Sandy and Jane came to see the jobo tree on the hilltop again. Jobos were their favorite fruit, but the tree belonged to a lady who lived in the house by the hill. They heard she was difficult, but that sometimes she would give fruit in return for an errand(差使)
The girls finally gathered their courage to knock on her door. An elderly woman with a fierce look answered, staring down at the girls. “We heard …”said Sandy, her voice shaky, “that you give jobos in payment for running an errand.”
The lady raised one eyebrow, then went into the kitchen and took two baskets. She pushed them into the girls’ hands.“Go fill these with jobos, and come right back.”
The girls raced up the hill to the tree and filled the baskets with the ripest jobos. Back at the house, the lady filled a bag with rice and handed it to Sandy. “Take this bag and one basket of jobos to the Brown family. And ask them for the payment,” the lady added with a tight smile.“If you return without the payment, you won’t get the fruit.”
The girls struggled all the way with the bag and the basket. When they were there, Mrs. Brown answered the door. Inside on the floor were three little children, each painting something on papers.
Mr. Brown was lying sick in bed.Times were hard.
The girls handed her the food.“This is from the lady with the jobo tree, ” said Sandy.
“She asked for the payment, too.”Jane said awkwardly.
“The payment! The payment!” The children repeated, waving the paper in their hands happily.
Sandy and Jane looked at each other strangely. With a smile, Mrs. Brown handed Sandy a large sealed(密封的)envelope so full that it was almost starting to break open. The girls said goodbye and left quickly. “I wonder,” Sandy murmured, “whether Mrs. Brown can afford to pay for that food.”
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。
Worried, the two girls discussed what was in the envelope as they walked back.
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The lady opened the envelope, took out a pile of papers, and smiled.
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2 . Kala has deep ties to her Hawaiian roots. Her ancestors navigated (航行) the oceans for centuries using their knowledge of the stars, the sun, the currents and the wind. It’s not that she does it in a canoe without technology, but rather uses the natural technology around her. It’s called Way finding, and was taught to her by her father.
“My father was my foundation, my rock.” she says of her first voyage with him from Oahu to Lahaina in a traditional canoe. He taught her how to read the stars, the ocean swells and how to use them to hold the course. “Over 200 stars have specific names and purposes when you are Way finding. You have to look at each and determine if they are rising or setting. You know this star and the direction it represents. If you can do that, you can use it as a tool to orient (确定方向).” Kala added.
Kala Tanaka sailed the canoe in the ocean for up to three weeks. During the day, Kala used the sun until it hit a certain height. When she got closer to land, she looked for certain species of land birds and clouds that indicated there was land below. When Kala sailed she felt “I feel very connected to the crew and the canoe. We’re a family.” The longer voyage required Kala to spend hours studying the day and the night skies. It was demanding physical work. But it also had its moments of awe. For Kala, the beauty was in tying together the past and the present to enjoy the moment. So when she was not sailing, she was teaching Way finding skills to school-aged children in hopes of preserving the skills her ancestors relied on.
It’s easy to be lost in the immediacy of the technology of our day, to be consumed by screens and miss the nature that unfolds around us. But if we will take the time to look up, to see the stars and the sun, the way the clouds move, the miracle of life beneath and above us, we will discover something deep inside us, something that will always lead to happiness.
1. How does Kala navigate the ocean in a canoe?| A．By observing the natural elements around. |
| B．By following the course of ocean currents. |
| C．By using hi-technology navigation devices. |
| D．By recalling the first voyage with her father. |
| A．It was a heroic adventure. | B．It brought great joy to her life. |
| C．It was school children’s favorite. | D．It represented a kind of innovation. |
| A．Enjoy the screens. | B．Explore the universe. |
| C．Get close to nature. | D．Keep the earth clean. |
| A．Finding Our Way | B．Navigating the Ocean |
| C．The Wisdom from Ancestors | D．An Unforgettable Journey |
3 . About a month ago I noticed something really amazing, which I must call a garden miracle(奇迹). It so happened that when I
How was this
I can’t help feeling
For one thing, I am moved by the happenstance(巧合) of the whole thing. If I had
But there’s something else that
When it comes to positivity, a little goes a long way. Just ask my little miracle plant.
1.| A．approached | B．shut | C．opened | D．knocked |
| A．need | B．provide | C．receive | D．keep |
| A．sticks | B．branches | C．roots | D．flowers |
| A．essential | B．possible | C．significant | D．different |
| A．stepped aside | B．stepped away | C．looked down | D．looked around |
| A．request | B．enable | C．instruct | D．intend |
| A．excited | B．puzzled | C．amazed | D．amused |
| A．put | B．found | C．measured | D．missed |
| A．broad | B．soft | C．strong | D．narrow |
| A．pulled out | B．cared for | C．thought about | D．brought in |
| A．requires | B．cheers | C．inspires | D．changes |
| A．attention | B．warmth | C．time | D．effort |
| A．expecting | B．imagining | C．doubting | D．saying |
| A．experience | B．do | C．accept | D．remember |
| A．water | B．encouragement | C．sunshine | D．support |
Often, when he came to visit, my grandfather would bring me a present. These were never the sorts of things that other people brought, such as dolls, books or toys. My dolls and toys have been gone for more than half a century, but many of my grandfather’s gifts are still with me.
Once he brought me a little plastic cup. I looked inside, expecting to see something special. But there was only some loose soil in it, which made me disappointed. He smiled at me affectionately. Turning around, he picked up a little teapot from my dolls’ tea set and took me to the kitchen where he filled the little cup with water. Back in the living room, he put it on the windowsill(窗台) and handed me the teapot. “If you promise to put some water in the cup every day, something may happen.” he told me.
At that time, I was only five years old. This whole thing made no sense to me at all. I looked at him doubtfully and asked, “Do I have to water it every day? What will happen?” He nodded to me with encouragement, “Yes, every day, dear.”
And so I promised. At first, curious to see what would happen, I did not mind doing this. But as the days went by and nothing changed, it got harder and harder to remember to put water in the cup. After a week, I asked my grandfather if it was time to stop yet. Shaking his head no, he said, “Every day.” The second week was even harder, and I became regretful of my promise to put water in the cup. When my grandfather came again, I tried to give it back to him, but he refused to take it, saying simply the same words, “Every day.” By the third week, I began to forget to put water in the cup during the day. Often, I would remember only after I had been put to bed and would have to get out of bed and water it in the dark. But I did not miss a single day.
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。
One morning, something amazing happened.
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This was perhaps my first lesson in the power of perseverance.
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5 . The curb cut (下斜路缘). It’s a convenience that most of us rarely, if ever, notice. Yet, without it, daily life might be a lot harder—in more ways than one. Pushing a baby stroller onto the curb, skateboarding onto a sidewalk or taking a full grocery cart from the sidewalk to your car—all these tasks are easier because of the curb cut.
But it was created with a different purpose in mind.
It’s hard to imagine today, but back in the 1970s, most sidewalks in the United States ended with a sharp drop-off. That was a big deal for people in wheelchairs because there were no ramps (斜坡) to help them move along city blocks without assistance. According to one disability rights leader, a six-inch curb “might as well have been Mount Everest”. So, activists from Berkeley, California, who also needed wheelchairs, organized a campaign to create tiny ramps at intersections to help people dependent on wheels move up and down curbs independently.
I think about the “curb cut effect” a lot when working on issues around health equity (公平). The first time I even heard about the curb cut was in a 2017 Stanford Social Innovation Review piece by PolicyLink CEO Angela Blackwell. Blackwell rightly noted that many people see equity “as a zero-sum game.” Basically, that there is a “prejudiced societal suspicion that intentionally supporting one group hurts another.” What the curb cut effect shows though, Blackwell said, is that “when society creates the circumstances that allow those who have been left behind to participate and contribute fully, everyone wins.”
There are multiple examples of this principle at work. For example, investing in policies that create more living-wage jobs or increase the availability of affordable housing certainly benefits people in communities that have limited options. But, the action also empowers those people with opportunities for better health and the means to become contributing members of society—and that benefits everyone. Even the football huddle (围成一团以秘密商讨) was initially created to help deaf football players at Gallaudet College keep their game plans secret from opponents who could have read their sign language. Today, it’s used by every team to shield the opponent from learning about game-winning strategies.
So, next time you cross the street, or roll your suitcase through a crosswalk or ride your bike directly onto a sidewalk—think about how much the curb cut, that change in design that broke down walls of exclusion for one group of people at a disadvantage, has helped not just that group, but all of us.
1. By “might as well have been Mount Everest” (paragraph 3), the disability rights leader implies that a six-inch curb may become ________.| A．as famous as the world’s highest mountain |
| B．an almost impassable barrier |
| C．a connection between people |
| D．a most unforgettable matter |
| A．it’s fair to give the disadvantaged more help than others |
| B．it’s impossible to have everyone be treated equally |
| C．it’s necessary to go all out to help the disabled |
| D．it’s not worthwhile to promote health equity |
| A．Spaceflight designs are applied to life on earth. |
| B．Four great inventions of China spread to the west. |
| C．Christopher Columbus discovered the new world. |
| D．Classic literature got translated into many languages. |
| A．Everyday items are originally invented for people with disabilities. |
| B．Everyone in a society should pursue what is in his or her interest. |
| C．A disability rights leader changed the life of his fellow men. |
| D．Caring for disadvantaged groups may finally benefit all. |
When I was six years old, I visited my grandfather’s farm in Kansas and he sent me into the woods to gather pecans (胡桃) for us to enjoy later. The pecans were about the size of a man’s thumbnail and just about the tastiest snack I’d ever had.
However, pecan picking was really tiring and my little bucket was only half full after working hard for a long time. I thought I wouldn’t let Grandpa down. Just then something caught my eye. A large brown squirrel was a few feet away. I watched as he picked up a pecan, hurried to a tree, jumped up to the trunk and disappeared in a large hole. A moment later the squirrel popped back out and climbed down to the ground to pick up another nut. Once again, he took the pecan back to his hiding place inside the hollow of the tree.
Not so secret anymore, I thought. I dashed over to the tree and looked into the hole. It was filled with pecans! Golden pecans were right there for taking. This was my chance. Handful by handful, I scooped all of those pecans into my bucket. Now it was almost full! I was so proud of myself that I couldn’t wait to show Grandpa all the pecans.
I ran back and shouted, “Look at all the pecans!” He looked into the bucket and asked, “Well, well, how did you find so many?” I told him how I’d followed the squirrel and taken the pecans from his hiding place.
Grandpa congratulated me on how smart I’d been in observing the squirrel and his habits. Then he did something that surprised me. He handed the bucket back to me and put his arm gently around my shoulders.
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:
“That squirrel worked very hard to gather his winter supply of food,” he said.
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I picked up that little bucket full of pecans and carried it back to the tree.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Growing up poor and having parents who didn’t receive a good education, I often struggled at school. What was worse, my parents often moved to different places. They likely did not realize the damaging effects it had on my learning as they moved from apartment to apartment, year after year. I attended seven different schools from kindergarten through the 8th grade. With a fragmented (片段的) education, I entered high school, not doing well in literacy and math. But it was not until I attended a major public state university that I really understood the academic gaps that I had in comparison to my peers. I had to work particularly hard to not only understand the textbooks and lectures, but also catch myself up in basic skills of writing and comprehension. But I wasn’t the one to forgo. No matter how hard it was, I persisted.
Today, I have many degrees, three of them are Master’s Degrees and I am currently in my second year of studying for my doctorate in Educational Leadership.
I share my story for various reasons, but mainly due to the hope that another young child, possibly growing up poor, can realize that an education is the ticket to the quality of life. It can happen for that child. One can be successful! One can overcome all obstacles.
Some days will be extremely tougher than others and someday those accomplishments will glow (发光), but giving up is not a wise choice. It certainly won’t lead to the light at the end of the tunnel. Therefore, we should take advantage of the challenges and difficulties to make us stronger and reflect on how to beat all the differences. We should foster our thinking that current challenges have been designed to build upon our strength, not tear us down. In this way, we can fulfill our long-term goals.
1. What made the author’s study much worse when he was a child? (no more than 5 words)2. What did the author realize after attending a major public state university? (no more than 10 words)
3. How do you understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2? (no more than 10 words)
4. Why did the author want to share his story? (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you learn from the author’s story? (no more than 20 words)
8 . Once a year, around the time when Christians celebrate Easter, Muslims celebrate Ramadan and Jews celebrate Passover, I often invite my 24-person team to a joyful and special dinner at my place. To
I think this
Yet when people
I’m also really
As the person in charge of the lab, I see preserving a variety of cultural backgrounds as an important part of my job. Such an accessible, varied and supportive
| A．accommodate | B．avoid | C．change | D．control |
| A．enjoy | B．throw | C．prepare | D．taste |
| A．dream | B．tradition | C．promise | D．debate |
| A．strange | B．conservative | C．poor | D．diverse |
| A．gives up | B．turns down | C．consists of | D．leaves out |
| A．breakthroughs | B．backgrounds | C．ambitions | D．hobbies |
| A．differences | B．recipes | C．requirements | D．standards |
| A．visit | B．praise | C．join | D．aid |
| A．regret | B．charge | C．sympathy | D．love |
| A．surprised at | B．proud of | C．interested in | D．worried about |
| A．curious | B．casual | C．careful | D．relaxed |
| A．thank | B．defeat | C．compare | D．choose |
| A．scientifically | B．physically | C．mentally | D．financially |
| A．respect | B．protect | C．stand | D．doubt |
| A．chance | B．position | C．lecture | D．environment |
9 . When I was little, my dad would let me sit beside him on the porch while he painted. He would tell me how the cow by itself is just a cow, and the meadow by itself is just grass and flowers, and the sun peeking through the trees is just a beam of light, but put them all together and you’ve got magic.
I understood what he was saying, but I’ve never felt what he was saying until one day when I was up in the sycamore tree to rescue a kite stuck in the branches. It was a long way up, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I started climbing. Then I looked down. And suddenly I got dizzy and weak. I was miles off the ground! But the kite was still beyond my reach. I caught my breath and forced myself to concentrate on the kite as I climbed up.
When I had the kite free, I needed a minute to rest. That’s when the fear of being up so high began to lift, and in its place came the most amazing feeling that I was flying. Just soaring above the earth, sailing among the clouds.
Then I began to notice how wonderful the breeze smelled. It seemed like sunshine and wild grass and rain! I couldn’t stop breathing it in, filling my lungs again and again with the sweetest smell I’d ever known.
I never got over the view. I kept thinking of what it felt like to be up so high in that tree. I wanted to see it, to feel it, again. And again.
It wasn’t long before I wasn’t afraid of being up so high and found the spot that became my spot. I could sit there for hours, just looking out at the world. Sunsets were amazing. Some days they’d be purple and pink, some days they’d be a blazing orange, setting fire to clouds across the horizon.
It was on a day like that when my father’s notion (观念) moved from my head to my heart. The view from my sycamore was more than rooftops and clouds and wind and colors combined.
And I started marveling (惊奇) at how I was feeling both humble and majestic. How was that possible? How could I be so full of peace and full of wonder?
It was magic.
1. Why did the author climb up the sycamore tree?| A．To play in the tree. | B．To get a trapped kite. |
| C．To prove her courage. | D．To practice climbing skills. |
| A．unusual but painful | B．competitive and imaginative |
| C．adventurous but rewarding | D．well-planned and interesting |
| A．Because the tree had the sweetest smell. |
| B．Because it could help her to concentrate. |
| C．Because her father encouraged her to do so. |
| D．Because she could enjoy more than good views. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Positive action leads to happiness. |
| C．Beautiful things don’t ask for attention. |
| D．The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. |
10 . A few weeks ago, my 3-year-old granddaughter Frances asked, ‘‘Why don’t cardinals (红雀) migrate?” Frances’s question
Preschoolers love thinking about possible
Fortunately, there’s no reason why we can’t all be lifelong learners. I’m 69, but I still experienced the same thrill of
By embracing children’s acts of wondering, you become their
| A．moved | B．confused | C．surprised | D．worried |
| A．chance | B．problem | C．influence | D．answer |
| A．struggled | B．learned | C．managed | D．hesitated |
| A．held back | B．gave in | C．walked away | D．put off |
| A．benefits | B．solutions | C．designs | D．explanations |
| A．nervous | B．disturbed | C．embarrassed | D．free |
| A．relief | B．joy | C．pity | D．blessing |
| A．regret | B．continue | C．stop | D．enjoy |
| A．challenge | B．discovery | C．doubt | D．competition |
| A．collect | B．hide | C．supply | D．write |
| A．until | B．before | C．because | D．though |
| A．busy | B．inspired | C．delighted | D．warm |
| A．compare | B．study | C．share | D．create |
| A．promising | B．encouraging | C．permitting | D．controlling |
| A．partners | B．teachers | C．employees | D．learners |
