1. Who is probably the speaker?
| A．A reporter. | B．A teacher. | C．A writer. |
| A．He read a book. |
| B．He looked after the horse. |
| C．He enjoyed the snow. |
| A．Sad. | B．Moved. | C．Casual. |
| A．Help those around us as much as we can. |
| B．Read as many books as we can. |
| C．Be grateful for what we have. |
I stood in the restaurant kitchen, my eyes wide, arms hanging awkwardly, ready to work but unsure of what to do. “You will be trained first,” my manager Aaron said, “and do remember to check every detail!” With these words, he walked away.
A workmate threw me a dish brush and said, “Let’s get started.” He introduced me to the basics of washing dishes and demonstrated the process. This was the beginning of my part-time job, a new stage where I was both eager to learn and anxious about the challenges ahead.
On a Friday night, Aaron swiftly entered the kitchen. “Who has just bused (收拾) the back right table?” he shouted, his voice sharp with urgency. My hands, slippery with bubbles from the bowl I was washing, nearly let it slip through my fingers. I wanted to say I was guilty, but Aaron’s cold stare didn’t promise a happy reward for the guy who admitted. Finally, a mix of fear and my own conscience pushed the response out of my mouth.
“I did, Aaron.”
“What were you thinking? Get back out here and look at what you missed!” His words forced me forward. I grabbed a rag (抹布) and followed him out to table twenty-two. As we made our way through the restaurant, he said something about rags, but I didn’t hear clearly with other conversations going on around us.
I quickly realized the true issue was the mess beneath the table. A nearly full cup of beer had tipped over, creating a small lake on the floor. It was a significant mistake on my part. “Take care of it!” Aaron tuned and stormed off to the front of the restaurant.
I dropped down to clean up the beer. That was when another problem occurred. I had brought only one rag. One already wet rag. It did nothing but increase the size of the lake. “More rags,” I thought. Immediately, I rushed into the kitchen and hurriedly grabbed five dry rags, hoping Aaron wouldn’t notice my brief absence.
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。
I had just rushed out when I found Aaron standing in my way.
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After cleaning up the mess, I reflected on Aaron’s words.
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3 . I hadn’t seen Anne in nearly 20 years since college, yet we could still party like old times. It was great to have her here,
She was looking at the few blooms (花) left in my yard. I hadn’t planted much after losing my job. It had been a
“One of my hobbies is taking photos of
Suddenly a hot song rang from her cell phone. “I set it to remind me to take my medicine,” she said calmly.
“An
“For my brain,” she smiled. “I have been diagnosed with a rare cancer, a small tumor (肿块) no bigger than your fingernail,” she laughed softly. That was Anne — ever
So
Later next day, an e-mail filled with the flower photos popped up from Anne — clear and beautiful. She had gotten past the anger, the pity and unfairness, taking one moment at a time and polishing it until it
I shifted my eye to outside, and I had her flowers in full bloom. Actually, I always had them, but it was Anne who got me to really
| A．saving | B．watching | C．sharing | D．controlling |
| A．normal | B．new | C．satisfying | D．difficult |
| A．last | B．same | C．only | D．right |
| A．yards | B．flowers | C．parties | D．people |
| A．bother | B．avoid | C．miss | D．stop |
| A．award | B．order | C．alarm | D．idea |
| A．optimistic | B．attractive | C．hard-working | D．confident |
| A．nervous | B．shocked | C．relaxed | D．lucky |
| A．ended | B．failed | C．shined | D．fruited |
| A．arrange | B．trust | C．colour | D．appreciate |
4 . 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. |
5 . Many years ago, Coca-Cola ran a brilliant advertising campaign about “The Pause That Refreshes”. They were on to something. Pauses refresh us because they allow us to stop, refocus, and rest.
The older I get, the more I’ve intentionally added pauses to my day. Some pauses are only a few minutes long; others are hours. It may be a walk to a faraway copier at work instead of the one in my department. Or driving an alternate route home. Or a day at the beach. The idea is to relax and rest by changing my thoughts from what stresses me to what refreshes me.
Rest refreshes us. And I rest best by doing nothing. I recently read a little book by Sandy Gingras called How to Live at the Beach. I love this light-hearted, five-minute read. It’s a clue that helps conjure up images of the mentality we have when we’re at the beach—and why we need to transport this beach mentality to our non-beach lives.
My son, his wife, and my grandson live near the beach in Santa Barbara, California. Next to Hawaii, it's one of the most beautiful places in the United States. When I head to the ocean with them, I'm awed by the benefits of the beach. For me, a day at the beach epitomizes (成为缩影) the discipline of doing nothing. It’s a pause. It’s also an example of a simpler life. I’m learning how to bring a beach mentality, and all its benefits, back home with me. A beach mentality slows me down, allows me to think over only what’s in front of me and allows me to fully appreciate what surrounds me in my nine-to-five world.
During the time of “country closure”, I’ve noticed what I typically fail to notice. Who says doing nothing is boring? Doing nothing calms and refuels me.
I’ve realized that by pausing more, I’ve seen more, listened more, heard more, and felt more. Yet, pausing is a discipline all its own. By developing the discipline of doing nothing, I’ve learned that a life of clarity, simplicity, and rest awaits.
1. Why is the advertising campaign run by Coca-Cola mentioned?| A．To make a prediction. | B．To explain a concept. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To illustrate an argument. |
| A．Transform. | B．Imagine. | C．Withdraw. | D．Polish. |
| A．Follow suit. | B．Keep watch. | C．Pursue perfection. | D．Slow down. |
| A．The Discipline of Doing Nothing | B．Being Intentional About Self-Care |
| C．The Price of Every Decision | D．Choosing Joy over Sadness |
Jack was a reserved (内向的) child who was often isolated at school. He used to suffer a lot. Seldom did he discuss anything in and after class, nor did he consult with his teacher. It seemed that he was more fond of immersing himself in his own world, However, his classmates didn’t understand his quietness and interests and often deliberately didn’t invite him to take part in activities. But in reality, Jack felt very lonely and longed to interact with others but didn’t know how to break down the barriers. He was eager to turn to someone for help.
Sadly, Jack’s parents were too occupied with daily chores to notice the change in him as he became quieter and more distant. Even when Jack picked up his courage to share his feelings, he was simply comforted by words like, “Go and get it. We know you can do it.”
However, Jack was at a total loss to pull himself out. At home, he had no alternative but to play his favorite jigsaw (拼图) puzzle in silence and avoided interacting with anyone. He began to wonder if he was doing something wrong and if he really wasn’t cut out to make friends and could never express himself properly. He felt sad and started not to associate with others.
Luckily, Jack’s class teacher noticed his predicament (窘境) and decided to step in to help. The teacher organized a class project after a math test, which seemed quite demanding for most students but not for Jack. The teacher required the students to work together in groups to solve the problems of their own and then he would invite someone to present his or her critical ideas on behalf of the group. The teacher then purposely placed Jack in a disadvantaged group and encouraged him to show his strengths. To the teacher’s credit, Jack didn’t let him down.
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。
During the project, Jack impressed all the group members.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jack learned a lot from the project and decided to make a change.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| A.Even if B.move on C. pick up D. break down E. benefit from F. common sense G. in a mess H.in touch with I. turn out J. make a difference K. in fear |
Life is full of challenges, but we must learn to
8 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.
I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.
Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.
I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.
The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.
Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.
1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Enjoy. | B．Fear. | C．Expect. | D．Avoid. |
| A．They get angry too easily. | B．They blame her for their debts. |
| C．They do not see her as a real person. | D．They accuse her of taking their money. |
| A．She can offer callers best advice. | B．She is always respected by callers. |
| C．She can put herself in others’ shoes. | D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity. |
| A．To call for understanding of her job. | B．To explain why she is good at her job. |
| C．To introduce what she is responsible for. | D．To complain about her being treated badly. |
9 . I was interested in volunteering at a hospital because both of my parents work in hospitals. I wanted to see what the
To my greatest joy, I was
My overall experience of volunteering at VA can be
| A．opportunity | B．decision | C．experience | D．adventure |
| A．specific | B．private | C．flexible | D．cautious |
| A．concept | B．mission | C．profession | D．advantage |
| A．contributed | B．generated | C．transformed | D．shared |
| A．accepted into | B．committed to | C．concerned about | D．withdrawn from |
| A．studying | B．volunteering | C．observing | D．exercising |
| A．convinced | B．determined | C．valued | D．amused |
| A．applied | B．refused | C．promised | D．arranged |
| A．classified | B．summarized | C．divided | D．combined |
| A．normal | B．relevant | C．reliable | D．worthy |
| A．attached | B．devoted | C．exposed | D．submitted |
| A．actually | B．totally | C．absolutely | D．appropriately |
| A．respect | B．treasure | C．understand | D．agree |
| A．ability | B．responsibility | C．approach | D．courage |
| A．relaxing | B．challenging | C．fulfilling | D．thrilling |
10 . To build a prosperous (繁荣的) society, a fundamental understanding of the modern economy as a driving force in today’s world is essential.
What kind of prosperity have we achieved so far? The widespread definition of prosperity focuses on economic power and growth as measures of success. Let’s take a look at history. The Second Industrial Revolution enabled mass production and created a sufficient supply of goods. This has greatly increased the importance of money in its role as “a store of value, ” and “a medium of exchange. ”As a result, we have pursued economic power as the only indicator of prosperity, such as GDP. Waves of globalization and technological evolution have promoted overall economic growth, but have allowed the few who are strong to achieve greater power while exploiting the many who are weak. Consequently, inequality has worsened, and disunity has intensified.
The path to a truly prosperous world requires a shift in focus towards the most suitable happiness for all, in addition to economic power. Defining happiness, however, is a complex task. What makes people happy? The degree to which the same thing creates happiness differs from person to person. Happiness is subjective and complicated. This is a world of “multiple values” where each of us determines worth as opposed to “one fixed price” based merely on an economic perspective. Individuals shouldn’t be defined by a single identity or role but by multidimensional nature as well as multiple roles making independent choices and taking actions for their happiness in different aspects.
Businesses must be pioneers in pursuing not only economic growth but also the happiness of all citizens of society. Companies can contribute through the pursuit of social value as well as economic profit. At the heart of this lies “purpose”. A company’s purpose defines the value it brings to society. The true worth of a company should be determined not just by the return s it creates for shareholders but by the value it creates for society as a whole.
1. What is the author’s attitude to the widely accepted standard of prosperity?| A．Indifferent. | B．Critical. | C．Uncertain. | D．Approving. |
| A．The slower economic growth speed. |
| B．The sharp reduction of job opportunities. |
| C．The enlarged gap between the rich and the poor. |
| D．The increasing conflict between different nations. |
| A．Happiness is changeable and beyond control. |
| B．Happiness largely depends on economic power. |
| C．The pursuit of profit determines a company’s true worth. |
| D．A prosperous world should be measured by multiple values. |
| A．Social psychologists. | B．Enterprise administrators. |
| C．School educators. | D．Technological researchers. |
