For years, putting up Christmas lights had been a family tradition for the Patrick’s household. It was an occasion when they would busily prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
Their Christmas light display was always a highlight of the neighborhood and brought much delight to the whole community. Typically, Anthony would invite the neighbors over as they decorated the Christmas tree in the front yard. Emily, who lived next door and had known Sara’s family for long, often came to admire their wonderland of Christmas lights.
In early December, Anthony would string colorful lights all around their roof until it looked dazzling. On the front lawn, he would blow up a large white Frosty the Snowman and a Rudolph with a glowing red nose. Sara always joined in, along with their warm-hearted neighbors, hanging gifts on the tree and playing “White Christmas” over and over to keep everyone in the spirit.
Yet the bad news came in the midst of the festive mood, before they could finish the Christmas decoration. Anthony fell desperately ill. The symptoms suggested acute heart failure and he was soon admitted to hospital. Sara spent days and nights in the ward, attending to Anthony and praying for his recovery, though the hope was slim. On Christmas Eve, Anthony passed away.
It came as a huge blow to Sara. In the following days, she had to manage the funeral while struggling to figure out a way to cover housing and household expenses, and tackling a seemingly endless list of difficult to-dos. Perhaps hardest of all, she had to persuade herself into accepting the loss of her father. It was too much to take.
When she pulled up to the house after a long day on the go, the only thing that could comfort her were the twinkling Christmas lights, which brought her a spark of hope-it felt as if the brightness of the lights could cancel out some of the darkness of the past days’ misfortune.
Wanting to help, Emily shared their story on a community website.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Touched by their kindness, Sara decided to fulfill the lighting decorations, though Christmas was gone.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Last summer I talked with my daughter studying in her last year in high school about her graduation album. I asked which
After two
Yes. I could have picked a photo my daughter didn’t like and submitted it behind her back, but I knew it wouldn’t have
My daughter is
I had my senior year and did it the way I wanted. Now it’s my daughter’s
| A．reporter | B．photographer | C．volunteer | D．teacher |
| A．paid | B．imagined | C．declined | D．chose |
| A．buy | B．deliver | C．pick | D．borrow |
| A．keeps | B．expects | C．loses | D．dislikes |
| A．shame | B．joke | C．punishment | D．hit |
| A．helpful | B．sure | C．safe | D．happy |
| A．seconds | B．hours | C．months | D．decades |
| A．celebration | B．schedule | C．semester | D．deadline |
| A．drawing | B．design | C．picture | D．number |
| A．disappointing | B．positive | C．strange | D．unclear |
| A．worked | B．looked | C．covered | D．moved |
| A．great | B．old | C．calm | D．kind |
| A．laugh at | B．exchange for | C．hand in | D．care about |
| A．hope | B．explain | C．determine | D．mean |
| A．turn | B．result | C．action | D．answer |
3 . Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla, live on Green Gables farm, in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. They want to adopt an orphan boy, but Matthew doesn’t find the boy at the train station. Instead, he is attracted by a sweet, talkative 11-year-old girl called Anne. Having heard about Anne’s poor childhood, they think Anne might not be the “useful boy” they’ve wanted to work on the farm, but she needs their sympathy. Anne is overjoyed to be allowed to stay.
On Anne’s second morning at home, however, Matthew abruptly suffers from a heart attack. Soon, Marilla sees a specialist and learns that unless she takes measures to prevent her eyesight, she will be blind within six months. Anne finds herself involved in a dilemma.
Anne, anyway, gradually gets familiar with the beauties of Green Gables, the household duties she will have to fulfill. Even though Marilla often scolds Anne for daydreaming and ignoring her chores, both she and Matthew find Anne’s imaginative talk amusing, and soon they can’t picture the farm without her.
In the fall, Anne starts off well at Avonlea School, but then she’s teased by Gilbert Blythe, a handsome boy in her grade, for her red hair. Anne hits Gilbert on the head, and she is punished by her teacher and refuses to attend school for a while. After Anne returns to school, she takes a renewed enthusiasm in her studies and a growing academic competition with Gilbert. Besides, Anne forms a story club to help her friends improve their imaginations.
When she is 16, Anne studies for the entrance exam to Queen’s Academy. With intense effort, Anne and Gilbert both get the highest exam scores in Prince Edward Island, broadening Anne’s ambitions for the future. The following September, Matthew and Marilla, both tearful over Anne’s growing up, say goodbye when Anne settles into Queen’s for the year. Anne earns teacher certificate, and though she’s defeated by Gilbert for the highest academic honor, she wins a scholarship.
1. What makes Matthew and Marilla decide to adopt Anne?| A．Anne’s pitiful childhood. | B．Anne’s attractive appearance. |
| C．Anne’s easy-going personality. | D．Anne’s familiarity with farm work. |
| A．She teases her classmate. | B．She hurts a handsome boy. |
| C．She fails to get good scores. | D．She refuses to attend school. |
| A．She defeats Gilbert academically. |
| B．She is full of hope for the future study. |
| C．She earns the highest academic honor. |
| D．She is discouraged not to be admitted into the college. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Amused. | C．Indifferent. | D．Content. |
Marco stared at the blank canvas (油画布) spreading out before him, its stark whiteness almost laughing at his sudden lack of inspiration. He was in his final year of high school, and his art portfolio (画集) was fast approaching its due date in a week. This canvas was meant to be his masterpiece, the crown jewel of his collection, but all his ideas seemed to escape the moment he stood before it. “What’s wrong with me? What should I do?” Marco murmured to himself.
Having grown up in the bustling city of New York, Marco had always found beauty in the chaos. The harshness of roaring cars, the colorful palette of street art, the symphony of diverse tongues and the odd behaviors of the passengers-all served as inspirations for his art. Yet, now, when it mattered most, he found himself lost.
Upset and distressed, Macro walked out, longing to run across something unexpected. Unaware of the duration of his wandering through the streets of the city, Marco chanced upon a small, hidden park he had never noticed before. It was a pocket of quiet amid the urban uproar, which attracted Marco immediately. An old man sat on a bench, feeding pigeons that flocked around him in a dance of fluttering wings.
The old man noticed Marco’s thoughtful gaze and gestured him over. They struck up a conversation aimlessly as if they had been old friends for a long time. In their talk, everything was full of interest from life to art. At last Marco confided (倾诉) his artistic block to the old man. The old man listened intently before offering a piece of wisdom. And then, the old man stood up slowly and patted Marco’s shoulder softly. “Sometimes, the best inspiration comes from the places we least expect. Look beyond what you see.” The gentleman said in all earnestness.
要求:
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。
The next day, Marco returned to his canvas.
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The time presenting his portfolio came soon.
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One night, when we were having dinner, suddenly Mom let out, “I have a great idea!” My sister Keira and I looked at each other, feeling confused and wondering what she wanted to say.
“What if,” she said, with a long pause, “we furnish Nancy’s apartment while she’s away?”
Nancy, our nanny (保姆) had returned to her hometown to get her children and bring them back with her. When her children were only one and five years old, she had left them to work as a caregiver abroad where the working conditions were not very good. Later, through friends, Nancy heard that our country was the land of opportunity. With rich working experience, Nancy came to our house and here we got along well with each other although sometimes we had difficulty in communication because of language.
Five years after her arrival and working here, she was allowed to apply for a permanent resident’s statue. It took so long to get it, so we celebrated with a cake the night the letter that informed her finally came.
“Could you do me a big favor?” Nancy asked Mom before she left for her hometown. ”I’ve ordered some mattresses (床垫) so we have something to sleep on when we arrive. Do you think you could receive them and let the delivery man deliver it into my apartment?“
”No problem,“ said Mom.
”Hey Mom, I hate to burst your bubble (幻想),” I said, “but how are we possibly going to furnish an entire apartment? ”
“Well, we have some extra stuff in the attic,” she replied. “Maybe we can help our neighbors and Nancy at the same time. The neighbors can donate their extras, and we can piece together a great home for Nancy. Let’s send an e-mail and see.” So the e-mail went to about seventy neighbors in our community.
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。
Throught the following week, e-mails and texts kept flooding in.
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The big day came as we welcomed Nancy and her children to their new home at the door.
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In a house far from the city lived John and his mother. John’s only hobby was wandering in the nearby picturesque forest. In its center was a shiny clear lake with schools of fish dancing in it. Lovely animals such as deer or rabbits were playing around and cute birds were singing in trees. Fascinated by the beauty and liveliness of nature, he desired to become a great artist and present all the breath-taking scenes to the world.
John studied in the local primary school. Life was not easy for John and his mom after his father died. Knowing what hard work his mother did to make ends meet, John really didn’t want his mother to worry. His mother knew the significance of education in life but she was against his dream of becoming an artist. “The profession of artist can’t aid a person in meeting his daily expenses,” she would say. But as each day passed, John’s dream became more passionate.
Due to the living circumstances, even buying some new colors would be a luxury. John only used the worn drawing file and limited colors for his daily practice. Though lacking fine painting materials, he never gave up drawing. He spent a significant amount of time staying in the forest, secretly perfecting his craft. With continuous hard work and a distinct gift for art, he drew beautifully.
One day John read about a competition being held in the town, whose deadline was only two days away. He got the perfect opportunity to fulfill his desire but he was in a dilemma (两难境地) as for the competition he needed special paints and some brushes. He didn’t have the courage to ask his mother for money as he knew her prejudice against art.
That evening his mom returned from work and handed him a few paper notes, saying, “This is for your lunch at school next month.” The money was enough for his desired materials! John’s face lit up.
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。
Early the next morning, John secretly left home with the money.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A week later, a phone call came to John’s home.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . A curious and eager 6-year-old boy went on a journey that took him to a place filled with wonder and heroism: a fire station. But this young explorer was
The little boy’s wish was realized by a
Then, the child
And just when you thought this touching
This small act of kindness has
So, share this article to
| A．unfortunate | B．unwise | C．dependent | D．blind |
| A．promise | B．assignment | C．dream | D．suggestion |
| A．well-known | B．kind-hearted | C．full-time | D．good-looking |
| A．transformation | B．exploration | C．experiment | D．activity |
| A．turned to | B．depended on | C．held up | D．set aside |
| A．modestly | B．quickly | C．excitedly | D．patiently |
| A．mind | B．hand | C．stick | D．pencil |
| A．scene | B．word | C．video | D．experience |
| A．looked around | B．called out | C．reached out | D．stood up |
| A．phenomenon | B．milestone | C．practice | D．gesture |
| A．lecture | B．encounter | C．lesson | D．holiday |
| A．waken | B．reflected | C．become | D．shared |
| A．persuades | B．reminds | C．surprises | D．advises |
| A．impressions | B．atmosphere | C．connections | D．value |
| A．spread | B．feel | C．create | D．record |
1. Who is probably the speaker?
| A．A reporter. | B．A teacher. | C．A writer. |
| A．He read a book. | B．He looked after the horse. | C．He enjoyed the snow. |
| A．Sad. | B．Moved. | C．Casual. |
| A．Help those around us as much as we can. |
| B．Read as many books as we can. |
| C．Be grateful for what we have. |
Everyone has a hero — someone he admires, who has had an impact on his life. My brother, John, is my hero. He is the most sympathetic, sweet and funny person I have ever met. John is also mentally handicapped (智障的) and has a developmental disability known as autism (自闭症).
I used to be ashamed of John when I was little. When he first started talking, he had a hard time with pronunciation and understanding the meaning of words. He called me May-Me for most of my childhood because he could not pronounce Amy. As John grew older, his language ability gradually increased. I went from May-Me to Amy, and hammer burgers became hamburgers.
When I was younger, I was embarrassed by John. He used to run around in stores talking to himself, flicking his ears and putting his hands in his mouth. He had a hard time swallowing and would have drool (流口水) running down his face. John was very loud, and it seemed to me that he would always find the quietest moments to talk.
All I ever wanted was a normal brother. I would look at other brothers and sisters, see their relationships and turn green with envy. Why did my brother have to be so different? I was very self-conscious of what people thought. I felt as if the entire world was laughing at me because of the way John was acting. I was utterly offended at times that I could not have a normal brother.
The siblings of an autistic child can have many reactions to the amount of attention the autistic child receives. Some feel as if they are not receiving enough attention and may become superachievers to get their share. I hate to admit it, but I definitely fall into this category. I feel the need to excel (突出) in everything I do. I cannot help but think that this comes from having a disabled brother.
John has changed significantly over the past eighteen years.
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As I grow older, I’m no longer ashamed of my brother; instead, I am ashamed that I used to be.
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10 . Sometimes, the kids in Stephanie Williams’s kindergarten class need a little extra motivation. While some students prefer material rewards for good behavior, all Kameron Eisenberg wanted was to be the first one on the bus. That way, he’d be able to spend a little extra time with the school bus driver Charles Frierson. In the few minutes they shared together each afternoon, Mr. Charles would chat with Kameron, encourage him, and generally brighten his day.
“I always ask the kids, ‘What do you want to work for today?’ And Kameron said, ‘I want to work to see the bus,’” Stephanie said. “Just being the first one on the bus and talking to Mr. Charles does not seem like a lot, but to him it’s the world.”
At the beginning of the school year, Kameron was having some difficulties in class. His behavior got him sent to the administrator’s office almost every day. However, getting to hang out with Mr. Charles turned out to be a strong motivator for the kindergartner to follow directions. After checking in with his teacher, the bus driver would sometimes even talk to him about any problems he was having in school.
Stephanie saw a huge change in Kameron’s attitude once the boy started talking to Mr. Charles every day. So did Kameron’s mom. Eventually, she decided to write a letter to the driver. As Charles read the note on camera, he started to tear up.
“I have always believed angels come when you least expect them.” She wrote, “This holds especially true in regards to Mr. Charles. I would like him to know how much we absolutely love him for who he is and what he has done for my son.”
According to School Transportations News. Charles and Kameron often get ice cream together now that school is out for the summer. The bus driver also cheers him on at his weekend baseball games.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．Kameron was tired of Stephanie’s lessons. |
| B．Kameron liked to compete for the first place. |
| C．Kameron made friends with Mr. Charles. |
| D．All kids in the kindergarten preferred material rewards. |
| A．He behaved badly in school. |
| B．He was to be dismissed from school. |
| C．He had a poor sense of direction. |
| D．He was affected more by the administrator. |
| A．To show her gratitude to him. | B．To change Kameron’s attitude. |
| C．To express a mother’s enthusiasm. | D．To get the school bus driver moved. |
| A．Patient and cautious. | B．Caring and positive. |
| C．Honest and determined. | D．Ambitious and sensitive. |
