江苏省盐城中学 2023 届高三年级期末考试
英语试题(2023.1)
试卷说明:本场考试时间 120 分钟，总分 150 分。
注意事项:
1．答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、考生号、考场号、座位号填写在答题卡上。
2．回答选择题时,选出每小题答案后,用铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑。如需改动，
用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案标号。回答非选择题时，将答案写在答题卡上，写在本试
卷上无效。
3.考试结束后，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。
第一部分 听力(共两节，满分 30 分)
做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂
到答题卡上。
第一节(共 5 小题;每小题 1.5 分，满分 7.5 分)
听下面 5 段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选
项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有 10 秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅
读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
1. Which language can Robert speak well
A. Russian. B. German. C. French.
2.What are the speakers probably talking about
A.A tour. B.A movie. C.A friend.
3.What is the time now
A. About 10: 05. B. About 10: 10. C. About 10: 15.
4. Where is the woman
A. On a flight. B. In China. C. At home.
5. What does the man own
A. The flat. B. The car. C. The furniture.
第二节(共 15 小题;每小题 1.5 分，满分 22.5 分)
听下面 5 段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项
中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题 5 秒钟:听完后，
各小题将给出 5 秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第 6 段材料，回答第 6、7 题。
6. What does the woman say about buying the car
A. She doesn't like the car.
B. The price is not reasonable.
C. She doesn't have enough money.
7.Why does the man want to talk with the manager
A. To get the price down another $500.
B. To get the price down another $1 , 000.
C. To get the price down another $2, 000.
听第 7 段材料，回答第 8 至 10 题。
8. What will the speakers probably do in the morning
A. Eat in the restaurant.
B. Go to the local beach.
C. Go to the amusement park.
9. Where is the Natural History Museum
A. Near the beach.
B. Next to the restaurant.
C. By the amusement park.
10.What does the woman think of watching the sun go down
A. It's relaxing. B. It's wonderful. C. It's impossible.
听第 8 段材料，回答第 11 至 13 题。
11. Who is the man
A. The interviewer. B. The manager. C. The shop owner.
12.What does the man say about the job
A. It is interesting. B. It is well paid. C. It is poorly paid.
13. What do we know about the woman getting the job
A. She will not get the job.
B. She has already got the job.
C. She will probably get the job.
听第 9 段材料，回答第 14 至 17 题。
14. When does the girl think about seeing a movie
A. On Wednesday morning.
B. On Wednesday evening.
C. On Wednesday after school.
15.Why doesn't the man let the girl go to a movie Friday night
A. The girl has piano lessons.
B. The girl has to babysit.
C. The show time is too late.
16.Which movie showing can the girl see
A. The five o'clock showing.
B. The seven o'clock showing.
C. The nine o'clock showing.
17.When does the conversation probably take place
A. On Monday. B. On Wednesday. C. On Thursday.
听第 10 段材料，回答第 18 至 20 题。
18.When do swallows return
A. At the end of March.
B. At the beginning of summer.
C. On the same date of the year.
19.Where are swallows in December
A. In Argentina. B. In San Diego. C. In San Juan Capistrano.
20. Why are people happy when robins return
A. They can watch birds again.
B. They know spring is coming.
C. They know there will be snow soon.
第二部分：阅读理解(共两节，满分 50 分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C 和 D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将
该项涂黑。
A
The following chart is provided by Elizabeth Weise from《America Today》. It shows the
growth of the immersive schools in America.
Based on The Daily Advertiser's report, foreign children at the age of about 5 are having
Chinese lessons like this:
Zhaoting Xia, a 29-year-old teacher, holds paper
copies of Chinese currency and invites kids up one
at a time to use the "money" to purchase
something from her pretend fruit stand.
One of the students, a 5-year-old boy, picks
out his money and greets Xia with "ni hao",
starting the conversation as he has been taught.
Then he works in some vocabulary words to ask for a plastic ear of corn. Xia tells him the price,
and he counts the money in his hand before making the exchange. They finish with "xiexie" or
"thank you".
ln this one exercise, they've practiced a lot in such a "real situation". And all of this takes
place in Chinese.
21.What can we learn about the immersive schools in America based on the chart
A. Children in them are aged 2 to 4.
B. They accept only Chinese children in America.
C. All the teachers in the immersive schools come from China.
D. The immersive schools have greatly increased in America since 2007.
22.Which of the following can children practice in this one exercise mentioned in the text
A. Greeting by saying "Hello!" to each other.
B. Counting the number from 1-10 in Chinese.
C. Knowing about "Chinese money—renminbi".
D. Vocabulary, sentence structure, math and culture.
23. What might Elizabeth Weise be
A. A teacher. B. A headmaster. C. A reporter. D. A director.
B
Close to a century ago, New York's Coney Island was famed for its sideshows (杂耍 ).
Eye-catching signs crowded the island's attractions, showing off circus shows, sword
swallowers--and even an exhibition of tiny babies.
The babies were premature ones kept alive in incubators (婴儿保育箱 ) pioneered by Dr.
MartinCouney. The medical establishment had rejected his incubators, but Dr.Couney didn't give
up on his aims. Starting in 1896, he funded his work by displaying the babies and charging 25
cents to see the show. In return, parents didn't have to pay for Dr. Couney's incubators, and many
children survived who would never have had a chance otherwise.
Born in 1912, Lucille Horn ended up in an incubator on Coney Island. She'd been born a twin,
but her twin died at birth. And the hospital staff told her father that there wasn't a chance she'd
live. " It was just. You die because you didn't belong in the world, "Horn says. But her father
refused to accept that answer. He grabbed a blanket to wrap her in, called a taxi, and took her to
Coney Island—and to Dr. Couney's infant (婴幼儿) exhibit.
Years later, Horn decided to return to see the babies -- this time as a visitor. When she took
the opportunity to introduce herself, Dr. Couney went over to a man who was uneasily looking at
his small infant. "Look at this young lady,” Dr.Couney told the man. "She's one of our babies. And
that's how your baby's gonna grow up.”
Hom was just one of thousands of premature infants that Dr. Couney cared for and displayed
at amusement parks until the 1940s.He died in 1950, shortly after incubators like his were
introduced in most hospitals. At the time, Dr. Couney's efforts were largely unknown----but at
least one person will never forget him. "Ninety-six years later, here I am, all in one piece. And I'm
thankful to be here," Horn says.
24. What can we learn about Dr. Couney's incubator
A. It pushed medical science forward. B. It was the most famous sideshow.
C. It saved many premature babies. D. It charged each infant 25 cents.
25. Why was Horn taken to Dr. Couney's infant exhibit
A. She belonged in nowhere else but Coney Island.
B. It was the only place where she might survive.
C. The hospital staff lacked the patience to care for her.
D. Her father refused to accept the death of her twin sister.
26. What is the purpose of Dr. Couney's words in Paragraph 4
A. To relieve the man's anxiety. B. To introduce the lady to the man.
C. To promise the baby's bright future. D. To explain the function of the incubator.
27.What should we learn from Dr. Couney's story
A. Medical knowledge. B. Earning power.
C. Persuasive techniques. D. Flexible mind.
C
When you're going through a period of anxiety or depression it can be difficult to make
decisions, whether those are significant life changes or everyday choices. Those with generalized
anxiety disorder or mood disorders often report feeling uncomfortable with or being troubled by
feelings of uncertainty----which doesn't help when you need to make a decision, big or small.
Now in a new study, researchers find that people with higher levels of anxiety and
depression are less able to adapt to fast-changing situations. But with the right intervention,
there may be ways to help those with anxiety or depression make better decisions in the
moment.
Participants were aged between 18 and 55; some had symptoms of generalized anxiety
disorder or major depressive disorder while others had no history of mental illness at all.
ln the study, after filling in measures related to anxiety, depression, and worry, participants
took part in a video game. In each round, they were asked to choose between two shapes:
picking one shape resulted in a reward, while the other delivered an electric shock.
The task took place in two blocks—one stable, in which one shape was associated with a
reward 75%of the time and the other 25% of the time, and the other unstable, in which the
shape with a higher probability of resulting in reward switched every twenty trials. In the
unstable block ， therefore, the participants had to keep adjusting their responses as the
probabilities change.
Those participants with symptoms of anxiety or depression were slower to adjust their
responses to the changes in probabilities. This suggests that mood disorders are associated with
difficulty making decisions in changing circumstances.
Senior author Sonia Bishop argues that those participants who adapted quickly did so
because of their emotional resilience (适应力 ). "Emotionally resilient people tend to focus on
what gave them a good outcome, and in many real-world situations that might be key to learning
to make good decisions," she says.
Sonia Bishop suggests that encouraging people to focus on past successes rather than
failures could be a useful behavioral intervention, making those difficult decisions a bit less tricky.
28. According to the text, which of the following affects decision-making
A. Feeling uncomfortable with someone.
B. Feeling unsure of what will happen.
C. Wondering who will make a decision.
D. Wondering how to help make a decision.
29. What was the purpose of the unstable block
A. To create a fast-changing situation.
B. To train participants to respond to changes.
C. To make the video game more challenging.
D. To help those with anxiety make decisions.
30. Why does Sonia Bishop suggest focusing on past successes
A. To improve decision-making.
B. To remember the achievements.
C. To adapt quickly to a new situation.
D. To avoid making difficult decisions.
31. What advice can be given according to the study
A. Try to think quickly when making decisions.
B. Don't expect too much when making decisions.
C. Don't focus on one single thing when making decisions.
D. Reduce your anxiety or depression when making decisions.
D
Building good transportation is a good idea. To have environmental value, new
transportation has to sufficiently replace or eliminate driving to cut energy consumption overall.
That means that a new traffic system has to be supported by reduction in car use. Traffic lanes
should be eliminated or converted into bike or bus lanes. Ideally, these should be combined with
higher fuel taxes, and parking fees. Needless to say, I have to struggle to make myself extensively
understood. But they' re necessary, because you can't make people drive less, in the long run, by
taking steps that make driving more pleasant, economical, and productive.
Lengthy commuting (通勒) time is a forceful factor which can slow the growth of suburbs.
The farther people live away from cities, the longer commuting time they need, which means
more pollution their cars produce. If, in a misguided effort to do something of environmental
value, governments take steps that make long-distance car commuting faster or more
convenient- -by adding lanes, building bypass, employing traffic-control measures that make it
possible for existing roads to accommodate more cars with fewer delays- -we are actually
encouraging people to live still farther from their jobs, stores, and schools. As a result,
governments are forced to further extend road networks, water lines, and other facilities. If you
cut commuting time by 10 percent, people who now drive fifty miles each way to work can find
reason to move five miles farther out, because their travel time won't change.
Traffic congestion(拥堵 ) isn't an environmental problem; traffic is. Relieving congestion
without doing anything to reduce the total volume of cars can only make the real problem worse.
Highway engineers have known for a long time that building new car lanes only temporarily
reduces congestion, because the new lanes add additional driving. Widening roads makes traffic
move faster in the short term, but the improved conditions eventually attract additional drivers,
and congestion reappears. With more caron the roads, people think about widening roads again.
Moving drivers out of cars and into other forms of transportation can have the same effect, if
existing traffic lanes are kept in service: road space stimulates road use.
One of the arguments that cities inevitably make in promoting transportation plans is that
the new system, by relieving automobile congestion, will improve the lives of those who continue
to drive. No one ever promotes a transportation system by arguing that it would make travelling
less convenient----even though, from an environmental perspective, inconvenient travel is a
worthy goal.
32.In the first paragraph, the author gives us the hint that his recommendations are
A. not widely supported B. costly to carry out
C. generally recognized D. temporarily beneficial
33.According to the passage, what will happen if commuting time for drivers is reduced
A. Drivers will become more productive employees.
B. Mass transportation will be extended farther into suburban areas.
C. Drivers will be more willing to live farther from their working place.
D. Mass transportation will carry fewer passengers and receive less government funding.
34.Which of the following can be inferred about the author's attitude towards the measures to
improve traffic
A. They are well intentioned but ultimately lead to environmental harm.
B. They are environmentally beneficial and should be carried out immediately.
C. They will definitely arouse people's awareness of environmental protection.
D. They will only work if they can make driving more economical and productive.
35.The author wrote this massage mainly to____·
A. support the claim that efforts to reduce traffic actually increase traffic
B. oppose the belief that improving mass transportation systems is good for the environment
C. provide a balance between suburban expansion and traffic congestion
D. indicate that making driving less agreeable is a way to reduce negative effects of traffic
第二节(共 5 小题;每小题 2.5 分，满分 12.5 分)
阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Steps to Take to Become a Morning Person
Seek out as much natural light as possible.
The secret to becoming a morning person is exposure to bright light, says Jennifer Martin,
president of the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. That's because
light suppresses melatonin(褪黑激素 ), a hormone that plays an important role in circadian
rhythm. 36
Ease in gradually.
37 You could force yourself to get up at your desired time every day, knowing that
you'll feel tired during the transition but will naturally start falling asleep earlier within a few
weeks. But for some people—like those who need to drive long distances----those first few days
of exhaustion from switching to a new schedule aren't safe. In that case, Martin recommends
gradually easing into the early-bird life. "What I'll suggest to people is to shift half an hour, wait a
few days, shift another half an hour, wait a few days, and then shift another half an hour,” she
says.
38
A consistent bedtime isn't as crucial as sticking to the same wake up time every day, but it's
still important to make sure you're getting enough sleep. Most people should aim for at least
seven hours a night----so you'll probably need to inch your bedtime forward as you transition to a
new schedule. Starting at least an hour before you hit the sack, cut back on how much exposure
to bright light you're getting. experts advise. 39
Plan something to look forward to.
40 “Now is the time to go buy your favorite coffee or pick up some pastries to have
when your alarm goes off at 5 a.m.," she says. "You're not dreading it if you think of that.”
A. Reschedule your bedtime.
B. Wind down in the evenings.
C. The sun is the driver of our internal clock.
D. There are two ways to approach your journey to early rising.
E. To tempt you out of bed, Martin suggests treating yourself to something special.
F. Being exposed to artificial light in the late evening could interfere with your ability to fall
asleep.
G. They also recommend rethinking the curtains you might use to foster a very dark sleeping
environment.
第三部分：语言运用(共两节，满分 30 分)
第一节完形填空(共 15 个小题，每小题 1 分，满分 15 分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C 和 D 四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
One of my neighbors used to have a beautiful tree in her front yard. Her dad had planted it
for her when it was 41 a little branch and several years later it started to 42 towards
the sky at an amazing speed. Soon it 43 her with cooling shade in the summer and glorious,
golden leaves in the fall.
When the two-day snowstorm struck our town, heavy snow fell on the tree's branches that
were still full of leaves. The weight split that lovely tree down the middle. I was so 44
seeing half of it lying on the ground after the storm. When l talked to my neighbor later, she said
that the damage had been too much and that the entire tree would have to be cut down.
45 , she had saved a few seedlings from it that she hoped to replant in the future.
Still, it was a(n) 46 to drive by her house the other day and see nothing but a
stump(树桩)in her front yard. I missed that tree. I missed its branches, its leaves 47 in the
afternoon sun. I missed seeing its limbs reach towards the heavens. l thought that the stump
would be a sad reminder of its 48 for a long time to come.
My wonderful neighbor had another plan， 49 .When I drove by her home today l saw
a tiny bird feeder sitting on that stump and a colorful songbird having its dinner. It was such an
affirmation(肯定)of 50 . It was such a joy to 51 .
Life by its very nature is a 52 bag. It hands us both beauty and 53 , love and loss,
pleasure and pain. What we do with it, however, is up to us. We can let it split us in two, or we
can use even its 54 times to make our souls stronger and our hearts more loving. We can
spend it complaining or we can 55 it to help others.
41.A. none other than B. nothing more than C. nowhere near D. anything but
42.A. circulate B. tower C. shoot D. stand
43.A. equipped B. decorated C. blessed D. honored
44.A. relieved B. grieved C. astonished D. fascinated
45.A. Originally B. Doubtfully C. Thankfully D. Critically
46.A. amazement B. shock C. annoyance D. delight
47.A. falling B. shaking C. floating D. shining
48.A. glory B. loss C. birth D. company
49.A. though B. therefore C. still D. otherwise
50.A. nature B. hope C. life D. value
51.A. see B. solve C. approach D. realize
52.A. mixed B. changeable C. separated D. stable
53.A. faith B. tragedy C. wealth D. wonder
54.A. happiest B. hardest C. greatest D. easiest
55.A. employ B. highlight C. accumulate D. cherish
第二节（共 10 小题;每小题 1.5 分，满分 15 分)
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
If you stop a random person on the street in China, there's a pretty good chance their
surname 56 (be) either Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu or Chen. That's 57 those are the five most
common surnames in China—shared by 30% of the population. And the vast majority of the
population share just 100 of those surnames 58 (put) that in perspective, the United States
reported 6.3 million surnames in its 2010 census.
There are a few reasons for this: China is less 59 (racial) diverse than countries such as
the US, where a wealth of minority groups increase surname diversity. It also has to do 60
language; you can't just add a random stroke to a Chinese character and create a new surname.
But there's also another factor at play: technology. With China 61 (roar) into the
digital age, nearly everything has moved online—from making appointments to buying train
tickets. The main problem is that not all Chinese characters 62 (code) into computer
systems. That meant 63 world of trouble if you happened to have a rare character in your
name. As of 2017, up to 60 million Chinese citizens faced this predicament, according to Xinhua.
People with rare characters in their names, 64 aren't compatible with existing computer
systems， can get left behind—pushing many to change their names for the sake of 65
(convenient), even if it means abandoning centuries of heritage and language.
To try to address this, experts have increased the database from 32, 000 characters to 70，
000characters, according to the government. They're still working to expand it to include more
than 90,000characters, said Chen Jiawei, an associate professor at Beijing Normal University.
第四部分：写作(共两节，满分 40 分)
第一节应用文写作(满分 15 分)
假如你是李华，受社区邀请为老年人做一个主题为“提高防骗意识、增强防范能力”的演讲，
内容包括:
1．诈骗类型; 2. 防范方法。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为 80 左右:;
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
第二节（满分 25 分)
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
On a Friday evening in December, two weeks before Christmas, l lost my job. I hadn't seen it
coming. I was excited for the weekend when my daughter, Kristil, planned to get our Christmas
tree. Then I listened to my voicemail "We're sorry, but your work assignment has ended as of
today." My heart sank.
l was the only parent. My paycheck was survival. I did everything I could to give Kristil a good
life, but there were some things my love couldn't fix. The next day as we searched for our tree, I
struggled to be cheerful as I eyed the Christmas tree prices.
Monday morning, I dropped Kristil at school and set off on my moneymaking pursuits.
Looking for where to sell stuff, I headed to the pawnshop(当铺) with a garnet(石榴子石) ring set
in 14-karat gold that had belonged to my mother. "Best I can do is $70," the owner said. "The
stones are worthless. We're only interested in the gold." Next was the antiques store. I sold six
Precious Moments sculptures for $150.Iended the day $220 richer—not bad.
Over the next week, l desperately applied for jobs as my bank account grew smaller. I felt as
if the world was closing in on me. On a weekend afternoon, I dropped Kristil in a wealthy gated
community for a birthday party. I watched as she went in, surrounded by all the nice things we
couldn't afford. I drove home defeated.
Back at home, it had been snowing on and off all morning. I noticed a petite(娇小的 )
woman in an blue overcoat struggling to open her car door against the wind. As she got out, I
realized it was my old professor, Esther Heffernan. I hadn't seen her since we'd met for lunch
three months ago. I'd first met Esther 10 years earlier, when I was her student in Madison，
Wisconsin. Kristil was 3 at the time, and I sometimes took her to class. She was understanding
and would bring coloring books to occupy Kristil.
After I graduated, Esther kept in touch, meeting me for lunch every few months. l had grown
to love her like family. I rushed to the front of my building. "What are you doing out in this
weather ” I asked as we hugged.
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。
l made her a cup of tea, and we talked.
l walked her to her car and waved as she pulled away.
江苏省盐城中学 2023 届高三年级期末考试
英语答案
听力：
1-5 CAABC 6-10 CBBAB 11-15 ABCCC 16-20 AACAB
传统阅读
21-23 DDC 24-27 CBAD 28-31 BAAD 32-35 ACAD
7 选 5 阅读 36-40 CDBFE
完形填空
41-45 BCCBC 46-50 BDBAC 51-55 AABBA
语法填空
56. would/will be 57. because 58. To put 59. racially 60. with
61. roaring 62. have been coded 63. a 64. with 65. convenient
应用文写作
With the number of the internet users increasingly expanding, Internet frauds have become
a huge problem in recent years. Today I will give a brief introduction to some common traps and
offer you suggestions on handling these.
Cybercrime comes in many covert ways. Some frauds will tempt you to set up an account
and provide your personal information with so-called red packets or other pecuniary advantages.
Others scare you that your relative meets an emergency and ask you to transfer money to an
unfamiliar account.
If you are in such situations, please stay calm. You can call the police to have a check. In
order to ensure the security of your property, you’d better install and register the National
Anti-fraud Center App. Please keep in mind that “refuse to give strangers money and refuse the
money given by strangers”.
读后续写:
I made her a cup of tea, and we talked. Just being in Esther’s presence gave me hope that
things would be all right. “Well, I tried to call last week but couldn’t get through. Having learnt
that you weren’t working there anymore, I thought I would come by,” Esther said. “I have a
couple of gifts for you and Kristil.” As she got up to leave, she handed me a Christmas card. “This
is for you,” she said as she kissed me on the cheek.
I walked her to her car and waved as she pulled away. When I opened her card, I gasped in
shock. There was money inside. Hundred-dollar bills fell onto the table. Tears of gratitude welled
up in my eyes as I counted. Esther had given me $1,000. On Christmas morning, Kristil and I
gathered around our tree, and I joyfully watched as she opened her Christmas gifts. I silently
thanked Esther in my heart. The year Santa’s suit went from signature red to true blue.
江苏省盐城中学 2023 届高三年级期末考试
英语答案
听力：
1-5 CAABC 6-10 CBBAB 11-15 ABCCC 16-20 AACAB
传统阅读
21-23 DDC 24-27 CBAD 28-31 BAAD 32-35 ACAD
7 选 5 阅读 36-40 CDBFE
完形填空
41-45 BCCBC 46-50 BDBAC 51-55 AABBA
语法填空
56. would/will be 57. because 58. To put 59. racially 60. with
61. roaring 62. have been coded 63. a 64. with 65. convenient
应用文写作
With the number of the internet users increasingly expanding, Internet frauds have become
a huge problem in recent years. Today I will give a brief introduction to some common traps and
offer you suggestions on handling these.
Cybercrime comes in many covert ways. Some frauds will tempt you to set up an account
and provide your personal information with so-called red packets or other pecuniary advantages.
Others scare you that your relative meets an emergency and ask you to transfer money to an
unfamiliar account.
If you are in such situations, please stay calm. You can call the police to have a check. In
order to ensure the security of your property, you’d better install and register the National
Anti-fraud Center App. Please keep in mind that “refuse to give strangers money and refuse the
money given by strangers”.
读后续写:
I made her a cup of tea, and we talked. Just being in Esther’s presence gave me hope that
things would be all right. “Well, I tried to call last week but couldn’t get through. Having learnt
that you weren’t working there anymore, I thought I would come by,” Esther said. “I have a
couple of gifts for you and Kristil.” As she got up to leave, she handed me a Christmas card. “This
is for you,” she said as she kissed me on the cheek.
I walked her to her car and waved as she pulled away. When I opened her card, I gasped in
shock. There was money inside. Hundred-dollar bills fell onto the table. Tears of gratitude welled
up in my eyes as I counted. Esther had given me $1,000. On Christmas morning, Kristil and I
gathered around our tree, and I joyfully watched as she opened her Christmas gifts. I silently
thanked Esther in my heart. The year Santa’s suit went from signature red to true blue.
