I sat in the breakfast corner with my four-year-old son, Matthew, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. I was still recovering from a surgery. I hoped for strength and happiness. But the future seemed so hopeless.
Matthew jumped up from his spot on the kitchen floor. “Bird!” he shouted, rushing to the sliding door. Sure enough, there was a white dove seated on a rubber tree. It sat there a few moments, and then flew away. I’d never seen one in our neighborhood before.
When I dragged myself to the kitchen the next morning, the dove was back. This time it was with a mate carrying twigs (嫩枝), “Look, Matthew,” I said, pointing to the tree. “They’re going to make a nest.” The doves flew in and out of the courtyard all week, building on the top of the rubber tree. Matthew could hardly contain his excitement. Every morning, he’d run into the kitchen and take his spot by the sliding glass door, talking to the birds while they worked. As much as I was grieving (感到悲伤), I couldn’t help but look forward to the doves’ visits too. We watched their progress as if it were a real-life soap opera unfolding before us. Gradually, my pain disappeared, replaced by joy.
Then it all went wrong. The courtyard was a safe enough spot for a nest, but the rubber tree’s broad, thin leaves were far from stable. One night, a strong wind blew through, throwing the doves’ nest to the ground. I heard the twigs break apart. Nothing good ever lasts. I wouldn’t blame the doves if they never came back. But they returned. And they paid no attention to the pi le of sticks that had once been their nest. They started again from scratch, though the wind destroyed all their hard work. The next day, and the next, they renewed their efforts, as if nothing had happened.
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 knew I had to do something for the poor creatures.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:“The birds were back!” Matthew announced.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Quietly sitting there reading, I found myself suddenly listening to the train guard’s announcements (通知). Train travelers will surely agree that when the guard (列车长) makes an announcement, whether it’s the recorded message or the guard’s message, few people listen to it, because it’s often quite dull or hard to understand. This one was different. I noticed that other passengers appeared to be listening, too. Not only that, everyone was smiling!
Why was so much attention being paid to this message? As best I can recall the guard said something along these lines, “Good Morning Ladies, Gentlemen and Children, this is the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith to Central and you’ll be pleased to know that we are right on time. And what a lovely morning it is in Sydney today. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. I trust you have a great day wherever you’re going. Thanks for catching my train this morning and I hope to see you again soon.”
Quite a few people (obviously previous strangers) started talking to one another about the guards excellent message and how good it had made everyone feel. I started thinking about this, and then I found the young guard and said “Were you the guard on the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith?” The guard seemed a bit stunned at first, replying, “Yes, yes.” “Well, I really appreciate your announcement. Thank you for your extremely good message, which gave me and the other passengers such a good start to the day. Please keep doing it.” I said.
There are two messages for me in what happened that day. Firstly, when people are happy in their work, it shows in what they do and say. Secondly, the story attaches much importance to the benefits that accumulate (积累) from thanking people for something they’ve done, particularly when it’s not expected. Can you imagine the conversation that guard would have when he got home?
1. Why do few train travelers listen to the announcements?A.The messages are unattractive. |
B.The guard’s voice is not clear. |
C.They usually feel sleepy. |
D.They are absorbed in books. |
A.Patient. | B.Frightened. |
C.Surprised. | D.Excited. |
A.The beautiful weather. | B.The recorded message. |
C.The train from Penrith. | D.The unexpected appreciation. |
A.An Intelligent Guard. |
B.A Boring Train Story. |
C.A Different Train Announcement. |
D.A Lovely Morning in Sydney. |
3 . Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has good
One day, he gathered up all his
Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of
Then the interviewer
“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce
A.task | B.body | C.mind | D.heart |
A.money | B.time | C.strength | D.information |
A.appointment | B.plan | C.presence | D.job |
A.elderly | B.impolite | C.foolish | D.violent |
A.actually | B.surprisingly | C.obviously | D.strangely |
A.looking at | B.checking out | C.driving away | D.working on |
A.action | B.service | C.performance | D.behaviour |
A.for fun | B.for reward | C.in anger | D.in need |
A.rush | B.apply | C.prepare | D.pay |
A.best | B.last | C.least | D.most |
A.hesitated | B.agreed | C.refused | D.smiled |
A.applicants | B.interviewers | C.customers | D.engineers |
A.wash | B.examination | C.crash | D.repair |
A.confused | B.confident | C.disappointed | D.satisfied |
A.Taking | B.Rocking | C.Holding | D.Trembling |
A.broke | B.stopped | C.beat | D.sank |
A.likely | B.possibly | C.happily | D.merely |
A.turned | B.removed | C.showed | D.removed |
A.after | B.when | C.before | D.once |
A.Cheers | B.Congratulations | C.My pleasure | D.Lucky you |
4 . “Tell me the story of me, Momma,” my daughter Sophie always asks when we sit on my grandmother’s rocking chair at the end of the day. “The first time I saw your beautiful face, it was nearly covered by a blue-and-white hat. You were surrounded by a soft blue blanket (毛毯). All I could see was a rosy face.” “And I looked like a tiny fairy baby?” she asks. “You did, and you weren’t older than a minute,” I always answer. “The nurse handed a tiny little girl to me, and I was so surprised because you felt so light. I thought if I threw off the blanket, I’d find no baby there at all, only air.”
From that moment, I became a mother. But that moment was just special and magical as if she’d come from my body directly into my arms. From that day on, she was my daughter in every way that mattered.
It’s easy sometimes to forget there was another mother out there with whom I share my title. Sophie’s birth mother, who was also my friend, lost her life to cancer not long after giving birth to Sophie. And I’ll never forget that it was her difficult decision — her tears and her pain — that made me a mom.
As my daughter grows, she will understand that sometimes life is a relay race (接力赛), and you never know who in this world will hand you your baton (接力棒). It could be someone you know for years, or it could be someone who you even never meet, someone you will never be able to repay for giving you the life you always wanted.
1. How does the author start the text?A.By remembering her grandmother. | B.By asking her daughter questions. |
C.By describing her past life. | D.By showing a conversation. |
A.Disappointed. | B.Worried. | C.Thankful. | D.Surprised. |
A.Taking up the baton | B.Being thankful for life |
C.Two mothers’ love | D.The mystery of Sophie’s birth |
The morning of my daughter’s first school play I had an important business meeting. I went to the play, getting a seat in the front row. I even brought my mum along in case it overran. But, not wanting to be late for my appointment, I moved quietly to the back. My daughter, who was just three at the time, noticed my empty seat and started to cry. Outside the doorway, I heard one mum say loudly and angrily, “She’s gone to work.” I watched as some of the others rolled their eyes. My stomach went cold.
It’s OK for a mum to have a job — as long as it’s part-time, fits around the school run or means she doesn’t have to leave the school play early or fly to the other side of the world now and again to earn a living. During the decade I’ve been a working mum I’ve received numerous critical comments from women about my work choices, but I think running my own business and travelling with my work when I can (while still taking my daughter to school most days and making pretty much every show or event) is setting a good example to my daughter. It shows her that it is possible to succeed at a time when women in many professions find it harder than men to reach the top and get less pay.
But I often feel I’ m in the minority. Do the women who roll their eyes at other women who leave the school play early or show up late to parents’ evening because their meetings overrun really believe females should only be in part-time, flexible work that fits around their children? I think it’s time for women to support each other’s career decisions.
1. What does the text mainly talk about?(no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably mean?(no more than 25 words)
3. What may the author’s daughter learn from her working mother?(no more than 30 words)
4. What kink of job should a mother have according to other mothers who rolled their eyes? (no more than 5 words)
5. Do you agree with the author? Give your reasons.(no more than 25 words)
6 . David and Case are 12 and 11 years old. Like most
One day, the two friends were walking through a parking lot when they saw something on the ground. It was a wallet. They
The boys
Scott Ames was so
A.kids | B.athletes | C.fans | D.farmers |
A.customers | B.accounts | C.parents | D.pockets |
A.energy | B.cash | C.time | D.approach |
A.held | B.tore | C.piled | D.picked |
A.lightly | B.roughly | C.absolutely | D.strangely |
A.In all | B.In return | C.In brief | D.In particular |
A.managed | B.determined | C.promised | D.hesitated |
A.Therefore | B.Hopefully | C.Otherwise | D.Instead |
A.hatched | B.quit | C.admitted | D.paused |
A.cinema | B.spot | C.hotel | D.center |
A.gas | B.railway | C.police | D.radio |
A.convince | B.inquire | C.motivate | D.locate |
A.awkward | B.lucky | C.delighted | D.curious |
A.just | B.nearly | C.yet | D.even |
A.documents | B.items | C.comments | D.patterns |
A.prove | B.reflect | C.report | D.see |
A.Basically | B.Clearly | C.Naturally | D.Possibly |
A.reasoned | B.sighed | C.blamed | D.added |
A.annoyed | B.discouraged | C.amazed | D.ashamed |
A.draw | B.ignore | C.oppose | D.fit |
Last Saturday David was taking a walk in the park near his home when he noticed a woman with a boy of about eight years old. When David passed them, he heard the woman yelling: “How stupid you are! You’re good at nothing.” David stopped and looked at the little boy. The boy said nothing. He just stood there, looking upset.
David was reminded of his English teacher Mrs. Brown in middle school. After he entered middle school, David lacked self-confidence because he was often made fun of by others. He was often told that he was good at nothing, which David believed.
But one day it all changed. That day, in an English writing class, Mrs. Brown asked them to read a novel. They were asked to write a new chapter of the novel after they finished reading it. A few days later, David handed in his story. He didn’t give it much thought. But the next day to his surprise, the comment “well done” from Brown came into view the moment he turned to the page where the story was written. When David read that, he almost burst into tears. He had never expected to be praised. He suddenly gained some self-confidence.
That day after he returned home, he wrote another short story and gave it to Mrs. Brown the next morning. And again he was praised. David became very interested in writing. He often wrote short dories and asked Mrs. Brown to read them and correct them for him. Mrs. Brown always gave him good advice to improve them. One year later, David joined the school newspaper and became an editor of it. He gained his confidence and was hopeful about his future.
He succeeded in entering college and kept writing. Several years after graduating from college, he had his first book published, becoming famous as a writer in his country. And he owed his success to Mrs. Brown’s encouragement. Without her encouragement, his life might be very different now.
注意:1. 续写的词数应为150左右。2. 请按照如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Inspired by his own life story, David decided to do something for that boy.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The mother was ashamed when she heard that.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks.
One day, Ali took Zahra's shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it a secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali’s running shoes. Zahra's school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.
Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city.When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.
The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache. Getting more and more exhausted he thought only of Zahra and his promise to her. Dreaming of the new shoes he would win for his sister gave him strength, and he stayed right behind the two fastest runners, determined to finish third. Suddenly, as the finish line drew near, another runner collided(碰撞) with Ali from behind and he crashed to the ground.
Ali looked up and saw the other boys rushing ahead.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Filled with delight, Ali walked home quickly.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items (物品) to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things that we no longer wanted, but things that we use every day and that would be useful to others.
We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading:
“Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome anything. Don’t hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you.
This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn’t a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it.
I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood (风帽). She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter (遮挡) someone from the rain.
We don’t know where these gifts of compassion (同情) will go. We never go back and see what happens. It’s unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph about the couple?A.They had deep feelings of their work |
B.They often threw the useless daily items away |
C.They often gave away the daily items they didn’t use |
D.They liked helping others by sharing their things |
A.help the poor go through the difficulties |
B.let the poor know who gave away the things |
C.tell the poor to pass on the spirit to others |
D.tell the poor how to use the items correctly |
A.they had a good habit of saving things |
B.they thought it was the right thing to do |
C.they often received telephone calls for help |
D.they hated being troubled by homeless people |
A.Boxes filled with compassion |
B.Good behavior leading to happiness |
C.The most important thing in our life |
D.Happiness coming from sharing things |
10 . There once was a king in a faraway country. One day, he decided to
One picture was of a
The other picture had
Which picture do you think
“Because,” said the king. “Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no
A.take | B.send | C.offer | D.leave |
A.honesty | B.silence | C.beauty | D.peace |
A.tried | B.managed | C.succeeded | D.went |
A.And | B.Or | C.But | D.Yet |
A.choose | B.like | C.give | D.need |
A.beautiful | B.noisy | C.calm | D.dirty |
A.black | B.gray | C.blue | D.dark |
A.liked | B.saw | C.painted | D.had |
A.mirror | B.peace | C.mountains | D.clouds |
A.gentle | B.sunny | C.calm | D.angry |
A.slowly | B.gently | C.wildly | D.happily |
A.noisy | B.peaceful | C.happy | D.beautiful |
A.seriously | B.strictly | C.quickly | D.closely |
A.planting | B.rising | C.growing | D.coming |
A.built | B.created | C.left | D.lain |
A.beating | B.touching | C.speaking | D.feeding |
A.silent | B.noisy | C.beautiful | D.faraway |
A.want | B.lost | C.received | D.won |
A.noise | B.silence | C.shock | D.joy |
A.just | B.again | C.even | D.still |