Teachers are a gift, especially Troy’s teacher, Donna. She always goes above and beyond for her students, but what she did for Troy’s family is truly beyond selflessness but a miracle(奇迹).
Donna is one of those teachers who pay close attention to the students in their classroom. She began to notice something odd in one of her elementary students, Troy. He was not active in class like he had been. Troy used to be a passionate student in class, engaging with teachers and his friends. Being a helping hand to the teacher and classmates, Troy was always welcomed by everybody. However, he was all of a sudden so shut down and his behavior was simply not the same. He seemed to be silent all the time, and his eyes lost light of desire for knowledge and passion for any activities. Donna grew very concerned and wondered if there was something going on that affected his performance at school. So, she reached out to Troy’s mom to express her concerns.
And that was when she discovered something wrong. For the past year, his mom had been in stage-five kidney(肾)failure. She was in pain every day and desperately needed a new kidney. But she had a rare blood type, so finding a match for a kidney transplant was virtually impossible. Her condition had been a very long and anxious journey. It had been so painful for the family, and it had definitely made an impact on Troy. And in class, he had been silently carrying the pain his mom was going through at home.
The news broke Donna’s heart. She knew that she just had to do something. She was there as a loving friend to help Troy with his studies, but she was also there for his mom. Donna researched how to become a kidney donor and discovered that she had the same rare blood type as Troy’s mom. She got tested and, surprisingly, she was a match.
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。
When Donna told the news to Troy’s family, everyone was surprised.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Soon the kidney transplant took place.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The first time I can remember wanting to be a writer was when I was eleven or twelve years old. It happened in the kitchen on a weekday night. I had written a poem titled How do I know the World Is Real?
I was sitting at the kitchen table finishing it off when my father walked up behind. I could feel him reading over my shoulder. I felt anxious and embarrassed. This little thing I was making, this first poem, was being examined by a very serious critic. My father was a qualified writer, an award-winning playwright, a Shakespearean scholar and a teacher of literature, including poetry.
So there I sat, hoping he would be distracted (分心的) by something and go away but he didn’t. It must have only been a minute, but it felt much longer. Then I felt his hand on my shoulder, gentle and warm. “You may have a talent for writing,” he said. And then he turned his attention to the refrigerator, took out a beer and went back to his reading chair in the living room.
I wrote lots of poetry in the months that followed and I began to think of myself as a writer. I liked that feeling.
But soon other interests — touch football, the Junior Police Club, Virginia Lanzo — crowded themselves into my life. Gradually I wrote less and less. I still longed to be a writer and so I began to feel guilty about not writing. To relieve my guilt, I promised myself that my other activities were life experience and that I needed life experience to become the good writer I wanted to be. It old myself that it was okay not to write so long as I spent some time now and then wanting to be a writer.
This was the shape of my delusion (错觉) when, at 16, I asked my father finally, “So how does a person become a writer?”
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。
Unexpectedly, he didn’t highlight rich life experience.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My father’s words washed away my doubts and anxieties.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having nice things can make you feel good, but at the end of the day, what truly matters is that we have people we love and care about in our lives.
Still, when someone is asked to sacrifice something in order to be with their loved ones in good health, it can be hard. That was the situation one man was put in two decades ago when his wife was diagnosed with cancer.
Years ago, Wesley Ryan learned his wife, Laura, had been diagnosed with cancer. The medical bills were piling up, and he knew in order to continue making ends meet, he would have to sell his beloved car.
Wesley loved that car and even nicknamed it Christine, based on the 1958 Plymouth Fury from Stephen King’s book, Christine. However, Laura meant more to him, and Wesley wanted her to continue getting the care she needed. So he handed over the keys.
“I know how much it broke him in half seeing that car drive away from him,” his son, Jake, wrote online. “It’s a day that I’ll never forget.” Jake and his sister, Jeni, knew they wanted to help their dad reunite with the car he’d loved so much. And over the years, the siblings had saved up enough money. So they started an online search and surprisingly, they were able to track down the old car online.
Actually, the man who bought the car found out about Wesley’s story and the meaning behind the beloved vehicle by accident. Moved by the sacrifice one man had made for his family and how his family stepped up to repay him in the sweetest way possible, he soon got in touch with Jake, who purchased it as soon as possible. And after careful consideration, Jake and Jeni decided to surprise their dad in a nearby parking lot. Moreover, Laura, cancer-free for 13 years at the time, joined them for the big reveal.
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。
Finally, the day came when Wesley reunited with his beloved car.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Wesley’s hands trembled as he reached out to confirm that it was real.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was nominated (提名) for the Junior Honor Society. When I came back home that day, I sat in the family room and filled out the honor society application. I tried my best to prove that. I had all the characteristics required in a candidate: scholarship, leadership, service, character, and citizenship.
The next day, I turned the paperwork in to the advisor and waited patiently.
Months went by, and I received a letter from the school about the honor society. As soon as the school bus let me off that afternoon, I raced into the house. My mother was typing at the computer. “Mom,” I said, “I didn’t make the honor society.”
She smiled and held up her hand to give me a high five. “You jokester (捣蛋鬼).”
I felt tears well into my eyes. “No, really, they didn’t choose me,” I said and handed her the letter.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I thought you were kidding,” my mother said. “There must be some mistake.” She grabbed the phone from the charger and dialed the honor society advisor.
He told her that no mistake was made, but he couldn’t disclose the reason for my non-selection. The decisions of the committee were final. There was no appeal process (申诉程序). She contacted the school headmaster. His answers were the same.
Not being a member of the honor society wasn’t going to ruin my future, but it did hurt me. Nearly all of my friends were chosen for the honor society. You could never imagine how difficult those weeks were for me!
“It’s not fair,” I said one night at supper. “It bothers me that I don’t know why I wasn’t chosen,” I said. “The committee should give a reason, so the student can do better.”
My parents agreed. We discussed ways that the selection process might be improved.
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。
I managed to have a meeting arranged with our headmaster to share the ideas.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Unexpectedly, I received a special award for my ideas at the Junior Honor Society ceremony.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . A man took a little too long to complete his PhD. While a majority of PhD programmes are
Dr. Nick Axten received a scholarship for a PhD in mathematical sociology in 1970 at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Axten
“What I was trying to do in the early 70s was extremely
Dr. Axten’s research is a new theory for understanding human
“I have loved being a
“Nick was a(n)
| A．applied | B．designed | C．hosted | D．created |
| A．Otherwise | B．Therefore | C．Besides | D．However |
| A．took up | B．made up | C．put up | D．broke up |
| A．returned | B．dropped | C．finished | D．died |
| A．wanted | B．mentioned | C．discovered | D．obtained |
| A．wrong | B．tough | C．funny | D．strange |
| A．great | B．minor | C．clear | D．urgent |
| A．available | B．satisfactory | C．unimaginable | D．embarrassing |
| A．mind | B．personality | C．speech | D．behaviour |
| A．change | B．appreciate | C．control | D．follow |
| A．teacher | B．student | C．doctor | D．leader |
| A．held | B．pushed | C．chose | D．accepted |
| A．small | B．foolish | C．clever | D．rude |
| A．incredibly | B．traditionally | C．hardly | D．gradually |
| A．fortnight | B．century | C．billion | D．decade |
6 . An old friend asked Nicola Swann, a British potter who lives in Heckington, near Sleaford, to do something extraordinary. This friend’s husband had problems using regular mugs (马克杯) because of a condition that affected his arms and hands. So she sought out Swann for help.
This is where Swann discovered a widespread issue—disabled individuals feeling uncomfortable using cups that looked like “sippy cups (吸管杯) for kids”. Due to sympathy and a desire to help, Swann came up with an answer. She made the first version of her disability-friendly mugs for her friend’s husband.
It was a double-handled mug that provided stability and had a design that didn’t sacrifice style. That was the start of what is now called “Digni-TEA” mugs from her Made with Mud business. Without fail, Swann was determined to make mugs that looked like everyday drinkware. She recognized that accessibility should not come at the cost of style. So she made a few different styles for everyone to use. Others had two oversized handles for easy use, a hold pinch for stability, and an uneven design for people who couldn’t tilt (倾斜) their heads back.
Swann’s decision to call her products “Digni-TEA” or “Dignity” mugs is more than just a choice of name. Her goal is to give people back their dignity so they can drink from a regular mug without worrying about medical help.
Swann’s decision to share her creations on social media made them more widely known. Swann wisely collaborated (合作) with a company in the East Midlands to meet the soaring demand for mass production. This step ensured a steady supply and allowed her to focus on what mattered most—the creative process.
The “Dignity Mugs” story is not just about a product; it’s a testament to the great influence one person can have in fostering (促进) a more compassionate and accessible society.
1. What motivated Swann to make disability-friendly mugs?| A．Demand from her husband. |
| B．Her friend’s call for help. |
| C．The needs of people with disability. |
| D．Her research into the market. |
| A．Stable but costly. | B．Ugly and outdated. |
| C．Weighty and strong. | D．Handy and stylish. |
| A．Producing mugs massively. |
| B．Focusing on the creative process. |
| C．Delivering mugs to the disabled people. |
| D．Making mugs known to more people. |
| A．“Dignity” is more of sympathy than a choice of name. |
| B．It’s necessary to take users’ dignity into consideration in life. |
| C．Small acts of kindness and innovation can make a difference. |
| D．The world needs more people to show respect for the disabled. |
When I was around six years old, we had a neighbor, David, who was restoring an old 40’s Ford in his garage, and I was a curious kid, so I would go across the street and visit him as often as I could.
He was the first person to introduce me to Go-Jo hand soap, which I thought had an unpleasant smell. He and his wife occasionally invited me to have supper with them, and it was there that I would learn about burgers with French dressing. Eventually, he moved away.
A few years ago, I ran into David again. He went to the same restaurant to have breakfast. David retired and still had that 1940 Ford and also a mid-forties truck which he would always drive, one or the other, to breakfast.
David and I enjoyed many conversations about life, cars, and car shows. I remember just a few years ago, he was sitting at a local pizza joint with his daughter, and I sat next to him to have a conversation. I asked, “Where’s your wife?” To which his face went blank, and his daughter told me her mom had passed away. At that moment, my heart ached because, after having lost my wife, I knew that pain all too well. From then on, I noticed when David came to breakfast, he had his wife’s dog with him. Yep, he had that dog with him always. Even at car shows, they had a close bond which I understood.
I looked forward to car show season. When I saw him at the shows, it always put an emotional tear in my eye watching him and that dog. I wanted to get a picture of him and his dog, but I was always in a hurry and kept saying I would get it at the next show. However, with COVID-19 and all the fear out, car shows were getting canceled, and David wasn’t at breakfast much anymore because he didn’t want to catch it.
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。
Paragraph1:
About a week ago, when going to pick up my breakfast, I asked my waitress Tanya “Have you seen David lately?”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
David’s death has really reminded me to the meaning of life.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . I’d been making sweaters for a few years and giving them away as gifts. Funny, I rarely knew whom would be given the sweater to when I started a new one. But eventually, a name would pop into my head. I’d given one of my sweaters to a coworker with a difficult pregnancy (怀孕). One to a friend entering recovery. Usually, a voice was in time to tell me who needed comfort.
“Did you hear about Susan?” I looked up. My friend Lori, one of the directors of our company, had stopped by my desk. We’d cooperated with Susan on a project recently, but I only saw her in meetings. We’d never had a private conversation. Susan was way above my rank, so to speak. I just worked with the data her department provided.
“Is she okay?” I asked. “She’s in the hospital for an operation,” Lori said.
There’s my name, I thought. The sweater was for Susan.
But sending something personally seemed presumptuous (冒昧的). Wouldn’t she think it strange to receive a gift from a random programmer? Besides, Lori mentioned that the office would send something from all of us. I looked up the website of the hospital where Susan was having her surgery. There were patient pages, where people could leave good wishes. Susan’s page was full of messages. Friends and family were visiting, bringing her chocolates and dropping off meals for her family. Susan has a great support network. Surely, the sweater ought to go to someone else.
A voice seemed to come from deep inside me, “Vicki, maybe Susan needs it.”
Well, I knew what I should do. I mailed the sweater to her, with a little note: “I hope this brings you comfort.” Beyond my expectation, Susan sent me a nice thank-you note, saying, “Your gift meant much to me.”
I’d worried I was being inappropriate, thinking I was the wrong person to reach out. But the voice helped me make the right decision.
1. How did Vicki decide on the receiver of her sweater?| A．By consulting with Lori. |
| B．By following her inner voice. |
| C．By assessing the receiver’s difficulty. |
| D．By randomly choosing one from her friends. |
| A．She took charge of Vicki’s company. |
| B．She had a close relationship with Lori. |
| C．She was unfamiliar to Vicki. |
| D．She bore responsibility for providing data to Vicki. |
| A．To praise the hospital’s facility. |
| B．To show Susan’s popularity among her friends. |
| C．To give a detailed account of Susan’s serious condition. |
| D．To list some reasons for not giving Susan the sweater. |
| A．Fun and ambitious. | B．Considerate and kind. |
| C．Faithful and curious. | D．Brave and creative. |
9 . When Sharaine and Wilson moved their family to Rhode Island, they already had a houseful. Five kids, a busy schedule, a long list of house projects and a whole new neighborhood
At 82 years old, Paul had just lost his wife, but he is still handy and
Sharaine remembers, “Our biggest
Thanks to Paul’s kind help, Sharaine and Wilson had no
“The kids run up to him like that’s their own
| A．needed | B．earned | C．took | D．meant |
| A．showed up | B．checked out | C．settled down | D．broke in |
| A．careful | B．grateful | C．helpful | D．hopeful |
| A．demand | B．offer | C．send | D．promise |
| A．fear | B．gain | C．pride | D．mistake |
| A．friends | B．neighbors | C．relatives | D．kids |
| A．use | B．rest | C．work | D．test |
| A．discovering | B．exploring | C．maintaining | D．evaluating |
| A．strange | B．unexpected | C．lonely | D．regular |
| A．business | B．interest | C．problem | D．point |
| A．quickly | B．safely | C．calmly | D．quietly |
| A．reminded | B．forced | C．allowed | D．witnessed |
| A．grandpa | B．teacher | C．staff | D．property |
| A．crazy | B．busy | C．annoyed | D．surprised |
| A．assisting | B．meeting | C．being | D．becoming |
I jumped into my mother’s car, shut the door and poured out my recent trouble. “Jenny is playing her mind games again. Training is less tiring than dealing with her and her feelings,” I complained.
Jenny and I were co-captains of our cross-country team. We’d been training for the coming tournament (锦标赛) for weeks: stretching, running, and making the seven of us into a team. Jenny, with exceptional running talent, always had a way to get ahead of her competitors on the course. She also helped all of us run faster and cheered us on. It seemed that she was anticipating the final show.
However, this week, her attitude shifted. She kept making excuses not to run with the team, from aching legs to headaches. I had to beg her, telling her repeatedly that the team couldn’t do without her. It went on all day and I was worn out. What’s her deal?
Mom pulled into our driveway, and turned toward me, “Well, I know a little about Jenny. She and her little brother have been together in foster care (寄养家庭). So close were they that every time they moved, Jenny would say that as long as they were together, they had a family.” My heart sank as Mom continued, “Jenny’s stepfather (继父) came for her brother this week, with gifts, hugs and big plans for their future. But Jenny wasn’t even part of his big plans.” My chest felt tight. “Poor Jenny, not to have a family.” I was close to tears. My mother patted my knee. “That’s it, honey. You got it.” And I did.
I decided that I should do something. I proposed that we organize a team gathering before the tournament. Each member was to write a heartfelt message for every teammate and prepare a special gift for the one they felt most connected to. I made sure that Jenny would come. It took some persuading, though.
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 the team gathering began, there was tension in the air.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The day of the tournament arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
