“And that’s ‘The Ray of Hope’ for you!” Asta said as she ended her book review. She took a deep bow and was given thundering applause. I, too, gave applause. I was happy for my friend. Well, I was pretending to be happy for her. Deep down inside, I was rather feeling envious of Asta. She was always the one who makes speeches, debates and tells stories to others. Me? No! I had stage fright and was always the shy, quiet one who was never courageous to speak in front of others. I had never managed to do a presentation without stammering(结巴). Every time I saw someone making a speech, I would imagine myself in his or her place, receiving the applause and praise.
I was walking to the canteen with Asta. She, as usual, was looking at the script. She had been chosen to be the presenter for the National Day Celebration. I sighed to myself. Why could I not be like her, always loud and brave? If only there was a way to prove myself...
Just then, I caught a glimpse of a poster on the noticeboard.
“Minute to say it?” I read the poster out loud.
It was a competition where one has to prepare a speech about a particular topic and summarize it on the stage within one minute. This could be my big chance to overcome my stage fright! And the best part was, if I won the competition, I would receive a mini-trophy (小奖杯).
Without thinking twice, I grabbed a form and filled in it. I took a seat in the canteen with Asta and told her what I had done, after which she said that she had also signed up for the competition. Suddenly, regret hit me like a 20-pound hammer. I was competing against Asta who was the best speaker in the school! I was bound to lose! Why was I so ill-fated? I just wanted a chance to prove myself that I could overcome my stage fright.
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。
The big day finally arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Next, it was Asta’s turn.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . Dave Hall led Surprise Squad, an organization to bring surprise to those in need, on a mission to spread joy at a local Albertsons store. Their
She
Dave
He stood in the checkout
He thanked Dave wholeheartedly and left the store, carrying not just groceries but a moment of
A.plan | B.experience | C.style | D.movement |
A.regular | B.unique | C.random | D.specific |
A.suggested | B.revealed | C.insisted | D.referred |
A.afraid | B.confident | C.full | D.uncertain |
A.schedule | B.solution | C.gesture | D.strategy |
A.felt | B.noticed | C.kept | D.left |
A.Initially | B.Hurriedly | C.Excitedly | D.Absolutely |
A.adventures | B.investments | C.hesitations | D.struggles |
A.path | B.point | C.line | D.corner |
A.cared for | B.insisted on | C.thought of | D.gave up |
A.basket | B.store | C.vehicle | D.hand |
A.needed | B.provided | C.expected | D.ignored |
A.remarked | B.regretted | C.judged | D.required |
A.creative | B.calm | C.positive | D.evident |
A.curiosity | B.kindness | C.generosity | D.ambition |
3 . In 2019, after retiring from her career as a social worker, Ane Freed - Kernis decided to build a home workshop and devote all of her free time to stone carving. “I might be covered head to to e in dust but I’m happy — it was something I needed more of in my life when I hit 60,” she says.
This appeal has its origins in Freed - Kernis’ childhood. Growing up on her father’s farm in Denmark, she used to wander through the fields with her eyes fixed on the ground, looking for stones to add to her collection. “I’ve always been drawn to the shapes and textures(质地) of stones,” she says.
After moving to England in 1977 and training as a social worker, Freed - Kernis soon became occupied with her busy career and the demands of raising her son. Stones were the last thing on her mind, until her father died in 2005. “He took a stone carving course in his retirement, and I always thought stone seemed so fun but never had the time to look into it myself,” she says. “After he died, I became determined to learn in his honour.”
Signing up for a week-long stone carving course at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Freed - Kernis began to learn how to turn a block of rock into well-designed shapes. “It was really scary at the start because you would spend hours just hammering(锤打).”
Now 65, Freed - Kernis has a thriving small business built largely through word of mouth. She creates 12 to 15 pieces a year that can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks to complete, while her prices range from £ 200 to £ 3,000. “I’m making smaller ones,” she says. “I don’t have to depend on the money much, so I want to keep prices in the range that people can afford, mainly just covering costs and labour(劳动力).”
1. Freed-Kernis was first attracted by stones when ______.A.she was 60 | B.she was a child |
C.her father died | D.she moved to England |
A.She never cared about her father. |
B.She led a disappointing life in Denmark. |
C.She spent lots of time studying stone carving. |
D.She learned stone carving under the influence of her dad. |
A.Hopeful and proud. |
B.Confident and satisfied. |
C.Nervous and frightened. |
D.Impatient and unprepared. |
A.They are easier to move by her. |
B.They are more affordable to people. |
C.She wants to save costs and labour. |
D.She is too old to focus on making large ones. |
4 . Many years ago, I was a student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I had an evening class that was a fifteen-minute
One evening, I
For weeks, every time I walked to this particular class, the two dogs appeared and
One night, a car with three young men slowly
I spent the rest of the semester searching for those heroic dogs.
A.flight | B.drive | C.walk | D.sail |
A.returning | B.surfing | C.rolling | D.staging |
A.left | B.noticed | C.heard | D.minded |
A.proud | B.fond | C.tired | D.afraid |
A.decided | B.agreed | C.refused | D.preferred |
A.distance | B.pace | C.sight | D.control |
A.run | B.play | C.bark | D.attack |
A.bit | B.ignored | C.greeted | D.followed |
A.patient | B.comfortable | C.flexible | D.disappointed |
A.went off | B.passed down | C.pulled up | D.sped away |
A.escaping | B.drawing | C.losing | D.reflecting |
A.unease | B.regret | C.relief | D.anger |
A.straight | B.late | C.fast | D.hard |
A.Gradually | B.Particularly | C.Strangely | D.Occasionally |
A.protection | B.patience | C.permission | D.position |
In the heart of a small village located near a thick bamboo forest in China, there lived a young girl named Lin. Lin lived with her grandmother in a small house that her grandfather had built with loving care before he passed away. Unluckily, Lin’s grandfather died before she was born. Lin never met her grandfather, but the stories her grandmother shared painted a picture of a man who was deeply loved and respected by the community.
Every day, Lin felt a great curiosity about the grandfather she had never seen but always felt close to. Her home, filled with his books and the very walls he built, stood as a living example of his hobbies and craftsmanship (手艺). The villagers often shared tales of her grandfather’s good deeds (行为), and they showed deep respect and support for Lin and her grandmother. This deep connection to a man she had never known filled Lin with a mix of sadness for never having me t him and pride for being his granddaughter. Driven by a desire to feel closer to her grandfather, Lin often explored the house and its surroundings, hoping to find something he had left behind — something that might deepen her understanding of the man who she had never met.
One autumn morning, while Lin was helping her grandmother clean the attic (阁楼), she found a beautifully carved wooden box hidden under a dust y floorboard. The box was locked, but to her surprise, she discovered a small note hidden in a crack of the box. It was written in lovely handwriting and said, “To my dear granddaughter, inside this box, you will find treasures of my heart, saved just for you.”
Lin’s fingers shook with expectation as she showed the note to her grandmother, who then handed her a small, old key. “Your grandfather wanted you to find this when you were old enough to understand the depth of his love,” her grandmother said, her eyes shining with tears.
注意:1.续写词数应为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
With a deep breath, Lin unlocked the box.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From that day on, the diary became Lin’s most cherished (珍爱的) item.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My family had only recently moved into a new neighborhood. All of my neighbors have been very friendly and helpful since we moved in.
However, Mrs Davis, an elderly lady living in the last house on the other side of the road, escaped associating with us, or anyone else. When I asked around the neighborhood why, they warned me not to go after her because they thought she was insane (精神失常的) and preferred staying alone after losing her husband and only daughter in an aircraft crash. After that, she stayed isolated (孤立的) from all the neighbors, refusing all the care and help.
I often saw her on the streets during the evening, but she was always by herself. She appeared weak and I always wanted to help her, but after hearing what my neighbors had said about her, I wasn’t sure whether I should.
One day, when I was on my way to the supermarket, our paths crossed. I was walking past her and overheard her singing a tune. It immediately drew my attention because my parents used to sing the same song with me. I began to sing along with her, and she smiled at me for the first time. But when I smiled back, she quickly hurried her pace and went home.
She seemed very different to me that day. I refused to trust my neighbors’ claims that she had cut herself off from the rest of society because she was insane, so the next day, I knocked on her door. Mrs Davis was home, and instead of letting me in, she just looked at me silently through the window. I noticed her staring at me and was about to walk to the window when she quickly closed the curtains.
The next day, I revisited her house. “Hello, I brought you something,” I called out to her. “It’s the record of the music you were singing yesterday.”
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。
The door opened and Mrs Davis’ eyes widened in surprise at the sight of me standing there.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Several days later in the morning, the doorbell rang at my house.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . Donna Urquhart is an experienced runner. She ran 1,402 kilometers over the course of 28 days in Antarctica (南极洲),
Urquhart spent 10 months training for the
The difficulties that Urquhart faced in Antarctica were
Urquhart launched the Run Antarctica aiming to encourage more women to
“Confidence is a real issue for females,” says Urquhart. “And a sporting environment provides them with a great opportunity to
A.closing | B.keeping | C.missing | D.setting |
A.puzzle | B.outcome | C.challenge | D.examination |
A.painted | B.refrigerated | C.heated | D.crowded |
A.varied | B.soft | C.smooth | D.high |
A.purposes | B.messages | C.preparations | D.suggestions |
A.new | B.tough | C.interesting | D.exciting |
A.accommodating | B.recovering | C.harvesting | D.complaining |
A.gentle | B.slight | C.warm | D.wild |
A.likely | B.significantly | C.hardly | D.really |
A.noticing | B.taking | C.decreasing | D.forgetting |
A.refer to | B.apply for | C.carry on | D.take up |
A.price | B.record | C.target | D.rule |
A.support | B.trust | C.prevent | D.wait |
A.inspiration | B.impression | C.symbol | D.adventure |
A.processes | B.positions | C.schedules | D.limits |
8 . Being cut from a school team can be a difficult experience for a kid. But when 13-year-old Emmie Tallent who has Down syndrome (唐氏综合征) didn’t make her school’s cheer squad (啦啦队), she responded in the most impressive way — she cheered anyway. Emmie Tallent, agirl with firm determination, took to the sidelines while her school’s cheer squad performed. She matched the entire routine, moving for moving, in a black dress and tie-dyed shoes.
Her sister, Sydnee, recorded this moment on video, and it’s now capturing hearts worldwide. The video, with over 3 million views and 87,000 likes, shows Emmie facing the official squad and performing the routine alongside them. Her performance is nothing short of inspiring. “Girl didn’t make the cheer team, but she didn’t care,” Sydnee wrote, admiring Emmie’s confidence.
“Emmie may not be on the cheer team this time, but I’m sure her talent and spirit will shine through somewhere in the future,” Sydnee said with a smile. “Right now, she’s satisfied and happy doing what she loves. Thank you all for supporting her. I want to show the world Emmie’s joy from pursuing what she likes and the beauty of diversity.”
The team did not have a lot of spots and even neurotypical (神经正常的) girls who were much better than Emmie didn’t make it to join it. Emmie’s school was giving Emmie help and kept encouraging her, but there are hard decisions that have to be made sometimes. Though Emmie didn’t make the squad, she wasn’t feeling upset at home, and continued to follow cheer squad’s routines and moves to please herself and spread joy to others, even if from the sidelines.
In the face of rejection, this tough 13-year-old chose to dance rather than sit by and let it define her, inspiring us all to embrace our uniqueness and find joy in every moment.
1. What do we know about Emmie from the first two paragraphs?A.She refused to give up performing. | B.She used to be looked down upon. |
C.She showed a special talent for cheerleading. | D.She felt down for not joining the cheer squad. |
A.To show Emmie’s dancing skills. | B.To inspire others with Emmie’s spirit. |
C.To help Emmie attract people’s attention. | D.To express her gratitude to the cheer squad. |
A.They told her to quit. | B.They satisfied her need. |
C.They made an excuse. | D.They offered her support. |
A.Believe in ourselves. | B.Keep our dreams alive. |
C.Prepare for the worst. | D.Youth gives us light. |
9 . Bobby and I had been friends right when we were five. I had a natural talent and
I was fortunate enough to find a job that allowed me to
Bobby would often pour out to me, “If that last leaf falls, I probably won’t
As time passed, under the silent encouragement of the leaf, Bobby’s health began to
Our experience taught us that sometimes, a simple
A.passion | B.treasure | C.courage | D.shortage |
A.spent | B.struggled | C.searched | D.sailed |
A.increase | B.appreciate | C.pursue | D.abandon |
A.aimlessly | B.cheerfully | C.carelessly | D.energetically |
A.lessened | B.worsened | C.strengthened | D.appeared |
A.other than | B.or rather | C.rather than | D.let alone |
A.despair | B.entertainment | C.company | D.choice |
A.make it | B.get it | C.have it | D.lose it |
A.beautiful | B.green | C.interesting | D.real |
A.delay | B.improve | C.fail | D.ignore |
A.recalled | B.replaced | C.regained | D.released |
A.connection | B.barrier | C.duty | D.witness |
A.word | B.look | C.life | D.gesture |
A.demanding | B.inviting | C.comforting | D.amusing |
A.pain | B.core | C.hardship | D.fun |
As I opened the door, my two little girls squeezed past me, and hit the fridge for their after-school snack. A bag full of research papers begging to be graded fell down heavily from my shoulder onto the table. After a tiring day’s work, I still had to face the mess that was bothering me, including my husband’s doing-nothing and my daughters’ constant talking noisily. While scolding them, I reached for a cup of leftover morning coffee. As I turned towards the coffeepot, I noticed that the morning dishes weren’t in the sink and the counter was clear except for an envelope with my name on it. My heart pounded, as my husband hadn’t written me a love letter since we were engaged. Then I replayed the casual comment I had made that morning “Since you’re working evenings this week, it would be nice if you’d do something to help out around the house while you’re home.”
I picked up the letter, expecting an apology. But when I read the first line, my heart sank. “I’m tired of being accused of not helping around the house. I am tired of you scolding children every day. Yesterday, I washed the windows. Did you notice? I also picked up your car from school and took it for an oil change. I bet you didn’t notice that either, did you? Of course nor did you notice our daughters prepared coffees well every morning.”
The letter continued in the same tone—a little anger, a lot of hurt—and I deserved every word. The truth was when he worked evening shift, I envied the solitude (独处) he enjoyed by day. He spent hours alone in a quiet house while I took on the parenting role for both of us at night—dinner, homework, baths, bedtime. Then I graded papers or made lesson plans while losing my temper occasionally before I collapsed into bed. But who had time for clothes washing? For dirty floors? Not me, because my husband did.
注意:1. 写作词数应为150左右;
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I folded the letter and slid it inside the envelope to hide his words and my shame.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hardly had I finished writing the letter when our younger daughter skipped in.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________