When I was in middle school, my social studies teacher asked me to enter a writing contest. I said no without thinking. I did not love writing. My family came from Brazil, so English was only my second language. Writing was so difficult and painful for me that my teacher had allowed me to present my paper on the sinking of the Titanic by acting out a play, where I played all the parts. No one laughed harder than he did.
So, why did he suddenly force me to do something at which I was sure to fail? His reply: “Because I love your stories. If you’re willing to apply yourself, I think you have a good shot at this.” Encouraged by his words, I agreed to give it a try.
I chose Paul Revere’s horse as my subject. Paul Revere was a silversmith (银匠) in Boston who rode a horse at night on April 18, 1775 to Lexington to warn people that British soldiers were coming. My story would come straight from the horse’s mouth. Not a brilliant idea, but funny; and unlikely to be anyone else’s choice.
What did the horse think, as he sped through the night? Did he get tired? Have doubts? Did he want to quit? I sympathized immediately. I got tired. I had doubts. I wanted to quit. But, like Revere’s horse, I kept going. I worked hard. I checked my spelling. I asked my older sister to correct my grammar. I checked out a half dozen books on Paul Revere from the library. I even read a few of them.
When I handed in the essay to my teacher, he read it, laughed out loud, and said, “Great. Now, write it again.” I wrote it again, and again and again. When I finally finished it, the thought of winning had given way to the enjoyment of writing. If I didn’t win, I wouldn’t care.
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。
A few weeks later, when I almost forgot the contest, there came the news.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I went to my teacher’s office after the award presentation.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . When Beverley Burdeyney turned seventy four last year, she started having problems with her
"I was simply
Ms. Burdeyney talked to some friends who had
Eventually, Ms. Burdeyney learned about plans for an eye research,
"I'm trying to get more and more people to
Ms. Burdeyney
A.throat | B.skin | C.lungs | D.eyes |
A.getting over | B.going through | C.holding on | D.passing down |
A.story | B.treatment | C.life | D.relationship |
A.similar | B.various | C.personal | D.special |
A.turn | B.peace | C.vain | D.silence |
A.unbearable | B.abnormal | C.insignificant | D.disturbing |
A.compromised | B.forgotten | C.substituted | D.separated |
A.course | B.program | C.paper | D.conference |
A.informed | B.doubted | C.included | D.dismissed |
A.part-time | B.controversial | C.voluntary | D.ground-breaking |
A.money | B.standards | C.awareness | D.questions |
A.As ever | B.So far | C.In return | D.Once again |
A.wasted | B.donated | C.expected | D.earned |
A.imagine | B.confirm | C.remember | D.understand |
A.retirement | B.childbirth | C.graduation | D.marriage |
A.time | B.rule | C.age | D.tale |
A.straight | B.still | C.firm | D.alone |
A.commented | B.learned | C.reminded | D.added |
A.light | B.joy | C.color | D.beauty |
A.future | B.beginning | C.truth | D.meaning |
3 . My mother is 92. Unless I have to be out of town, each week I take my mother to do her
Last week she walked up to the store, but when she went to pay for her groceries, she was
At this store, people
My mother was so
So, whoever you are, thank you for the random act of
A.exercise | B.housework | C.cooking | D.shopping |
A.reward | B.medicine | C.company | D.shelter |
A.return | B.collet | C.order | D.buy |
A.short | B.cautious | C.wrong | D.concerned |
A.aim | B.way | C.advice | D.reason |
A.weight | B.things | C.mask | D.glasses |
A.raise | B.add | C.bring | D.switch |
A.show up | B.call in | C.check out | D.sit down |
A.store | B.select | C.deliver | D.bag |
A.stranger | B.cashier | C.friend | D.doctor |
A.looked for | B.talked about | C.threw away | D.put back |
A.receipt | B.soap | C.cash | D.bottle |
A.asked | B.waited | C.cared | D.searched |
A.repay | B.trust | C.recognize | D.help |
A.luck | B.chance | C.gift | D.turn |
A.surprised | B.amused | C.touched | D.convinced |
A.in case | B.even if | C.as though | D.so that |
A.energy | B.money | C.space | D.time |
A.faith | B.courage | C.kindness | D.honor |
A.made her day | B.changed her mind | C.caught her eye | D.met her demand |
4 . In 1959, Handler changed how toy dolls were made when she introduced “Barbie” to the world. With her mature figure, Barbie was one of the first “grown-up” dolls to hit the retail market.
Handler wanted to create a toy that was different from the baby dolls that dominated little girls’ toy boxes. She wanted a doll that girls could project their future dreams upon and allowed for limitless clothing and career choices. Inspired by paper dolls of the time, Handler, to much disagreement, made sure Barbie had the body of a grown woman.
“My own philosophy of Barbie,” Handler wrote in her autobiography, “was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman had choices.”
There’s even a Barbie for cancer patients — Brave Barbie — a partnership between Mattel and CureSearch that sends a bald (光头的) Barbie to families affected by cancer. “Gifting my daughter a Barbie who suffered from cancer was tremendous,” Michelle, a cancer survivor said, “We would play with that Barbie together and I’d heartbreakingly watch her pretend to take the doll to the hospital for chemo (化疗), or place its long wig on top of its head and tell the doll ‘It’s time to be beautiful again.’”
Bald Barbie was super brave and went on awesome adventures after chemo. Sometimes she felt sick and needed to sleep, but would feel much better after a rest. Bald Barbie always beat the cancer and went on to live a long and happy life with her family. That Barbie became so much more than a plastic doll — she was a means of communication and a coping mechanism during an extremely distressing time for little families.
1. Why did Handler create Barbie?A.To make a hit in the retail market. | B.To appeal to girls with her diverse outfits. |
C.To do a project on women’s career choices. | D.To inspire girls to make choices as they wish. |
A.Sad yet comforted. | B.Envious yet proud. |
C.Overwhelmed and ashamed. | D.Heartbroken and regretful. |
A.A reliable emotional support. | B.A glue for broken relationships. |
C.An effective practical treatment. | D.A secret medium of negotiation. |
A.A medical journal. | B.A charity brochure. |
C.A financial report. | D.A story collection. |
The frightening day of our diving test was here. Our parents thought we were lucky to have an Olympic-size swimming pool at the school. My mom stressed that the swimming pool was one of the best in our city. But I didn’t feel happy about it at all. Instead, I felt afraid of the swimming pool. It was mainly because I was terribly shy.
I was so shy that I always sat at the back of the room in class so I’d not be called upon to read. As for the present physical education class each Monday morning, I would work my way to the back of the line forming at the diving board so I would not have to practice the dives.
Now, it was another Monday morning - the morning of our diving test. My blood ran cold when the teacher Ms. Robbins announced that we would be graded for our final on the most difficult dive- the jackknife. And she added, “This diving test is important. The one who fails has to spare time in the following Monday mornings to practice diving in this swimming pool and attend this test again.”
My body kept shaking with fear as the line to the scary diving board shortened. As I watched, each student seemed to perform the challenging dive effortlessly. And shortly I would have to attempt something that I had never even practiced before.
Then I remembered someone telling me that when you picture yourself doing a skill over and over, it’s just as effective as physically practicing that skill. So I watched carefully as each classmate jumped at the end of the board once, added a jump for height, folded their body in half to reach for their toes, and finally straightened out like an arrow for going into the water. After carefully watching for a while, I was actually in a state of surprise, because all of a sudden I realized that it was possible for me to perform these four steps of diving.
Eventually all classmates except me finished jumping. The teacher announced that it was my turn.
注意:1. 续与词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
With my heart knocking wildly, I walked down the diving board towards its end.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Knowing I failed, I climbed out of the pool, embarrassed.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Mommy, don’t go,” my threeyearold son screamed as I walked to the door. My fifteenyearold leaned against the kitchen counter with his arms folded across his chest, not screaming, but glaring at me as I pulled his little brother off my legs.
“Are you mad at me too?”
“You spend all your time taking care of other people’s kids, but what about us?” Dylan left angrily.
I was shocked and a little hurt. How could my own child not understand that the work I was doing was saving lives? Then the answer hit me. He didn’t know, because he had never seen what Healing the Children actually did. Dylan had heard the stories of sick children, but had never once looked into the eyes of a child and understood the hard truth—that without our help, the children would likely die.“Get dressed. You are going with me,” I said.
I spent the drive explaining the case of Hector to my son, who pretended to ignore me the entire time. “He’s seven, only weighs thirty pounds and is very sick. He has a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, which could kill him. It is a miracle (奇迹) that he is still alive.”I went on to explain that it took a team of volunteer medical staff to get Hector to the hospital from his remote village and care for him while he was there. Still, Dylan seemed unimpressed.
We stopped at a convenience store for water and snacks. Dylan had one large and one small Slurpee (思乐冰饮料). He said the small one was for Hector. I doubted whether the little guy would be able to drink it, but remained silent. This was the first interest Dylan had shown in being there. I wasn’t about to ruin it.
I stopped at the nurses’ station to check on Hector’s progress while Dylan went to his room. Our patient was recovering physically, but the nurse was concerned that Hector was struggling emotionally. She said, “Kids usually bounce back fast, but he hardly speaks and never smiles.”
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;2.请按如下格式作答。
Imagine my surprise when I heard laughter from Hector’s room
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On the way home that night, Dylan asked me several times whether Hector would be okay.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . Squaw Peak, with its breathtaking scenery, has attracted numerous hikers. But
Henry Grant was well
After 15 minutes of pushing past bushes and slipping down, Grant spotted Paula crumpling (瘫倒) on a small flat rock. He called 911 to
About 45 minutes later, first responders arrived. They carried Paula on a stretcher (担架) to a waiting ATV and sent her to a hospital.
Paula, who has fully
A.injury | B.danger | C.pain | D.fortune |
A.proud | B.innocent | C.ignorant | D.aware |
A.stayed | B.jumped | C.walked | D.lived |
A.impress | B.disturb | C.enjoy | D.prefer |
A.fantastic | B.desperate | C.disappointed | D.enthusiastic |
A.extended | B.wheeled | C.facilitated | D.guaranteed |
A.anywhere | B.somewhere | C.nowhere | D.elsewhere |
A.sight | B.position | C.route | D.location |
A.predicting | B.imagining | C.deciding | D.hoping |
A.report | B.find | C.determine | D.check |
A.found | B.grasped | C.saved | D.reached |
A.examinations | B.operations | C.measures | D.means |
A.nervously | B.tightly | C.gently | D.silently |
A.free | B.comfort | C.distract | D.spare |
A.improved | B.recovered | C.returned | D.survived |
8 . My kids and I were heading into the supermarket over the weekend. On the way, we spotted a man holding a piece of paper that said, “
At this store, a
In the store, I asked each of my kids to
When we handed him the bag of
This has been a wonderful
A.Lost | B.Changed | C.Quit | D.Finished |
A.condition | B.place | C.sight | D.show |
A.suggestion | B.comment | C.decision | D.call |
A.outside | B.proudly | C.by | D.angrily |
A.draw | B.say | C.arrange | D.pick |
A.order | B.supply | C.appreciate | D.discover |
A.dollar | B.job | C.hot meal | D.gift card |
A.easy | B.low | C.soft | D.loose |
A.giving | B.saving | C.spending | D.begging |
A.yet | B.even | C.still | D.just |
A.declared | B.shared | C.ignored | D.expected |
A.toys | B.medicine | C.food | D.clothes |
A.sleepy | B.watery | C.curious | D.sharp |
A.whoever | B.whatever | C.whichever | D.whenever |
A.experience | B.example | C.message | D.adventure |
A.rely on | B.respect | C.learn from | D.help |
A.suddenly | B.vividly | C.differently | D.perfectly |
A.time | B.power | C.patience | D.money |
A.fear | B.love | C.need | D.memory |
A.strong | B.sweet | C.strange | D.simple |
After I stepped into the school library, I went straight to the shelves filled with books at once. It was break time and I had dropped by the library to borrow a book. Just as I was looking through some books, a girl in my class, Alice, came up to me. Alice was a pain in the neck as she would often make fun of others. That day, Alice laughed at me about my deepest secret -that I had come last in class in the mid-year examinations.
I blushed(脸红)hotly in shame. At the same time, I became extremely angry. My best friend, Lynn, was the only one who knew my secret. How could she betray(背叛)me?
My anger grew as thoughts about my friendship with Lynn flashed through my mind. We had been good friends since Primary 1. We hung out together, studied together and stayed up till the early hours of the morning to exchange our dreams. We were closer than sisters. When she needed a shoulder to cry on, I would be there. How could she do this to me? I was so mad that I could not control myself.
Brushing aside Alice’s taunts(嘲弄), I stormed to the place where Lynn usually went - the school field. Lynn looked at me with a welcoming smile on her face. The sight of her treacherous(背信弃义的)face made me mad and crazy.
“How could you do this to me? I thought we were friends!” I shouted at Lynn. “I hate you!”
A look of bewilderment(迷茫)crossed her face as she said,
“Wha ... What’s wrong? What did I do?”
Lynn cried out but I was cold and I didn’t show any kindness to her at all. I told her, “You are no longer my friend!”
And then I stormed away and returned to the library to calm myself down.
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。
Paragraph 1: About 5 minutes later, one of my classmates came up to me and handed me my diary.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Luckily, Lynn was still in the field.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . Wang Fang, a Suzhou native, has given her heart and soul to Kunqu Opera. Wang, who has twice won the Plum Performance Award — China’s top award for theater and opera performances-started to learn the traditional art form in 1977.
Born with a melodic voice, Wang loved to sing and dance when she was little. She performed frequently, and was recruited by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe (剧团) when she was in middle school. However, her parents refused the troupe’s invitation, insisting that she should concentrate on her studies and not drop out of school. After members of the troupe visited the parents repeatedly and showed great sincerity,Wang’s parents finally agreed.
Learning the traditional art form was never easy. She started to learn how to pronounce words, sing them lyrically and make gestures gently. As an actress playing martial artists roles at first, she had to spend extra time practicing kung fu movements. Years later, Wang used the word “unimaginable” to describe how hard the days were when she first learned Kunqu. She was soaked in sweat when practicing movements in summer, while in winter she often had chilblains (冻疮) on her hands when training in shabby classrooms with broken windows. “But I was young and determined at the time. No matter how difficult, I always got up early the next morning to practice,” Wang recalls.
Wang says she did not love Kunqu at first, but in her early 20s,when she watched the show Peony Pavilion performed by Zhang Jiqing, a master of the art form, it clicked. “I was shocked,” Wang says. “Her every movement was full of elegance and delicacy. Each of her lines and songs was perfect. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kunqu for the first time in my life, and it has stayed with me since.” Now, Wang has herself become a master of Kunqu. Her performances have impressed generations and helped to promote the art form among young people.
1. Why did Wang’s parents turn down the troupe’s invitation at first?A.They didn’t think Wang had artistic talent. |
B.They saw no future in learning Kunqu Opera. |
C.They didn’t want Wang to ignore her studies. |
D.They regarded members of the troupe as insincere. |
A.Wang has made great efforts to learn Kunqu well. |
B.Artists should be given more attention and care. |
C.Traditional culture needs to be further promoted. |
D.Wang has played a key role in the development of Kunqu. |
A.Winning the Plum Performance Award. |
B.Joining the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe. |
C.Watching Zhang’s masterly performance. |
D.Being greatly admired by the audience. |
A.It is never too late to learn. | B.Rome was not built in a day. |
C.Doing is better than saying. | D.Don’t judge a book by its cover. |