My Own Label
It seemed to me that I had two different identities when I was in fifth grade. Outside of school, I was a reasonably happy kid who enjoyed spending time with my friends, reading or listening to rock music. When I was in class, however, I turned into a very different Denise, one who was on guard all the time, and one who wanted nothing more than to get through the day without being teased.
To my classmates I was strange, because I wasn’t just like them. The most obvious thing they focused on was that I didn’t wear the same designer clothes as they did. Designer clothes were beyond my family’s reach. My mother was a single parent, and she worked long hours to support our small household. As far as love and attention were concerned, I was rich beyond all imagination. I was supported and cared for. The only thing that my classmates cared for was fashion, though, and there, I was poor.
I never knew if my classmates would torment (戏弄) me in class, but on the bus I could count on it. My trips to and from school were the horrific, painful bookends to stressful days. One girl made a point of running over to my seat every morning to see what I was wearing, and then returned to her friends to laugh about it. I shrank into myself and stared out the window.
I was the smallest girl in my class. One of my classmates’ mothers noticed, and offered me a beautiful skirt that her daughter had outgrown. I wore it happily, thrilled to have a cool item of clothing for once. When I outgrew the skirt, my mother bought me a new one of my own, one without a label. When my classmate saw it, she shouted on purpose, “Oh, that’s not my skirt, is it? Where did you get this one, Denise? The poorhouse?” My classmates burst into laughter, and I slipped away, my eyes locked on the ground. I stopped wearing the skirt.
注意：
1.续写词数应为 150左右；
2.请按如下格式作答。
After fifth grade ended, over the summer, I spent a month at a day camp.
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With the love and support of my new friends, I became more confident.
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2 . When I hear the word stereotype (刻板印象), I feel it’s a word that doesn’t have a good aura (氛围) around it. It makes me feel
People assume that because of my
Being an Indian in a
When I first meet someone, I just talk about where they’re from and stuff
I break the stereotypes that I’ve encountered by
| A．upset | B．concerned | C．tired | D．excited |
| A．make | B．judge | C．meet | D．criticize |
| A．personality | B．school | C．family | D．race |
| A．Wherever | B．Whatever | C．Whenever | D．However |
| A．great | B．tiny | C．strange | D．enormous |
| A．mostly | B．partially | C．clearly | D．rarely |
| A．in | B．about | C．on | D．from |
| A．predicts | B．chooses | C．replaces | D．defines |
| A．at | B．in | C．under | D．about |
| A．of | B．as | C．for | D．from |
| A．instead of | B．by accident | C．because of | D．thanks to |
| A．guess | B．think | C．know | D．understand |
| A．coming across | B．looking after | C．depending on | D．laughing at |
| A．voice | B．noise | C．sound | D．interest |
| A．explain | B．assess | C．identify | D．acquire |
3 . Take a Leap to Find Luck
What is luck? I’ve realized, by watching so long, that luck is rarely a lightning strike, isolated and dramatic.
So how do you catch the winds of luck?
The second thing to do is to change your relationship with other people. You need to understand that everyone who helps you on your journey is playing a huge role in getting you to your goals.
And third, you want to change your relationship with ideas. Most people look at new ideas that come their way and they judge them. “That’s a great idea” or “That’s a terrible idea.” But it’s actually much more different. Ideas are neither good nor bad. And in fact, the seeds of terrible ideas are often something truly remarkable.
So, yes, sometimes people were born into terrible circumstances, and sometimes, luck is a lightning bolt that hits us with something wonderful or something terrible. But the winds of luck are always there.
| A．It’s easy, but it’s not obvious. |
| B．Judgment brings fear and hope. |
| C．You need to acknowledge what they’re doing. |
| D．Nothing comes to you accidentally or randomly. |
| E．It’s much more like the wind, blowing constantly. |
| F．Be willing to take small risks that get you out of your comfort zone. |
| G．When they’re turned into something brilliant, amazing things may happen. |
4 . I had some pretty serious issues with my community for the last year, and our relationship completely fell apart 6 months ago. As a result, I
Yesterday, I was forced to see this community because of a major work event. I was fearing this event for months and it was pretty
When you forgive others, you not only free them, but you free yourself
| A．shared | B．posted | C．blocked | D．contacted |
| A．frustrate | B．disturb | C．defeat | D．interrupt |
| A．interactions | B．emotions | C．fantasies | D．passions |
| A．burning | B．building | C．crossing | D．strengthening |
| A．disagreed with | B．sided with | C．worried about | D．cared about |
| A．overwhelming | B．annoying | C．frightening | D．embarrassing |
| A．harmony | B．comparison | C．conflict | D．contact |
| A．security | B．confidence | C．forgiveness | D．comfort |
| A．conference | B．stage | C．moment | D．lecture |
| A．broken away | B．held on | C．got away | D．moved on |
| A．While | B．When | C．Since | D．Unless |
| A．tendency | B．perspective | C．prospect | D．expectation |
| A．in return | B．at least | C．at times | D．as well |
| A．about | B．of | C．within | D．for |
| A．acknowledge | B．attain | C．demonstrate | D．measure |
5 . This morning I was reading a book outside my favorite beachside coffee shop when an 18-year-old boy sat down next to me and said, “The
He told me he was getting ready to
He asked me many questions, and I
But on my way home I realized the
The
| A．book | B．magazine | C．radio | D．newspaper |
| A．reading | B．dancing | C．chatting | D．singing |
| A．graduate from | B．give up | C．get to | D．look for |
| A．right | B．idea | C．excuse | D．money |
| A．avoided | B．refused | C．doubted | D．answered |
| A．proper | B．strict | C．humorous | D．wrong |
| A．competition | B．experiment | C．argument | D．conversation |
| A．angrily | B．sadly | C．actually | D．bravely |
| A．forget | B．remember | C．waste | D．discuss |
| A．chances | B．choices | C．questions | D．challenges |
| A．when | B．until | C．how | D．though |
| A．reason | B．truth | C．silence | D．cause |
| A．on time | B．at a time | C．in time | D．from time to time |
| A．volunteer | B．imagine | C．change | D．cheat |
| A．similar | B．strange | C．difficult | D．amazing |
6 . It was early winter several years ago. I had pulled out my old winter coat for another year’s use. It was still in pretty good shape although it was looking dirty from so many winters’ wear. I didn’t really need a new one but I wanted one and casually mentioned it to my daughter one day. She was such a sweet, loving girl that I should have guessed what would happen next. A few weeks later she gave me a new winter coat as a gift.
I put the old one in my closet and started to wear the new coat every day. Each day, though, when I opened my closet, something troubled me. It seemed a shame that my old but still good coat should just sit there keeping no one warm during the cold winter days. After a few weeks, I took it out and drove to a local charity shop. I knew that there was someone who couldn’t afford a coat but could get my old one.
My new coat is my old coat now. It is getting a little dirty and worn, too. It has black marks on the sleeves. It is in too bad shape to even donate to charity. I wonder if I should buy a new one soon, but I think I will wait for a while. I don’t really need a new one and maybe I can find something else to give to the charity shop instead.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Want is a growing giant whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover.” Perhaps the best way to deal with our wants then is to give instead. Love, after all, brings us the most joy. And the more of it you give away, the more of it you have.
1. Which word can best describe the author’s daughter?| A．Wealthy. | B．Thoughtful. | C．Easy-going. | D．Humorous. |
| A．It cost too much. | B．It was looking dirty. |
| C．There was not enough room for his new coat. | D．It was not sent to someone in need. |
| A．Telling his daughter. | B．Buying a new one soon. |
| C．Donating it to charity. | D．Sending something else to charity. |
| A．Giving fills our wants. | B．Love is the key to joy. |
| C．The more you give, the more you lose. | D．A coat is large enough to cover our wants. |
7 . The Most Important Day of Your Life
What’s the most important day of your life? The answer to that question is simple — Today.
Doing our best today may make things easier for us later on, or at least help us to deal with whatever situation we are in.
Each morning I ask myself what I can do to make today memorable.
Even if today is not that meaningful for you, something you do for someone else may be very meaningful for them. You never know how much a good deed for someone else will impact that person. The greatest meaning that today brings may not be for you, it may be for someone else.
| A．The answer involves doing something kind for someone else. |
| B．Did we hold the door for someone whose hands were full? |
| C．Is today still the most important day? |
| D．The past cannot be changed, and the future has not happened yet. |
| E．Ignoring today and hoping it will go away certainly won’t work. |
| F．If you wash it away, someone else may not get the benefits. |
| G．So make the most of today. |
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath a willow tree. It must be as sick, for the branches were kind of yellow and dry. I was a deserted girl. Endless quarrels with my parents had left me nowhere to go but this desolate (荒无人烟的) corner of the park. As I sat on the bench, things that happened recently began to flash through. Days seemed months to me recently. No cozy home to stay. No happy memories about my life. No considerate family members to talk to. Even the book I was reading was no fun. Not content with life, I had a good reason to frown, for the world was intended to drag me down.
And if that were not enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play. He stood right in front of me with his head tilted (倾斜) down and said with great excitement, “Look what I found!” In his hand was a flower. What a pitiful sight, its petals (花瓣) were all worn—not enough rain, or too little light. He must have picked the flower from somewhere shady and sunless, just like where I was staying these days. I couldn’t help being self-pitying. Wanting him to take his dead flower away and go off to play, I faked a smile and then looked away. “Why couldn’t everyone just leave me be!” I thought to myself, upset and gloomy.
But instead of leaving, he sat next to me and placed the flower to his nose and declared loudly with certainty, “It sure smells pretty and it must be beautiful, too. That’s why I picked it; here, it is for you.” The “weed” before me was dying or dead, not vibrant with colors, orange, yellow or red—anyone having eyes can see that clearly! But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and replied, “Just what I need.” Strangely, instead of placing the flower in my hand, he held it in mid-air without any reason or plan.
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。
Casting a curious glance at the boy’s eyes, I was hugely shocked.
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“I had to make a change,” I thought to myself.
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9 . In casual conversations, there is a seemingly simple question I can never answer without hesitating — “Where are you from?”
I could say I am from Thailand, where I was born. Or I am from Mexico, where I spent the majority of my childhood. Or I am from the US, whose language is rooted into my life. In my mind, none of these answers are satisfying enough. After all, to be from somewhere carries expectations of understanding “your” culture and “your” home.
I feel envious whenever my friends say they’re “going home” for school breaks. As a student who frequently moves, I have never seen my living space as “home”, but “shelter”, another location to stay in before I unavoidably move again.
So, does this mean I do not have, and will never have, a home? I resign myself to living with this sense of sadness, until very recently.
In my dorm, inside my drawer is a specially designed white bath towel that I have not used since I brought it with me from my parents’ house. One day, I took it out, but stopped after smelling the soft, sweet laundry detergent (洗衣粉), the one my parents used back in Thailand. I felt my eyes water as that random smell brought my mixed emotions to the surface: sadness and nostalgia, a strong feeling of missing home. I still avoid using that towel until now because I don’t want to replace the smell of nostalgia with my newly-bought detergent.
Sadly, even with this new discovery, I will still struggle when answering where I am from, and I will always feel a sense of loss in not having a physical home to “go back to”. Yet, in random moments, when a smell catches me off guard (让我猝不及防) with the memories it brings, I like to believe that the things I feel then are things people feel when they are home. And if these moments can make me smile, even with a sense of loss, what better home can I ask for?
1. Why is the author unable to see his living space as “home”?| A．His living places often change. | B．He is unsatisfied with the place. |
| C．His expectations of “home” are high. | D．He can’t understand the culture there. |
| A．It was made in his hometown. | B．It is a present from his parents. |
| C．Its smell awakened his memories. | D．Its design wins his preference. |
| A．He no longer feels a sense of loss. |
| B．He feels a physical home is unnecessary. |
| C．He has got the answer to “Where are you from?” |
| D．He has found a sense of home in some moments. |
| A．A Man’s Home Is His Castle | B．There Is No Place Like Home |
| C．The Smell Brings Me Home | D．The Emotion Connects Me With Home |
“I have to be home earlier than all my friends,” my teenage son, Jordan, said. “I’ m seventeen years old, and I still have a curfew(宵禁). Legally, I’m practically an adult.”
“You’re not an adult,” I said. “You’re still in high school.” “None of my friends had a curfew. You don’t trust me.” “It’s not about trust,” I said. “It’s about wanting what’s best for you. I want to protect you.” “Protect me from what? Having fun?”
I sighed. How could I make Jordan see that I only wanted the best for him? I decided to go for a walk. I opened the front door and nearly stepped on him: a small black cat with a white-tipped tail. “Hi, Meatball,” I said, scooping him into my arms. “Are you ready to come back inside?”
Meatball usually seemed happy enough to come in the house, but after an hour or two, he sat by the door, meowing to go back outside. “Why won’t he just stay in with us all the time?” Nathan asked. “Because he’s used to living outside,” I said.
Jordan’s curfew had become an ongoing discussion that rarely ended well for either of us. I decided to ignore his comment. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything else.
One night in January, temperatures were usually low. Meatball stood at the door, meowing to go outside. “It’ s too cold out there, Bud,” I said. “You’ll freeze.” He stared at me and meowed again. “Mom’s not being mean to you,” Nathan told the cat. “She’s just trying to keep you from turning into a frozen Meatball.” We both laughed at his joke.
The next morning, I couldn’t find Meatball. Jordan said, “I let him out last night.” It took me several minutes to find him curled in a tiny ball beneath my husband’s car. I picked him up, unsure if he was alive or dead. While I called the vet, Jordan warmed towels in the dryer and wrapped them around Meatball.
“I’m sorry, Buddy,” I heard him say over and over again. “Mom was right. Even though you didn’t want to, I should have made you stay inside where it was safe.”
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 I drove to the vet’s office, Jordan sat in the back, holding Meatball inside his coat for warmth.
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On the drive home, Jordan surprisingly apologized to me.
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