My teacher gave us an assignment that should have been easy. “OK, class,” he said. “For the month of November, we will turn this wall into our Thanksgiving art gallery. For tonight’s homework, I want you to create a picture of one thing you’re thankful for, and we’ll hang it here.”
We were supposed to spend the last part of class figuring out an idea for our “thankful” picture. But the more I tried to think of the one perfect thing, the more panicked and puzzled became! Finally, the school bell rang, and it was time to pack up and go. “I’m going to make a picture about fishing with my grandpa,” my friend Imani said as we walked home. I told her that this project was making me nervous and that I was worried if I chose one person, everyone else felt left out.
Imani suggested that I should pick a random awesome thing instead. I was surprised and confused because I was thankful for a billion random things. How was I supposed to choose one? Imani smiled. “It’s the ‘just close your eyes’ trick.” I could write down a bunch of choices on separate pieces of paper, spread them out, close my eyes and pick one. I was still worried that I would pick the imperfect one.
“That’s the whole point,” said Imani. “There’s no perfection. Here, I’ll show you!” I followed Imani across the street to a giant tree with beautiful and attractive fallen leaves. So many leaves had fallen onto the grass that it looked like a rainbow-colored carpet. The orange one with green-and-yellow edges was incredible. Those fiery red ones were also amazing. She urged me to pick the very best leaf.
“There are too many,” I said. “It’d be impossible to find the very best.”
“Exactly!” she said. “It’s just like the thankful assignment. There are way too many choices. So just close your eyes and pick one.” I closed my eyes, picked up a leaf, opened my eyes -and we both started laughing our heads off.
注意：
1. 续写词数为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Looking at the rotten and sad little leaf in my hand, I was lost in thought.
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Paragraph 2:
The next day in class, when appreciating our pictures on the wall, everybody had questions about mine.
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2 . Philosophers have a bad reputation for expressing themselves in a dry and boring way. The ideals for most philosophical writing are precision, clarity, and the sort of conceptual analysis that leaves no hair un-split.
There is nothing wrong with clarity, precision, and the like — but this isn’t the only way to do philosophy. Outside academic journals, abstract philosophical ideas are often expressed through literature, cinema, and song. There’s nothing that grabs attention like a good story, and there are some great philosophical stories that delight and engage, rather than putting the reader to sleep.
One of the great things about this is that, unlike formal philosophy, which tries to be very clear, stories don’t wear their meanings on their sleeve — they require interpretation, and often express conflicting ideas for the reader to wrestle with.
Consider what philosophers call the metaphysics (形而上学) of race — an area of philosophy that explorers the question of whether or not race is real. There are three main positions that you can take on these questions. You might think that a person’s race is written in their genes (a position known as “biological realism”). Or you might think of race as socially real, like days of the week or currencies (“social constructionism”). Finally, you might think that races are unreal — that they’re more like leprechauns (一种魔法精灵) than they are like Thursdays or dollars (“anti-realism”).
A great example of a story with social constructionist taking on race is George Schuyler’s novel Black No More. In the book, a Black scientist named Crookman invents a procedure that makes Black people visually indistinguishable from Whites. Thousands of African Americans flock to Crookman’s Black No More clinics and pay him their hard-earned cash to undergo the procedure. White racists can no longer distinguish those people who are “really” White from those who merely appear to be White. In a final episode, Crookman discovers that new Whites are actually a whiter shade of pale than those who were born that way, which kicks off a trend of sunbathing to darken one’s skin-darkening it so as to look more While.
Philosophically rich stories like this bring more technical works to life. They are stories to think with.
1. What does the author think of philosophical stories?| A．The meaning behind is very obvious. |
| B．They am extremely precise and formal. |
| C．They often cause conflicts among readers. |
| D．They are engaging and inspire critical thinking. |
| A．Social constructionism. | B．Anti-realism. |
| C．Biological realism. | D．Literary realism. |
| A．Racial issues caused by skin colors. |
| B．A society view on race and self-image. |
| C．Black people accepted by the white society. |
| D．The origin of sun bathing among white people. |
| A．Stories Made Easy | B．Stories to Think with |
| C．Positions in Philosophy | D．Nature of Philosophical Writing |
As I inch closer to my sixth decade, I can’t help but reflect on my life’s journey.
My path has taken many twists and turns, as it does for most, and I am grateful for each chapter and all the characters who were a part of my script. Through all the seasons, hills and valleys, I have grown in all areas of life and as a human being in general.
My husband and I have always wanted to retire near the ocean. We are active and love the outdoors. Finally, we were getting closer to our goal. I had put in my final years for retirement at MES, the wonderful school I spent the majority of my teaching career. I had three years left, but with Illinois’ bad weather, I had it in my mind to get us to Florida sooner than expected.
Our son is stationed at Hurlburt Field near Destin, Florida, and after visiting him there, we fell in love with the pretty coast. The salt air,heat,and humidity did my sinuses (鼻窦) and body good. I was back to running daily and did not once suffer from knee pain or sinus issues during our time there. We discussed it when we returned to Illinois, and I decided to act. I applied for teaching jobs in the Destin area.
Fortunately, I landed a teaching job at a great school and left MES. We put our house up for sale and were looking forward to this next adventure.
I moved to Florida in late July to start my next chapter while my husband stayed back to wrap things up.
I got into my new school on Aug. 1st and began preparing to move from teaching seventh to fourth graders.
However, back home, we weren’t selling our house. Besides, we couldn’t find housing in Florida. After much discussion, we decided the timing wasn’t right because of many unforeseen factors, so I packed up and drove back to Illinois.
1. 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词限用一次，有两词为多余选项| stay calm reason leave hope nose health grow disappoint expect tire satisfy |
My Life Crossings | ||
| I |  | I’m grateful and |
|
| |
| I wanted to | | I was |
|
| |
| I visited my son and | | I fell in love with the pretty coast. |
|
| |
| I applied and landed a teaching job in Florida. I moved to Florida and got into the new school, | | I was excited and |
|
| |
| For some | | I was quiet and |
根据文本内容回答下列问题
2. Why did the author go back to Illinois?
3. What would the author do next?
4. What’s the author’s opinion of her path?
Kuppan was a good badminton player. His rise within the ranks of the badminton players of the school was impressive but unusual. One day he was nothing, the next he was a member of the school team.
In the School Championships, he sprang a surprise by knocking out the top seed, Richard Lee, in the semi final. In the final, he easily beat another competitor Abdul Rauf by 15-3 and 15-10. He was the School Champion. It was unbelievable. The previous year he did not even get past the first round, This year he was the champion.
Success got into his head, He began to think he was really good, In fact, he arrogantly (傲慢地) told Richard Lee and the others that they would never beat him again. He claimed he was simply too good for them, in a league of his own.
Well, it was true that Kuppan was a good and skillful player. He had natural ability and talent. So he picked up the game very quickly and soon became the best. However. he did not realize that nobody can remain at the top all the time. What goes up must certainly come down. Kuppan thought he could stay up indefinitely.
The other players were annoyed by Kuppan’ s declaration. They resolved to train harder to beat the guy who had insulted (羞辱) them, They even trained on their own every day while Kuppan wandered around talking with pride about his success. The State Individual Championships were coming up，So was the Interschool Tournament. The school’s coach worked hard to improve the school players. All of them trained hard, except Kuppan. He would miss training or perform half- heartedly. He was more interested in entertaining the admirers that had gathered around him. He thought he was too strong to be defeated.
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。
The State Individual Championships reached us in time.
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Kuppan tried to make a difference in the second round,
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5 . Scientific discovery is popularly believed to result from the sheer genius of such intellectual stars as naturalist Charles Darwin and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Our view of such unique contributions to science often
Consider one
What are we to make of this story? We propose that science is constantly
Plenty of other stories show that fresh advances can arise from error, misadventure, and also pure serendipity — a happy
| A．overlooks | B．enriches | C．questions | D．reflects |
| A．Aiming at | B．Longing for | C．Holding back | D．Setting aside |
| A．native | B．creative | C．subjective | D．sensitive |
| A．stressed | B．unrecognized | C．celebrated | D．respected |
| A．suspicious | B．concerned | C．wrong | D．guilty |
| A．tested | B．rejected | C．accepted | D．proposed |
| A．got rid of | B．made room for | C．jumped off from | D．put up with |
| A．struggling | B．reversing | C．evolving | D．shrinking |
| A．result from | B．contribute to | C．depart from | D．relate to |
| A．priorities | B．trials | C．advances | D．obstacles |
| A．If | B．Until | C．While | D．Unless |
| A．Responsibility | B．Prejudice | C．Dislike | D．Support |
| A．doubted | B．neglected | C．foreseen | D．exceeded |
| A．motivation | B．modification | C．dedication | D．publication |
| A．occasion | B．life | C．accident | D．ending |
A cross between dinner and performance art, Dining in the Dark is a new trend where diners enjoy a meal with one of the key senses removed in order to strengthen your other senses, such as taste. Many of these restaurants are operated by the blind in order to offer a chance into their world and a unique experience on the world around you. The very first dine in the dark restaurant was opened in 1999 in Zurich, Switzerland, and is called Blindekuh (Blind man’s Buff). Since then, they have grown in popularity and popped up on nearly every country.
Encouraged by online reviews, my husband and I found Nox, a dine in the dark restaurant in Singapore and we booked a dinner in the dark , all ready to challenge my taste buds and table manners. We started in the entrance and had a glass of wine with the manager who explained the process. First, we put phones, watches, and anything that could reflect or provide a light source into a secure locker. Before entering the dark room, we were seated in a lighted room and given some starters while reviewing the drinks menu. Soon after, we were introduced to our waiter who was visually impaired. He was responsible for guiding us up to the second floor of the restaurant (the dark room) and bringing us to our table. There were 2 other couples with us and we were requested to form a single line and rest our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us as the waiter guided all of us up to the room.
Paragraph. 1
My first response to stepping into a completely dark room was
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Paragraph.2
This experience had instead given me a much-needed attitude towards life.
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The concept of comfort zone (舒适区) refers to a psychological state in which we feel safe and do not experience anxiety or fear. It is a “space” that we know completely and in which we control almost everything.
Your comfort zone represents things you’re familiar with, your regular haunts, friends you’re at ease with, and activities you love doing. Your comfort zone’s risk free. It’s easy. It doesn’t cause you to stretch. Within these boundaries we feel safe and secure.
During my senior year in college I was short a few credits, and so I skimmed through the class schedule looking for something to fill the hours. When I came across “Private Voice Instruction” as in singing lessons, I thought, “Why not step outside my comfort zone and give it a try?”
I was careful to sign up for private lessons instead of group lessons because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself by singing in front of other students.
Things went fine until the end of the semester when my singing professor brought the shocking news. “By the way, Sean, have you decided which song you want to sing at the recital?” “What do you mean?” I asked in horror.
“Well, the class requirements state that you have to sing at least one time in front of the other private voice students.”
“That would not be a good idea,” I said emphatically.
“Oh, it’s no big deal. You’ll do fine.”
Well, to me it was a huge deal. The thought of singing in front of a group made me physically sick. “How am I going to get out of this one?” I thought. But I couldn’t allow myself to do that because I had been speaking to various groups over the past year advising them to never let fears make their decisions.
“Courage, Sean.” I kept saying in my mind. “You’ve got to at least try.”
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。
That frightening day finally arrived.
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I left the classroom as if a heavy load had been lifted.
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1.欧内斯特·沙克尔顿和他的船员们一起登上了名字为“坚忍”号的大船。途中“坚忍”号被冰山困住了，大家弃船后逃到了大象岛。沙克尔顿驾船去寻求帮助。最后，尽管困难重重船员们还是活了下来。
2.在这个故事里面船员之间真诚的关心和爱以及他们在困难面前的忍耐力和毅力也使我深受鼓舞。
3.从这个故事中我学到一个教训或启示。
写作要求：
第一段：介绍故事背景。
第二段：简要介绍这个故事情节。
第三段：表达自己对这个故事的感受。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.每段段落开头已为你写好，不计入总词数。
3.根据上下文逻辑和衔接需要，在句与句之间适当增加过渡语以使行文连贯。
This story is about __________________________________________
Ernest Shackleton and his crew went aboard the ship named Endurance.
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I was deeply moved by the concern and love between them and I’m also inspired by their endurance and perseverance in face of difficulties.
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相关词汇：crow (乌鸦)
Why don’t you drink water as the book told us?
Crows Drink Water
There was only a little water in a bottle which had a long and narrow neck. A fat crow came to the bottle and drank the water by a straw. He was enjoying the water when another thirsty crow went by. Accustomed (习惯于) to the way of drinking water taught in books, the thirsty crow was very surprised. He asked the fat crow, “Why don’t you drink water as the book told us?” The fat crow replied,“Because this method can make me drink water faster.”
The Power of Determination
Your quest for success and happiness begins with right intentions. It culminates (达到顶点) when you reach your chosen goals. What sustains your effort in between is your determination. What carries you towards your goals is your determination. It means the firmness of purpose or intention.
If there is one gift that you can give to yourself in your life to be what you want to be, it is the power of determination. Without it you are a mere passive spectator in the drama of your life. If there is one quality that makes a difference between a winner and a loser or a leader and a follower, it is the power of determination. Without it, you may dream wild dreams, but you will not accomplish much in life. If you have determination, nothing can stop you and deter you from following your course of action to achieve your goals or realize your dreams.
Obstacles may arise and obstruct your progress. They may delay your success, disturb you temporarily, and may even mislead you, but they cannot withstand the power of determination. It is the power that you generate within yourself to remain committed to your path and conviction, and march towards your cherished goals. Before you take up any project or goal, you should know whether you have the determination to stick to your plans and reach your goals. Your determination has to arise from within and derive its reinforcement from your thinking and beliefs rather than circumstances. Only then will you be able to sustain your effort, even when the going gets tough. Determination is your inner strength. Like the hardwood inside a tree, it gives you the power to stand tall and face the winds of turmoil.
With determination, you can crush the mountains of fear and doubts in you. You can find your way through the most difficult situations. Determination does not mean you will be insensitive to the reality of the situation. A determined person is also an adaptable and flexible person. He is not interested in being tough for toughness sake, but to overcome obstacles and reach his goals. Hence, he remains open-minded about possibilities and opportunities, but firm in his commitment and convictions. Discipline and determination go together. If you have them, you become unstoppable.
1. According to the passage, what is determination?2. What would happen if one does not have determination?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
With determination, you can crush the mountains of fear and doubts in you, and you will not make changes.
4. How does being determined benefit you? (In about 40 words)
