In a big city lived a girl named Amy. She was a clever and lively child, but her heart was often clouded by dissatisfaction. Whenever she saw other children playing with new dolls or dressed in fancy outfits, Amy’s eyes would sparkle with envy and she wished she had them too.
So she always asked her mother, “Mom, can I have this?” or “Mom, can I have that?” If her mom didn’t satisfy her need, Amy would respond with endless complaints or tears. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t possess what she desired.
Her mother, a wise and loving woman, tried to reason with Amy. She explained that Amy already had so many toys and clothes. She said, “Amy, you’re lucky to have so much. Learn to be happy with what you have.” But Amy’s ears were deaf to her mother’s words. She could only see what she lacked, and her heart remained heavy with dissatisfaction.
Amy’s discontentment affected her social life at high school. Her bad temper and constant complaints about what she lacked made it difficult for her to make friends. When Amy saw her desk mate Lily using new stationery (文具), she immediately said, “I have better ones.” Once, hearing some girls talking about their new dresses, she interrupted rudely, “My mom will buy me the same one, even nicer.” Other kids couldn’t bear her attitude and kept away from her gradually, which made Amy feel more lonely and unhappy.
When Amy told her mother the “unfair treatment” she faced at school, her mother was deeply concerned about her. She knew that Amy’s constant dissatisfaction was not appropriate and would eventually ruin her happiness completely. “Something must be done.” she thought. After deep consideration, she decided to take a different approach. One day, she invited Amy to join her in volunteering at a local charity that helped the children there in need. Initially, Amy refused, but her mother’s determined attitude persuaded her successfully.
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。
As they arrived at the charity, Amy’s eyes were opened to a world she had never known.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That voluntary experience and the conversation with the children changed Amy’s life.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. Why did the speaker make the appointment?
| A．To visit his new neighbour. |
| B．To have his house examined. |
| C．To organize a family outing. |
| A．Call the examiner in advance. |
| B．Charge the man for his service. |
| C．Make the paperwork ready. |
| A．Staying energetic at all times. | B．Always being prepared. | C．Never fearing failure. |
3 . In a gray box, I have a thick pile of love letters. I imagine about sharing them with a granddaughter when I’m 90. But my most treasured love letter is from one of my best friends. It’s a handwritten letter years ago when I was having trouble getting over a man. Her letter is the most romantic in my pile. It made no excuses. It simply let me know that I was loved.
Reflecting on her gift, and the dying art of handwritten letters in our age of emails and emoticons, I chose to conduct an experiment this Christmas: replacing presents with heartfelt, handwritten love letters for my family members.
In our digital era, most of us rarely take the time to share deeply considered thoughts and emotions with the people in our lives. Handwriting captures the writer’s emotions, often preserved longer than digital exchanges. However, technology is taking over. First came typewriters and keyboards. Now a new brain-computer lets people type with their minds. What are we losing when we sacrifice the physical labor behind the written word? We tend to value what we struggle for. Have we undervalued the human exchange of ideas?
That day, I came across a letter my mom wrote to her parents when she was young. She seemed so comfortable with her parents. It was a relationship I didn’t have with her. I was inspired by my mother’s letter to her parents when I sat down to write my letter to her. I wanted her to know my love, and to close the crack that technology and culture had created between us. With each sentence, I was discovering new and deeper ways of seeing my mother, and making myself known to her in more thoughtful ways as well.
Eight single-space pages later, my hand was aching but I was done. It was only the first of my love letters, but it was already clear: What had begun as a fun project was in fact one of the most important undertakings of my life.
1. Why does the author mention her love letters in Paragraph 1?| A．To show her grand charm as a young girl. | B．To share them with one of her granddaughters. |
| C．To highlight the value of handwritten letters. | D．To look back upon her romantic relationship. |
| A．Making our interaction less emotional. | B．Encouraging our thoughtful communication. |
| C．Saving our physical labor in conveying emotions. | D．Increasing our effort in handwritten exchanges. |
| A．To give her mother a big surprise. | B．To answer her mother’s handwritten letter. |
| C．To bridge a communication gap. | D．To make her mother feel more comfortable. |
| A．The irreplaceable bond of family members. | B．The tendency of information technology. |
| C．The expression of emotions in the digital age. | D．The power of handwritten correspondence. |
4 . Flaco the owl (猫头鹰) is gone, but his life had all the elements of a classic hero’s story, not soon forgotten. Flaco lived a dozen years in a comfortable cage in the Central Park Zoo where little happened and less was needed. His life was a safe existence without freedom. Then, a year ago, someone released him.
On Friday, when he died of injury, perhaps from a collision (碰撞) with a Manhattan apartment building’s glass windows, his death offered us a chance to reckon with the question at the heart of many a hero’s journey: Can we put a price on freedom?
Flaco’s liberation from his cage came at a cost — he spent the final year of his life free, but threatened from all sides by a booming city. Was it worth it?
Almost from the moment he was released, Flaco became a symbol of hope for many of the people who followed his story and recognized parts of themselves in him. Some saw him as the symbol of the American dream, an outsider who had come to Manhattan and made a life for himself here, like millions of others who arrived penniless and unconnected in search of freedom.
As a result, he flew around the city. We were terrified that he’d succumb to (屈服于) the dangers of city life. Flaco had no experience living outside a cage, and New Yorkers initially doubted his chances of survival. We worried that he’d eat a rat with enough poison in its system to kill him. But Flaco never looked back. Perhaps freedom itself was the home he’d discovered.
And though we feared for him, his new life excited us. How many of us, our circumstances familiar and sale, are too frightened to seek our more fully realized selves?
How many of us, viewing our confinements as nothing out of the ordinary, have long stopped wondering what our wings are for?
Have we not all desired a life beyond the range of the one we lead? Flaco showed that our desire is not misplaced. His choice proved a truth that given a chance, living things choose freedom of movement.
1. What do the underlined words “reckon with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Bring up. | B．Deal with. | C．Reflect on. | D．Look into. |
| A．He died a natural death. |
| B．He was caught and returned to the zoo. |
| C．He died from a collision with a building. |
| D．He lived a free life but faced many threats. |
| A．They were excited and supportive. |
| B．They were worried about his survival. |
| C．They were indifferent and unconcerned. |
| D．They were angry and opposed to his release. |
| A．The importance of protecting wildlife. |
| B．The risks and rewards of seeking freedom. |
| C．The value of overcoming challenges in life. |
| D．The need for more awareness about animal rights. |
Special#2，Please
My flight arrived in San Diego around midnight, and by the time I drove home and got into bed it was nearly 2:00 a. m. I was tired and jet-lagged when I dragged myself out of the bed. Nevertheless,I had to be up bright and early that morning: I was the opening keynoter(主旨发言人) at a national conference.
In short, I needed to recover quickly. A hearty breakfast in the early morning sun was what I needed. I headed for Carlos & Annie’s, a popular restaurant located in the heart of the seaside town.
“I’d like steak and eggs, please,” I said to the waitress after I had finally found a table in the restaurant. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she apologized. “We're out of Special#2. We've served the last of our steaks. How about Special#14?” “Oh, no steak and eggs?” I couldn't seem to accept it.
I'm not sure if it was my heartfelt sigh that caught Carlos, the owner's attention. His warm, caring brown eyes seemed determined to pinpoint the best solution. He then said, “You know, I think I did see one final steak back
there.”Pressing my luck,I quickly declared, “Wow,that would be great. But you know, I’m not sure if I want a breakfast stenk at all. What I really want is a steak—one that’s two inches thick, tender and juicy, served medium rare.” “Not to worry,” Carlos assured meand left. The young waitress gave me a wink(眨眼) and said with a knowing smile, “Carlosis being Carlos again!” I did not give her words much thought.
Then, I noticed Carlos as he left the restaurant through the side door and walked into a neighborhood grocery store across the street. Carlos exchanged morning greetings with everyone he knew and even helped the owner of the bookstore next door by holding the items that filled her arms. Then he reentered the restaurant with a bag in his 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。
Paragraph 1: Within minutes，an exact Special#2 was in front of me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: I was about to leave when I learned Carlos had already sold the restaurant.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Another Way
The train ran smoothly on a spring afternoon. At one station, the doors opened, and came in a man. He wore laborer’s clothing, big, drunk and dirty. Screaming, he swung at an elderly couple. Terrified, the couple jumped up and quickly walked away. The laborer aimed a kick at the back of the old woman but missed. The passengers froze with fear.
I’ve been putting in a solid eight hours of martial arts (武术) training nearly every day for the past three years. “We study how to resolve conflict, not how to start it,” my teacher had said again and again. I listened to his words. In my heart, however, I wanted to save the innocent by destroying the guilty.
“This is it!” I said to myself as I got to my feet. Seeing me stand up, the drunk recognized a chance to focus his rage (怒火). His fists upraised, he gathered himself for a rush at me. A second before he could move, someone shouted “Hey!”
I remembered the strangely joyous quality of the voice. We both stared down at a little old man. “Come here and talk with me,” the old man said in an easy voice. He waved his hands lightly. The big man followed, as if on a string. He planted his feet in front of the old gentleman, “Why should I talk to you?” The old man continued, “What have you been drinking?” “Beer,” the laborer replied, “and it’s none of your business!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” the old man said with interest. “You see, I love beer, too. Every night, my wife and I take beer out into the garden, and we sit on an old wooden bench. We look to see how our persimmon (柿子) tree is doing. We worry about whether it will recover from those ice storms we had last winter. Our tree has done better than I expected, though, especially when you consider the poor quality of the soil.”
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。
As the laborer struggled to follow the old man, his face began to soften.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I turned my head for one last look before getting off the train.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . I used to think I was a good person. I was caring to my friends, my partner, my family; I gave to charity and I volunteered. But when I started training to become a therapist (治疗师), I began to understand that however much we might like to think of ourselves as good people, we don’t actually know ourselves very well. I learned about how we might, without consciously realizing it, deny the feelings and motivations we consider to be bad, pushing them down into our unconscious and projecting them out on to others, so they become the bad people. I learned that deep in the human mind, alongside love and kindness, run currents of anger, need, greed, envy, destructiveness, superiority—whether we want to acknowledge them or not.
It was 22-year-old Boru who taught me what it really means to be a good grown up. We first spoke two years ago. He was unemployed, living with his parents, watching his friends’ lives progress. A good grown-up, he told me, is “someone who has his ducks in a row”—and that wasn’t him.
I also didn’t feel like the competent, confident grown-up I thought I should be—and neither did most of the adults I knew. I researched statistics about people hitting the traditional landmarks of adulthood later and later, if at all—from buying a home to getting married or starting a family. I recognized what made me feel like a bad grown-up: that I’ll sit with a broken fridge rather than call an engineer to repair it.
Then I saw Boru again. He told me how, over two years, he’d found a job he loves, rented a flat with a friend. He’s now cycling round the world, having adventures that will keep him strong for the rest of his life. So what changed? “You start to have those conversations with yourself, and you become more of an honest person. I don’t feel like I’m hiding from anything anymore, because I’m not hiding from myself.”
I think growing up must involve finding your own way to have those conversations. Boru does it on his bike, I do it in psychoanalysis, others I spoke to do it while cooking or playing music. That, for Boru, and for me, is what it means to “have his ducks in a row”.1. What does the first paragraph imply about understanding ourselves?
| A．Recognizing our positive traits is enough for growth. |
| B．Our understanding of our motives and feelings is accurate. |
| C．True self-awareness means accepting both good and bad sides. |
| D．Ignoring our negative traits does not affect our self-perception. |
| A．It involves having a clear career path and financial stability. |
| B．It requires constant self-improvement and education. |
| C．It means being employed and living independently. |
| D．It is like a journey of self-discovery and honesty. |
| A．Escaping basic responsibilities. |
| B．Delaying reaching traditional life milestones. |
| C．Comparing personal achievements to others. |
| D．Investigating changing patterns of adult life. |
| A．Why Hide Harms |
| B．How to Be Better Adults |
| C．Why Growing up Matters |
| D．How to Have Effective Conversations |
8 . My son, Ben, died when he was 23. The year after his death, I hiked 48 of the state’s tallest mountains in his memory. Every step, path and peak has been a way to restore.
About a month after his death, my husband and I hiked Carter Dome and Mount Hight, sorrow weighing heavy in our hearts and legs. Standing on the peak, I looked out across the mountains my son loved. For a moment, the heavy blow brought about by Ben’s death faded into the timeless expanse, and I could breathe.
The next weekend found us on Mount Moosilauke. Then Mount Cannon, Mount Flume, Mount Liberty and so on. It was a series of firsts, of struggles and overcoming them — climbing at night, climbing slides and rocks, camping alone, finding paths and planning routes.
Six days before the anniversary of Ben’s death, I hiked my 48th and final peak: Mount Carrigain. As I stood on the observation platform at the peak, I found the essential truth I had been grasping to express for months: The only place that feels vast enough to hold sorrow this deep and wide is the top of a mountain, looking out into forever.
These days, I hike not to hide, but to seek. I find Ben, but I also find myself: someone broken, now braver and more capable. The forced isolation of sorrow becomes the welcome loneliness of the path; the peace of nature replaces the pain of loss. Hiking is both exhausting and exciting, and it teaches us that sorrow and joy can coexist.
But there’s another, possibly more important truth: A hike is not the only way to find the peace of the natural world; a simple walk along a park path can have a similar effect. The internal journey of sorrow mixes with our steps, and we find comfort along the way.
1. How did the writer feel after climbing Carter Dome and Mount Hight?| A．Doubtful. | B．Relieved. | C．Sad. | D．Terrified. |
| A．it was possible to live with both sorrow and joy |
| B．it was the isolation of sorrow that exhausted her |
| C．only by overcoming struggles could one survive |
| D．the peaks were proper places to remember someone |
| A．Walking works best for those in sorrow. | B．We can plan our internal journey as intended. |
| C．What counts is to make peace with ourselves. | D．People tend to hike in parks to seek comfort. |
| A．The Heavy Steps That Led Me To Peaks | B．The Mountains That Held My Sorrow |
| C．The Journeys That Frustrated Me | D．The First Struggles That Empowered Me |
9 . I was sitting in my high school classroom, nervously tapping my pencil against the desk as I awaited the start of the English exam.
As the clock struck, signaling the beginning of the exam, my heart began to race. I opened the exam booklet and scanned the questions, and I felt a wave of panic over me. The questions seemed foreign, and the topics unfamiliar. In a state of panic, I hurriedly wrote down my answers, hoping that somehow, by some stroke of luck, they would be correct. But as the minutes went by, I realized I couldn’t seem to make sense of the questions before me. As the final bell rang, I handed in my paper with a heavy heart.
In the days that followed, I couldn’t shake the feeling of failure that hung over me like a dark cloud. I replayed the exam over and over in my mind, analyzing every question, every answer, searching for clues as to where I had gone wrong.
But in the depression, a realization began to dawn on me — I had failed, yes, but I had also learned valuable lessons along the way. Armed with this newfound wisdom, I ensured that I would do better next time. I threw myself into my studies with renewed determination, devouring books and practicing past exams with an eagerness I had never known before.
When the time came to retake the exam, I was ready. I approached each question with confidence and clarity, drawing upon the lessons I had learned from my previous missteps.
When the results were announced, I held my breath as I scanned the list of names. And there it was — my name, shining brightly among the list of successful candidates. At that moment, all the hard work, all the late nights and early mornings, were worth it.
And as I look back on that sunny afternoon in the high school classroom, I am grateful for the lessons it taught me, and the person it helped me become.
1. Why did the author panic when he first took the exam?| A．He sat with a pounding heart. |
| B．He found the questions too difficult. |
| C．He was not familiar with the foreign language. |
| D．He was in a hurry when answering the questions. |
| A．He attended valuable lessons in school. |
| B．He retook the exam over and over again. |
| C．He promised to arm himself with eagerness. |
| D．He determined to engage himself in learning. |
| A．being targeted at | B．being obliged for |
| C．being absorbed in | D．being credited to |
| A．cheerful and considerate | B．objective and demanding |
| C．tough and persevering | D．proud and tolerant |
在一堂写作课上，老师给出了以下三个题目供学生选择。
| 题目一： 以“盛年不重来，一日难再晨。”（Prime years do not return; a day’s morning is hard to come by again.）为题，结合你的生活体验，写一篇文章。 题目二： 针对目前因为了升学考试而导致的学生知识结构很不平衡（unbalanced knowledge structures）的现象，你觉得有什么好的方法或手段能够改变这种情况，谈谈你的想法。 题目三： 续写“当最后一个地球人（earthling）坐在房间里时，传来了敲门声……” |
写一篇短文，说明你选择的题目，简述理由并介绍你的写作思路。
文章必须包括以下内容：
1. 你选择的作文题目及理由；
2. 你的写作思路。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
