1 . The only thing separating my two worlds is the Rio Grande river— it might not be much, but it’s enough for me to feel a big difference in customs and values. People who are not from El Paso, Texas, United States or a border city might not understand what it's like to grow up between two places at once.
I grew up in a Mexican household. My dad was born in El Paso but lived nearly his entire life in Ciudad Juárez until I was born, and my mom was born and raised in Mexico. She didn’t move to the US until she had me, when she was 28. My first language was Spanish, but my parents did not want me in bilingual classes. So, instead, it was all English for me at school.
English was all I spoke among friends at school, while Spanish was the designated language with family, and I hardly ever mixed them. I also spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents, who lived in Juárez and you could say helped raise and shape who I am today. It's thanks to them that I perfected my Spanish, learned to read and write in that language — despite never taking classes—and fell in love with my Mexican culture by traveling to Mexico City and around the country.
Along with being bilingual came a sense of having a double identity. I enjoyed watching Spanish TV series with my grandma as much as American series such as The Amanda Show. And the same went for music. I loved listening to Spanish singers, as much as American pop singers.
It wasn’t until high school that I began to meet other people whose backgrounds I could relate to. I was introduced to friends with whom I identified because they were Mexican American and who had also been raised in El Paso but often visited family in Juárez. It was also during these years that I started going out to party in Juárez.
Growing up on the border is pretty special. Thanks to my bicultural upbringing, I learned to enjoy and appreciate both sides of me without ever questioning who I am, because the truth is that I need both of those relationships and cultural identities to feel complete.
1. What do we know about the author’s upbringing background?| A．He was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. |
| B．He attended school in the US from a young age. |
| C．His parents were both born and raised in Mexico. |
| D．He showed his bilingual ability to his classmates at school. |
| A．His grandparents. | B．His parents. | C．His teachers. | D．His friends. |
| A．To contrast the two styles of TV series. |
| B．To illustrate the author's wide interests. |
| C．To prove the author fits into both cultures well. |
| D．To show grandma and the author have the same hobbies. |
| A．Proud. | B．Confused. | C．Worried. | D．Awkward |
| A．He felt unwell. | B．He was stuck in traffic. | C．He tended his sick mother. |
A Secret Promise Kept
When I was a little boy, I loved to visit the fire station where my father worked. Sometimes Dad would give me a ten cents to buy a soda (汽水).
One day, I took two friends to the station to show my dad off. I asked Dad if we could each have a soda before we went home for lunch. I sensed just the slightest hesitation in my father’s voice. But he said “sure” and gave us each a dime (一毛钱). We each bought a soda and headed home for lunch and a summer afternoon of swimming.
When I came home, I heard my parents talking. Mom seemed upset with Dad, and then I heard my name mentioned. “You should have just said you didn’t have money for sodas. Brian would have understood. We don’t have any extra money, and you need to have your lunch.”
I suddenly realized the sacrifice (牺牲) my father had made for it. For the next twenty years, he worked three jobs to support my big family.
One afternoon Dad’s old car broke down, and he asked me to take him to his doctor’s appointment. As I pulled up to the firehouse, I saw Dad outside around a brand-new pickup truck with the other firemen. It was a beauty. Dad said, “Someday, I’ll own a truck like that.”
My brothers and I were doing well in business. We had offered to buy him a truck, but he refused.
When Dad stepped out of the doctor’s office, his face was pale. “Let’s go,” was all he said.
We drove by the old house, the lake and the corner store, and Dad started talking about the memories each place held and how proud he was of us. That was when I knew he was dying, which totally shocked me. He made me promise that I would never tell anyone of his impending (迫近的) death. I agreed, knowing it was the toughest secret to keep.
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。
At the time, I was just looking to buy a new truck, so I invited Dad to go to the local car dealer’s (经销商) shop with me.
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I walked to my father with the key to the brown truck.
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Jack was a bright and curious child, always eager to learn new things and explore the mysterious world about science. However, he often found himself in disagreement with his mother. His mother was always busy with her work and she didn’t have enough time to learn about his interests and passions.
One day, Jack came home from school feeling particularly excited. He just found a sci-fi book about an adventure on the moon. Upon arriving at home, he couldn’t tear himself away from the book. He read and read until it was dark. Having finished reading it, he couldn’t wait to share it with his mother, only to be told that he should focus on more practical subjects like math and history, which would help him get into a good college and have a successful career.
Jack couldn’t understand why his mother didn’t see the value in what he was doing. He felt that she was holding him back and not allowing him to pursue his true interests. “Why can’t you see how important this is to me?” Jack asked his mother angrily. “I’m never going to be happy if I have to spend my life doing things that I show no interest in just because they are practical or make you proud.”
The once peaceful home was filled with tension and anger. His mother’s voice grew louder as she shouted, “You can’t just do whatever you want! You should be responsible for your future!” Jack, fueled by his own frustration, shot back, “I am tired of you always telling me what to do! I am not a child anymore! You only care about your own feeling! You never thought about my feeling!” They were so caught up in their own anger and hurt that they failed to see how their words and actions were affecting each other.
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。
Jack rushed into his bedroom and locked the door heavily.
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When Jack heard his mother’s words, regretful tears rolled down his face.
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When I was little, I used to walk with my grandmother on a quiet and small road across which she and my grandfather lived. My grandfather rarely joined us. He was a seemingly strict man, an ex-soldier who. usually held back his emotions, especially his affection(喜爱). He wasn’t a man who hugged me often when I was a child, but I had never doubted his love for me.
Grandma and I would walk, hand in hand, moving at an equal pace. The sun would be shining; the birds would be singing. We would chat about this and that, or just walk in silence, enjoying the outdoors and each other’s company. Yet, for me, these times were not just a chance to get some exercise or be with my grandmother, though both were important. These walks were treasure hunts.
More often than not, at the road’s edge, there would be money. Not lots of it — I cent here, 5 cents there. Sometimes, on really lucky days, I’d find 10 cents or even 25. I’d pick up these coins, proudly show Grandma and joyfully put them into my pockets. Some days, I wouldn’t find anything. “Maybe next time, ” my grandmother would say. Other days, I’d come back from our walk with more than twenty-five cents to put in my piggy bank, or to buy candies — a treat for a six-year-old child.
Looking back now, it wasn’t even the money that was such a big deal; it was the joy of discovery. It was the hope of finding something small left or forgotten along the side of the road. It made me feel so lucky and so special. Yet, it wasn’t until years later, when I was in my late twenties, that the simple memory meant much more to me than simply the happiness of a child. It was my mother who told me the secret which brought a whole new meaning to my experience.
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:
“Remember when you used to walk with Grandma and find money?” Mother asked.
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Paragraph 2:
Now, I would do the same thing my grandfather did.
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6 . Snapchat is rolling out parental controls that allow parents to see their teenager’s contacts and report to the social media company — without their child’s knowledge — any accounts that may worry them.
The goal, executives say, is to enable parents to monitor their child’s connections without giving up teens’ autonomy (自主性). Named Family Center, the new suite of tools released Tuesday requires both caregiver and teen to be involved in.
“It allows parents to see who’s in their teen’s universe,” said Nona Farahnik, director of platform policy for Snap, the company that makes Snapchat. “It offers parents the ability to ask who someone might be, how they might know a contact, which improves those real-time conversations about who teens are talking to.”
Farahnik says Family Center is modeled on real-life parenting. “If your teen is headed to the mall, you might ask who they’re going with. ‘How do you know them? Are you guys on a sports team together? Do you go to school together?’” said Farahnik. “But you won’t be sitting there at the mall with them listening to their conversations.” Similarly, parents cannot see the content that their teen is sending or receiving on Snapchat. They can only view whom their child has communicated with in the past seven days. Snapchat is popular with young people, partially because messages on the platform disappear within 24 hours.
The company says it consulted with safety experts and academics and conducted focus groups with parents to develop Family Center and it plans to roll out more features in the coming months. The tool is only for parents of kids under 18.
With Family Center, Snap follows other social media platforms, including Instagram, which recently have advanced parental controls. By at least one survey, Snapchat is the second-most popular social network among teens. The first, TikTok, offers “Family Sharing,” which gives parents a few ways to limit the videos shown to their kids.
“I think these platforms want to show that they can take steps to protect kids, that they can self-regulate and that they’re capable of doing it themselves without getting the government involved,” said Irene Ly, policy counsel for Common Sense Media, which reviews apps, games and media for families.
1. Who are probably the potential users of Family Center?| A．Children who love computer games. | B．Parents who worry about their children. |
| C．Parents whose children are under 18. | D．Family members who live in harmony. |
| A．It enables parents to know what their children talk about. |
| B．Parents can read messages sent or received by their children. |
| C．Children can cancel messages on their phones within 24 hours. |
| D．Parents can know who their children contact without children’s permission. |
| A．Because they can know whom they have communicated with. |
| B．Because contact information on it can’t be read a day later. |
| C．Because it offers a few ways to limit the videos shown to them. |
| D．Because parents can monitor their connections without giving up autonomy. |
| A．Family Center: Snapchat’s new parental controls |
| B．Family Sharing: TikTok’s new parental controls |
| C．Snapchat: A popular social media company |
| D．Snapchat: A platform imitates real-life parenting |
Grandma called me in from the yard. “Would you please go to the store for me? I’m ready to bake rolls, and there isn’t enough yeast(酵母). Take a quarter from my little change purse.”
I found Grandma’s purse and put the quarter in my pocket. I was soon in the little general store that served our farming community.
“Mr.Jenkins,”I said,“Grandma needs some yeast.”
Mr.Jenkins set three cakes of yeast on the counter(柜台). His eyes twinkled(眨眼), and he smiled at me. “And what do you need?”
Í knew what he meant. I was always allowed to pick a cent’s candy when I came to the store with Grandma.But Grandma wasn’t here, and she hadn’t said anything about spending a penny.
“How much change do I have from a quarter?” I asked.
“Four cents,” Mr. Jenkins replied. “The yeast is seven cents a cake.”
I thought that over quickly. I would have four cents back. I was sure Grandma wouldn’t care if l spent one cent, and if she were here, she might even say I could have them all. The longer I looked at the candy, the more certain I became that I needed one cent’s worth as a reward for coming to the store alone.
As Mr.Jenkins handed me the candy and three cents, a voice inside me said this was not a really honest thing to do. That wasn’t my money, and I hadn’t asked if I might spend it.However, I put the cents in my pocket and started home, running past Uncle Roy, who was heading in the direction of my home.
“Thank you,” Grandma said when I laid the yeast on the table. “Did you put the change back in my purse?”
“Yes, Grandma,” I replied, hurrying out to the passage(走廊), I hadn’t really lied to Grandma.I argued with myself. I did put back all the change I had.
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。
I knew I had cheated Grandma, and I was nervous.
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I watched Uncle Roy make his way home, his words repeating in my mind.
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8 . On the 25th of December, my mother expected her children to be present, exchanging gifts and eating turkey. But as an artist and daughter, my heart seemed to be more in my work as an artist. As for my mother and my family, I thought we would have more time to spend Christmas together. I was going to do my own thing.
I made plans for my winter adventure in New Hampshire. The MacDowell Colony (麦道尔艺术村) was everything I could have wished for. About 20 to 30 artists were present, and it was as captivating as I had imagined. Snowy New England, sledding (滑雪橇) and whisky! It felt like my life had become an unexpected independent film.
By Christmas Eve, I had been at the colony more than a week. The fresh feelings were wearing off, but I would never admit it. Everyone around me was having too much fun—drinks and deep conversations by the fireplace. It seemed so amazing! What was wrong with me? This was the holiday I’d always dreamed of. No plastic reindeer. Not a Christmas sweater anywhere in sight. People here didn’t even say “Christmas”, but they said “holiday”. Then why was I so down?
Finally, I called home. My dad answered. He told me that my mother was out shopping with my brothers. I found there was a fire in my heart. They were having a fine Christmas without me? Didn’t they miss me? How could they?
Despite a serious snowstorm, a large package with my mother’s beautiful handwriting showed up near my door at the artist colony on Christmas morning. I seized it as if I had been five years old. Inside was my favorite cake.
As I sliced (切) the cake, everyone gathered around —young and old. My mother had sent a real homemade gift. It was a minor Christmas miracle that one cake managed to feed so many. We ate it from paper towels with our hands, satisfying a hunger we didn’t know we had and reminding us of our dear families, who must be missing us too.
1. Why was the author unwilling to spend Christmas at home?| A．She met some trouble at work. |
| B．She wanted to focus on her career. |
| C．She had disagreements with her mother. |
| D．She was tired of staying at a familiar place. |
| A．Attractive. | B．Tough. | C．Strange. | D．Simple. |
| A．It attracted many sports lovers. |
| B．It was suitable for holiday parties. |
| C．It lacked the Christmas atmosphere. |
| D．It gave the author some artistic ideas. |
| A．She learned to be open to others. |
| B．She enjoyed bringing kindness to strangers. |
| C．Her mother was good at taking care of her family. |
| D．Her mother’s cake cured the artists of their homesickness. |
My husband has been out of town for work this past week. When he travels, he typically is only gone for a day or two, but this time it was a few days longer. He was set to come home last night, but as he boarded the plane his fight was announced canceled and he had to return to the hotel to wait for the next fight. He learned very quickly the city was struggling due to high crime rate. He was not able to get a Uber or taxi at 4:30 a.m. to get to the airport for his flight due to workers being fearful of their lives. When I told my kids dad was not going to be home that night, they were both upset.
My husband was the head coach of my 5-year old’s baseball team. They had a game the next morning and my husband was trying so badly to make it home in time. The thought of possibly missing our son’s game rally made him mad. He wanted to be there because this was their thing and he didn’t want to let him or the other boys down.
A young man by the name of Asher, who worked at the hotel my husband stayed at, overheard my husband’s dilemma. He realized he was not able to get transportation to the airport. This young man offered to wake up and get my husband to the airport at 4:30 a.m. My husband was in shock -a complete stranger would offer to do such a big act of kindness. When he called me to tell me the possible ride, he was so hopeful. This young man honored his word and brought my husband to the airport safely.
I didn’t want to get my son’s hopes up, so I told him, “Dad is trying to get home for your game but I am not sure whether he will make it.” That morning, on the way to the baseball field, both my kids looked up in the sky the entire ride to the field and pointed at planes in the sky saying, “Maybe that’s dad’s plane.”
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 we reached the baseball field, we were a few minutes late.
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I saw a familiar figure and my son walked towards me.
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10 . For parents the most stressful years in parenting are perhaps the time when their kids turn into teenagers. Some parents have a strong belief that a strict approach to parenting the kids is a must. Others believe that it is best to give teenagers a free hand.
Encourage discussion.
Make use of the problem areas in your teen's development as an opportunity to teach him or her tricks of good decision-making.
Follow rules.
If you have set rules for your teen to follow, then make sure you are strict in them. A teen who knows that there are certain rules that cannot be overlooked will make an effort to follow them.
Do not ignore your teenager’s unfriendly attitude or regard it as normal teen behavior. If you ignore this at the start, then you will have to face all the more difficult situations later. Mind signs which can point towards such behavior as sleeping late, missing classes, etc.
Help set goals.
Parents often make the mistake of setting unreasonable goals for their teens. The expectations you have should be dependent on the abilities of your kids. Never shout at them if they fall short of their goals.
| A．Instead, encourage them and help them to find their faults and weaknesses. |
| B．However, the teen will not act this way if you are not firm about the whole thing. |
| C．Parents should enjoy some sports with their kids. |
| D．Parents should recognize that teen years are the time when kids want more personal space. |
| E．Both these approaches are, however, right and wrong. |
| F．This will turn him or her into a responsible adult. |
| G．If you see any such sign, talk to him or her without overreacting. |
