I begged my mom to let me make cookies by myself. Even though I had never attempted baking before, I was nine years old and my friend Emmie had been baking cupcakes by herself for a year. I was determined to prove that I could make it.
My brother, Caleb, laughed at the idea of me cooking alone, calling it a disaster. Having a big brother can be annoying. Despite his laughing, my mom agreed to let me try. She reminded me to take my time and be careful because I’d had some messy spills before I was nine.
I raced to the kitchen and went to work. I cracked eggs and put a cold stick of butter into the bowl. I turned on the mixer at medium speed—and whoa. Whoa. Whoa! What a disaster! I had to wipe butter off my face, then off the table and floor.
Caleb made fun of me again, calling me a mess. I chased him away with a spoon and turned back to the mixing bowl. I started again with softer butter. Referring to the recipe, I poured everything needed into the bowl and mixed it. After that, I put round batter (面糊) onto the cookie sheet and put it into the oven (烤箱). Within a minute, a fantastic smell filled the kitchen—the smell of cookie success!
I was going to prove that I was responsible. No more eye-rolling from my brother. No more “You’re too young” from my parents. I was grown up and in control.
I stared into the oven, and my heart sank. The neat, little balls had melted (融化) and overflowed to the edges of the cookie sheet. I pulled the pan out just as Caleb wandered back into the kitchen.
“What in the world?” He started to laugh. “Cookie soup?”
“You just be quiet,” I whispered, trying not to cry. “Just leave me alone.”
“How’s it going in there?” Dad called from the living room.
Caleb raised his eyebrows and bit his lip. I responded that everything was fine, pouring the melted batter into the bowl quickly.
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。
Paragraph 1: I picked up the directions, wondering what had gone wrong．
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: I brought a plate of cookies into the living room for my parents．
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 . I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and hated asking for help. After all, I was a teenage girl, and I could not bear people to look at me and think I was not like them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads. Coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to stop rapidly on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work.
One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I ran into something. “I’m awfully sorry,” I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been apologizing to a lamppost (街灯柱). This was just one of the stupid things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop, which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn’t stop unless passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to guess if the bus had arrived.
Generally in this situation, because I hated showing I was blind by asking for help, I tried to guess at the sound. Sometimes I would stop a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to swallow (吞下) my pride and ask someone at the stop for help.
But at this particular evening no one joined me at the stop; it seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass, or I thought I did. But because I had given up stopping them for fear of making a fool of myself, I let them all go by. I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one. Then I gave up. I decided to walk on to the next stop.
1. The girl refused to ask for help because she thought ________.| A．she might be recognized | B．asking for help looked silly |
| C．being found blind was embarrassing | D．she was normal and independent |
| A．began to run | B．hit a lamppost by accident |
| C．hit a person as usual | D．was caught by something |
| A．to find more buses there | B．to find people there |
| C．to find the bus by herself there | D．to find people more helpful there |
3 . A little girl created a perfect gift for her mother’s birthday. It was a drawing of a
For most people, that would be the
“I was sitting at my friend’s house and saw a man’s
“Eventually the letter made it home,” said Alvarado. “We are
| A．bird | B．card | C．cake | D．flower |
| A．received | B．destroyed | C．lost | D．posted |
| A．end | B．part | C．influence | D．cause |
| A．promised | B．invited | C．seen | D．called |
| A．paper | B．cash | C．bag | D．tool |
| A．proved | B．explained | C．realised | D．admitted |
| A．satisfied | B．frightened | C．shocked | D．touched |
| A．start | B．continue | C．brighten | D．ruin |
| A．obviously | B．extremely | C．especially | D．probably |
| A．photograph | B．arrival | C．conclusion | D．reply |
| A．forget | B．believe | C．understand | D．pretend |
| A．read | B．present | C．return | D．publish |
| A．ready | B．grateful | C．responsible | D．anxious |
| A．little | B．certain | C．useless | D．extra |
| A．unhappy | B．beneficial | C．lasting | D．reasonable |
Eli looked up at the sky. It was bright blue, his favorite color. As he lay on his back, the soft green grass brushed against his arms and legs. The cool wind kept him at the perfect temperature, and the weather was just right for playing outside. Every summer vacation, he and his family drove to the small city of Ithaca to visit his mother’s family.
Just as Eli was starting to fall asleep in the backyard, his stomach growled (饥肠辘辘). “Time for dinner” he thought. So he stood up and began to walk back to the house. Suddenly he noticed something move out of the corner of his eye. It was near the woods in the back yard. Then he heard some rustling (沙沙地响). So he went to check what it was. When he got closer, the object stopped moving. He walked over quietly until he could see something lying in the grass — it was a baby deer!
Even though Eli was standing very close to the animal, he found it strange that the baby deer didn’t try running away. Eli rushed into the house and told his mother what he had found. “Well, we should check if the deer is injured. If not, we shouldn’t do anything because its mother will come back and take care of it,” she told Eli. So the two of them walked to the baby animal. Eli’s mother walked very slowly and finally got close enough to the deer.
Eli watched his mother frow n as she examined the baby deer. She walked back to Eli. “I think its back le g is injured,” she said. “But we’ll wait for a few hours and see if the deer’s mother comes back for it. If we do anything now, we might scare it and hurt it more.” Eli wanted to help the baby, but he knew his mother was right. They went back into the house and had lunch. They both kept checking the clock.
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。
As the sky was getting dark, the little deer was still lying there.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Twenty minutes later, a big rescue truck drove into their driveway.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 . An Indiana man ordered a Sausage McMuffin at his local McDonald’s and got much more than he expected.
On January 6, TikTok user Josiah Vargas, aka @ dookiedoeboy, shared a video detailing his trip to a McDonald’s drive-through in Elkhart, Indiana that resulted in him receiving much more than he ordered. In the video, which has attracted over 2.3 million views, Vargas is shocked by what he finds in his to-go bag instead of breakfast: thousands of dollars.
“Why? There’s a couple thousand dollars here,” Vargas says, holding up a baggie full of $20bills. “Like, why would they do this? Why would they give this to me?”
Vargas took to TikTok to share his shocking discovery, knowing that he could easily take the money and leave the McDonald’s workers in quite a bind. But, ultimately, he says he knows what he needs to do.
“Now I have to return it because I’m a good person, I guess,” Vargas says, putting the money back in the bag. “How interesting!”
After he walks into the store, he gives the bag to a worker at the register. The worker realizes he’s returning the cash they had been looking for. Amid all the relieved reactions from staff that can be heard from McDonald’s staff, one employee asks if they could give him a hug — which he accepts.
Back in the car, Vargas reflects on his good deed. “They were just all hugging me and thanking me,” he says. “When I was driving away, they called me back in. They gave me $200as well as free McDonald’s for a month.”
The TikTok ends with Vargas sharing what he believes to be the moral of the story. “Do good, people. Returned $5,000, got $200 and free McDonald’s for a month,” he says. “Good trade value and maybe a viral TikTok.”
1. Why was January 6 a special day for Josiah Vargas?| A．His video views ranked top in TikTok. | B．His bag was taken by others by mistake. |
| C．He was given a lot of money unexpectedly. | D．He was awarded a big prize by McDonald’s. |
| A．In serious trouble. | B．At great ease. |
| C．With extreme caution. | D．Under strict control. |
| A．Responsible and generous. | B．Considerate and honest. |
| C．Confident and humorous. | D．Curious and lucky. |
| A．Every man has his price. | B．Money is not everything. |
| C．Details determine success. | D．One good turn deserves another. |
In a busy and stressful town, there was a large square with many trees around. There the collectors came together. These were people who were busy making a living by collecting things that other people had thrown away.
There were pan-collectors, book-collectors and shoe-collectors complaining about the burden of their life on their shoulders.
One day an old man came into the village asking where the collectors’ square was. He carried a large bag, but didn’t seem to be burdened by its weight. Finally, he found the square, and he decided to stay in one corner.
Naturally, the collectors discovered there was a new collector in town, and they asked about what he had in the bag. He simply told them there was nothing in it but his lunch and a raincoat in case it rained. “You mean, you don’t have a collection of some kind?” they asked. “Aren’t you a collector?”
“Oh, yes,” he said. “I’m a care-collector. But what I collect does not fit in a bag or a box. I offer to collect people’s care like worries, sadness and difficult times-all kinds of things that weigh them down, and they feel better.”
Quickly, one pan-collector asked him how he collected care, and he replied. “Well, there is probably something in your life that troubles you right now. Just tell me about it and I will add it to my collection.”
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。
“Can I have a try?” asked the pan-collector doubtfully.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Soon words spread, and there were a group of people coming to the care-collector.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7 . Several years ago, I was teaching students when Charley entered into the classroom. What
One afternoon, we had a game, and Charley made a perfect start. Next was Bruce’s turn. Bruce was the least
By the semester’s end, we had all admired Charley for his
That afternoon before winter vacation, Charley walked to my desk and bent close to my ear, “My
As I grasped the
It was a dry leaf, the most valuable
| A．encouraged | B．impressed | C．touched | D．pleased |
| A．naturally | B．gradually | C．worriedly | D．curiously |
| A．teach | B．comfort | C．introduce | D．adjust |
| A．active | B．rude | C．important | D．educated |
| A．lucky | B．discouraged | C．reliable | D．fashionable |
| A．stretch | B．ignore | C．remember | D．make |
| A．knowledge | B．housework | C．fortune | D．information |
| A．give up | B．work out | C．subscribe to | D．hand in |
| A．limit | B．keep | C．distinguish | D．protect |
| A．shopping | B．drawing | C．measuring | D．packing |
| A．news | B．chance | C．gesture | D．direction |
| A．replaced | B．resisted | C．regained | D．repaired |
| A．precious | B．awkward | C．foolish | D．academic |
| A．intelligent | B．professional | C．experienced | D．outstanding |
| A．gift | B．lesson | C．moment | D．suggestion |
Long time ago, a girl
“If you can become my friend.” Jackson told her. “I will get your necklace for you.” Lisa told him
Lisa told her mother about that. After
9 . A man named Randy liked to look for big trees and old trees. He made maps to show where these trees were. He did not want to cut them down. He wanted people to take care of them.
Randy was told that there was a very tall tree on Vancouver Island. The tree was said to be 314 feet tall. That would make it the tallest tree in Canada. Randy started to find the tree.
But someone else found it first. It was found by a logger (伐木工). Loggers wanted to cut down Canada’s tallest tree and all the trees around it.
Randy made a path in the forest so people could see the tallest tree. The tree was so big and beautiful that it would bring them enjoyment. More and more people wanted to save that forest. Thanks to these people, that forest is now a park. Canada’s tallest tree is still there.
1. Why did Randy make maps of big trees and old trees?| A．To carry out his duty carefully. | B．To avoid getting lost in forests. |
| C．To show where these trees were. | D．To get information for selling them. |
| A．Take care of it. | B．Cut it down. |
| C．Take pictures of it. | D．Make it famous. |
| A．To help people cut it. | B．To help people see it. |
| C．To help people water it. | D．To help people move it. |
| A．The path. | B．The forest. | C．The tallest tree. | D．The park. |
When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks and always tried to behave well. But he was so sensitive and shy that he always hid behind his hair, which he wore long around his face. To make it worse, Marco was naturally shorter than the other kids. This added to his already low self-confidence.
At 14, he and his younger sister Sandra moved in with their dad and his new wife. His father was busy and their communication was nonexistent. The only time his dad ever spoke to him was to be demanding or critical. He began to fear coming home from school every day, feeling desperately alone and isolated.
One day his father, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The angry reaction left Marco in despair, thus crying out, “That’s it! I’m going to kill myself.”
“You don’t even have the guts!” replied his father.
For two days, all Marco could think of was wanting to die, but he didn’t want to prove his father was right. Angry and sad, Marco was stuck.
Two days later, his aunt called him. This seemed like a miracle. Aunt Ginette usually only called on his birthday. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest and she thought about him. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like those kids, since she had seen him do skits (幽默短剧) for the family at Christmas.
Marco was shocked. Him? In a public speaking contest, which was contrary to his shy personality? But Aunt Ginette was sure it was something he could do. Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed.
All that winter, twice a week after dinner, he took three different buses in each direction for the three-hour round-trip to practice in the place where the competition would take place. Marco was taken by a feeling he never felt before. The hours and the obstacles no longer counted. The criticism from his father around his absence for after-dinner chores didn’t matter.
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。
Four months later, the big night arrived.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With the championship, Marco’s new life started.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
