The Right Thing
My mother worked as a housekeeper and she was often given used toys as well as many other goodies by her clients. My elder sister and I always loved sharing the recycled books and board games brought home by my beloved mom, which we considered great gifts life presented us.
The long-awaited Christmas finally approached. One December day, an old model toy car arrived in the load of goods. It was as long as my forearm and took both hands to lift. My sister didn’t want it, so it was all mine. I immediately set down to wiping it clean and polishing it to a bright candy-apple red. It turned to be a thing of beauty, and I became overjoyed at possessing it. My elder sister was amazed at the newly-polished, refreshing toy car, with a hint of regret and envy in her eyes.
As was planned, our relatives from France came to visit us that Christmas. It was a time when the family bond got strengthened. I shared the prized toy car with Alex, my young French cousin. Eyes glued to it, he fell in love with the wonderful, shiny red automobile the instant he saw it. It was a rare moment to see him feeling so relieved and happy. He’d been unlucky so far in life, suffering severe, life-threatening illnesses as a child, leaving him mentally and physically stuck and the family starved of cash. Of course, such lovely toys like my dear model car were unreachable dreams for him.
Seeing Alex’s consuming thrill brought by the red car, I was seized by immense joy as well. But contrary to Alex’s excitement, a voice inside me constantly reminded, “Watch out! He’d keep it for himself.”, which got me faintly worried. I followed my cousin for fear of something.
My mother also noticed Alex’s fondness for the car. Approaching me, she asked gently in a low voice, “Would you like to give it to Alex?”
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。
Giving or keeping? I struggled with myself.
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In the moment of parting, my model car went with Alex.
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2 . A sunny afternoon before Christmas, a little girl was decorating a box with a gold wrapping paper to put it under the Christmas tree. Money was tight, so the girl’s father
However, the next morning the girl
The father was extremely
Each of us have been
| A．praised | B．punished | C．admired | D．contacted |
| A．expensive | B．common | C．cheap | D．lovely |
| A．emailed | B．sent | C．brought | D．put |
| A．beautiful | B．full | C．amazing | D．empty |
| A．box | B．gift | C．paper | D．package |
| A．anxiously | B．fluently | C．seriously | D．calmly |
| A．excitement | B．tears | C．fire | D．stars |
| A．designed | B．exchanged | C．filled | D．arranged |
| A．surprised | B．proud | C．shy | D．annoyed |
| A．ears | B．hands | C．eyes | D．arms |
| A．forgiveness | B．carelessness | C．kindness | D．blindness |
| A．alone | B．happy | C．sad | D．excited |
| A．heart | B．love | C．anger | D．stress |
| A．given | B．requested | C．attracted | D．impressed |
| A．source | B．topic | C．confidence | D．treasure |
3 . For some people, practicing gratitude is part of their spiritual practice or religion, while for others, it’s about cultivating a more positive outlook on life.
Improved mood
When you practice gratitude, you shift your focus from negative thoughts and feelings to positive ones. Instead of thinking about everything that makes you unhappy, gratitude makes you think about all the things that are good — no matter how big or small. Practicing gratitude will make you feel more optimistic.
Better relationship
When you think about all the things you are grateful for, you will think of the people in your life that you care for — your family and friends.
Reduced stress
Instead of focusing on all the things that you’re bad at or things you’ve failed at, practicing gratitude will shift your focus on all the amazing things you’ve accomplished. And once you realize that, you’ll boost your feelings of achievement. Just focus on what you are grateful for in yourself. It will help you to appreciate your own strengths and talents.
| A．Increased focus |
| B．Improved self-worth |
| C．People are facing a certain problem |
| D．You have plenty of reasons to be happy |
| E．That helps you realize life isn’t as bad as you thought |
| F．Whatever someone’s reason for practicing gratitude is |
| G．Once you realize how grateful you are to have them in your life |
Like every boy there ever was, what Kyle Hrenwood most wanted in this world was a dog. Unfortunately for Kyle, his mom didn’t think he was responsible enough.
The day before Kyle’s thirteenth birthday, he went to the park and found a woman sobbing. He was immediately worried. Was the woman hurt?
He bent over and said “Miss, Are you OK? Do you want me to call anyone?” The woman shook her head and said, “My husband died two weeks ago, and I feel alone. We’d been together for thirty years. I can’t stand the silence inside that house. I’m Deidre. What’s your name?”
Kyle introduced himself and they talked for a long time. Kyle’s encounter with Deidre left him very sad, and he decided to go home. “Mom,” he said. “I don’t want to get married.” “Why not?” asked Kyle’s mom. “What if you spend thirty or forty years with someone,” Kyle said. “And then he is dead, and you’re alone?” Mom said, “Then you’ll miss out on love. You see, if you protect yourself from feeling pain, you’re cutting yourself off from happiness. You may discover those thirty years alone are not worth living.”
The next day, he had one of the biggest surprises and greatest joys of his life—a puppy! That was when he remembered Deidre was alone in her huge house.
A few hours later, Kyle knocked on Deidre’s door holding the puppy. He said, “Today is my birthday, and my parents gave me this puppy. You need this puppy more than I do.” “Give my heart to an animal just so it can die in a few years’ time?” Deidre asked bitterly. “I don’t think so. I don’t need any more pain in my life!”
“My mom said that if you protect yourself from feeling pain, you’re cutting yourself off from happiness. too,” Kyle said.
“You’re right, Kyle!” Deidre said. “I do need this puppy. Maybe you can visit us both; I’ve never had a dog before and may need some advice!”
Over the next few years, Kyle and Deidre, and Max (that was the dog’s name) became great friends. Then Kyle’s dad was offered a job in another state, and the family moved away.
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。
Kyle grew up and fell in love, and his wedding was drawing near.
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“This is Gemma, Max’s daughter,” Deidre said.
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5 . In the back of my closet, there is a small cardboard chest that has followed me to every one of my new addresses. Until now, the only
When I was three, my mother learned that she had advanced breast cancer. When I was seven, she had begun
My mother died ten days before our
On the morning of my high school graduation, a
Year after year, my mother
| A．following | B．remaining | C．entire | D．full |
| A．plastics | B．products | C．pieces | D．presents |
| A．working | B．preparing | C．writing | D．receiving |
| A．milestones | B．majors | C．purposes | D．centers |
| A．individual | B．usual | C．shared | D．national |
| A．marked | B．celebrated | C．created | D．made |
| A．read | B．sounded | C．found | D．signed |
| A．called for | B．stood for | C．paid for | D．longed for |
| A．tackled | B．traced | C．revealed | D．confirmed |
| A．list | B．string | C．matter | D．variety |
| A．member | B．problem | C．impression | D．tradition |
| A．put | B．looked | C．traveled | D．stepped |
| A．house | B．box | C．map | D．hunt |
| A．property | B．sorrow | C．comfort | D．value |
| A．deeply | B．temporarily | C．unfortunately | D．simply |
6 . I had been ready for the inevitable failures of graduate school-experiments, proposals, even classes. But I was caught off-guard when midway through my first year I began to face a different type of challenge. I felt tired every morning. My appetite decreased. I started to notice an increase in trips to the bathroom. Finally came the blood each time I went, which continued for more than a week and spurred(刺激)me to go to the emergency department. My doctors told me I needed to focus completely on my health for the next 6 months. I hoped I could keep up with my studies and take care of my health by switching projects and attending classes virtually. However, my graduate program wasn’t keen on the idea and my doctors weren’t either. All said I had two options: a medical leave of absence or withdrawing from my program.
I had never taken a break before. I am the daughter of immigrants, and my parents believed breaks weren’t an option for our family. I feared adding to the dropout statistic for students of color. I feared a leave of absence would be seen as a sign of weakness. But I wasn’t ready to give up on graduate school, so the leave of absence seemed like the only option.
I was no longer a researcher or a student; I was a patient. When classmates swapped messages about assignments, experiments, and exams I felt I had nothing to add, so I stopped responding, and they stopped including me. The isolation fueled my fears, and then came the depression.
Still, I knew this leave of absence was essential. Over the past year, I connected with others who also took time away during graduate school. In hearing their stories, I learned that a leave of absence is perfectly OK, no matter the reason. There is bravery in taking the time to focus on yourself. I learned to take comfort in knowing that everyone’s Ph. D. journey is unique, and mine was far from over.
1. What unexpected challenge did the author face?| A．Peer pressure. |
| B．Academic failures. |
| C．Physical problems. |
| D．An identity crisis. |
| A．Take online courses. |
| B．Quit her program. |
| C．Ask for a medical leave. |
| D．Focus entirely on her health. |
| A．Hopeful-desperate-proud. |
| B．Sorrowful-relieved-lonely. |
| C．Anxious-depressed-comfortable. |
| D．Ashamed-frightened-concerned. |
| A．A Miracle of Bravery |
| B．A Break for My Health |
| C．My Rough Road to Recovery |
| D．My Incredible Ph. D. Journey |
7 . Everyone wants to be happy.
See the light in all situations. There’s a bright side to everything.
Stop comparing yourself with others. Comparing yourself to others is a waste of who you are.
Be confident. Your confidence can uplift your mood. Whether it’s your posture, smile, eye contact, or voice, work on it and you will not only feel better but be better. Write yourself five things that you love about yourself and put it on your wall or read it every morning you wake up.
You really are the one who can make this world better. As you work on all these steps to become happier, you will see the world a lot better than it used to be.
| A．Just be yourself. |
| B．It can really count. |
| C．On the darkest of days, the moon still shines. |
| D．Spend time with people that make you better. |
| E．What makes you feel like you’re flying in the sky? |
| F．However, happiness doesn’t come to you naturally. |
| G．You can create your own happiness and spread it to others. |
8 . For the past five years, I have worked in strategic roles in advertising. During my work, I challenged the difficulties in creating an ad that would be relevant to the brand, match its core values, and would also target appropriately consumers with a strong consumer insight. When I contribute to a successful campaign that matches all of the above, what I get is sheer bliss. In this sense, I love advertising.
Nevertheless, I am aware advertising has its gray areas. In many cases, advertisers focus on few features that can distinguish them from the competition, while presenting an incomplete picture of the product. For example, a snack brand can focus on the taste claim and ignore any clear reference to nutritional values and calories of the product. In other cases, advertisers claim superiority by using survey findings that do not agree with consumers’ common sense. Recently, a new Cola was introduced by a major Israeli company, claiming its Cola tastes better than the traditional Coca-Cola. Although such claim is possible, it is highly unlikely that a private-label Cola will be able to better suit the Israeli taste, since Coca-Cola dominates the Israeli Cola market for decades with over 90% market share. Yet, as a marketer, I understand we must be aggressive to put our products in consumers’ consideration set.
From a consumer’s standpoint, however, I have a contradictory attitude towards ads. I have some strong relationships with brands I encounter on a regular basis. I adore the design and innovation of Nespresso. I already replaced 4 iPhone models during the last decade and never bought a basketball shoe which is not a Nike shoe. When these brands advertise, I am open to hear about new products and watch ads. Consequently, I am willing to pay more or purchase more expensive products.
Meanwhile, getting used to certain brands makes me less willing to try new ones. When I experience a brand that does not meet my expectations as my usual choices do, I feel like I made a wrong decision. Moreover, the bad experience increases my skepticism towards new brands.
Overall, I admire the efforts made by us advertisers to increase sales. However, my true desire as a consumer is to minimize my exposure to irrelevant ads as much as possible.
1. What does the underlined expression “sheer bliss” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Pure happiness. | B．Deep worry. | C．A heavy burden. | D．A great chance. |
| A．most products only have a few features |
| B．the legal boundaries of ads are undefined |
| C．the truth of the products is partially presented |
| D．most ads confuse their products with their rivals’ |
| A．The author was inspired by the design of Nespresso. |
| B．The author has never been bothered by high price. |
| C．The author is loyal to certain brands. |
| D．The author likes watching ads. |
| A．Why Ads Are Misleading | B．Why I Love and Hate Ads |
| C．What Made Ads So Annoying | D．What Made a Household Brand |
9 . More than half of the world’s population are city residents, and, by 2050, the United Nations predicts that seven in ten people will be. Architects are having to consider how architecture influences our emotional well-being in urban settings.
According to Colin Ellard, a research psychologist at Waterloo University, Canada, there is a lot of evidence which shows “the profound impact that the design of buildings has on how we feel, how we treat one another, and our overall psychological well-being”. A study from the University of Heidelberg concluded that people raised in the countryside are less likely to have mental disorders than those raised in the city. The city of Vancouver in Canada, which is surrounded by mountains and ocean, recognises the need to connect with nature. It has included protecting ocean and mountain views in its urban planning guidelines. For example, tall buildings are set up in strategic locations that don’t block scenic views for downtown residents.
The British designer Thomas Heatherwick wants to make architecture less soulless and boring. He told The Guardian, “We need to fearlessly demand interestingness and make buildings that enrich our senses.” He has listed seven characteristics of a boring building. These include being too flat and straight. He says lack of depth means light and shadow cannot play on surfaces, while straight lines are at odds with nature and make buildings dull.
However, making buildings interesting is not always easy, as architect Rafael Vinoly found out in 2013 when he created the 37-store y skyscraper in London. The building was admired for its curved exterior walls covered in reflective glass. However, it acted like a magnifying glass and reflected light which melted nearby cars and almost set fire to a carpet. A screen had to be added to prevent the building causing further damage.
So, for your own well-being, surround yourself with buildings that bring you joy, and ideally a view of nature.
1. Why are tall buildings located in certain places in Vancouver?| A．To protect people’s mental health. | B．To follow the tradition of the city. |
| C．To caution people against disorder. | D．To reveal the prosperity of the area. |
| A．One with straight lines. | B．One having flat surfaces. |
| C．One having a security system. | D．One with innovative patterns. |
| A．Boldness. | B．Creativity. | C．Practicality. | D．Flexibility. |
| A．To call on people to live in big cities. |
| B．To compare buildings in different cities. |
| C．To stress the importance of healthy emotion. |
| D．To convince people of emotional impact by buildings. |
Cody always knew his family was different. While other kids went to the beach for summer vacation, he and his mom visited the world’s largest basket, or the world’s largest baseball bat, or the world’s largest fork. These are real things. And Cody’s mom had photos of them during those trips hanging on the wall.
As a little kid, Cody thought these vacations were the best ever. But with time going by, he started to feel embarrassed. When his classmates would ask where he’d gone for vacation, he’d say, “No place special.”
On a Sunday morning, his mom said, “I was reading this article about the world’s largest gathering of people dressed as turkeys. It was in Texas, and it was only 661 people! Five times as many people live in our town. I want to hold a similar event here around Thanksgiving Day, which is a few weeks away.”
“Mom,” Cody said. “No.”
“Yes!” Mom said. “I just called the newspaper. The announcement runs tomorrow. The day after Thanksgiving, everyone will meet in the town square — dressed as turkeys!”
A few days before Thanksgiving, Cody and his mom sat down for dinner. Cody set down his fork. “Do you have any idea what the kids at school think about the turkey dress-up?”
“No,” Mom said.
“Well, they have a lot to say.”
Mom looked down at her fingernails, then looked at Cody. “I’m afraid it’s too late to call it off, sweetie.”
At last, it was the day of the great turkey dress-up. But instead of bouncing around the house as she’d been all week, Mom was sitting on the living-room floor, shoulders slumped (耷拉着). “I can’t believe the DJ is sick,” she said. “What am I going to do? Music is what makes a festivity festive! I don’t know how to work all this stuff.”
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。
Mom sighed and leaned back against the couch.
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With the happy memories brought back by the photos on the wall, Cody said, “I’ll do it.”
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