1 . As a working mother, my years passed without time for relaxing. The kids have been out of the nest, and I have been retired. Now I could take some time for ME!
Meditation was the first to come and go. I never fully understood how to shut my mind off. I always felt like I was just waiting for it to end. Next, I tried “Teatime as Me Time.”
Many other me-time experiments left me wanting less of them, not more. I felt like a failure at this me-time thing. I could spend the whole morning watching the big, fuzzy bees in my garden. In those moments, time stood still.
Maybe the experts had this me-time thing all wrong, and it had little to do with “me” or “time” as I was defining it. Perhaps we are too concerned with how we spend our time instead of enjoying the nothingness of simply being. Instead of viewing it as a hesitation between activities, we can shift our awareness into welcoming timelessness.
| A．Taking the focus off myself was a relief. |
| B．Of course, there were many possibilities. |
| C．At first, I was very enthusiastic about this. |
| D．So, I eventually crossed these ideas off my list. |
| E．Sitting around feeling special doesn't feel special to me. |
| F．I still value all those busy years but I know I should learn to relax. |
| G．Witnessing simple moments of nature re-centered my soul better than anything else. |
My ex-husband had made some very bad choices in his life, and I did not want my children to pay for them all their lives, so the boys and I talked and we decided to move. We moved 2,700 miles from home. We had a small car that pulled a small U-haul over the Rocky Mountains. I could barely read a map (my 8-year-old reads them great, I learned).
We arrived in our new town three days later, and found an apartment. I started the boys in their new school and went to our new home to unload the U-haul. I had brought all the clothes, dishes, blankets and toys that I could fit in the U-haul. As I began unloading, a lady whom I had briefly met the day before was driving down the road and she stopped to help me unload and carry everything up the three flights of stairs. After getting moved in, I was blessed two days later when I found a job.
Things were going great. The boys went to the Boys & Girls Club after school, and I would pick them up after work. In December, two months after moving, the manager of the Boys & Girls Club called me and said that there was a group of people who wanted to choose a family for Christmas and would I mind if they chose our family. My first thought was no, because we had all the love we needed for the holidays, but then he said that my children had told him that there was no furniture in the house, and this group had a lot of used furniture, and that the boys and I would be making them very happy. So I agreed.
They called me and asked what the boys wanted for Christmas and I told them that anything would be appreciated, and I told them what their favorite toys were.
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。
They showed up on December 23.
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My children and I have supported a child every year since then.
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3 . Our past experiences shape our future. It is a saying that resonates (共鸣) with me every single day and this has been a great
As a cashier, timeliness was a very
As much as the experience was enlightening and satisfactory, it had its
| A．intention | B．motto | C．decision | D．wish |
| A．invited | B．forced | C．expected | D．pushed |
| A．vague | B．rough | C．vital | D．random |
| A．picked up | B．took on | C．picked out | D．took up |
| A．invitation | B．failure | C．admission | D．pressure |
| A．by chance | B．in a hurry | C．on time | D．at all costs |
| A．privileges | B．shortcomings | C．techniques | D．statements |
| A．report | B．quit | C．broadcast | D．create |
| A．rare | B．popular | C．essential | D．dull |
| A．shift | B．change | C．wait | D．fame |
| A．hit | B．sent | C．called | D．passed |
| A．worried | B．bothered | C．taught | D．warned |
| A．disappear | B．simplify | C．increase | D．vary |
| A．course | B．prize | C．opportunity | D．step |
| A．advocated | B．guaranteed | C．misunderstood | D．discovered |
A couple of years ago, I volunteered to be a finish-line “hugger” at the Kentucky Special Olympics held in Richmond.
The day of the event dawned dull, wet and gray. Even though it started to rain and a cold wind blew, most of the participants were so excited that they didn’t seem to notice the weather at all.
My job was to stand at the end of a lane on the track and hug the person in that lane when he or she crossed the finish line. It seemed to me that many of the participants completed their races just so they could get that finish “hug”. As the arms of the hugger closed around them, their faces lit up with pure joy, whether they came in first or dead last.
While we huggers stood around, we talked. I was told that most of the participants had been training for the races all year. I also noticed that, the Special Olympic participants weren’t here just to win. They didn’t talk negatively about the people they were racing against. In fact, they hugged and wished each other luck before they started, and hugged again when it was over, whether they had won or not.
What I remember most vividly from that day was the long-distance race. It was a long race by any standards: twelve laps around the track. There were only four participants, three boys and one girl. They were only a couple of laps into the race when the rain started up again. Standing in the rain, I began to feel miserable. My feet hurt. I was soaking wet. I was hungry. I was cold when the rain and wind came and hot when the sun came out. I thought irritably: This race is lasting entirely too long. Even though the three boys were nearly finished, the girl was at least four laps behind. I wondered why she kept going when there was obviously no way she could win.
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。
Finally, the three boys finished but they didn’t leave right away.
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As she approached the finishing line, the girl was barely running.
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5 . If you were to ask people what they needed to be happy, two of the most common answers would be health and wealth. Both are definitely necessary for happiness. However, if you could only have one, which is more important? It is my opinion, health wins hands down.
Firstly, health is more important than wealth because if you are physically fit, you will have a sense of well-being. That means that you will feel happy.
Another point in favor of health is that if you were healthy, you would be able to gain wealth.
In a nutshell, health is indeed more important than wealth for the reasons explained above.
| A．The reverse is not possible. |
| B．Therefore, health is above wealth. |
| C．Wealth does not necessarily do the same. |
| D．Wealth, however, if you use it, comes to an end. |
| E．Besides that, wealth is of no use without health. |
| F．However, wealth is usually the first choice of many people. |
| G．Of course, the ideal situation would be to have both health and wealth. |
6 . Volunteering has been a way of life for me for the past few years since I was fifteen. In 2020 I volunteered with a newly founded social enterprise, which
We called ourselves “sighted assistants” and each of us was
Being there with them made me truly
| A．observed | B．prepared | C．designed | D．conducted |
| A．manager | B．lawyer | C．chef | D．doctor |
| A．interaction | B．agreement | C．greeting | D．conflict |
| A．confused | B．engaged | C．surprised | D．disturbed |
| A．boring | B．frightening | C．challenging | D．promising |
| A．faced | B．compared | C．paired | D．equipped |
| A．flee | B．dash | C．escape | D．walk |
| A．satisfaction | B．safety | C．pleasure | D．optimism |
| A．leave out | B．miss out | C．figure out | D．point out |
| A．avoiding | B．touching | C．approaching | D．feeling |
| A．appreciate | B．wish | C．predict | D．assess |
| A．temporarily | B．partly | C．frequently | D．initially |
| A．simplifies | B．prohibits | C．requires | D．offers |
| A．cure | B．hide | C．preserve | D．increase |
| A．luckier | B．tougher | C．softer | D．easier |
7 . There is a photo in my collection that I pull out from time to time to remind myself of an old vacation. It’s a picture of me from the late 1970s on a bench in London’s Victoria Station, my head resting against a wall, eyes closed with tiredness, and clothes messed up. I used to love that shot taken by my wife. It was evidence of my leisure time, of travel, of interruption from the office: miles covered, sights seen, train stations raced through, and goals achieved.
However, as I left work to hit the vacation road this summer, I took along something extra. This traveling companion had a habit of ruining trips with feelings of guilt — the guilt that came from attempting to vacation with work in mind.
The conflict between the time we want off and the guilt we feel when we actually give in to leisure is a long-running battle that has gone too far, driven by an over-scheduling enthusiasm. It has made many feel as if their free moments are a form of truancy. It’s hard to take it easy when you’ve been programmed not to. We have been taught for generations that work is the only goal. Time that is unfilled is bad, we are led to believe, and unplanned enjoyment should be avoided. This is stressed today by a workplace culture that wants you to believe that advancement depends on your staying on the job.
Research now shows, however, that leisure time can do something job advancement and money can’t. Leisure activities increase your desire to work; leadership skills, your sense of awareness and your ability to change. Free time also promotes a positive mood and sense of well-being, because it develops self-worth. Deep down, everyone knows we need time off to make our lives better.
On holiday, using your productive output as a measure of yourself doesn’t work. This is because a vacation isn’t about output; it’s about input — exploring, learning, reflecting. The magic of a holiday is in the experience itself. This is the same as life satisfaction; it can’t be measured, only felt. The best part of a vacation isn’t going somewhere else; it’s being where you are, fully involved in the experience.
1. Why does the author look at that photo from time to time?| A．It brings back his memory of leisure travel. | B．It describes his tired appearance on vacation. |
| C．It gives evidence of his running away from work. | D．It records a life goal achieved during his holiday. |
| A．The tight schedule. | B．Not staying on the job. |
| C．The unplanned journey. | D．Not reaching the expected goal. |
| A．It promotes job advancement. | B．It improves your productive output. |
| C．It is good for your personal development. | D．It helps you see your goals in life more clearly. |
| A．Reflect on their work. | B．Avoid unplanned activities. |
| C．Enjoy the experience of travelling. | D．Ignore job advancement and money. |
8 . It was June 14 and the last day of middle school had arrived.
I had spent the past couple of months trashing and treasuring all the things that I had accumulated in my classroom over the past 19 years. Looking into my classroom, you can see about two dozen boxes and bins inside, piled nearly three-quarters high to the ceiling, all packed and ready for the big move. The 22 million dollar restoration work was only days away from starting and we were instructed that everything must go.
My parents Michael and Donna, wife Laura and newborn baby Summer had arrived that day. The students had heard so much about my daughter and were excited to meet her for the first time. My mother was there to help organize my classroom nearly 19 years ago and hadn’t seen it since. My father had visited on a few occasions, as had my wife. That day marked not only the end of an era for me, but the dawning of a new beginning.
The day before, I had thrown a party for my students. The feelings were mixed, as I knew that this would be the farewell (告别) party in my classroom of 19 years and the last time I would see all of these students together. I thought back to when they were all in middle school and would visit me in my classroom on my birthday. They made it an annual tradition.
I will treasure these moments for the rest of my life.
Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe (敌人), a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk. I’ve learned over the years in working with over 2, 000 children that looking at things through an optimistic lens and taking the time to foster relationships with people make the world a happier and safer place. No matter what a person’s life circumstances may be, you can be the change in their life that will bring them a sense of self-worth, which will ultimately provide them with the opportunity to become who they are meant to be. They might go on to change the world.
1. Why did the author clear up the things in the classroom?| A．He would no longer be a teacher. | B．The classroom would soon be restored. |
| C．His stuff made the classroom crowded. | D．The summer vacation was approaching. |
| A．Their interest in teaching. | B．Their appeal to the students. |
| C．Their longings for a new beginning. | D．Their connections with the classroom. |
| A．Bittersweet. | B．Confused. |
| C．Excited. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．A life free of pain is a blessing. |
| B．Don’t let others define who you are. |
| C．It is unhealthy to feel attached to a place. |
| D．A positive attitude brings forth good changes. |
I was sitting in a chemistry class when I and six other kids were called down to the counselor’s (顾问) office. It was pretty strange because none of us were “ problem ” students. We were all curious about what she wanted to say.
This was when she told us she would be choosing one of us to be nominated (提名) for the largest scholarship in Canada. It was a very strange moment; I never realized I was that excellent. She said, since we all had a similar high average, she would talk to our teachers to see who was the most deserving.
A week later, I got an email from the counselor; it was addressed to me and another student at the meeting. I was shocked; this must have meant we were the two people she would be choosing from. We were required to write about where we see ourselves in ten years; I knew I had to make this count. I spoke from the heart, depicting my perfect life: living in the big city, having finished my degree, doing what I loved every day.
About a week later, I got called back to her office, only me. I didn’t want to be overexcited because maybe she was being personal, telling me I wasn’t chosen. She told me I was the one picked. Nobody could have controlled my smile, what a moment.
She told me about all the nice things my teachers said about me; I never realized I was held in such high-regard to them. Over 350,000 students graduate from high school every year and I was one of the only 1,500 kids nominated for this scholarship across all of Canada.
Unfortunately, I didn’t win but I’d still like to thank everyone who helped me get to where I am today.
1. Why did the author feel surprised when he was called to the office? ( no more than 10 words )2. Why did the school went to choose from the six students? ( no more than 5 words )
3. What does he underlined word “ depicting ” in the third paragraph probably men? ( 1 word )
4. What was the purpose of the counselor calling the author to her office again? ( no more than 10 words )
5. What do you want to say to those who ever have given you recognition and help? ( no more than 20 words )
10 . First, I thought I was pregnant. Shortly after, I had a shooting pain in my stomach. Finally, I went to the emergency room and they said, “Listen, something is wrong.” Then I was told I might lose my hair for my wedding due to the chemical treatment.
When it came out, I just felt like I wanted to shave it. I didn’t want to sit around and wait for my hair to fall out. I wanted to have control in a situation where I had zero control. This was the one area I could have some sort of control.
I went to a hair salon that day, and it was super emotional. I cried in the chair the whole time. I was terrified to see that my head looked like bald(秃头的). I didn’t know whether it was going to be malformed or not and I couldn’t help worrying whether there was any unnatural part on it. I also have a mole(胎记)on my head that I’ve always been really self-conscious about.
Once I got home, I realized my head is extremely round and the mole wasn’t that noticeable. Over time, I actually enjoyed being bald. I never had to do my hair. Getting ready was quick and easy. I just knew it was something I couldn’t control, and I needed to accept it and learn to love myself in a new way.
Even when I was first diagnosed(诊断), there was no way I was going to sit there and feel sorry for myself. I told myself, “I’m gonna get up. I’m gonna fight this thing. I’m not going to lose. “I always said I would win.
Looking at things in a positive way really helped me, so that’s what I did with my bald head. I would say, “Yeah, this sucks, but at least I don’t have to wash my hair. At least I don’t have to dry it. At least I can get ready in five minutes. ” I always tried to put a positive spin on it.
1. Why did the author shave her head bald?| A．To do chemical treatment. | B．To save her from hairdressing. |
| C．To get ready for her wedding. | D．To avoid feeling uncontrollable. |
| A．Ill-treated. | B．Bright-colored. | C．Badly-shaped. | D．Well-protected. |
| A．Stubborn but brave. | B．Strong and positive. |
| C．Sensitive but friendly. | D．Delicate and negative. |
| A．Life is too precious to lose. | B．God never closes all doors. |
| C．Determination finds a way. | D．Optimism helps win battles. |
