A cactus (仙人掌) stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck in the middle of the desert. “I do nothing but stand here all day,” it sighed. “What use do I have? I am the ugliest plant in the desert. My spines (刺) are thick, my leaves are tough, and my skin is uneven. I can’t offer shade or juice to the passing travellers. I don’t see that I am of any use at all.” All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and fatter. Its spines grew longer and its leaves grew tougher. It truly was strange-looking.
“I wish I could do something useful,” it signed. By day, hawks (鹰) circled high overhead, and the cactus called, “What can I do with my life?” Whether they heard or not, the hawks flew away. At night the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale light on the desert floor. “What can I do with my life?” the cactus called. The moon only stared coldly as it continued its course.
A lizard (蜥蜴) passed by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its tail. “What worthy deed can I do?” the cactus called. “You?” the lizard smiled, pausing a moment. “You can do something. Just wait for the right moment. The hawks circle their ways overhead, making beautiful patterns for us all to admire. The moon hangs high like a lantern at night, so we can see our ways home to our loved ones. Even I, the lowly lizard, have something to do. I decorate the sands with these beautiful trails as I pull my tail along. And you, you will show us your beauty some day.”
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It went on year after year, and the cactus grew old.
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The desert hadn’t known such a flower of it.
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Belinda, like many of my students, had grown up "street smart", with very little use for schools and books. On the first day of school, she called Rory a very bad word, so I kept her in at break. I made her wash all the desks and pick up all the garbage lying around. "That'll teach her," I thought. Belinda, though, was smarter than me. "I like cleaning. Mr. Brassell," she said. "Can I do this every day?"
On the third day, I caught Belinda fighting with Jose. I walked over to their table and asked what the problem was. "She keeps calling me a bad word," Jose said. Belinda wrote standards after school while I gave her another lecture on behavior. The next day, I caught her fighting with Jose again. I shouted angrily across the room to ask why they were fighting. Again, Jose accused Belinda of calling him a bad word. Belinda had finally earned a home visit. I told her that I would walk her home after school and talk to her mother in person.
And for the first time all the week, Belinda became silent. For the rest of the day, she sat still in her chair, even with kids teasing her. "It's not going to work, young lady," I told her. "You already earned a walk home, and behaving now isn't going to change that."
When the final bell sounded, I took Belinda by the hand, and we began the two-block walk to her house. Belinda took me through the gate to her yard and she went inside to get her mother while I waited outside.
Where have you been, girl?" a voice screamed. Babies cried loudly inside.
"My teacher's here," Belinda said softly, and I still couldn't see inside through the front door.
"Hello," a deep voice barked. Then the door opened, and a rather skinny, short woman walked out.
"Uh, I'm Mr. Brassell, Belinda's teacher."
"What'd she done this time?"
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
I suddenly decided to try a different approach.
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The next day at school, Belinda gave my knees a big hug.
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3 . Flying can be stressful even for the most experienced business traveler. No matter how many times we
With no
“This was definitely one of our
| A．check | B．make | C．change | D．print |
| A．wild | B．wrong | C．successful | D．creative |
| A．bought | B．picked | C．recovered | D．left |
| A．missed | B．boarded | C．booked | D．scheduled |
| A．painting | B．passport | C．ticket | D．package |
| A．comforted | B．credited | C．contacted | D．cheered |
| A．musician | B．doctor | C．author | D．artist |
| A．reports | B．mails | C．news | D．passengers |
| A．hands | B．eyes | C．home | D．company |
| A．Unluckily | B．Unusually | C．Thankfully | D．Obviously |
| A．proposals | B．clues | C．descriptions | D．efforts |
| A．agreed | B．remembered | C． decided | D．promised |
| A．conducted | B．canceled | C．designed | D．quitted |
| A．damaged | B．unharmed | C．well-decorated | D．well-received |
| A．simplest | B．latest | C．saddest | D．happiest |
4 . My Ph. D. adviser called me into his office, saying I needn't bring my notebook. After 15 minutes of listing my positive things, he looked me in the eye and said,“You are fired from the lab.”
I had moved to Israel from my native India the year before, excited to experience a new culture and study for a Ph. D. At first things went well in my new lab. Then, 3 months before I was fired, I ran into some problems. I made a few mistakes in the lab that slowed my research, but I wasn't aware that my adviser noticed them, and he never spoke to me about any concerns. I’m still not sure why he fired me, but I guess it was because of those mistakes. He wasn't confident that I could complete my research in time as we'd planned.
The first few days after I was fired were especially difficult. I spent hours staring at my computer screen, unable to get anything done. One day all I could do was sit on a beach, crying. I tried to change his mind with promising results, but he stuck to his decision. I could not break the news to my family in India, as the fear of disappointing them overwhelmed （压垮）me. I soon got into a state of sadness and anxiety. Meanwhile, the date for me to leave the country was drawing near, as my visa required me to be registered as a student. I was lonely and without hope.
Around that time, I watched Dasvidaniya, a Bollywood movie that's about a man who has 3 months to live. One line from the movie stuck out to me :“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade（柠檬水）” .What kind of lemonade could I make out of my present situation? My desire to complete a Ph. D. was never in doubt. After much reflection, I told myself that one failed attempt was not the end of the world, and that I needed to give it another try. With renewed confidence, I emailed expected advisers and applied to other programs. Within 2 months, I landed an offer from a Ph. D. program in Italy. I accepted it and relocated to Europe, happy that my goal of completing a Ph. D. was alive once again.
I’m thankful that I didn't give up on my dream and that I found another professor willing to take me on.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The personality of the adviser. |
| B．The author's problems in study. |
| C．The possible reason for the author's being fired. |
| D．The author's difficulty in adapting to a new culture. |
| A．He applied for a new visa. |
| B．He got addicted to computer games. |
| C．He tried to change the adviser's mind. |
| D．He shared the news with his family in India. |
| A．Persuading the adviser to let him stay. |
| B．Being responsible for different programs. |
| C．Holding the belief to get a doctor's degree. |
| D．Getting accepted by another Ph. D. program. |
| A．Direction is more important than effort, |
| B．Turn to movies for comfort when in trouble. |
| C．A doctor’s degree is important for the future. |
| D．Difficulties in life can be turned into something positive. |
John was crazy about playing basketball. Every day after school, he would spend much time practicing basketball skills. Sometimes, he didn't go back home until sunset, which made his mother extremely angry. One day. as he was given a chance to watch a basketball game, he dreamed about being a member of the college basketball team the next year. On the way, he was delighted secretly. He thought no one in the world was luckier than him. Suddenly. a car hit him. What a terrible experience! It seemed like a bad dream.
John woke up in a hospital room. He was frightened to death. He realized that he couldn't move both of his legs. At that time, the doctor came in. When the doctor told him that both his legs were broken and he had to sit in the wheelchair for the time being, he knew his college basketball dream was over. He was really depressed. John followed what the doc tors had told him. but it did not work entirely. When he left hospital# John was sent to a health recovery center. He never heard of this center before, but it was not far away from his house. Although he felt unwilling to go there, he had no choice but to accept the fact.
A week later, he arrived there unhappily. The first person he met was Sunny Chen, who was so kind and friendly that he warmly welcome John to go there. Sunny's legs were badly hurt in a skating accident. He told John that he would help him recover soon. Though Sunny couldn't move his legs, he became the coach of a basketball team called the Suns. After a period of recovery training. John felt his legs were all right. So Sunny invited him to join the game Sunny guided the team on his wheelchair. John played badly, but for the first time since the accident, he stopped feeling sorry for himself.
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.
John was glad that his dream of being a member of the basketball team came true.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________Sunny saw all John did. lost in thought.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . This morning, when 1 shaved in the mirror. I found my body was growing older. There was no doubt about it My
When 1 stepped back. I could see I had become
| A．hair | B．skin | C．eyes | D．hands |
| A．thick | B．beautiful | C．little | D．black |
| A．beard | B．crops | C．body | D．kids |
| A．smaller | B．stronger | C．healthier | D．fatter |
| A．made up | B．slowed down | C．left off | D．came round |
| A．relaxed | B．athletic | C．clean | D．weak |
| A．Listening | B．Speaking | C．Writing | D．Reading |
| A．book | B．note | C．mind | D．mouth |
| A．recognize | B．control | C．replace | D．forget |
| A．smiled | B．shouted | C．waved | D．appeared |
| A．low | B．lonely | C．young | D．bright |
| A．pleased | B．stressed | C．amazed | D．excited |
| A．extremely | B．hardly | C．impossibly | D．uncertainly |
| A．politer | B．lighter | C．heavier | D．prouder |
| A．come in | B．give in | C．break out | D．wear out |
When a tornado touched down in a small town nearby，many families were left completely destroyed.Afterward all the local newspapers carried many humaninterest stories featuring some of the families who suffered the hardest.
One Sunday，a particular picture especially touched me.A young woman stood in front of an entirely shattered mobile home，a depressed expression twisting her features.A young boy，seven or eight years old，definitely in low spirits，stood at her side，eyes downcast.Clutching(紧握) at her skirt was a tiny girl who stared into the camera，eyes wide with confusion and fear.
The article that went with the picture gave the clothing sizes of each family member.With growing interest，I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours.This would be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those less fortunate than themselves.I taped the picture of the young family to our refrigerator，explaining their difficulty to my sevenyearold twins，Brad and Brett，and to threeyearold Meghan.
“We have so much.And these poor people now have nothing，” I said.“We'll share what we have with them，thus they will smile again.”
I brought three large boxes down from the room upstairs and placed them on the living room floor.Meghan watched seriously，as the boys and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and foods.
While I sorted through our clothes，I encouraged the boys to go through their toys and donate some of their less favorite things.Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up discarded toys and games.
“I'll help you find something for the little girl when I'm done with this，” I said.
The boys placed the toys they had chosen to donate into one of the boxes while I filled the third box with clothes.Meghan walked up with Lucy，her worn，faded，muchloved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest.She paused in front of the box that held the toys，pressed her round little face into Lucy's flat，paintedonface，gave her a final kiss，then laid her gently on the top of other toys.
“Oh，Honey，” I said.“You don't have to give Lucy.You love her so much.”
Meghan nodded seriously，eyes glistening with heldback tears.“Lucy makes me happy，Mommy.Maybe she'll make that other little girl happy，too.”
Paragraph 1：
The boys，openmouthed，had watched their baby sister placed her favorite doll in the box.
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Paragraph 2：
Taking the cue from my little ones，I removed my old jacket from the box of clothes.
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8 . Aunt Fannie was Blueberry Jam Woman. Of course she wasn’t really my aunt, and out of fear, I never called that to her face. The name always made my father chuckle (轻笑) and my mother look sternly (严厉地) at both of us—at me for being disrespectful, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions, so I looked for every opportunity to work for the name into conversation.
As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large Victorian farm house owned by Fannie Cratty. Fannie was the last of the Cratty line; she had never married, and had no living heirs(继承人). My father once told me that it was because she was too mean to share her family wealth or pass it on. Aunt Fannie was noted for her jam, and for never sharing the recipe with another living soul. Even though my mother knew it by heart, as long as Aunt Fannie was alive, she never made the jam without Miss Cratty in our kitchen to direct the process and preserve the secret.
One year, after I had been particularly helpful with the jam-making process. Aunt Fannie gave me a quarter and then made me promise I would never spend it. “Hold onto this quarter,” she said, “and some day you will be rich. I still have my first very quarter.” It had obviously worked for her, so I put that 1938 quarter in a small box,put it in my dresser drawer, and waited to become rich.
I now have the blueberry-jam recipe and the quarter from Aunt Fannie. Neither has significantly contributed to my wealth, but I keep them to remind myself to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is your relationships, and your memories of time spent with friends and family, that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.
1. Where did the “fear” mentioned in the first paragraph come from?| A．That year’s blueberry harvest had been poor. |
| B．Aunt Fannie was too old to keep making jam. |
| C．The author’s mother couldn’t help Aunt Fannie harvest the blueberries. |
| D．The author knew it was impolite to call Aunt Fannie Blueberry Jam Woman. |
| A．Aunt Fannie had no children | B．Aunt Fannie was willing to share her recipe |
| C．the author often helped Aunt Fannie make jam | D．the author’s mother always made the jam alone |
| A．Disgusted. | B．Surprised. | C．Affectionate. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．To make new friends easily. | B．Not to put a price on generosity. |
| C．Not to think of kindness as a burden. | D．To treasure the time spent with family and friends. |
It was Christmas Day. Pappy was working alone fixing an old lantern in the backroom when he heard the ringing of his bell on the shop door. The bell, which produced a uniquely pleasant sound, had been in Pappy’s family for over a hundred years. He valued it dearly and enjoyed sharing its song with all who came to his shop. Although the bell hung on the inside of the main door, Pappy had tied a wire to the screen door so that it would ring whether the inner door was open or not. Hearing the bell, he left the backroom to greet his customer.
“And how can I help you, little lady?” Pappy’s voice was joyful.
“Hello, sir.” The little girl spoke almost in a whisper. She looked at Pappy with her big brown eyes, and then slowly scanned the room in search of something special. Shyly she told him, “I’d like to buy a present, sir.”
“Well, let’s see,” Pappy said, “who is this present for?”
“My grandpa. It’s for my grandpa. But I don’t know what to get.”
Pappy began to make suggestions. “How about a pocket watch? It’s in good condition.” The little girl didn’t answer. She had walked to the doorway and put her small hand on the door. She shook the door gently to ring the bell. Pappy’s face seemed to glow as he saw her smiling with excitement.
“This is just right,” the little girl said. “Momma says grandpa loves music.”
Just then, Pappy’s expression changed. Fearful of breaking the little girl’s heart, he told her, “I’m sorry, Missy. That’s not for sale. Maybe your grandpa would like this little radio.”
The girl looked at the radio, bowed her head, and sadly sighed, “No, I don’t think so.”
In an effort to help her understand, Pappy told her that the bell had been his only companion, for the rest of his family were all gone now, except for his estranged daughter whom he had not seen for nearly a decade.
注意：
所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好；
Paragraph 1:
With a giant tear in her eye, the little girl looked up at him.
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Paragraph 2:
Later that evening when Pappy was closing up the shop, he heard a familiar ringing.
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10 . Pennsylvania is full of mysterious places! One of those is an old turnpike （收费高速公路）
My dad chose a 16-mile
When we
Whenever going through
| A．designed | B．destroyed | C．abandoned | D．locked |
| A．However | B．Otherwise | C．Therefore | D．Meanwhile |
| A．explore | B．construct | C．protect | D．repair |
| A．tunnel | B．section | C．block | D．course |
| A．participate | B．register | C．cooperate | D．prepare |
| A．excited | B．nervous | C．annoyed | D．exhausted |
| A．silent | B．curious | C．cautious | D．positive |
| A．approached | B．observed | C．constructed | D．entered |
| A．covered | B．buried | C．absorbed | D．dressed |
| A．forced | B．watched | C．abused | D．judged |
| A．depending | B．surviving | C．calling | D．focusing |
| A．accidents | B．hardships | C．regulations | D．incidents |
| A．chest | B．trip | C．work | D．heart |
| A．courage | B．pride | C．excitement | D．enthusiasm |
| A．difficult | B．distant | C．dark | D．long |
