相关试卷

The weekend after Dad's diagnosis (诊断), Mom had sent the same text to each concerned relative and friend: Jay was diagnosed with Pick's disease. We are going back to the doctor for more information. Then Mom put down the phone, rubbed her forehead, and suggested that we go for a drive. On the interstate, we passed a board with clear red letters: "Fredericksburg peaches, the best fruit you can find in Central Texas." Mom went to negotiate with the stand owner.

Now in our kitchen, the sweet smell of peach juice drifted into the living room and pulled Dad away from the football game on TV.

"Oh! You got peaches?" He eyed the fruit with childish glee (欢快).

"Here," I handed him a knife. "We're making peach pie."

I showed him how to peel the skin off. As I made pie dough, he asked questions: How long does it take to bake? Are you adding sugar? How many peaches? What should I do with the seeds? Showing him how to slice and measure and mix in a calm, firm voice, I suddenly felt grown up.

The summer had reversed our roles; now, I was the adult. I stayed home all summer and cooked his dinner, washed his T-shirts and helped him make phone calls. I stayed up late thinking about him and monitored him like an anxious caretaker.

The same day, before the afternoon drive and peach pie, I had held my tears as I read the diagnosis for Pick's disease: four to ten years, depending on how fast the damaged proteins overpower Dad's brain. I decided then that I would be grateful for just four more years with Dad, enough for him to see me become an adult for real.

注意：

1. 词数80左右；

2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Tom,

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

Ding Wenxin, who comes from Xinyu city in Jiangxi province, is a freshman-to-be majoring in sociology at Peking University, one of the most well-known (university) in China and his dream school. After being accepted, Ding wanted to start his college life a special way: cycling to the university. Considering factors including his physical fitness, the weather traffic conditions, he decided to start his cycling journey from Shanghai. After cycling 1,328 kilometers in 15 days, Ding (arrive) at Peking University on Aug. 19, the registration day for undergraduates.

It was not easy journey. "I tried my best to complete the trip. (struggle) to cycle day and night, I felt quite tired and even there was a time when I wanted to give up. However, there was a specific destination in my mind all the way as well as my friend's encouragement, gave me the courage to continue my journey," Ding said.

On that day the university (official) posted a message on the Sina Weibo (新浪微博) (welcome) Ding and send good wishes for his future life. Ding hopes to join student societies such as the Cycling Association and Mountaineering Association of Peking University and explore faraway places with like-minded friends, enriching(he) university life.

It goes that a master wanted to go to India. In those days, they didn't have the modern1 that we do today, so the master went to India on foot. When he arrived at India, he saw a lot of fruit to sell, but much of it was too expensive. So when he saw a large basket of some very red, long fruit, and thought it might be the least2 in the shop. Thus, he went up and asked, "How much per kilo?" And the shopkeeper said, "Two rupees." Two rupees in India was3; it was like dirt. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it: Oh, my God! His eyes watered; his mouth was burning; so was his head and his face became4. As he coughed and choked and gasped for breath, he5 up and down, saying, "Ah! Ah! Ah!" But he still continued to eat the "fruit"!

Some people who were looking at him6 their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. Those are chilies! You can't eat so many; they're not good for you! People use them as a condiment (调味品), but only a little bit to put into food for7. You can't just eat them by the handful like that; they' re not fruit!" So the stupid master said, "No, I can't stop! I paid money for them, and now I'll eat them. It's my8!"

And you think that master was too stupid, right?9, we sometimes do a lot of things like that. We10 money, time or effort on a relationship, business or job. And11 the previous bitter experience tells us it won't work, and we know there's no more12 that things will change better in the future, we still continue just because we've invested money, time, effort and love in it. If so, there is something wrong with the13. Just like the man who ate the chilies and suffered so much but couldn't stop because he didn't want to14 the money he had paid.

So even if you've lost something, let it go and move on. That's better to learn to15 than continue to lose.

The warm spring and summer weather means it's time for yard sales. People will sort out old possessions they don't need and spread out them across the yard or garage. Yard sales are a great way to make a little bit of money.

Should You Hold a Yard Sale?

However, there are a few qualifications for a good yard sale. First, do you have enough to sell? And second, is the quality high enough to sell? Nothing is more frustrating for someone tracking down a sale, only to find a few rugged pieces of clothing. Like any business, visibility is key. If you don't have a good location, see if a friend or family member will lend you their yard.

The most popular way to advertise a yard sale is through signs. To make them more effective, choosea neon or other bright color that grabs attention. And remember to only put critical information on the sign. Say, "Yard Sale", the address, and time. Another way is to digitally advertise for your yard sale. Most communities have an online yard sale page where people sell individual objects.

Dealing with Shoppers at Yard Sales

You may set a certain price, but most yard sale shoppers believe that trying to talk you down is acceptable. Whether or not you agree doesn't change the fact that they'll do it. So what should you do? One trick may be to price all your goods a few dollars higher than you normally would.

A. The answer is likely yes.

B. How to Advertise Yard Sales?

C. How to Make Yard Sale Signs?

D. Another qualification is the location.

E. Be sure to get a permit before you begin.

F. However, this discourages those who won't bargain.

G. It only takes a bit of planning to make the day a success.

"Research says that adults are better learners because we have a lot of self-regulation and we're very determined when we want to learn something," says Lourdes Ortega, a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. However, she believes that factors beyond age, such as being deeply engaged in the language, make a bigger difference in language learning success. "Without exposure to the language, there's no learning that can happen, early or late." Factors like a person's natural ability, their earlier language learning experience, and the frequency of their practice also affect the language learning process, according to The Foreign Service Institute.

That said, children and adults do have their own unique strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning a new language. Children tend to learn new languages more naturally, often through play and without relying on translation tools. They adapt quickly but might lack structured learning methods. On the other hand, adults can use strategies like creating their own memory systems or visualization techniques to learn effectively, but they may find it harder to immerse themselves fully in a new language environment given their well-established native language system.

Still, Joshua Hartshorne, a research associate professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, says, "Language is a dynamic system, and there is always something new and more to learn in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and usage. People have been believing that you have got as good as you're going to get in a new language within four or five years. But what we saw was actually that, as people continue learning for about 30 years, they continue to get better."