I love to play the piano and I greatly enjoy performing my songs, so when the annual winter recital (音乐演奏会) was canceled, I was disappointed. I had looked forward to it for a long time and had already prepared two of my best songs.
My mom had a wonderful idea, however, to turn this disappointing thing into something worthwhile. “You can perform your songs at Carriage House Senior Living,” my mom suggested brightly. “I’m sure the seniors there who do not have families to visit them that often, would really appreciate the music and you could play more than just two songs.”
I immediately thought this was a great idea. One of the things I did not like about the recitals was that I was limited to playing just a couple of songs. Playing the piano at Carriage House seemed like a win-win situation because not only could I play more songs, but I would also have the chance to cheer up the residents there with some lively tunes.
My mom called Carriage House and made arrangements for me to perform. In the coming including many old classics.
When the exciting day finally arrived, my family and I drove to Carriage House. Walking through the enormous double doors, we stepped into an entryway that overlooked the spacious grand dining room. Right at the entrance to the dining room stood the piano as if it were just waiting to make some music to liven the place up a bit. At nearly every table several gray-haired women or men were seated enjoying their dinner and the company that the crowded room provided. Despite the conversations going on at various tables, isolation hung like a dark cloud in the room.
Almost immediately, we were greeted by an old woman with a walker who introduced herself as Phyllis in charge of Carriage House. She welcomed me and led me to the stage.
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。
As I sat down on the bench, I pressed a key on the piano and was surprised to hear no sound.
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Nervousness melted away and I started to enjoy the performance with the old.
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2 . David Rees runs a very distinctive business. He charges customers $15 to sharpen their pencils to perfection, using a variety of tools.
I know what you’re thinking—is this a joke? The 39-year-old gets asked that question a lot. To clarify everything, he even created a special section on his website telling everyone he’s actually providing a real service.
You can supply your own pencil or you can have Rees sharpen one of his own favorite 2B pencils. After that, he mails it to you in a display tube with the shavings in a separate bag, and an authentic certificate which just happens to mention the pencil is so sharp as to be a dangerous object.
To achieve the desired result, the master sharpener uses all kinds of tools, including general sandpaper, pocket knives and even a special $ 450 sharpening machine. “It depends on what the customer wants to use his/her pencil for,” he says. That determines the most appropriate pencil-sharpening technique. Some customers buy pencils as inspirational symbols while others buy them because of their special memories of classic 2B pencils.
$15 to have a pencil sharpened is a bit expensive though, right? You’re not the only one who feels that way, and David’s unique business has really angered lots of people, who talk of inequality in America, saying it is so insane for the wealthy to pay $15 to sharpen a pencil. But others will say, “This is just our urge to put an end to the welfare state because new ideas arise along with the business.”
David admits his trade is sort of unusual. But there are those who actually value his service, as is proven by the over 500 orders he has gotten.
1. How could David make money by sharpening pencils?| A．He invented new tools for the job. |
| B．He provided quality service for his customers. |
| C．He promoted his skill on his website. |
| D．He saved lots of time for other people. |
| A．He provides personalized services. |
| B．He knows all kinds of pencil users. |
| C．He values ideas behind the pencils. |
| D．He always writes in pencil. |
| A．Deliberate. | B．Rewarding. | C．Unreasonable. | D．Irresponsible. |
| A．It’s a waste of time and money. | B．It needs further improvement. |
| C．It’s awfully expensive. | D．It’s a fancy service. |
3 . One of the benefits of social media is that it allows us to witness little moments of joy all around the world. And this was just the
In a short video on TikTok, in front of
Kamar, who’s played at many well-known concerts,
In this short video, it’s lovely to see the pianist take the
It’s also
| A．principle | B．state | C．argument | D．case |
| A．nervous | B．curious | C．serious | D．anxious |
| A．crowds | B．actors | C．students | D．directors |
| A．quickly | B．silently | C．unstably | D．confidently |
| A．set off | B．get up | C．try on | D．give in |
| A．turn | B．guide | C．lesson | D．look |
| A．unwillingly | B．gladly | C．eagerly | D．cautiously |
| A．shaking | B．placing | C．holding | D．raising |
| A．notes | B．tastes | C．sounds | D．memories |
| A．chance | B．space | C．time | D．gift |
| A．power | B．quality | C．favor | D．practice |
| A．compete | B．complain | C．compare | D．combine |
| A．impossible | B．incredible | C．difficult | D．important |
| A．defend | B．encourage | C．comfort | D．challenge |
| A．wisdom | B．ambition | C．patience | D．kindness |
It had been 5 years since Zahida’s husband passed away due to a heart attack. Every day, she buried herself in her embroidery (刺绣), feeling her waist ache due to the long hours of work. She would grow tired faster these days.
The doorbell rang. Her son Aamer returned from the office. Entering the house, Aamer threw his bag at a sofa. “I have told you again and again not to throw things everywhere!” Zahida complained. “Mom, why do you find fault with unimportant things every day? Boss at office, you at home... Oh so tiring!” Aamer slammed (砰地关上) the door to his room.
Such unpleasant exchanges always happened now. Zahida would often recall the days of Aamer’s childhood fondly, which would bring smile to her face. She could remember the days when the little Aamer had parted unwillingly on his first day to school or had shouted excitedly at spotting a sleepy bear during a visit to the zoo. Zahida wondered if Aamer too could recollect these memories or had piled them in a forgotten corner of his mind.
Following a quiet dinner that night, Zahida happened to pass Aamer’s room. She could hear Aamer’s voice floating out. “Yes, yes... you do understand that she is a picky woman. She cannot adjust easily anywhere. You must take care of that...”
Zahida was caught by a sudden sense of anxiety. A few days ago, a neighbor’s children sent her neighbor off to an old age home. They were too busy to have time for the old woman. What did Aamer talk of? Was she also...? No, surely Aamer couldn’t be doing that. Zahida retired to bed.
“Please be sure to deliver the tickets for our trip to Egypt as soon as possible,” Aamer continued.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
A few days later, a postman rang the doorbell when Aamer was away for work.
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“Mom, here... Look what I’ve got in the envelope!” Aamer shouted with joy like a child.
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Two little birds were happily sitting on the rock, just having finished their lunch. Their parents had allowed them, for the first time, to go and hunt for their lunch by themselves. And they had enjoyed every bit of the freedom.
Suddenly, a net came and fell on both. They struggled to pass through it but in vain. Two boys jumped down from the branch above them. They quickly gathered the net. One of the boys, Eric, shouted to his little brother Max. “We have finally succeeded after ten days of waiting.”
“Yes, what luck! They look much more beautiful than ordinary birds. Let’s go home and put them in our cage,” Eric said joyfully. They ran home with the birds.
The two little birds were terribly frightened. They thought of their mother who must be anxiously waiting for them.
When the two boys got to the house gate, the sweet smell came out of the kitchen. Their mother Amla was baking cakes, which were what the boys couldn’t live without.
Hearing the boys’ footsteps, Amla anxiously asked, “Where have you been? I was getting worried. I’m cooking your favorite cakes.”
“Look, Mom, we have caught two beautiful birds! We are going to cage them. They will play with us.” Max proudly showed them to Amla.
Seeing the young birds shivering (发抖) in the boys’ hands, Amla said, “They are indeed beautiful. But they are so young and look so scared! They need their mother. Set them free.”
The boys said, “We will look after them.” Amla insisted that they shouldn’t keep them. They turned to their father John for help. Similarly,” John said, “It is not good to cage these birds. We should not take away their freedom.”
The boys were in tears and begged, “We love them so much. Please let us keep then.” “Well, just put them in the cage for the time being. Let’s enjoy your favorite cakes.” The boys jumped with joy. In the evening, John said to Amla, “The birds look very rare. We’d better do some research. Maybe we should call the police first.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
The boys woke up only to find a note, “Mom and Dad go to the police station.”
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Just then Dad and Mom returned. On seeing them, the boys asked, “Why did you see the police?”
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Papa, my grandfather, started teaching me to play chess when I was ten. He taught me everything he knew about chess. It took me three years to defeat him. Papa turned the chessboard over. 1 was amazed by what 1 saw. It was covered with dozens of names and dates.
“These are the people who have beaten me at chess. Look, this is the fellow who saved my life when we served in the army. He sent me to the hospital and cared for me. While in the hospital, he defeated me at chess,” Papa said, pointing to a name, Paul Ward, on the board. Then he handed me a pen and asked me to add my name to it.
Years later, I graduated from college with a degree in social work. Papa handed me his chessboard, saying, “I want you to have this.”
“Papa, I can’t take this. It’s special to you.”
“And now, it’ll be special to you, Grandson. That’s the way it is in life: We pass our love on to the next person.”
Sadly, it wasn’t long after this that Papa passed away. I was heartbroken, of course. But determined to take the things I had learned from him, and the love he had shown me, and pass them on to others.
Then 1 was hired to be the social worker for a retirement community. Each day. I observed elderly residents sitting alone, heads down, ready to give up. In the yard, there were several stone tables with chess boards imprinted (刻印) on them. One day, I sat down, set up my chess pieces and waited. An elderly man cautiously approached.
“Care for a game?” I cheerfully inquired. The man smiled weakly and sat down. It seemed as if he wasn’t sure how to move the chess. We played in silence. The only sounds were the click-click of our chess pieces. 1 won. The old man sighed. “It’s been a while since I played,” he explained, “what if we can play chess together every day?” Then, I decided to do something for the elderly.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150词左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
We set up a group called The Senior Chess Club.
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The old man explained, “It was all because of your chessboard.”
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7 . Once we reach the age of 60 or 65, we all look forward to retirement and living a/an
David
“It is two buses and a 20-minute walk to get to the shop,
On 22 June, when the senior
| A．rewarding | B．promising | C．relaxing | D．adequate |
| A．ever | B．still | C．once | D．already |
| A．celebrated | B．prepared | C．designed | D．conducted |
| A．in turn | B．in vain | C．on purpose | D．as usual |
| A．spends | B．costs | C．takes | D．pays |
| A．in spite of | B．regardless of | C．in place of | D．on account of |
| A．book | B．gift | C．charity | D．toy |
| A．diagnosed | B．occupied | C．connected | D．replaced |
| A．imagined | B．forecast | C．remembered | D．received |
| A．sharp | B．delightful | C．negative | D．familiar |
| A．senior | B．artist | C．author | D．painter |
| A．hardly | B．usually | C．particularly | D．rarely |
| A．shortest | B．funniest | C．longest | D．busiest |
| A．hide | B．reserve | C．check | D．cancel |
| A．apparent | B．physical | C．social | D．specific |
| A．had | B．kept | C．became | D．turned |
| A．put out | B．gave away | C．set aside | D．asked for |
| A．hides | B．runs | C．hangs | D．lies |
| A．success | B．inspiration | C．shame | D．celebrity |
| A．interviews | B．arguments | C．comments | D．negotiations |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号()，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：:
1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
It was Sunday. I was doing housework while someone knocked at the door. It was a milkman who send a bottle of milk. But I didn’t order them. Feeling confused, I noticed a note sticking to it. The note said “Dear neighbor, I’m sorry about a noise made by our decoration that will last for three days. The bottle of milk is given to you as a gift show our apology.”
The next day, everyone in the neighborhood were talking about the milk and our coming neighbor. With the decoration being finished, the family finally moved into the neighborhood. People came to help. I was extreme touched by this scene which was full in consideration and appreciation.
9 . When I was seven, my family and I were coming back from a T-ball game. In our driveway, we spotted two adult geese and a small gosling. The adults were frightened by our return and flew away, but their baby was still too young to fly and couldn’t follow.
Hours passed and night fell. The tiny little thing was wandering around our yard, unaware of what could happen, and it was clear that the gosling needed protection, warmth and food to make it to the morning. At that point, we had to bring him into our backyard.
We all pretty much slept with one eye open for several days. Each morning, we would try to rush the goose over to his parents, who kept coming back to our yard. He wouldn’t go to them, though, and they wouldn’t come close enough to claim him. The young goose had clearly decided we were his new family, and my twin sister Joanna called the little guy Peeper.
Almost a year passed and we settled into a routine filled with feathery hugs and company. One evening my uncle came over, and my dad threw Peeper up into the air to show he could fly around the house, but this time, Peeper just flew off. Everyone was very sad. Twenty years passed, and Peeper became a fond memory for my family.
In 2019, an aging adult goose made his way back to my home. At first, I assumed it was just another Canada goose. After two weeks of the goose coming back repeatedly, it became clear to me that this wasn’t a random goose. He did all of the same things Peeper used to, like trying to come in through the front door and sleeping in our enclosed pool area. Besides, this goose responded to the name Peeper. Much to my amazement, my old best friend had returned, 20 years later.
1. Why did the author bring the little goose home that night?| A．It couldn’t find its parents. |
| B．It was too fragile to survive. |
| C．It wanted to stay in the yard. |
| D．It enjoyed the author’s company. |
| A．Get. |
| B．Forgive. |
| C．Challenge. |
| D．Annoy. |
| A．She named the goose Peeper. |
| B．She set Peeper free on purpose. |
| C．She had a deep feeling to Peeper. |
| D．She trained the goose to fly daily. |
| A．A Feathered Family Member |
| B．The Return of a Long Lost Friend |
| C．The Reunion of a Goose Family |
| D．An Adventurous Journey Home |
10 . Peter loved his wife Marion, loved adventure, and loved his camper van (野营车)called Schoen. The pair made numerous unforgettable road trips in Schoen. But after Marion died, the
Elise and her husband, Domenic, had always dreamed of owning their own “happiness bus” and travelling in a camper van. One day, Elise
Feeling extremely disappointed, the couple left. “We were
A few days later, Peter called to invite them back for a second look.
Now Schoen is on glorious adventures somewhere, helping Elise and Domenic create wonderful family
“Peter is definitely a hero for us,” says Elise. “Finding Schoen and making that
| A．neatly-decorated | B．well-travelled | C．much-anticipated | D．well-recognized |
| A．exchange | B．rent | C．donation | D．sale |
| A．came across | B．put up | C．laid aside | D．took off |
| A．long before | B．for the moment | C．at first sight | D．at the interval |
| A．salary | B．earnings | C．schedule | D．budget |
| A．grateful | B．regretful | C．skillful | D．forgetful |
| A．Frightened | B．Discouraged | C．Satisfied | D．Attracted |
| A．determination | B．hesitation | C．intention | D．expectation |
| A．traders | B．collectors | C．painters | D．drivers |
| A．publicly | B．hardly | C．simply | D．unbelievably |
| A．receive | B．purchase | C．present | D．afford |
| A．asking | B．planning | C．imaging | D．arguing |
| A．assess | B．attach | C．accept | D．arrange |
| A．incidents | B．memories | C．affairs | D．gatherings |
| A．story | B．promise | C．call | D．memory |
