1 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling all the time.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.
Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境) — the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.
The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”
In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
1. What can we infer from this story?| A．The girl liked the coffee best. |
| B．The father was good at cooking. |
| C．The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs. |
| D．Different people have different reactions to adversity. |
| A．thick | B．hard | C．strong | D．easily-broken |
| A．Challenges and responses. | B．Adversities and a chef. |
| C．A chef and coffee beans. | D．Father and daughter. |
Jack,
But one day Jack said
3 . Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro talks about sports like a professional host in a show called Sliders & Curveballs. The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut is a natural at sports talk and has been broadcasting the show—which is about baseball, basketball and other sports—with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.
The D’Avirro started the broadcast after two former college roommates of Mike died, which made Mike want to spend more time with his son. Then the idea came to him. So far, they have done about 50 programs. Joseph’s favorite is when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the coach leading the Connecticut Huskies to three national titles. They have also interviewed important sports authors.
The father and son make about one 30- to 40-minute podcast each month. They prepare for the podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half. Joseph reads his questions again and again to get them in his brain well. It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “a lot more fun than homework”. Joseph has also learned to speak up and speak clearly. He has to listen and to go with the flow of the conversation. For example, he said, “If the guest is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”
When asked how long he and his dad will continue doing the show, he answered, “Until my dad starts growing gray hairs.” Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up—to be a sports player, a sports broadcaster or to own a basketball team. Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.
1. What is Joseph’s show about?| A．Some talk shows on sports. |
| B．Ways to get along with parents. |
| C．Stories about famous sports players. |
| D．Sports that his family loves playing. |
| A．His son’s talent for sports. |
| B．His wish to be a host since college. |
| C．The deaths of his college roommates. |
| D．The encouragement from his roommates. |
| A．It’s as boring as homework. |
| B．It’s challenging to his brain. |
| C．It takes a lot of time but means a lot. |
| D．It’s more interesting than homework. |
| A．A rising sports broadcaster |
| B．A long road to go to success |
| C．The father-and-son team hosts |
| D．Joseph D’Avirro’s big dream |
4 . When the weather starts to warm up, we love heading to the beach for a few days. During one such trip, after a few days of being
We
It was a breathtaking drive and we kept our eyes glued to the window. The scenery was
After a few minutes of looking and pointing at a shiny object in the sky, he was pretty
We eventually got back in the
It is one of the short funny travel
| A．lazy | B．confident | C．different | D．angry |
| A．walk | B．challenge | C．drive | D．rest |
| A．bought | B．borrowed | C．found | D．fixed |
| A．plan | B．dream | C．future | D．game |
| A．took up | B．moved on | C．went away | D．turned out |
| A．boring | B．excellent | C．normal | D．bad |
| A．suddenly | B．quickly | C．luckily | D．carefully |
| A．letting | B．bringing | C．leaving | D．telling |
| A．worried | B．nervous | C．sad | D．excited |
| A．decide | B．promise | C．mention | D．agree |
| A．believes | B．understands | C．guesses | D．follows |
| A．sun | B．car | C．hotel | D．store |
| A．replied | B．remembered | C．thought | D．cheered |
| A．books | B．tips | C．stories | D．tests |
| A．hopes | B．ideas | C．problems | D．trips |
5 . Two weeks ago, a 5-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke emptied out her piggy bank (存钱罐) onto the living room floor and immediately started counting. Her grandmother, Jackie Oelfke, thought she was playing as she carefully lined up the coins, but then she saw the girl put the coins into a plastic bag and place it in her backpack.
“What are you doing with that money?” Jackie asked her granddaughter.
“I’m taking it to school,” Sunshine replied. “I’m going to take it for milk money. My friend Layla doesn’t get milk— her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do.”
Jackie’s heart melted at Sunshine’s words. Choked with strong feelings, Jackie held her sweet granddaughter tightly in her arms.
Last week, Jackie and Sunshine met with her teacher, Rita Hausher, and handed her the $30 the kindergartner had saved. There are 20 kids in Sunshine’s class and about half don’t get milk. It costs $ 0.45 a carton (纸盒). The total adds up to about $180 a month for every child in the class to have milk every day.
After dropping Sunshine off at school, Jackie posted a tearful video on Facebook to explain her granddaughter’s plan. To her surprise, many people offered to donate toward the cause. Within a week, Jackie raised more than $1,000. Now every student in Sunshine’s class can get free milk for the rest of the year.
Jackie said Sunshine doesn’t see her kind act as a big deal. She was just trying to look out for her friends. “She doesn’t understand the effect she’s brought about,” Jackie said. “But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”
1. Why did Sunshine empty her piggy bank?| A．She hoped to show off her savings in class. | B．She needed to train her counting skills. |
| C．She wanted to play with the coins. | D．She intended to pay for her friend’s milk. |
| A．Relieved. | B．Touched. | C．Curious. | D．Proud. |
| A．Two heads are better than one. | B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D．There’s no such thing as a free lunch. |
| A．Small Coins, Big Changes. | B．Jackie’s Piggy Bank. |
| C．Piggy Bank and Carton Milk. | D．A Moved Grandmother. |
6 . It was New Year time, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. That winter, my mother and my stepfather moved our family to Southern California. My brother and I were leaving our rural Alabama behind. This would be our first New Year away from Alabama. My mother took to California like a swan to a royal lake. My athletic little brother, Paul, was excited at a climate that allowed him to go to the beach whenever he wanted.
I, however, was a fat child with a heavy southern pronunciation. My first day in the new class, I introduced myself in a low voice. All I said was my name and where I was from. The class burst into laughter. “He talks funnily.” I was so helpless that I went to a place to call Granny Smith after school, who was my biggest support. But I didn’t get through.
On Sunday evening, the phone rang. It was Granny. She often took advantage of the discounted long-distance rates on Sundays. She said she’d shipped a New Year package. Sure enough, it arrived. Surprised at the box, large enough to hold a small refrigerator, we eagerly tore it open. The smell of Granny’s house filled the room: a combination of fried meat, sausages, furniture polish and decorations. Her house was tiny and always filled with tacky holiday decorations and homemade food before New Year. But in my childhood eyes, it was precious and fantastic.
There were countless tins and containers. We opened them to discover piles of holiday treats. She even included our traditional candy bars. The box was as bottomless as a magical box. There, beneath all these, was my familiar holiday.
Every New Year that we spent in California, the postal service would call and say our package arrived. Over the years, many treasures arrived in the box. For me, it’s always been the best part of the holiday.
1. How did he author’s brother feel when they were moving to California?| A．Unconcerned. | B．Joyful. | C．Grateful. | D．Upset. |
| A．He had a strong accent. | B．He made a humorous talk. |
| C．He looked overweight. | D．He spoke in a very low voice. |
| A．Suitable. | B．Large. | C．Cheap. | D．Attractive. |
| A．Granny’s Care Package | B．An Unforgettable Holiday |
| C．Our Move to California | D．A Telephone Call from Granny |
A North Carolina woman had her first birthday party at 105 years old. Although she is so old, she never realized her dream—she wanted to have a birthday party. She also wished to receive 105 birthday cards, the same number as her age.
Lorene Summey is an elderly person at Somerset Court, a nursing home in Cherryville, North Carolina. Two months ago, a worker in the nursing home asked Summey what she would like for her upcoming birthday.
“We have an old lady that has a birthday next month and she will be 105 years old! She has never had a big birthday party before, so I asked her several months ago what she would like to do for her birthday. She said she would love to have square dance at her birthday party,” Jodie Lankford wrote in a Facebook post. “I think this wish is not quite too difficult, and we can help her to achieve.”
“She explained to us her experiences in her childhood. She said her sister could always go out to enjoy herself but she had to stay home most of the time to take care of the younger ones. She felt unfairly treated by her parents at the time,” she said. “She wanted her hair and makeup done, and she wanted to wear the same dress she wore when she was young.”
“She is also concerned about another thing—she doesn’t think she could have 105 birthday cards sent by mail to her for her birthday! I’ve told her that we will have more. I have made her believe that her wish is sure to come true,” Lankford added.
Last Friday night, her great birthday party began on the square of the nursing home. The time came for the old lady to realize her wish.
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。
Summey looked especially beautiful that day.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Back to her room, the caregivers showed Summey the birthday cards.
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On a hot September afternoon, Peter and his friend Isabel were on their way to the library. When they passed by Tubman park, Isabel suggested cutting through it to get to the library. As they entered the park, the sight of the swings and the merry-go-round brought back a flood of memories of their childhood spent there. But now everything looked so old, sad, and dirty. Litter lay on the ground next to an overflowing trash bin. There were still young schoolchildren playing there but they had to avoid the trash that littered the playground. A little boy told them that the city took the other trash cans away and the remaining one never got emptied often.
As they headed toward the library, the two high school students wrinkled their forehead. In the library, they met Mrs. Evans, their kindhearted fifth-grade teacher, retired yet still passionate. Mrs. Evans listened as Isabel and Peter eagerly explained what they’d seen. Finally, she recommended them to go to the Go Green, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to protect the environment, for help. “This group is good at raising money for projects just like yours,” said Mrs. Evans. She promised to present their ideas to Go Green. Hearing this, their face lit up.
Two main tasks remained ahead: researching ways to clean up the park and preparing a convincing speech. As Isabel was good at researching while Peter always had a talent for speaking, they worked together quite well. Isabel learned from a science magazine that a new type of trash bin can squeeze the trash down without being emptied often, which saves time, money, and energy. Based on this, Peter practiced his speech over and over again.
注意：1、所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2、续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1
A week later, Peter stood nervously at the back of the hall where Go Green was meeting.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2
After the meeting, Isabel excitedly told Peter the good news.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . Our group was about to board the plane. I was
The travel was part of a university program. We did many exciting things there, but it was our time of
| A．disappointed | B．scared | C．proud | D．excited |
| A．ignore | B．support | C．doubt | D．blame |
| A．persuading | B．contacting | C．following | D．postponing |
| A．consumed | B．shaped | C．resisted | D．welcomed |
| A．learning | B．investigating | C．volunteering | D．attacking |
| A．figure out | B．concentrate on | C．interact with | D．settle for |
| A．eye-opening | B．available | C．pleasant | D．challenging |
| A．as for | B．regardless of | C．except for | D．instead of |
| A．value | B．priority | C．accommodation | D．gap |
| A．belongings | B．achievements | C．arguments | D．requests |
| A．Gradually | B．Naturally | C．Hopefully | D．Simply |
| A．occasion | B．result | C．advantage | D．end |
| A．handle | B．explore | C．leave | D．monitor |
| A．encounter | B．involve | C．attract | D．identify |
| A．expressed | B．limited | C．matched | D．described |
10 . Every year when Thanksgiving comes around, I remember a bit of wisdom handed to me. Having some
Half a century of observing life has left me
William Stidger
| A．difficulties | B．hopes | C．differences | D．concerns |
| A．explained | B．persuaded | C．reminded | D．complained |
| A．because | B．though | C．until | D．why |
| A．satisfied | B．shocked | C．interested | D．alarmed |
| A．rule | B．grammar | C．law | D．method |
| A．awful | B．bright | C．calm | D．incredible |
| A．obeyed | B．advised | C．doubted | D．convinced (坚信的) |
| A．authority | B．development | C．gratitude (感激) | D．regret |
| A．enjoyed | B．stood | C．suffered | D．followed |
| A．impatient | B．unfriendly | C．unable | D．unlucky |
| A．challenged | B．attacked | C．treasured | D．respected |
| A．illness | B．thankfulness | C．sadness | D．loneliness |
| A．simply | B．hardly | C．nearly | D．especially |
| A．doctor | B．teacher | C．miner | D．nurse |
| A．reaction | B．attraction | C．action | D．operation |
| A．ruined | B．hurt | C．damaged | D．blinded |
| A．achieved | B．protected | C．discussed | D．received |
| A．turned to | B．gave up | C．kept on | D．set off |
| A．injured | B．wondered | C．screamed | D．recovered |
| A．seriously | B．eventually | C．slightly | D．slowly |
