相关试卷

Days later, I began making funeral arrangements, choosing a nearby funeral home managed by Paul, someone I knew well. He guided me through the planning and execution of the arrangements. When his role was over, he shared profound advice: "After many years in this business, I've seen too many women become reclusive after their husbands' deaths. Good friends extended invitations that they declined because they were grieving (悲痛). Before long, people stopped making the effort to include them. So if people invite you to do things, please make an effort, even if it is just to make a brief appearance. JUST DO IT!"

I was tested almost immediately. A friend had sent an invitation for her birthday party, just two weeks after Bill's death. It felt too soon, but Paul's advice echoed in my mind: just make an appearance.

On Saturday, I decided to go. Arriving at the party, I greeted the host. After getting a glass of red wine, I mingled. Many expressed their condolences, and I caught up with familiar faces, even sharing a few laughs over funny stories. As I finished my wine, I realized I had stayed for almost ninety minutes, longer than planned. I felt like Cinderella at the ball as I say goodbye and drove home.

Reflecting on the evening, I recognized that while it hadn't been easy, I had a good time. This would be my new normal. As more invitations arrived, I often considered whether to accept, but Paul's advice kept me saying "yes." I knew that if someone else faced loss, I could help them avoid isolation by paying it forward.

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●Five-ingredient cookbook

If your loved one is a beginner chef (or can't stand grocery shopping), they'll enjoy this easy-to-follow cookbook from superstar chef Jamie Oliver, which includes simple and healthy recipes using only five ingredients each. This makes cooking stress-free and fun, encouraging them to experiment in the kitchen with confidence.

5 Ingredients Mediterranean: Simple Incredible Food by Jamie Oliver,$45, Indigo

●Reusable hand warmers

If you're not a fan of the great outdoors, hand warmers go a long way in making winter activities bearable. Problem is, most of them are a single-use design that isn't eco-friendly. Enter Hot Poc+, the warmers that can be used 100 times. Simply click to turn on, enjoy toasty hands, then boil to reactivate.

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●Reusable bags

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Reusable silicone bags, pack of three, $34, Lee Valley

"Mom, please, please," I begged. "Please, let me do it by myself." I had never made cookies by myself before. But I'm nine and old enough to do many things. "Alana is going to cook? Alone?" my brother, Caleb, asked with a laugh. "That's going to be a disaster!" Caleb uses big words to act older and smarter than me. Having a big brother can be annoying.

My parents looked at each other. My dad lowered his eyebrows. Would they let me do it? I held my breath. "OK," Mom said, "But Alana, please take your time. Be careful." Sometimes I think my parents have no faith in me. Sure, I've made a mess. I once accidentally dyed (染色) my hands purple, and it didn't wash off for a week. But that was before I turned nine. I would know better now. My parents should realize that!

To make delicious cookies, I reviewed the recipe carefully. After that, I raced to the kitchen and got everything ready like butter, salt, eggs, flour, baking powder, a baking sheet, and an oven (烤箱). I went to work. I opened eggs and put a cold stick of butter into the bowl. Using a mixer was easy. I turned on the mixer at medium speed — and whoa, whoa. Whoa! "WHOA!" I cried. What a disaster! I had to wipe butter off my face, then off the cabinets (柜子), countertop, and floor. Butter is really oily.

"Yuck! Alana's a mess! Alana's a mess!" my brother taunted (奚落). "Caleb, you just get out of here. Leave me alone!" I yelled, waving a spoon. Caleb laughed and walked away. However, I determined to prove to everyone that I was grown up and in control. I put down the cookie sheet and picked up the directions. What had gone wrong? Then I saw it. I had forgotten to add two cups of flour before mixing well!

注意：

1.续写词数应为150个左右；

2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Paragraph 1: I started again carefully.

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Paragraph 2: I brought a plate of cookies into the living room with pride.

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注意：1.词数80左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Janice,

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Yours,

Li Hua

On Saturday, a Beijing folk song reading and enjoying event was held at the Beijing Library, readers immersed themselves in the enchanting world of folk songs, experiencing the cultural charm of Beijing's traditional folk music. (title) "Chinese Music: The Everlasting Folk Songs", the event aimed to celebrate the rich heritage of Chinese folk music.

In the opening speech, Mao Yajun, head of the Capital Library, emphasized ink songs are a cultural treasure. She noted that North China, with its diverse (geography) environments and cultural landscapes, (have) a long history of folk songs that are unique in style and that the event sought (show) the cultural charm of different regions. Mao hoped the event would help people appreciate these heritages, evoking hometown memories while (develop) a sense of warmth and connection through familiar dialects and feelings. At the event, 81-year-old Chang Fuyao and 74-year-old Zhang Guobao, both inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, delivered an exciting (perform) of the Tongzhou Canal Work Song, their voices reviving laborers' bustling scenes.

A Beijing folk song study tour, led by folk song experts, will start a week later. It will include (representative) from the audience who will visit the birthplaces of folk songs, conduct on-site investigations, interact with folk song singers, promoters, and researchers. Participants will learn to sing a folk song, experience local customs, and start unique reading journey.

My uncle and I have always shared a special1 — our middle name, George, is a point of pride. Still, when I was 5, I sensed something was wrong with him. My parents said Uncle George was mentally2.

Back in the day, George would3 ask for my cellphone number and write it down. He'd call many times. This went on for years, until six years ago, he4 my number to memory. Until now, he calls me 10 times a day, without5.

Our phone calls always follow the same6: when the phone rings, I always say "Hi, George," "It's your dad, George! ..." We go7 for minutes, only breaking the bit to8 heartily. Then, he'll say I'm the best guy and9 telling me he'll call me back.

This conversation has been repeated multiple times a day for years now. No matter what's going on in the world, the10 of these calls is something I can11 on. At my most stressed and frustrated, that phone call nevertheless rolls in, allowing me to escape reality for a bit and just laugh and12 like a kid again.

It's impossible for him to13 certain aspects of my life. However, he's able to bring me the same love and14. It's an act of love that15 me, just a little bit, every single day.

People share old social media posts remembering the good old days. They buy products made years ago from secondhand stores and enjoy media that reminds them of their childhoods.

This desire for nostalgia makes a lot of sense because this feeling has psychological benefits. It can improve a person's mood and self-esteem, sometimes helping people handle difficult transitions in life.. They can be encouraged to solve interpersonal issues, reconnect with old friends, and prioritize the important relationships in their life.

But nostalgia can also cause emotional problems. Focusing on the past can make people less satisfied with the present and make it harder to find motivation to improve their current situation.. They may forget about or ignore past hardships, thinking only about the positive side of things.

How can you find a balance, remembering the past without letting it disturb the present? Start by making a conscious effort to recognize and be grateful for the positives in your current situation., while remembering the past. And share these memories with others to deepen relationships by learning more about each other or bonding over shared experiences.

Nostalgia can bring many benefits to individuals and to communities, but we all must also be careful to avoid its pitfalls.
​​​​​​​

A. Listen to music, go for walks, and watch your favorite movie

B. In today's culture, expressions of nostalgia are becoming common

C. Focus on lessons you've learned and ways you've grown over the years

D. It can also promote people's social understanding as they share memories

E. Nostalgia is even categorized into positive nostalgia and negative nostalgia

F. It can also lead people to view earlier stages of life with rose-colored glasses

G. Nostalgia is generally viewed as a positive emotion with numerous health benefits

There is strong evidence that curiosity aids information retention (记忆) and our ability to learn. A study published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Science suggests that if curiosity is aroused, it enhances learning via increased attentional processes during information seeking and retention via enhanced memory. Furthermore, neurological research has shown that curiosity makes our brains more receptive for learning, and that as we learn, we enjoy the sensation of learning, which in turn leads to us wanting to learn more and more. The value of these skills in the workplace is being clearly recognised by organisations and think tanks.

Presently our ability to exercise curiosity is challenged by our prioritisation of immediate answers over questions. Our constant access to technology has adapted us to seeking quick solutions rather than formulating deeper questions. This is compounded by the lack of time that so many of us experience day to day. Busyness seems to be a key characteristic of modern life as well as a glorified status symbol. The fear of missing out and the influence of digital culture, which promotes constant connectivity and the expectation of immediate responses, act as a barrier to taking the time to get curious about a subject.

Despite the barriers that exist and prevent us from exercising our intellectual curiosity to the fullest extent, the ability to stay curious may be one of the most important properties we have. If intellectual curiosity is like a muscle, then we need to be sure we are exercising it. If we don't, it might wither (枯萎). And without it, we run a risk of not experiencing the world and all of its possibilities for learning, new answers and unexpected experiences.

Scientists have long believed that being hit by lightning could have only negative effects on trees. "Your best-case scenario (设想) is that you're kind of okay, and your worst-case scenario is: you explode in a million bits," says Evan Gora, a forest ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York State. But after spending many years studying the effects of lightning on rainforests, Gora began wondering whether trees could not only survive this usually deadly event but also actually get some kind of advantage from it.

To find out, he and his colleagues spent several years following the fate of 93 trees from various species in the rainforest of central Panama when they were directly struck by lightning. Nine were from a species known as the almendro (油蜡豆树), a forest giant native to Central and South America that can grow up to 165 feet tall. After the trees were struck, the researchers continued to monitor the ones that survived the shock, checking their overall condition.

The results showed that the almendro trees were very resistant to lightning and minimally damaged. A few other large species also survived the strikes and might have benefitted as well, but lightning had not struck enough of these species for the researchers to be certain. The researchers also assume that the almendro might have evolved to attract lightning — or at least not to avoid it, as most other trees have. Almendro trees' wide crown (树冠) and tall height. which enhance its chance of being hit, make it a living lightning rod (避雷针). Gora thinks similar abilities to benefit from lightning might be widespread across other species and types of forests.

Allan Carroll, a disturbance ecologist at the University of British Columbia, who wasn't involved in the research, says, "The findings of the study are quite novel and make a significant contribution to our knowledge of plant evolution."

I had initially pursued civil engineering, inspired by my dream of designing buildings. However, as my studies progressed, I became more interested in research. The flood clarified my direction. After volunteering in affected communities that summer, I decided to focus on natural disasters. I applied for a master's program in development studies, a multidisciplinary (多学科的) course covering sustainable development, geography, and economics, with hands-on community projects. This decision greatly surprised my friends and family, who questioned why I was leaving engineering for social sciences. They worried about my job prospects, but I was determined to follow my passion.

The program exposed me to projects helping communities plan for climate change, strengthening my belief in this path. I then applied for a Ph. D., despite financial uncertainty and the challenge of switching fields. Many universities preferred candidates with consistent academic backgrounds, and I faced rejections and skepticism during interviews. However, one program accepted me, allowing me to study how better water resource management and policy can help vulnerable populations adapt to climate change uncertainties.

Starting the Ph. D. was exciting but challenging. Now, three years into my program, I am confident in my decision. The challenges are worth it, as I can dive into an issue I care deeply about and potentially help people. My journey has taught me that following your heart, even on an unconventional path, is the right choice.

Looking for a fun, affordable, professional, and organized dance competition near you? Turn It Up Dance Challenge is not just a weekend of dancing and competing but a truly memorable, educational, and positive experience.

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Are There TIU Dance Competitions Near Me?

This year Turn It Up Dance Challenge will be holding events in Georgia, Missouri, Michigan, New York and Ohio. Let us know where you want to see a Turn It Up Dance Challenge regional competition!

What Other Events Does TIU Offer?

·National Dance Competitions

If you had a great time at one of our regional competitions, you'll LOVE our events! Join us for a week of unforgettable fun every summer. Take convention classes, meet new friends, "turn it up" at our famous National's party, and, of course, compete!

·Dance Conventions

Join us during the months of October-December for our very popular and affordable one-day Turn It Up Dance conventions! A full day of learning from the best in the industry. Take classes in various styles including jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, tap, and Broadway! Learn cutting-edge choreography (编舞艺术)and win National Dance Team Invitations and Scholarship Dollars. You'll meet and connect with many well-known and up-and-coming professionals in the dance industry!

Mary watched as students crowded around a notice announcing that the school's radio station was looking for a second host. Butterflies filled her stomach—she had always dreamed of becoming a campus host.

The radio station was a big deal: it aired music, school announcements, and entertaining shows that everyone tuned into during lunch breaks. Olivia, the current host, was confident and talented, earning widespread admiration. In contrast, Mary was naturally shy, and speaking in front of others made her nervous. Still, she decided to give it a try, even as a classmate remarked, "You? You can barely read aloud in class without stumbling (磕磕绊绊)!"

Not discouraged, Mary practiced every evening by reading aloud from her textbooks. At first, she stumbled over her words, but gradually her reading grew smoother and her pronunciation clearer. She even borrowed books on public speaking from the library to learn vocal techniques. While her classmates chatted and laughed, she quietly absorbed every detail, determined to build her skills.

The day of the interview finally arrived. Holding the cold microphone, Mary felt her hands grow sweaty. She read the required texts perfectly—rehearsed (排练) thousands of times—but she struggled during the improvised (即兴的) part.

"Sir, I've been practicing for months, and I'm willing to work hard to learn," she begged.

Mr. Carter smiled gently and said, "I appreciate your determination and your excellent reading. But during a live broadcast, anything can happen, and you need to draw your audience's attention with genuine emotion rather than simply reading from a script."

That day, no one passed the interview; everyone left except Mary. Lost in thought, she realized, "The problem isn't with my pronunciation or reading…" It suddenly struck her that she could join the radio team in a supporting role to learn what it truly takes to be a host.

注意：

1. 写作词数应为150左右；

2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。

She asked Mr. Carter for permission and began by taking on small tasks.

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Then one day, Mr. Carter rushed in with unexpected news: Olivia had suddenly fallen ill.

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1. 活动筹备情况；

2. 请求专业指导。

注意：

1. 写作词数应为80左右；

2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear Mr. Green,

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Best regards,

Li Hua

Inside a workshop in Lyon, France, the soft rhythm of weaving (织布) machines fills the air as colorful threads move smoothly. For centuries, silk-making traditions, passed down through generations, (shape) Lyon's identity. In these workshops, skilled workers use silk-screen printing, technique originating in China, to layer colors one by one. (remarkable), creating a single scarf can involve up to 30 different colors, each requiring its own screen and printing step. This (detail) process, demanding steady hands and sharp eyes, ensures that every piece is unique and full of character.

Lyon's connection to silk dates back to ancient times, the city became a key gateway for Chinese silk entering Europe. During the Roman Empire, Lyon's location along the Rhine River made it an important trading center. The (arrive) of silk brought significant cultural and economic changes, establishing long-lasting ties between China and France. Even the street designs of Lyon's Old Town (tailor) to protect silk products from wind and rain during transport, showing how silk influenced the city's development in many ways.

Today, Lyon is still celebrated a center for silk production, design, and cultural exchange, (inspire) many famous fashion houses around the world. Thanks to China's Belt and Road initiative, new trade routes are bringing fresh (opportunity) to Lyon. This renewed partnership continues to weave a future of shared creativity and innovation.

Upon arriving at the classroom, I was2 by about 40 children, aged between 7 and 12, all standing in rows and3 to learn to dance.

I looked at the4 on their faces and asked a boy in the front, "What's your name?" He replied very proudly, "Ankit!"

One by one I5 about their names. They responded6. A few even fought to tell me first. By the time I finished I noticed the smile on their faces had7.

I started our dancing class with some simple8 and they followed perfectly. And I9 the class by playing a song and telling them to dance as they pleased. They went wild with joy.

As the kids danced, one of the NGO assistants10 me and said, "Do you know why they're so11?" I guessed, "Because they all love to dance?" He replied, "No. It's because you showed them12 by asking their names. Many who come to teach them see them merely as poor kids. You gave them a feeling that they have a sense of13. Thank you."

Never before had I thought asking someone's name can14 so much. I taught those kids for a few more months. And they were such a15.

Medicine is complex. For instance, the cause of a cough in a healthy 25-year-old might be different from that in a 65-year-old smoker. Yet, they might find the same search results. People may also not know the exact terms to search for. A search for "bloating (腹胀)" might suggest eating more slowly or avoiding dairy products, which can help if bloating is from too much air, but not so if it's from fluid (液体) build-up. Only after seeing a doctor and undergoing a physical examination would it be identified as "ascites (腹腔积水)".

Many articles are written intentionally to make money or promote specific agendas, not to give accurate advice. In fact, only a small part of the health information available online is created with the reader's best interests in mind.

Fortunately, a few strategies can help us find reliable medical information. First, check the author and website. Government agencies are also trustworthy and offer regularly updated information.

Besides, be careful if a website recommends a specific medication or procedure, especially if it has large ads for that treatment.

By following these tips, we can improve our chances of finding useful, accurate, and objective health information.

A. So is this trend bound to continue?

B. But is online medical advice actually reliable?

C. These pages may be created by profit-driven companies.

D. An even bigger issue is the rise of medical misinformation.

E. Online articles often fail to consider each person's unique situation.

F. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to figure out a website's intentions.

G. Reliable sources are usually written by doctors or hosted on trusted sites.

Dr. Traverso's tiny automated injectors are packaged in capsules that patients can swallow. Once inside the digestive system, the capsules break down, releasing the injectors, which then deliver drugs through the surface layer of stomach or other digestive organs and into the subsurface tissues below. This method allows patients to receive treatment without seeing or feeling a needle.

Although the technique is promising, it is not yet entirely reliable. For an injector to work effectively, it must be positioned almost perfectly upright against the target tissue. With skin injections, a medical professional can adjust the angle by hand, but inside the digestive system, this is much more difficult.

To solve this problem, Dr. Traver so turned to squids, which can shoot ink and water at high pressure in multiple directions. Inspired by this natural ability, he and his team worked with a medical company to develop tiny spring-loaded devices that release fast streams of medicine when activated. Tests on digestive tissues from pigs and dogs showed that the devices can effectively give injections even at angles below 70°.

While human trials have yet to begin, Dr. Traver so hopes the technology will soon help people with diabetes, a disease that requires the patients to get multiple injections daily. A more convenient delivery system could make treatment easier and less stressful. But the potential applications extend beyond diabetes—similar devices may one day be used to administer vaccines, making immunization (免疫接种) more accessible. If all goes well, fear of needles could become a thing of the past.

Actually, accusations of declining attention are nothing new in modernity. Even in the early 20th century, Ezra Pound observed a shift from poetry to prose (散文), explaining it as a result of readers' inability to engage with the linguistic complexity of poetry. Over the decades, similar complaints about attention have continued.

Yet, Horowitch suggests that rather than a loss of reading ability, we may be witnessing a shift in consumption habits. Students now view reading books much like listening to old record albums — outdated. Meanwhile, the popularity of audiobooks continues to grow. This suggests that the issue is not an inability to read long novels but rather a shift in what people value. "Students can still read books," Horowitch wrote. "They're just choosing not to."

This raises a deeper question: What kind of attention do we truly need, and why? Psychologists distinguish between focused attention and broader attention. In the famous Invisible Gorilla Experiment, participants counting basketball passes failed to notice a person in a gorilla suit dancing in the background. A wider focus, in contrast, may engage different cognitive skills and offer unique benefits.

Could the younger generation be developing valuable attention modes we fail to recognize? What of the rapid, quick-fire, written exchanges of instant messaging? The art of making short and clever statements in 140 or 280 characters? What about the skills and quick reactions needed in video games? These new ways of engaging with content challenge us to rethink — with history as our guide — how we might approach long-form culture in fresh and flexible ways.

In 2017, while diving at one of their regular spots, "Sea Garden", Gross and his girlfriend encountered a turtle (海龟). They were deeply upset at the terrible scene—the turtle was trapped, struggling, and ultimately dying. Realizing there was nothing they could do to save it, Gross removed the abandoned fishing line wrapped around the turtle and documented the moment. His photograph later won first place in the conservation category of the 2019 International Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition, bringing attention to the problem of sea waste that often goes unseen.

When asked about his approach to creating remarkable underwater photography, Shane Gross advises underwater photographers to go beyond just one image. He encourages them to document the entire scene they're passionate about, even if it means taking some shots above the water. Once you have a story to tell, create a shot list and keep shooting until you have recorded it fully.

For Shane, spending time in the ocean is deeply fulfilling. "I live a marine (海洋的) lifestyle," he says. "But most people don't share this connection." To bridge this gap, he created Bahamas Underwater, a book combining stories and vivid imagery to introduce people to marine ecosystems and their wonders. Shane recommends that taking the time to admire the breathtaking views of the ocean should be the initial step toward creating meaningful change — a shift from indifference to active care.

What is the Program?

The KIDS FIRST! Film Critics program helps young people to share their views on media. It provides reviews of kid-friendly movies, TV shows, and digital content to help families make informed entertainment choices. The program's mission is to educate youth about media and encourage critical thinking as consumers.

What You'll Do

Young critics review media rated PG and content created for younger audiences. They attend press screenings and openings, where they interview leading figures in the field. This gives them early access to new content. After gathering insights, they create written and video reviews. Their work is then shared through the social media platforms, reaching over 5 million viewers and receiving valuable feedback. This exposure helps establish them as a trusted voice in youth media criticism.

Boost Camp Schedule & Pricing

Want to join the program? Improve your chances of passing the next audition (试镜) by attending our Boost Camp!

For more information, visit www.kidsfirst.org.