1 . “I am so sorry,” I tearfully said to my principal investigator (PI), explaining I would not be able to return to work as originally planned. Before I became a parent, I had assumed a baby would fit right into my academic plans. But now, as the end of my leave approached, I realized I couldn’t simply carry on as I always had. I was worried this decision might signal the end of my academic career — but I felt I had no other choice.
Thankfully, my PI had more foresight. He told me I didn’t need to resign and that he could offer me a contract that would allow me to contribute to our project from afar. It proved to be an absolute career lifeline tailored to me.
Then five years after stepping back from academia, I felt ready to re-enter more fully. Because I had been able to keep my hand in during my time away, the prospect was much less daunting than it would have been otherwise. I ended up landing a lecturer position that allowed me to slowly ease back in, focusing on teaching and scholarship with research taking a back seat. And when, 4 years on, a senior lectureship position came up in the very group I had left a decade earlier, the timing was right. With both of my children in “big school”, I was ready to really put my foot down on the career accelerator. I got the job.
Now, 6 months into my new role, I am happy to be right where it all began, with involvement in so many interesting projects. But what truly made the difference for me was the offer of what I needed during that time away. I hope more institutions and PIs can come up with creative provisions (条款) for those in their workforce who don’t want to give up their careers but want-or-need to take extended periods of leave. And to those who are taking such breaks, or considering it, know that returning is possible. Above all, on both sides: Please do not discount extended leavers. We have a lot to offer — if we are given the chance.
1. What can we learn about the author from the first paragraph?| A．Her path to PI began when she became a parent. |
| B．She struck a balance between work and family. |
| C．She had intended to stick to her academic plans. |
| D．She chose to prioritize her career over her family. |
| A．Fearsome. | B．Realistic. | C．Regretful. | D．Promising. |
| A．Academic researches. | B．Supportive work environment. |
| C．Interest in the projects. | D．Involvement in engaging projects. |
| A．To analyse. | B．To entertain. | C．To report. | D．To promote. |
2 . I live in a town, about half a mile from the banks of a river, It had been raining buckets that week and there were
As a precaution (预防), I’d
With the water up to my waist, in bare feet I started to paddle (蹚水) to my only
I learned to be grateful through the experience and determined to live each day to its
| A．flood | B．earthquake | C．drought | D．sandstorm |
| A．cleaned | B．lifted | C．discovered | D．placed |
| A．deafened | B．awakened | C．impressed | D．amused |
| A．annoyed | B．shocked | C．embarrassed | D．relieved |
| A．grabbed | B．examined | C．recognized | D．dropped |
| A．showed off | B．threw away | C．switched on | D．set aside |
| A．accidentally | B．violently | C．temporarily | D．originally |
| A．stage | B．partner | C．shelter | D．escape |
| A．happened | B．agreed | C．attempted | D．hesitated |
| A．quality | B．pressure | C．standard | D．surface |
| A．gap | B．depth | C．height | D．mark |
| A．regretted | B．promised | C．predicted | D．realized |
| A．restored | B．established | C．preserved | D．destroyed |
| A．fullest | B．easiest | C．fastest | D．coolest |
| A．recovered | B．mattered | C． survived | D．matured |
3 . It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. My husband was taking care of our baby girl so that my six-year-old and I could do some yard work, just the two of us. It was sure to be
However, my son went about things in his own way. He pulled the
“If you would do as told, we’d be done earlier and promised a longer period
“But people do things…
My fire soon faded, replaced by the
| A．relaxing | B．disturbing | C．urgent | D．tough |
| A．sensitive | B．resistant | C．harmful | D．addicted |
| A．feed | B．raise | C．tend | D．pull |
| A．removing | B．packing | C．covering | D．preserving |
| A．roots | B．fibres | C．tops | D．seeds |
| A．effective | B．innovative | C．annoying | D．confusing |
| A．recycle | B．redo | C．identify | D．ignore |
| A．unless | B．so | C．since | D．before |
| A．confident | B．curious | C．light | D．loud |
| A．differently | B．separately | C．hurriedly | D．honestly |
| A．depressing | B．humbling | C．mistaken | D．temporary |
| A．behavior | B．warning | C．reminder | D．review |
| A．compare | B．defend | C．influence | D．balance |
| A．efficiency | B．concentration | C．discipline | D．quality |
| A．run out of | B．set limits to | C．made up for | D．kept pace with |
4 . One day, I had a serious quarrel with my father. I felt he was always trying to
All that day, my mind was racing with
Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t do the assignment that was
“I am the son of an idiot!” I wrote and then
I felt like someone had
Slowly, my thinking
| A．prevent | B．trouble | C．criticize | D．control |
| A．details | B．shouts | C．tears | D．flames |
| A．deep | B．stupid | C．angry | D．strange |
| A．lecture | B．overcome | C．suspect | D．compete |
| A．near | B．prior | C．close | D．due |
| A．forced | B．challenged | C．confused | D．appealed |
| A．Empty | B．Desperate | C．Absent | D．Curious |
| A．fight | B．matter | C．lesson | D．fact |
| A．put away | B．calmed down | C．signed up | D．handed in |
| A．down | B．up | C．over | D．around |
| A．do | B．agree | C．deal | D．leave |
| A．joked | B．struck | C．looked | D．ignored |
| A．please | B．educate | C．praise | D．pardon |
| A．cleared | B．struggled | C．shifted | D．abandoned |
| A．quarrel | B．teacher | C．reply | D．question |
5 . What will you do when you feel like a failure? Feeling like a failure is part of the human experiences. Treat yourself with kindness and understand that failure does not define you, but it is a stepping stone on your journey. When you’re ready, take action and challenge yourself.
As some friends were deeply lost in the world of yoga and mindfulness, I’ve personally struggled with the feeling of failure, not on the yoga mat, but on the road to my entrepreneurship(创业). It all began several years ago when I threw myself into the business, driven by my passion and a dream.
In the early days, optimism flowed freely, but financial struggles and sleepless nights soon followed. I questioned my decision and felt like the biggest failure. However, every difficulty became a stepping stone towards growth. I learned more from my failures than from my successes, adapting and growing stronger with each obstacle. I reached out to instructors, friends and family, sought advice and slowly saw a ray of hope. One defining moment came when I gained my first long-term coaching partnership. It was a breakthrough, and my hard work paid off. Over the years, I faced many more failures, but I refused to let them define me.
Today, looking back at my journey, I realize that moments of feeling like a failure were essential to my success. They taught me humility, perseverance and the value of hard work. They shaped me into a successful entrepreneur I am today—someone who doesn’t fear failure but embraces it as a necessary part of the path to success. As we approach the end of the year of graduation, remember that success is not about avoiding failure, but about how we rise after we fall. Let’s support each other on this journey called life. Stay positive, stay inspired and stay true to ourselves.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To give the definition of failure. |
| B．To list some examples of failure. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the story. |
| D．To stress the importance of experience. |
| A．Internal motivation. | B．Advice from a coach. |
| C．Family financial crisis. | D．Encouragement from friends. |
| A．To teach is to learn. |
| B．A word spoken is past recalling. |
| C．Constant dropping wears away a stone. |
| D．Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. |
| A．Inspire us with his lessons. |
| B．Persuade us to major in business. |
| C．Recall the key moments of his entrepreneurship. |
| D．Advocate avoiding obstacles on the way to success. |
When we were finally dismissed from the last class of the day, the students streamed out of the classrooms. It was another boring day after school. I dragged my feet home as I sighed. Yet another uneventful day, I thought. Little did I know that the day would take a turn for the worse.
The lift lobby (电梯间) of my flat was old and dirty. The walls, which were painted white, had been dirtied over many years. I reached my flat’s lobby, and pressed the lift button and went in. Just then, Mrs Lim, my elderly neighbour, hobbled (蹒跚) in. She looked ancient with tissue paper white hair, wearing a faded old-fashioned dress. I held the lift door open, flashing a friendly smile, and politely greeted her. I asked her how she felt that day and pressed the buttons. She thanked me for being so polite, then we were silent for the rest of the ride.
The lift fell down increasingly fast. There were loud clanking sounds here and there while the lift grew slower and slower. My heart beat hard and fast as my hands turned cold and wet with sweat. Unfortunately, the lift came to an abrupt stop at the fifth floor. I pressed the buttons hard several times, but it was of no help. The lights on the buttons had gone out. It soon dawned on me that we were trapped. An icy fear crept up my spine. Mrs Lim was hysterical (歇斯底里).
“We will never get out!” she cried with her face pale. It had become a colourless mask. I had no time to lose. I pressed the bell in the lift immediately. The sound was surely deafening, but what other choice did I have? Mrs Lim burst into tears. I tried my very best to comfort her, telling her that everything would be all right and that we needed to find out how to get out safely. Mrs Lim began having trouble breathing, and I immediately helped her sit down and loosened her collar.
Paragraph 1: Several minutes passed, but no help came.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Bang! My hopes were lifted when I heard the firefighters on the other side of the lift door.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I used to play football when I was a little kid. Okay, let’s face it. I was never really a little kid. I was so big that I got to play football a whole year ahead of my friends. Our football league didn’t have an age limit, but it had a weight requirement. If you were heavy enough, you got to play. I was heavy enough at the age of eight.
The only problem was, by the time I turned ten I was too heavy. You had to weigh a certain amount to start playing, but if you weighed too much they made you stop. Not playing would be just fine with me. I would be happier sitting at home reading a book.
Dad was one of the team’s big sponsors and friends of the coach, so I figured I would let him down and that quitting wasn’t an option. I went, day after day, and week after week... until I was eleven and weighed more than two hundred pounds. I thought that would be the end of it, once and for all.
However, my coach came up with a bright idea to help me lose weight. The very next practice he presented me with a T-shirt made out of a black garbage bag. “Put it on,” he said, pointing out the holes for my head and arms. “Start running around the practice field.” “Koop going, Fireplug (消防栓),” other players would shout. “Fireplug” was the new name they gave me. Although no one ever explained it to me, I figured it had something to do with me being shaped like it.
Every day in practice, I had to run in that stupid garbage bag. My short fat legs weren’t exactly comfortable, and often I’d trip and fall. The other players would laugh. At that moment, I asked myself, “Why? Was I being punished for something? Wasn’t the running, sweating and pain enough?” I suddenly realized that I’d been knocking myself out for something I didn’t even want to do in the first place!
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
It was then that I decided I wouldn’t play football anymore.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Much to my surprise, my dad was on my side.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. 春天对你的影响；
2. 你对春天的感悟。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为 80 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
What spring means to me
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . “A house without books is like a room without windows,” wrote Horace Mann, the18th-century writer. I agree wholeheartedly with Mann.
Recently, my husband and I did a painting project in a room we use as an office, which has a beautiful wall full of built-in bookshelves. As we started to pull my valuable books down off the shelves, I felt like I was pulling plants out of the garden.
The physical act of removing every book from its spot on the shelf showed a few unexpected insights (见解).
I took the opportunity and started by grouping the books. Then I thought about the layout of the books on the shelves.
| A．A strong wave of anxiety suddenly hit me. |
| B．I regularly share books with my neighbors. |
| C．Cleaning a bookshelf might sound like a chore. |
| D．Choosing a good book to read seems like a difficult task. |
| E．Surprisingly, I realized my bookshelves had space for more than just books. |
| F．I take pride in the realization that I have books in every room of my house. |
| G．For one thing, there were many books that no longer inspired or comforted me. |
10 . I was shopping in Whole Foods Market when my cellphone rang. My daughter Julianna told me that she got the job she had applied for. She had just turned 14 and was determined to spend this summer vacation on work. The things she wants are both long-term and immediate. She wants to freely buy things from Forever 21 and save money for the famous college she’s determined to get into.
Several weeks before her birthday, Julianna asked me whether I’d allow her to work. Some of her friends’ parents wouldn’t let their kids work, wanting them to focus on their studies and enjoy the last childhood freedom for as long as possible. I understood those parents. But I wanted her to spend less time on her electronic devices in her room and more time in the outside world.
The day after her birthday, Julianna immediately applied to an amusement park, which hires teens during busy summer months. I’d never seen Julianna so active. The day before the interview, we went over possible questions, including why she wanted to work at the amusement park, its most famous attraction, and what her previous work and volunteering experiences were. She rarely talked about anything else until the interview was over.
I never worked as a young teen. My husband, though, worked as a young teen at an amusement park. He shared some funny stories about his time working there. More importantly, the work contributed to his strong work ethic (道德准则) today. Studies also show that work can contribute to healthy development and that teens who work at times are more likely to attend four-year colleges and get degrees quickly.
Julianna used to be so careful about new experiences, but now she is doing something new. I realize it’s time to put aside my doubts and worries and believe she can learn the skills she needs to take care of herself.
1. What was the author’s expectation of her daughter?| A．She could spend her free time in a relaxing way. |
| B．She could actively experience the real world. |
| C．She could pay much attention to her health. |
| D．She could do better in her studies. |
| A．She took the interview very seriously. |
| B．She wanted to improve the amusement park. |
| C．She wished to work together with her mom. |
| D．She had great confidence in getting the job. |
| A．The reason for her husband’s success. |
| B．The joy of working at an amusement park. |
| C．The relationship between work and education. |
| D．The positive influence of early work experience. |
| A．How my daughter achieved freedom and independence |
| B．How I guided my daughter through her life troubles |
| C．How I embraced my daughter’s journey of growth |
| D．How my daughter developed a new hobby |
