Thirty Cents Worth
Whispering voices and laughter filled the hallways of my school as I walked with my friend toward our next class. I resisted the impulse (冲动) to become yet another person using these few moments to judge others in order to make myself feel better. I repeated to myself, “Thirty cents”, as I continued to walk in silence, something I rarely did. My friend dug her elbow into my side and complained, “That’s just annoying. Why would anyone want blue hair? It’s unbearable!” I thought before my tongue sprang into action. Ordinarily, I would just give the expected giggle and nod-but for some reason, I hesitated this time.
My thoughts turned back to the previous Sunday afternoon. After flying through the house grabbing and tossing things into my soccer bag, I discovered that I was out of Blister—Block Band-Aids (防起泡创可贴),an essential for the next day’s game. My mom dropped me off and promised me she’d be right back. I rushed inside and grabbed the goods.
There was a line at the register, as usual, and I waited my turn. I slowed down for a minute and examined the man in front of me. I was shocked. He was old and had a smell of gasoline and cigarettes. His hair was messy and reached below his shoulders. He wore a red vest covered with dust and jeans faded beyond recognition. His blue eyes were glassy and tired, and his dark red face was deeply wrinkled by hard times.
He reached the counter and greeted the saleswoman with a nod. She turned away her eyes as he pointed to the cigarettes behind the counter. She grabbed the carton (香烟纸盒) he was pointing to and quickly rang him up (用收银机收下了钱). He grabbed the plastic bag and slowly walked away.
Hardly had he left the counter when I gave her four one-dollar bills and the Band-Aids as she nodded in agreement with my disgust.
“Sorry,” she said. “You’re thirty cents short.”
“Oh, no. I don’t have thirty cents! My mom isn’t here. She’ll be right back. Can I run out to the car real quick?” As I was trying to explain my case, the cashier was visibly annoyed by the delay I was causing.
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 could feel the blood rush to my face as the people behind me in line started complaining.
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“That’s okay. It’s only thirty cents,“ the man said with a warm smile and a wink.
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2 . I am a university professor. Last year, I took a(n)
My teacher was a patient and
That was when I
So now I praise as often and as sincerely as I can, knowing that even
| A．embarrassing | B．brave | C．confusing | D．unique |
| A．understanding | B．modest | C．humorous | D．honest |
| A．notice | B．remember | C．explain | D．deny |
| A．carved | B．pretended | C．performed | D．taught |
| A．fear | B．pain | C．joy | D．wisdom |
| A．text | B．figure | C．saying | D．organization |
| A．checked | B．boosted | C．weakened | D．shook |
| A．wondered | B．forgot | C．realized | D．ignored |
| A．nervous | B．proud | C．heavy | D．creative |
| A．normally | B．deliberately | C．anxiously | D．differently |
| A．inspired | B．amused | C．astonished | D．puzzled |
| A．reflection | B．pressure | C．dependence | D．impact |
| A．peaceful | B．comfortable | C．traditional | D．stressful |
| A．simple | B．accurate | C．fancy | D．familiar |
| A．decisions | B．promises | C．words | D．orders |
3 . The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.
I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.
For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.
The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”
Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.
1. What was the author’s parents’ reaction to her decision?| A．They were excited and hopeful about it | B．They purchased her a harp immediately |
| C．They showed concern but agreed to it | D．They hesitated over it for a long time |
| A．It took away her enjoyment of playing the harp | B．It was beneficial to foreign language learning |
| C．It led to her encountering difficulty in reading | D．It was an effective way of appreciating music |
| A．Astonished | B．Sorrowful | C．Frightened. | D．disappointed. |
| A．Hard work pays off | B．Strike while the iron is hot |
| C．The simplest way is the best way | D．Never give up on what you really want to do |
4 . Once a year, around the time when Christians celebrate Easter, Muslims celebrate Ramadan and Jews celebrate Passover, I often invite my 24-person team to a joyful and special dinner at my place. To
I think this
Yet when people
I’m also really
As the person in charge of the lab, I see preserving a variety of cultural backgrounds as an important part of my job. Such an accessible, varied and supportive
| A．accommodate | B．avoid | C．change | D．control |
| A．enjoy | B．throw | C．prepare | D．taste |
| A．dream | B．tradition | C．promise | D．debate |
| A．strange | B．conservative | C．poor | D．diverse |
| A．gives up | B．turns down | C．consists of | D．leaves out |
| A．breakthroughs | B．backgrounds | C．ambitions | D．hobbies |
| A．differences | B．recipes | C．requirements | D．standards |
| A．visit | B．praise | C．join | D．aid |
| A．regret | B．charge | C．sympathy | D．love |
| A．surprised at | B．proud of | C．interested in | D．worried about |
| A．curious | B．casual | C．careful | D．relaxed |
| A．thank | B．defeat | C．compare | D．choose |
| A．scientifically | B．physically | C．mentally | D．financially |
| A．respect | B．protect | C．stand | D．doubt |
| A．chance | B．position | C．lecture | D．environment |
5 . School is said to be a temple(殿堂) of knowledge. It is the very first pace that
My school life is all about the memories. I deeply
My school life has been full of different
There are countless things that make school life the best
| A．throws | B．lends | C．devotes | D．introduces |
| A．protect | B．hide | C．treasure | D．trust |
| A．quarrels | B．examinations | C．parties | D．activities |
| A．student | B．teacher | C．person | D．parent |
| A．styles | B．experiences | C．jobs | D．sports |
| A．use | B．develop | C．require | D．stress |
| A．advised | B．enabled | C．selected | D．organized |
| A．differently | B．normally | C．socially | D．professionally |
| A．habit | B．group | C．personality | D．club |
| A．stage | B．destination | C．scene | D．event |
| A．mistakes | B．preparations | C．friends | D．experiments |
| A．think about | B．chat with | C．look for | D．learn from |
| A．anxious | B．curious | C．generous | D．serious |
| A．positive | B．special | C．colorful | D．ill |
| A．choose | B．control | C．change | D．build |
6 . You Are a Better Person Than You Think You Are
Maybe you haven’t achieved goals in a self-appointed time frame.
You show kindness
Being polite and kind is the mark of a good person. When you do this, you are treating others like you would want to be treated.
You are a positive person
Keeping an optimistic attitude is also a trait of a good person with a powerful character. It is easy to become negative with all the bad things going on in the world, but there’s another way to look at these things. When you’re actually better than you think, you will have the habit of looking on the bright side of every situation and seeing the best in everyone.
Being wise is not about being intelligent. It’s about learning from life experiences. Why does this make you a better person than you think? Wisdom can be passed to others to help them avoid the same mistakes you made. You are a good person if you’ve collected wisdom and love to share lessons with others.
So, go easy on yourself. Appreciate who you are. If there are things you need to change, that’s okay.
| A．You give honest comments. |
| B．It’s just all about showing optimism. |
| C．We all have problems and imperfections. |
| D．You are wise, and you share your wisdom. |
| E．Maybe you have made many mistakes as well. |
| F．Respecting others and their space shows adulthood, which is a sign of a truly good person. |
| G．This may include opening doors for others or picking up change for people in front of you at the checkout line. |
7 . Once upon a time, there was a small temple in a faraway mountain. One of the monks (僧人) in that temple had an interest in
Every day, he woke up early in the morning and began his
One day, he was informed that some
Delighted, the young monk stood near a tree and began to
That’s when the monk
| A．training | B．climbing | C．drawing | D．gardening |
| A．give back to | B．make room for | C．take care of | D．break away from |
| A．popular | B．beautiful | C．valuable | D．famous |
| A．routine | B．lesson | C．exercise | D．ceremony |
| A．touch | B．cover | C．sweep | D．measure |
| A．rejected | B．observed | C．supported | D．protested |
| A．important | B．strange | C．different | D．familiar |
| A．confidence | B．courage | C．kindness | D．carefulness |
| A．trees | B．bricks | C．leaves | D．pipes |
| A．perfect | B．simple | C．ordinary | D．creative |
| A．analyze | B．settle | C．appreciate | D．consider |
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．Besides | D．However |
| A．shake | B．hug | C．cry | D．smile |
| A．argued | B．required | C．promised | D．realized |
| A．independent | B．unnatural | C．universal | D．classical |
8 . When I created a hiking course for my students, I added some tasks in it, such as writing, creating artwork, and presentations. In my mind, they would be impressed by nature and had a lot to share. But when we had the first trip, it was not what I had hoped for. My students weren’t into it. I went home feeling defeated.
Then I realized what my teens wanted was space to explore, observe, and enjoy. I needed to let go. So, I abandoned the tasks and gave my students freedom to hike and wander through the woods. Surprisingly, I witnessed more joy from them in return.
Living in northern Michigan sometimes meant we went outside in -10℃ weather, so I got a little pushback. But once I gave my students more freedom, something magical happened. They threw snowballs, searched for fallen bird feathers, observed changing leaves, and watched a frozen lake. One day when they were making land art with some rocks and fallen leaves, a random man appeared with a flute (长笛) and played music. My students gathered around him and listened. After the song was over, they clapped for him.
It turns out we did a version of forest bathing — spending time in nature to absorb our senses and be fully present. The teens didn’t need serious lesson plans or fancy art supplies. All they needed was simply being in nature. Nature gave them space to forget all their daily worries and just be kids again.
Does this mean that nature is a cure for all mental problems in the world? No. I’d never claim for it to be. But I will say that I’ve seen nature helps many, including myself. It boosts our mental health and overall state of mind. If you are having a hard time, just find a place where life feels less complicated and go.
1. How did the students think of the tasks?| A．They showed little interest in the tasks. |
| B．They thought the tasks too challenging. |
| C．They found the tasks were impressive and helpful. |
| D．They realized the tasks enabled them to be creative. |
| A．were pushed back by temperature | B．advocated people to protect nature |
| C．learned to play music in the woods | D．enjoyed nature to the fullest extent |
| A．Teens need freedom to explore the world. |
| B．Forest bathing rids us of mental problems. |
| C．Plan carefully before setting foot in nature. |
| D．Being out in nature is really mind-refreshing. |
9 . Sitting in the garden for my friend’s birthday. I felt a buzz (振动) in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender’s name. The email started off: “Dear Mr Green, thank you for your interest” and “the review process took longer than expected.” It ended with “We are sorry to inform you…” and my vision blurred (模糊). The position—measuring soil quality in the Sahara Desert as part of an undergraduate research programme — had felt like the answer I had spent years looking for.
I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying, and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.
So I was shocked when, not long after the email, Professor Mary Devon, who was running the programme, invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance, and a few weeks later I was equally shocked—and overjoyed—when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn’t seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to, but I was going to give it my all.
I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project, which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert, not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn’t. In the end, I had a new scientific interest to pursue.
When I applied to graduate school, I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. And I applied with the same anxious excitement as before. When I was rejected from one that had seemed like a perfect fit, it was undoubtedly difficult. But this time I had the perspective (视角) to keep it from sending me into panic. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.
Rather than setting plans in stone, I’ve learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered, even if they don’t sound perfect at the time, and make the most of them.
1. How did the author feel upon seeing the email sender’s name?| A．Anxious. | B．Angry. | C．Surprised. | D．Settled. |
| A．criticise the review process | B．stay longer in the Sahara Desert |
| C．apply to the original project again | D．put his heart and soul into the lab work |
| A．demanding | B．inspiring | C．misleading | D．amusing |
| A．An invitation is a reputation. | B．An innovation is a resolution. |
| C．A rejection can be a redirection. | D．A reflection can be a restriction. |
1. 人物介绍；
2. 你的评析。
注意：
1. 参考人物：Henry Adams, the brothers (Roderick and Oliver), the clerks or the owner in the tailor’s shop…；
2. 写作词数应为80左右；
3. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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