1 . Volunteering offers great help to people in need, but the benefits (好处) can be even greater for you, the volunteer.
Volunteering is good for your mind and body.
If you’re considering a new job, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field.
| A．Volunteering increases self-confidence |
| B．Volunteering connects you to others |
| C．Even if you're not planning on changing your job |
| D．While some people are naturally outgoing |
| E．It provides many benefits to both mental and physical health |
| F．Many people volunteer in order to make time for hobbies outside of work |
| G．Volunteering can also reduce the risk of heart disease |
Wind whistled round the corner of the house, thunder rolled and rain beat against the windows — not a night to be outside but rather to sit by the fire. Thanks to the solid walls and roof overhead, I could imagine Dr. Frankenstein's frightening creation wandering on such a night. I was alone, my husband away and the nearest neighbor a quarter miles down the road. Alone, that is, except for Lassie, a hairy, black and white dog, who sat with her head on my lap, her intelligent, brown eyes gazing up at me as if to say, don't worry, we'll be all right.
Through the years she was with us, she proved time and time again to be a superb judge of character. We never knew if it was a result of her sense of smell or sound-but, whatever it was, she definitely possessed a talent we humans lacked. On first meeting she would either wag the tip of her tail a couple of times to indicate that the visitor was acceptable, or slightly curl her top lip, exposing her sharp teeth which told you to be alert. Always accurate, her gift was never more obvious than on this night.
The doorbell rang. I decided not to answer it. It rang again, much longer this time. Whoever was there was not going away. Still I hesitated. On the fourth ring, with Lassie by my side, I finally answered the door. My heart beat fast and my mouth went dry, for there, stood the monster himself. A twisted body under a heavy overcoat, one shoulder bumped higher than the other and his head leaned slightly forward and to one side.
“May I use your phone?” The voice came from somewhere back in his throat and, although the request was polite, his tone was rude.
Reaching in his pocket and producing a piece of paper, he handed it to me. I refused to take it. Believing he might try and force his way in, I looked at Lassie to see if she was ready to defend the home.
Surprisingly, she sat by my side, the tip of her tail wagging.
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Last year I graduated from college and landed a job in the local company. I was lucky because the economy was declining and a lot of companies went out of business. There were many unemployed graduates. That was a difficult time for everyone. I cherished my precious job and worked so hard. One day, I walked on the street after finishing my work. I saw many beautiful decorations, such as colorful lights, the familiar song and so on. I suddenly realized Christmas was coming. I had promised my nephew that when I found a job, I would send him a Christmas gift. Fortunately I still had a little time to buy one for him. And on that very day I witnessed how people cared for each other,
I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store. A nicely dressed little girl was looking through the teddy bears beside her father when she saw a little boy walk in and stop in front of the Pokemon toys. His jacket was obviously too small. He had money in his hand. However, it looked no more than five dollars at most. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video games. Each time he showed one to his father, his father shook his head, “No”.
Rather disappointed, the boy gave up the video games and chose a book of stickers instead. After they walked away, the little girl ran over to the Pokemon video games. She excitedly picked up one lying on top of the others, and raced down toward the checkout. I picked up my purchases and followed the girl and her father.
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。
Then, much to the little girl's delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind her and me.
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The boy could only stare in disbelief.
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One summer afternoon, after doing some shopping at a grocery store close to a forest reserve in Hawaii, Amanda Eller, a hiking lover, parked her car and went hiking by herself. With two bottles of water and a loaf of bread, she started a 3-mile hike.
However, it was not long after she stepped into the forest that she found she had left her phone in the car. Thinking that a 3-mile hike was a piece of cake for a trained hiker like her, Amanda did not hesitate to continue the trip and carefully left marks on the trees every 100 steps.
As she went deeper, rain fell heavily beyond expectation and the road became muddy soon. Without an umbrella, she had to hide under a big rock and waited for the downpour to stop. Half an hour later, the rain eased off but the sky darkened. Her heart began racing since she could not see the marks on the trees clearly. In the forest, Amanda wanted to go back along the way she had come but her feeling was leading her another way. She knew that she had very strong intuition (直觉) and heard the inner voice saying, If you want to live, keep going.” She chose to believe her intuition and took the only way to go.
Amanda’s mother，Julia, did not see her that night and her phone was also not answered, so she called Amanda’s close friends and asked if they had seen her. After making sure that Amanda did not return from the forest, Julia called 911 and reported her missing. Two days passed, and rescuers found nothing. Julia was sad, saying that this was the most desperate and the worst thing for a mother but she wanted to stay positive as she felt that she would be of no help to her daughter if she only thought about the worst possibilities. And local TV stations and newspapers called on people to work together to find Amanda.
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。
Along with rescue workers, hundreds of volunteers set out.
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A day after she was saved, Amanda was interviewed by the local reporters at the hospital.
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5 . Their man-servant had been sent one morning to Exeter on business, and when he waited at table, he began to chat with his mistress.
“I suppose you know, ma’am, that Mr. Ferrars is married.”
Marianne gave a violent start, fixed her eyes upon Elinor, saw her turning pale, fell back in her chair and lost control of her emotions. Mrs. Dashwood was shocked to realize by Elinor’s expression how much she really suffered.
Mrs. Dashwood immediately took all that trouble on herself;, and Elinor had the benefit of the information without the effort of seeking it.
“Who told you that Mr. Ferrars was married, Thomas?”
“I see Mr. Ferrars myself, ma’am, this morning in Exeter, and his lady too, Miss Steele as was. They were stopping in a chaise at the door of the New London Inn, and she knew me and called to me, and inquired after you, maam, and the young ladies, especially Miss Marianne.”
“But did she tell you she was married, Thomas?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She smiled, and said how she had changed her name since she was in these parts.
“Was Mr. Ferrars in the carriage with her?”
“Yes, ma’am, I just see him leaning (倚靠) back in it, but he did not look up -he never was a gentleman much for talking.”
Elinor’s heart could easily account for his not putting himself forward; and M, Dashwood probably found the same explanation.
“Was there no one else in the carriage?” “No, ma’am, only they two.”
“Do you know where they came from?”
“They come straight from town, as Miss Lucy-Mrs. Ferrars told me.” “And are they going farther westward?”
“Yes, ma’am, but not to bide long. They will soon be back again, and then they’d be sure and call here.”
Thomas’s intelligence seemed over. Elinor looked as if she wished to hear more, Mrs. Dashwood could think of no other question, and Thomas and the tablecloth, were soon afterwards dismissed. Mrs. Dashwood’s and Elinor’s appetites were completely lost. They remained long together in a similarity of thoughtfulness and silence.
1. What’s Elinor’s reaction at the news from the man servant?| A．She lost control of her emotions. | B．She fell back in her chair, crying. |
| C．She went pale from suffering a lot. | D．She exploded with great anger. |
| A．She was only too curious about the couple. |
| B．She wanted to find out who the bridegroom was. |
| C．She wanted to satisfy her daughters with her questions. |
| D．She wanted to cheer her daughters up with the news. |
| A．Confident. | B．Doubtful. | C．Sad. | D．Regretful. |
| A．The lady the servant met with was not Lucy. |
| B．Mr. Ferrars was not in the carriage at all. |
| C．The servant concluded without seeing Mr. Ferrars. |
| D．The news ruined the mother and daughter's desire for food. |
6 . Improve Your Relationships
Having stable and positive relationships in your life can make you happier and more fulfilled. Whether it's your friends, family, or significant other, improving a relationship can sometimes be confusing.
Express your appreciation for the person.
If you hardly see each other or talk to each other, it can be difficult to maintain a relationship. Take extra time out of your day and devote it to the person that you want to improve relations with. Try to work around the other person's schedule so that you can spend the time together. You can share a meal, watch a show, listen to music, or go shopping with them.
Turn off distractions.
Distractions like a cell phone, social media, or video games can create a division in between you and another person. If you notice that you are always distracted, you should turn off your cell phone or computer and talk to them.
Seek therapy(心理治疗) if you can't get along.
To fix or improve family relationships or relationships with your significant other, you can turn to therapy. If you notice that you and the person are always arguing over the same kinds of things, and nothing has worked, you should consider seeking therapy with them.
| A．Spend more time with the person. |
| B．Maintain a relationship if possible. |
| C．People often like to be praised for achievements. |
| D．A specialist can help solve longterm issues in the relationship. |
| E．If they are the one always distracted, ask them if they can do the same. |
| F．Follow the tips and you can develop good relationships with your family. |
| G．Luckily, by adjusting your behaviour, you can improve any relationship in your life. |
7 . Tips for Submitting a Good Letter of Recommendation
If you consider applying for any colleges abroad, one of the most important parts is the recommendation letter. Its purpose is to give universities a complete picture of you.
But a credible (可信的) reference saying you’ve consistently worked hard on a project can be the difference between getting accepted or rejected.
Choose the right references
Universities want to know how well you work under pressure and how you react to criticism, basically your characteristics, abilities and mentality. A good referee (推荐人) should have a solid professional relationship with you and be able to communicate your academic and personal strengths.
Most universities ask for two recommendation letters. They are regularly split between a school professor and an extracurricular (课外的) source. Undoubtedly, it’s good to show your skills in the subject you want to study.
Time
Professionals can sometimes find it hard to make time for writing recommendations.
Clear goals
Don’t be afraid to ask your referees to include certain qualities or examples you want to highlight. You should inform at least one of your referees about your career goals, grades and recent projects. They may not be referenced. But giving referees additional evidence to back up their points can make the letter more convincing.
| A．Make sure to know more about your university. |
| B．You can write that you’re hard-working yourself. |
| C．They can be quite occupied during application season. |
| D．The more information you include, the better it may be. |
| E．Don’t forget to check each university’s guidelines for reference letters. |
| F．Examples of how you have demonstrated them are needed to add more credibility. |
| G．But other abilities that may not be apparent in the classroom can be equally valuable. |
8 . Ruby Kate, 11 likes to spend time with residents at the local nursing homes where her mother Amada works as a nurse.
One day last summer, Ruby
Pearl’s story
Amanda was
She went door to door at the nursing home,
Ruby and Amanda
“I'd like it to go on
| A．warned | B．noticed | C．screamed | D．worried |
| A．upset | B．curious | C．exhausted | D．satisfied |
| A．expect | B．bother | C．afford | D．agree |
| A．discussing | B．examining | C．sharing | D．digging |
| A．any | B．so | C．not | D．ever |
| A．moved | B．struck | C．changed | D．depressed |
| A．comfort | B．compensate | C．help | D．protect |
| A．brochure | B．pen | C．diary | D．notebook |
| A．skeptical | B．aware | C．tired | D．confident |
| A．put up | B．bring up | C．end up | D．show up |
| A．matter | B．work | C．inspire | D．arise |
| A．persuading | B．ordering | C．asking | D．advising |
| A．delighted | B．confused | C．frightened | D．shocked |
| A．simple | B．demanding | C．unreasonable | D．strange |
| A．collected | B．bought | C．made | D．removed |
| A．curiosity | B．anxiety | C．sympathy | D．generosity |
| A．raise | B．earn | C．save | D．borrow |
| A．managed | B．founded | C．advertised | D．invested |
| A．temporarily | B．cheaply | C．forever | D．efficiently |
| A．richer | B．higher | C．faster | D．bigger |
