1 . I went to the Royal Easter Show with my family. And my two children hardly used any of the ride tickets I had already
I was
The man said “Are you sure?” when I
Their great
I was deeply moved by the truth that there was such joy in giving. It was the
| A．shared | B．bought | C．hidden | D．cancelled |
| A．cost | B．lost | C．left | D．preferred |
| A．sad | B．fortunate | C．certain | D．awkward |
| A．time | B．pleasure | C．call | D．money |
| A．turned down | B．came across | C．dealt with | D．picked up |
| A．returned | B．gave | C．sold | D．lent |
| A．tourist | B．friend | C．giver | D．stranger |
| A．remembered | B．realized | C．explained | D．doubted |
| A．excitement | B．pride | C．fear | D．pity |
| A．nervously | B．bravely | C．happily | D．impatiently |
| A．clean | B．touch | C．repair | D．ride |
| A．memory | B．joy | C．shock | D．dream |
| A．stay | B．grow | C．change | D．agree |
| A．quit | B．accepted | C．enjoyed | D．controlled |
| A．busiest | B．safest | C．cheapest | D．best |
Christmas I Remember Best
I was 9 years old when Dad passed away and left Mom and me. Since Mom was disabled (残疾), we depended on kind-hearted neighbors.
During the first Christmas season without Dad, my expectations were high, but deep down in my heart there was an idea that the man in the red suit would not come to our little two-room house. He stopped only at houses that had fireplaces.
At the same time, there would be no gifts under the tree. In fact, there would be no tree. But that didn’t seem right. At least, a tree would help with the hurt. On Christmas Day I hurried to Petersen’s Market. A fresh layer of news now lay on the street unmarked bypassing cars; not a person was moving.
I thought that the store was closed and the unsold trees were usually thrown away. As I walked among the snow-dusted trees beside the store, old man Nels Petersen appeared out of nowhere. He drove me away.
Nels Petersen was a mean (吝啬) old man and lived alone. The following year, he setup a fence (篱笆) around the Christmas tree lot and locked the gate every night. I accepted the challenge.
On that night, I climbed the fire ladder that hugged the store wall. The next day, old Nels knew one tree was missing; he had counted them. The next year, the ladder was moved away.
Then came a Christmas that I shall always remember with warmth. My teacher at school asked our class to make Christmas cards for our favorite person, not counting our families, so I made a card for Nels Petersen. Why I included him as my favorite person, I didn’t know.
I made a beautifully decorated green tree on the card. I believed that it would be the only card he would get from anybody. I signed it and put it in his mailbox. Late Christmas Eve, when the stores were closed and everybody was home, I walked around the corner of the back of Petersen’s Market. It was in darkness. I moved along the fence secretly.
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。
To my great surprise, the gate was open!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Just as I was about to run away, I saw the large lettered sign on the tree, which read: DON’T FORGET TO LOCK THE GATE — MERRY CHRISTMAS!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 . In a quiet Northern California neighborhood, Michael seemed like a normal 11-year-old boy. His family made use of the Californian sunshine to grow orange trees and roses. All seemed good from the outside, but Michael was troubled.
Since he was taken in at 3 years old, Michael never really connected with his parents. There was a strictness about them that his nature couldn’t understand, and he was left to himself to sort out (整理) confusing feelings and the need for connection.
Without the tie a young boy needs at home, Michael often found himself down the street at his best friend’s house. Of course, the two boys laughed, read picture books and ate junk food. But the real reason why Michael liked his friend’s home was Mr. Christensen. He was the kind of father who understands boys.
With Mr. Christensen, the boys spent hours in the garage fixing an old sports car. They drove up the California coast at high speed, feeling the salt wind wash over them. The car was too loud to allow for any conversation, which was fine with Michael. He didn’t yet know how to express his feelings; for the time being, just being able to feel them was enough.
For many young boys, the language of connection is written in the wrenches (扳手) they and their parents turn, the wrestling matches they watch, the hours of their watching clouds race by overhead. Mr. Christensen understood that boys need time to learn this language. He knew a boy learns respect and duty by being loved in an unspoken way.
Some 50 years later, Michael remembers his time with Mr. Christensen. “My own father couldn’t raise me, so I was given away. My adoptive father (养父) did his best but never allowed a relationship to form between us. Luckily for me, I had Mr. Christensen. I have tried to be the kind of father he was, teaching, having fun and spending time with my child.”
1. What was the problem with young Michael?| A．He had to do hard work on the farm. |
| B．He dropped out of school with his best friend. |
| C．He was given up by his parents as a little kid. |
| D．He was treated badly by his adoptive parents. |
| A．Strong wind. | B．Too loud noise. | C．Busy repair work. | D．Driving excitement. |
| A．By taking part in competitions. | B．Through communication. |
| C．By studying hard. | D．Through doing things together. |
| A．Mr. Christensen. | B．His friends. |
| C．His own father. | D．His adoptive parents. |
Jimmy and Bob who were raised in New York were childhood best friends. When Bob was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty, Bob set out for the West to make his fortune. They parted at “Big Joe’ Brady’s” and made a promise to get together at the same place after twenty years. However, at the appointed time and place, it turned out that Bob became a criminal while Jimmy was a policeman. Jimmy did his duty and Bob was put into prison. Having spent 20 years in jail, Bob was finally released. Now 58, felt lost and helpless.
“Twenty years is a long time,” he smiled bitterly, not knowing where to go. He had no family, and had never heard a word from Jimmy again since that cold, dark night. “Was he ashamed of having a friend like me?” Bob longed for an answer.
“Excuse me, sir, are you Bob?” Bob heard the voice of a young man.
“Yes.” He turned around and was surprised to find a familiar-looking man in his thirties. “Have we met before?”
“No, sir,” replied the man. “My father told me to meet you today. I have a note for you from him.”
Doubtfully, Bob unfolded the note. His hands were shaking by the time he had finished reading.
Bob, the doctor says I’ve only got three months. I’m afraid I won’t be able to meet you this time, but you’ll always be my dear friend.
Jimmy
“You’re Jimmy’s son?!” Bob shouted in surprise.
注意：1. 续写词数应为80词左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Yes, sir,” the young man smiled. “And my name is Bob.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Dara Torres makes a golden comeback. An Olympic swimmer over 40 years old was never
Then she went back into
Now she became the
Dara Torres proved that
Torres said, “Time doesn’t
| A．heard of | B．concentrated on | C．left out | D．impressed with |
| A．made | B．bought | C．won | D．borrowed |
| A．awkward | B．popular | C．annoyed | D．strict |
| A．continued | B．admired | C．explored | D．survived |
| A．instruction | B．education | C．vacation | D．training |
| A．curious | B．able | C．sorry | D．brave |
| A．avoided | B．experienced | C．checked | D．entered |
| A．most graceful | B．oldest | C．politest | D．most skilled |
| A．officially | B．finally | C．extremely | D．equally |
| A．nationality | B．age | C．sex | D．personality |
| A．realized | B．revised | C．improved | D．arranged |
| A．activity-organizer | B．volunteer | C．applicant | D．record-holder |
| A．signed | B．exchanged | C．named | D．welcomed |
| A．change | B．leave | C．remind | D．advise |
| A．topics | B．mistakes | C．destinations | D．dreams |
6 . When no one else was able to save a drowning (溺水的) 34-year-old man, a boy weighing only 80 pounds quickly became his hero.
11-year-old Adam was hanging out at the pool of his apartment building with his family when the man sank (下沉) to the bottom of the deep end, his arms spread out and his eyes wide from eight feet down in the water.
Surprisingly, Adam was the only one at the pool who could swim at the time. Before his family had moved to St. Paul, Minnesota three years ago, his parents had never had the ability to take swimming lessons. Luckily, they believed that Adam should have a few swimming lessons. “Some survival skills are a must,” his father said.
When trouble struck in the pool, however, Adam’s father had tried to help the man from a swim ring, but he couldn’t reach the man’s hand. Then, Adam jumped into the pool.
Despite the man weighing almost 100 pounds heavier than the boy, Adam successfully managed to pull the man up to the surface and get him out of the pool. Though Adam’s uncle had never received CPR training, he started CPR on the man based on what he had seen in movies and television.
A few minutes later, the man started to move his hands. Doctors then arrived and took the man to the hospital where he has since made a full recovery (恢复). The man stopped by the boy’s house later the very same week to thank him for saving his life.
“It’s simply wonderful,” said Adam’s uncle. “If he had not been there, I don’t know. I’m sure it would not be a happy ending.” Adam’s father also says that he plans on taking swimming lessons with his son in the near future.
1. Why was Adam sent to take swimming lessons?| A．To build up his body. | B．To save other people’s life. |
| C．To keep a healthy weight. | D．To keep himself safe in the water. |
| A．He sent for doctors. | B．He called others for help. |
| C．He asked Adam to save the man. | D．He tried to save the man by himself. |
| A．He thanked Adam. | B．Doctors operated on him. |
| C．He was sent to hospital at once. | D．Adam’s uncle gave him first aid. |
| A．Brave. | B．Polite. | C．Clever. | D．Proud. |
Life never really turns out the way we expect it to. We have dreams and expectations. And dream-come-true stories are everywhere — except, it may seem, in our own lives.
As a child, Barbara never quite found the bond with her parents that all children need. Her father left the family early, and her mother did menial jobs.
“I couldn’t let my life keep me from caring about other people,” she says. “Maybe it’s unfair or just the way it turns out for people, but I still have a son.”
Barbara raised her son the best she knew how and “he turned out pretty well,” she says, smiling. And after the hard years of making ends meet and giving him a good start, she made a career change.
“I never thought I was supposed to feel sorry for myself,” she says. “And I like people.”
Barbara works as an in-home caregiver for elderly people in their last year of life. She spends 10-hour days, six days a week, with people who have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, sometimes sleeping on their sofa when they are afraid to spend a night alone. Most don’t have families close by, and Barbara becomes the person they rely on for everything: meals, bathing, bathroom duties, daily walks if they can, mental exercises like crossword puzzles and re-learning family faces.
She only charges what the family can afford and only works with one client at a time. “They become the family I never had, over and over again,” she says, laughing.
The spaces left empty in Barbra’s childhood are filled with memories shared with her from lives fading away in the dusk. For 30 years, she has been making people feel good at a time when most would just be waiting to die, alone and unnoticed. When seeing their faces when they are with Barbara, you’d think the last years were the best.
“I’ve found something I never had,” Barbara says. “We make each other happy. So I try to give them what they want most.”
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。
She’s learned from her experiences that old people want their loved ones to visit them.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I posted Barbara’s story online to call on children to visit their parents.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . Months ago someone gave us a dish-washing machine as a gift. We already had a part-time worker who cleaned our bowls and
Alice, our neighbor was
I couldn’t tell you how overjoyed I was to see her daughters’
I
The
| A．rooms | B．floors | C．plates | D．boxes |
| A．carefully | B．hardly | C．obviously | D．usually |
| A．building up | B．giving up | C．running away | D．moving away |
| A．rent | B．use | C．quit | D．give |
| A．yes | B．sorry | C．hello | D．goodbye |
| A．test | B．buy | C．lend | D．pack |
| A．cheerful | B．strange | C．confident | D．cold |
| A．rice | B．vegetable | C．flower | D．tree |
| A．request | B．wealth | C．advice | D．memory |
| A．hit | B．drew | C．attracted | D．recommended |
| A．game | B．challenge | C．party | D．warning |
| A．failed | B．appeared | C．relaxed | D．left |
| A．connected | B．trapped | C．rescued | D．separated |
| A．common | B．unimportant | C．amazing | D．unlucky |
| A．famous | B．thankful | C．aware | D．open |
Walter has left office. His wife is dead, and he has no children. He lives a quiet life. But he has a job for a few days during Christmas every year.
He is a Santa in a big department store. Walter goes to the toy department and changes into his red Santa clothes, a red hat and big black boots (靴子). All day he sits in the toy department. Children come with their parents. They tell Santa what they want for Christmas. Most children want toys like video games, bikes, robots and fairy dolls.
Walter remembers one Christmas. It was 9:00 p.m. and the store was closing when there came a small boy and his mother. They were walking quickly towards him. “I know it is late, but please let my son talk to you,” said the woman. The woman and the boy looked tired. Their clothes were old and cheap.
Walter was tired too, but he is a kind man. “Of course,” he said in his Santa voice. “Come here and tell me what you want for Christmas.” The little boy spoke very quietly. Walter couldn’t hear him. “Santa is getting old. He doesn’t hear so well. Come closer and tell me again,” he said happily. The little boy came very close and said, “Santa, please bring me a grandfather for Christmas.”
Walter was surprised. He looked at the little boy’s mother. “Yes,” she said. “Timmy wants a grandfather for Christmas.”
“Why do you want a grandfather for Christmas, Timmy?” asked Walter.
“My Dad is dead. I don’t want a new dad. But it’s only Mom and me. It’s quiet. So I would like a grandfather.”
Walter was worried. Of course children don’t get everything they ask for. But this little boy was so serious, and his mother looked so sad.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 开头已给出。
Then Walter had an idea.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning Timmy and his mother were eating breakfast when the doorbell rang.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 . Recently my wife and I were flying across the country and were about to board our plane when a woman sitting across from us at the gate had a medical
The woman, Jackie,
In one hand I held her and with my other hand I
I stood up
Fortunately, Jackie just needed someone to listen to her and
| A．exam | B．card | C．report | D．condition |
| A．track | B．sight | C．control | D．memory |
| A．changed | B．introduced | C．considered | D．pretended |
| A．ordered | B．needed | C．arranged | D．prepared |
| A．pointed | B．showed | C．believed | D．explained |
| A．felt | B．checked | C．covered | D．supported |
| A．yes | B．much | C．hello | D．sorry |
| A．lift | B．buy | C．mark | D．request |
| A．safely | B．quickly | C．actively | D．secretly |
| A．for | B．against | C．before | D．after |
| A．liked | B．tried | C．agreed | D．remembered |
| A．fine | B．ready | C．outgoing | D．friendly |
| A．pay | B．beg | C．fight | D．look |
| A．doctors | B．helpers | C．strangers | D．managers |
| A．opinions | B．battles | C．decisions | D．mistakes |
