With the extremely horrible smell, I knew from years of experience this cat didn’t have an owner. “Well, then,” I sighed, “I’m not sure whether we are able to bring this cat back to life, but let’s give him our best shot anyway. Afterwards, let’s see if we can find a home for him. ”
Just then, when one of the students began touching the cat’s head gently, somewhere deep in the cat’s throat, a weak purr (呼噜声) began. As the student continued to pet the cat, I noticed the cat’s breathing became less laboured (缓慢而困难的).
When I performed the complicated operation, I whispered, “You’re a fighter, aren’t you, boy? You deserve a chance to live.” However, after the surgery, he lost one leg, and still struggled with life and death. Over the next few weeks, Tripod, the cat, went through many ups and downs, but I was sure about his resilience (快速恢复的能力). News about Tripod spread. A number of customers stopped by regularly to check on the progress of his recovery, including Mrs Melson, a pet lover.
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2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The day finally came when I decided Tripod had really recovered.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Though unwilling to part with Tripod, we were happy to see Mrs Melson come for him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . One day, a woman bought a parrot (鹦鹉) from a pet store. However, the woman decided to send the parrot back to the store the next day. “This bird doesn’t talk,” she told the pet store owner. “Does he have a mirror?” the owner asked. “Parrots enjoy watching themselves in it.” So the woman bought one and left.
The next day, she came back, saying that the bird still didn’t say anything. “How about a ladder (梯子)? Parrots love ladders,” the owner said. The woman bought a ladder and left.
But the next day, she went back a third time. “Does your parrot have a swing (秋千)? No? Well, once he starts swinging, he’ll talk a lot happily,” the owner said. The woman then bought a swing and left.
When she walked into the store the next day, she began to cry and said sadly, “The parrot died.” The pet store owner was surprised at what she said. “What? I’m sorry. Tell me, did he say anything?” he asked. “Yes, right before he died,” the woman answered in a low voice, “he asked me weakly, ‘Don’t they sell any food at that pet store?’”
Sometimes we forget what’s really necessary in life. We sometimes have lots of things to do at once, but we forget to do with the most important things first. We have to remember to “feed the parrots” in our lives.
1. The woman bought ______ for the parrot from the pet shop owner.①a cage ②a mirror ③a ladder ④a swing ⑤some food
A.①②⑤ | B.②③④ | C.①②③ | D.②③ |
A.one | B.two | C.three | D.four |
A.the woman gave him nothing to eat | B.he couldn’t enjoy himself in the mirror |
C.he couldn’t fly in the sky like others | D.the woman was angry and killed him |
A.喂养鹦鹉 | B.放飞鹦鹉 | C.做最重要的事情 | D.让鹦鹉唱歌 |
We had moved to a new town for my husband’s work. After living here for just a couple of weeks, I was more than ready to pick up my luggage and move back home. I was lonely for a friend. My boy Samuel was lonely. My husband, Lonny, adapted just fine, but he was occupied with work most of the time.
I missed our old neighborhood. It had been like a closely knitted community where neighbors chatted over fences. Newcomers were welcomed with chocolate brownies (巧克力蛋糕) and carrot bread. It had been easy to find friends there.
Our new community was different. It seemed that family roots grew deep. Deep as the Mississippi River that flowed past this tiny river town. Breaking in was tough.
“I’m so alone here,” I said to Lonny one evening. Lonny is a good listener, and a problem solver. “What have you done to meet people?” he asked. “I go to the park every day. I even dropped by a book salon (读书沙龙) at the library the other day and came across a nice lady with a boy.”
“Sounds not bad,” he said. “Did you talk to her?” The answer was no. It wasn’t that people here were unkind. I just didn’t feel like initiating conversations, and I preferred minding my own business in a new environment.
A few more months passed and winter settled in. It was harder than ever to meet people. I began to feel bitter. I was tired of trying to fit in a place where we didn’t belong.
Lonny noticed my low spirits. “Amy, you look unapproachable, with your arms crossed and everything,” he whispered in my ear one afternoon. He and I were sitting in the yard. Samuel, our five-year-old was playing baseball next to us.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to have friends here.” Just then Samuel looked up. He must’ve heard our whispers. “Mom’s right, Dad. We’ll never ever have friends here. And we just want to go back to our old home.” I sat there and looked at my tiny innocent son. His words mirrored my attitude. And I didn’t like the disturbing reflection.
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。
That’s when I knew that I needed an adjustment.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One afternoon, Samuel and I ran into the lady with her boy again at the library.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . I once worked on a farm. One day, a powerful wind slammed (猛推) me against a post. My left arm got totally
Back home after an operation, I found everything a(n)
“Mom can do anything,” my daughter said
In 2020, I decided to do New Zealand’s
Life in
A.stuck | B.burned | C.crushed | D.bent |
A.duty | B.occasion | C.adventure | D.challenge |
A.independent | B.restless | C.tireless | D.different |
A.escape | B.adapt | C.recover | D.accept |
A.cutely | B.suddenly | C.proudly | D.honestly |
A.sport | B.farm | C.art | D.business |
A.Meanwhile | B.Therefore | C.Besides | D.However |
A.described | B.wondered | C.explored | D.evaluated |
A.outstanding | B.amateur | C.active | D.intelligent |
A.biggest | B.hardest | C.longest | D.scariest |
A.studied | B.thought | C.pushed | D.trained |
A.give up | B.give in | C.turn off | D.turn down |
A.laughter | B.cheering | C.crying | D.noise |
A.unfair | B.serious | C.difficult | D.uncertain |
A.stop | B.afford | C.get | D.fly |
9 . One day, my children and I found a homeless, small cat trapped in a burning box. She was
Weeks later, Smoky looked better, but was completely
“Can’t I have any
During Smoky’s second year, she began growing fur. Tiny white hairs gradually grew long. Bill continued to enjoy her
A.accidentally | B.likely | C.severely | D.lightly |
A.treated | B.trained | C.caged | D.entertained |
A.homeless | B.hairless | C.cured | D.deserted |
A.resisted | B.attacked | C.disliked | D.annoyed |
A.particular about | B.independent of | C.full of | D.armed with |
A.flashed | B.sounded | C.smoked | D.slipped |
A.knocking over | B.turning over | C.taking away | D.picking up |
A.coffee | B.peace | C.trouble | D.right |
A.Sooner or later | B.So far | C.On occasion | D.In time |
A.tired | B.aware | C.tolerant | D.careful |
A.sick | B.guilty | C.cheerful | D.content |
A.rarely | B.occasionally | C.casually | D.continuously |
A.beauty | B.gentleness | C.warmth | D.company |
A.cattle | B.engine | C.road | D.weather |
A.behind | B.aside | C.inside | D.out |
ONE DOLLAR AND EIGHTY-SEVEN CENTS. That was all she had. Della counted it three times. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. If she was to buy a nice gift for her husband Jim. she would need more money. But how could she earn some? Della stood in front of the mirror in her apartment, She looked at her reflection, brushed her long, brown hair, and made up her mind: she was going to sell her hair. With the money she received for it, she would buy Jim a perfect gift.
Della had her hair cut off and sold it for twenty dollars. She spent the next two hours hunting for Jim’s gift. She found it at last: a simple but beautiful watch chain for his gold watch, which had been passed down to him from his grandfather. Della paid twenty-one dollars for the watch chain, and hurried home with the remaining eighty-seven cents. She looked at her reflection in the mirror carefully again. She felt nervous.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Did she look like a little schoolboy without her beautiful long hair? Would Jim still think she was pretty? She was about to find out.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________And the next day would be Christmas. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________