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 . 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 |
3 . 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. |
4 . In Lincoln Elementary School, the students went wild with excitement on hearing the announcement of the upcoming science fair. Among the
Alex envisioned creating a volcano model for the fair, complete with a(n)
Their working together became a lively
On the science fair day, the school gym was full of scientific wonders. When Alex and Mia confidently introduced their project and skillfully
Alex’s decision to
| A．daring | B．curious | C．hesitant | D．eager |
| A．theory | B．biology | C．experiments | D．adventures |
| A．burning | B．erupting | C．talent | D．gravity |
| A．struggling | B．offering | C．demanding | D．managing |
| A．well-intended | B．self-absorbed | C．hard-working | D．easy-going |
| A．replace | B．accompany | C．join | D．instruct |
| A．exchange | B．race | C．change | D．challenge |
| A．sharing | B．checking | C．doubting | D．acquiring |
| A．aimlessly | B．randomly | C．leisurely | D．tirelessly |
| A．initiated | B．born | C．planned | D．located |
| A．analyzed | B．designed | C．filmed | D．demonstrated |
| A．contract | B．recognition | C．permit | D．degree |
| A．reach out | B．get through | C．give in | D．look up |
| A．competition | B．dignity | C．discipline | D．cooperation |
| A．destination | B．subject | C．must | D．signal |
Never in my wildest imagination did I picture myself standing on the back of a running horse. I’m not a cowgirl and don’t even ride horses for pleasure.
But I was doing a television fitness show, and someone in the group had the bright idea that we should go to the rodeo (牛仔竞技表演) grounds and ask the trick rider if they could teach me a stunt (特技表演) to do on camera. We could use this short video as the new opening to the show. I agreed the stunt would be eye-catching and prove how flexible a fit person can be.
That was how I ended up at the rodeo grounds with a camera group, watching the remarkable performances of three talented young cowgirls. Once their show was over, we approached them, detailing our ideas for the television show.
The cowgirls asked me which particular stunt I was interested in learning. I especially liked one stunt — one of the girls led a horse to continuously and slowly run around the grounds while one of the other girls ran across the grounds toward a small trampoline (蹦床). It was timed perfectly so that she jumped onto the trampoline, up into the air, and then onto the horse’s back. As she landed on its back, she stood up and stretched her arms outward as the horse continued slowly running. It looked impressive.
They talked me through the necessary moves, stressing the timing since I would need to be in the air at the correct time when the horse ran past. I alone would judge the speed of the horse and my own speed to jump onto the horse on time.
It was clearly difficult. I was a little hesitant, afraid of being unable to do that well and slowing down the filming. But I knew the most important thing for me was to concentrate on the task at hand.
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。
The first time out, I hit the horse’s back part and fell to the ground.
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At 6: 00 pm, we completed the stunt filming, with my knee injured.
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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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . It has been another long, rough winter here in the mountains of my home. And today as I looked at the broken
A foot of snow had fallen and was rapidly melting. The
I got out of my car
Sometimes we all do good things in this life only to get
| A．branches | B．fences | C．blocks | D．bricks |
| A．adventures | B．laughter | C．scenery | D．memories |
| A．rainbow | B．runoff | C．flood | D．fountain |
| A．dug | B．constructed | C．formed | D．built |
| A．driving | B．walking | C．riding | D．sailing |
| A．car | B．river | C．road | D．hill |
| A．headed | B．knocked | C．kicked | D．stepped |
| A．reluctantly | B．quickly | C．happily | D．quietly |
| A．longer | B．shorter | C．heavier | D．lighter |
| A．threw | B．pushed | C．buried | D．pulled |
| A．stood up | B．lay down | C．sat down | D．stayed up |
| A．sprayed | B．hit | C．sucked | D．poured |
| A．difficulty | B．benefit | C．beginning | D．result |
| A．rewarded | B．injured | C．encouraged | D．confused |
| A．desire | B．love | C．seed | D．dream |
It was the second day I left my lovely hometown for the city to live with my grandfather, who was taking me to the supermarket for the first time.
“I forgot. You’ve never seen a supermarket before, have you?”
I shook my head, indicating indifference to the surroundings.
“Imagine it like this,” Grandfather said, “This store’s speaking to you. It is telling you some of the new things that you’ve never learned.” I did not understand.
“A trading post in a remote town only shows you a small part of the world. This store speaks of a world that is a very big place.”
“So I should just forget my roots, is that it?” Angry and upset, I was expressing my reluctance to live here.
“Absolutely not. Carry it with you, so that you may freely navigate in both worlds, big and small.”
Ignoring words from him, my gaze fell on a woman selecting some green apples. I thought so what if it’s a big world, but I’d rather purchase whatever in a trading post for they only stocked one type of apples, at least all ripe!
Noticing the expressions on my face, Grandfather chuckled. He gracefully walked over to the table where the green apples were and selected half a dozen.
“You’ll get a stomachache if you consume green apples,” I said.
Grandfather appeared as though he was going to laugh again, but he didn’t.
There was no word any more. I followed him while Grandfather filled the cart with our necessities, encountering numerous new items. I was burning to ask him what those strange foods were, and what their flavors and origins were. However, I kept it in my mind that I was supposed to be bored and uninterested in anything, thus, keeping silent all the way.
As we exited the supermarket, Grandfather was smiling as if he understood some private jokes. About halfway back, he gestured for me to stop, bending over to find the plastic bag.
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。
Paragraph 1: He picked out a green apple.
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Paragraph 2: With his words in mind I couldn’t help taking a bite, too. _
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9 . 学校英语俱乐部正在举办线上论坛。本期主题是 Einstein的名言“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”。请你用英语写一篇短文参与网上发帖活动, 内容包括:
1.解释这句话的含义;
2. 给合事例谈一下你的理解。
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。
Being a person of value
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10 . As to psychological well-being, the comfort zone is frequently perceived as a haven, a familiar location where individuals feel calm and peaceful. Pushing beyond this psychological state might have benefits.
The comfort zone can be understood as a behavioral metaphor. Within a comfort zone, an individual takes on a state of minimal anxiety without a perception of risk, responding predictably to deliver a consistent level of performance. These include behaviors that people do commonly, find relaxing, or that take them away from high-stress situations. Engaging in the same manner over time leads to a predictable and familiar zone of comfort. As creatures of habit, we become dependent on these routines that we know we can complete well to feel secure. However, by stepping outside of our comfort zone, we learn about our ability to handle new situations and control risks, leading to greater self-confidence, and lower levels of anxiety.
One study found that individuals who are more secure in stepping out of their comfort zone are more likely to be excited by and look forward to new experiences, feeling greater confidence in their ability to take them on.
One behavior that demonstrates the benefits of stepping out of a comfort zone is learning to play a musical instrument. When we consider actions outside of our comfort zone, we must assess our desire to engage in that activity. By weighing the pros and cons, we evaluate how uncomfortable a situation may seem, and whether the danger of entering such an unknown situation will be worth the risk.
Music offers a safe way to step out of your initial comfort zone because you can begin by practicing in an isolated setting, which offers a casual, safe way to build a new skill set. By picking up and practicing a new instrument, you have proven to yourself that you are capable of meeting an unfamiliar objective, thus decreasing anxiety.
1. What does the underlined word “haven” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Habitat. | B．Shelter. | C．Community. | D．Destination. |
| A．We recall the old experience. |
| B．We think whether it is worth the risk. |
| C．We evaluate our thirsty for the activity. |
| D．We weigh the strengths and weaknesses. |
| A．The definition of the comfort zone. |
| B．The importance of psychological well-being. |
| C．The process of learning a new musical instrument. |
| D．The benefits of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. |
| A．How to Identify Comfort Zone |
| B．Staying Inside Comfort Zone is Important |
| C．Stepping Outside Comfort Zone Promotes Learning |
| D．How to Take Yourself Away from High-stress Situations |
