鸡西市第一中学2024--2025学年度第一学期高二学年期中考试
英语学科试卷
时间：120分钟 分值：150分
注意事项：
1. 本试卷分第Ⅰ卷和第Ⅱ卷两部分。答题前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号填写在本试卷和答题卡相应位置上。
2. 回答第Ⅰ卷时，选出每小题答案后，用2B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，再选涂其它答案标号。写在本试卷上无效。
3. 回答第Ⅱ卷时，将答案写在答题卡上，写在本试卷上无效。
4. 考试结束后，将答题卡交回。
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）
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。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. What has the weather been like this week
A. Sunny. B. Cloudy. C. Rainy.
2. What will the girl give Anne for her birthday
A. A watch. B. A necklace. C. A dictionary.
3. Where does the conversation probably take place
A. In a hospital. B. In a restaurant. C. In a shopping center.
4. What will the speakers do next
A. Visit Lucy. B. Go back home. C. Take Lucy to hospital.
5. What is the woman probably going to do
A. Visit a relative. B. Clean the floor. C. Rent a flat.
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 color maple leaves did Alice see in Kyoto
A. Red, yellow and green. B. Red, green and orange. C. Red, orange and yellow.
7. When is the best time to enjoy the colorful maple leaves
A. Around mid-October. B. Around mid-November. C. Around mid-December.
听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. What day is it today
A. Monday. B. Tuesday. C. Sunday.
9. What does the man advise Tina to buy
A. Apples. B. Mushrooms. C. Onions.
10. Who is Tina probably
A. Jack’s neighbor. B. Jack’s wife. C. Jack’s mother.
听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. Why did Joy prefer to take a trip to Singapore
A. It is not far from her country.
B. It has a rich variety of scenery.
C. Its transportation is very convenient.
12. What does Joy think of her trip to Singapore
A. Boring. B. Tiring. C. Wonderful.
13. Where does the man come from
A. China. B. Korea. C. Singapore.
听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。
14. What is the probable relationship between the speakers
A. Neighbors. B. Colleagues. C. Schoolmates.
15. How does Jenny feel about joining the party
A. Happy. B. Nervous. C. Worried.
16. What does Jenny advise Mike to do
A. Get involved in various games.
B. Wear a genuine smile.
C. Stay for a short while.
17. When will Jenny arrive at the party
A. At 8:10 pm. B. At 8:00 pm. C. At 7:50 pm.
听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。
18. What is the speaker mainly talking about
A. The development of newspapers.
B. A variety of sources of news.
C. Young people’s interest in news.
19. What percentage of people regularly pay for news products according to the survey
A. 25%. B. 45%. C. 71%.
20. What type of news do young people like best
A. Food and cooking. B. Entertainment and music. C. Environment and education.
第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分50分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
Australia is a vast continent rich in extraordinarily beautiful views. Here are some of the most beautiful views in Australia.
Mindil Beach, Darwin
Some of the most impressive Australian sunsets can be witnessed from Mindil Beach as the sun dips below the Arafura Sea. Beautiful colors of pink, orange, blue and purple paint the sky each night. From April to October, you can enjoy the festive nightlife of the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets which celebrate the wonderful view each night.
Sydney Harbor, Sydney
It’s a view known as one of the most popular shots of Australia. The famous Sydney Harbor can be best experienced from a bird’s eye view, one you can experience yourself if you have the nerve to climb 143 meters above sea level to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It will be an amazing view that you’ll remember for a lifetime.
Cape Byron Lighthouse, Byron Bay
The Cape Byron Lighthouse is the most easterly point in the entire country. Each year more than 500, 000 people visit the lighthouse which rises up above Byron Bay offering striking views of the bay, the beach and even an opportunity for whale watching when the season is right.
Whitehaven Beach, Whitsundays
For many, the typical Australian image is of a beautiful beach with soft sand and blue waters all around. The 7-kilometer area of sand known as Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island is about as beautiful of a beach view as one can get anywhere in the country. The beach is known for its powder white sand. The sand also doesn’t keep heat meaning that walking barefoot on the beach is comfortable even at the hottest points of the day. Whitehaven can only be accessed by boat, making this a picture worthy of any postcard.
1. What can you enjoy at Mindil Beach
A Beautiful sunrises. B. The festive nightlife.
C. A famous lighthouse. D. Colorful architecture.
2. Which place can offer you a chance to see whales
A. Mindil Beach. B. The Sydney Harbor Bridge.
C. Whitehaven Beach. D. The Cape Byron Lighthouse.
3. What makes Whitehaven Beach unique
A. The sand. B. The climate. C. The transport. D. The seawater.
B
Like most mammals (哺乳动物), the mother providing the main parental care to the children is common among tiger families. The female usually cares for the cubs (幼兽) and the male does not have any part in raising them. But recently, a father tiger at the Panna Tiger Reserve in India has toppled the tradition by exhibiting an unusual motherly behavior. This is unheard of and something out of the ordinary. You rarely witness something like this in humans, and this is also uncommon within the animal kingdom. It seems like the tiger takes on the role of a single dad.
According to the natural law, after the birth of the cubs, it is the mother tiger that stays by the side of her cubs. For two years, she monitors the cubs, teaching them hunting skills and other survival skills, before letting them head off on their own in their mature age.
It shocks workers at the Panna Tiger Reserve when the tiger started caring for four cubs, after the sudden death of their mother, due to unknown causes. Beyond the natural role of a male tiger as a protector, the father tiger is seen hunting a deer for the young cubs. Besides sharing his meal, he is also heard to communicate with the cubs by calling them with roars (吼叫).
Uttam Sharma, the director of the Panna Tiger Reserve, reports that the father tiger visits the cubs regularly and that by playing and sharing animals he hunts with the cubs regularly, the tiger is clearly conveying the message that he should not be considered a danger to the little ones. The conservationists of the reserve also carefully monitor the 8-month-old cubs. Through their observation, they judge that the cubs are currently fit and not hungry, and are spending stress-free days with their father.
4. What does the underlined word “toppled” in the first paragraph mean
A. broken B. followed C. preserved D. upset
5. What makes the workers surprised
A. The mother tiger’s sudden death.
B. The father tiger’s response to cubs.
C. The father tiger’s sharing meals with cubs.
D. The father tiger’s communicating with cubs.
6. What does Uttam Sharma say about the cubs
A. They get along with their father. B. They are far from physically healthy.
C. They fear to stay with their father. D. They are under conservationists’ protection.
7. Which can be the best title for the text
A. Fatherly Love Counts a Lot in Parenting.
B. Father Tiger Gives Rare Caring to Its Cubs.
C. Male Tigers Change Their Role in Family.
D. Raising Cubs Isn’t Just Females’ Responsibility.
C
Each April Thais celebrate their “Thai New Year” with a great water fight on the streets. People throw water at everyone passing by and even block the road so they can enter buses and “paint the faces” of all the passengers. But there are a few people who don’t wish to participate in the fun. When I first experienced this celebration, I was one of them.
The first time our bus was stopped, 4 people coming into the bus intended to paint everyone’s face. I slowly shook my head to say “No, thank you.”, but a man came from behind me and quickly painted my face. Then the other three felt inspired and added a little more “paint” to my face. I didn’t actively stop them for fear that if I did, they would become more aggressive (好斗的) and throw even more water at me and possibly my backpack, which would damage whatever was inside.
Even though it happened only once, emotionally it was very frightening because I felt so powerless. The experience caused me to think a lot about respect and moral autonomy or individual judgment vs “permission” from the authorities. On this day, people of Thailand, including the police, give “permission” for these activities. So what about respect for the individual If someone does not want to be painted, is it OK to do it anyhow because the majority is having a good time and sincerely believes it is harmless fun, or because the police allow it
In my opinion, if someone does not want to have something done to them, then you’re supposed to respect their decision. You can’t rely on the authorities or some group to tell you if something is right or wrong or if you should or shouldn’t do something. I believe this is a much healthier way of living with one another in this world.
8. How does the author introduce the topic
A. By raising a question. B. By making an assumption.
C. By providing a comparison. D. By supporting a celebration.
9. Why did the author inactively resist being painted
A. He was afraid of causing conflict. B. He wanted to protect things in his backpack.
C The activity got official permission. D. The majority were in favor of the behavior.
10. What did the author think of the experience
A. It was unpleasant. B. It was invaluable.
C. It was informative. D. It was acceptable.
11. What is mainly conveyed in the last paragraph
A. Do as you would be done by.
B. Fear always springs from ignorance.
C. When in Rome do as the Romans do.
D. Respect matters in interpersonal communication.
D
A new study of the elderly has found napping (小睡) too much in daytime may signal an increasing risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have reported the relationship between the two: napping too much in daytime predicts an increased future risk of Alzheimer’s, and a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s speeds up the increase in napping during aging.
“Daytime sleep behavior of older adults is often ignored, and an agreement for napping in clinical practice and health care is still lacking,” said Peng Li, one of the researchers. “Our team calls for a closer attention to 24-hour sleep patterns — not only nighttime sleep but also a nap — for tracking the health of the elderly.
The researchers recognized that all previous studies on Alzheimer’s disease assessed napping within a participant only once, and most of them were subjective and questionnaire—based. In the new study, more than 1,000 individuals, with an average age of 81, were provided with Actical, a watch-like device, to wear on their wrist for up to 14 days. After nap episodes were identified, the nap duration and frequency were calculated.
The results have suggested that napping too much in daytime may signal an increasing risk of Alzheimer’s, and that faster yearly increase in napping may be a sign of worsening or unfavourable clinical development of the disease.
Researchers have acknowledged that although the method of the new study has been widely used in sleep field studies, they recognize that polysomnography (多导睡眠描记) is the gold standard for sleep scoring. Moreover, the participants studied were the elderly, and therefore, the findings may not be easily translated to young people. In addition, future studies should test whether a direct intervention in a nap can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.
“We hope to draw more attention to daytime sleep patterns and the importance of patients noting if their sleep schedule changes over time,” said co-senior author Kun Hu of the Medical Biodynamics Program. “Sleep changes are critical in shaping the internal changes in the brain.”
12. What does the new study of the elderly show
A. The link between a nap and Alzheimer’s. B. The causes and symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
C. The proper amounts of daytime sleep. D. The ways to improve the quality of sleep.
13. How did the researchers conduct the new study
A. By asking about the participants’ ideas. B. By carrying out a particular questionnaire.
C. By tracking participants’ sleep with a device. D. By assessing participants calculating tasks.
14. What can we infer from Paragraph 5
A. The method of the new study is perfect. B. The findings are suitable for all ages.
C. Further studies should be carried out. D. Intervention can reduce the risk of Alzheirmer’s.
15. What does Kun Hu talk about
A. The patterns of daytime sleep. B. The way to make sleep schedules.
C. The causes of brain changes. D. The significance of the new study.
第二节（共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分）
根据短文内容，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。
Many people’s usual practice when preparing fruit and vegetables is to peel them. ____16____ There are important nutrients in the peel.
Fruit and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber and many other beneficial plant chemicals, such as substances that protect your cells from harm. ____17____ So could consuming fruit and vegetable peel help with this issue by adding important nutrients to people’s diets
____18____ For example, plenty of nutritionally important vitamins and minerals are found in the peel of some vegetables: wild carrots, sweet potatoes and white potatoes. And the US Department of Agriculture shows that unpeeled apples contain 15% more vitamin C, 20% more calcium (钙) and 85% more fiber than peeled ones.
Given the nutrient content of peel, why do people peel fruit and vegetables Some must be peeled as the outer parts are not suitable for eating or will cause harm, such as bananas, oranges, melons, pineapples, mangoes and onions. But the peel of apples, potatoes, carrots and cucumbers can be eaten. ____19____
Some people peel fruit and vegetables because they are concerned about pesticides on the surface. But most of the residue (残留物) can be removed by washing. ____20____
Lists of pesticide content of fruit and vegetables are available in some countries — for example, the Pesticide Action Network produces one for the UK. This can help you decide which fruit and vegetables to peel and which peels can be eaten.
A. Surely, it’s worth a try.
B. It can certainly contribute.
C. But often, it’s not necessary.
D. However, many people peel them anyway.
E. Cooking techniques, such as boiling and steaming, can also reduce it.
F. They can help to reduce waste and increase their fruit and vegetable intake.
G. Not consuming enough of these nutrient-rich foods is linked to an increased risk of some diseases.
第三部分 语言运用（共两节，满分30分）
第一节 完形填空（共15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、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
As a math teacher I witnessed a group of heroic teens save a woman’s life this morning.
While I was in front of the ____21____ during my morning duty, I heard a loud ____22____ at the crossroads that appeared to be an accident. I ran to the ____23____ and saw two cars were involved — in one was a woman who couldn’t get out. The door was stuck and in ____24____ shape. While I called 911, the football players of our school who ____25____ the accident ran to the car and started helping the lady. They ____26____ started using their strength to ____27____ the lady. After a few seconds of pulling and pushing the door, the boys ended up ____28____ it and helped her get out of the car. She was ____29____ and still in panic, and our players gave her ____30____ and helped her calm down before she was transported to a local hospital with what we last knew as minor injuries.
Then we knew the whole story. The woman tried to ____31____ running into a car that had turned in front of her. She ended up ____32____ another vehicle, which was when the football players ran out to ____33____ her. These football players really ____34____ today. They went above and beyond to help this lady without hesitation. The school has identified those students and rewarded them for their ____35____ and kindness.
21. A. station B. house C. hospital D. school
22. A. alarm B. noise C. cheer D. laugh
23. A. campus B. court C. crossroads D. classroom
24. A. terrible B. odd C. fair D. simple
25. A. survived B. caused C. prevented D. witnessed
26. A. suddenly B. directly C. gradually D. carelessly
27. A. release B. consider C. involve D. identify
28 A. spotting B. answering C. opening D. closing
29. A. shaking B. complaining C. fainting D. waving
30. A. apology B. treatment C. comfort D. warning
31. A. remember B. avoid C. risk D. delay
32. A. operating B. abandoning C. taking D. hitting
33. A. assist B. visit C. stop D. guide
34. A. showed off B. stood out C. set off D. held out
35. A. confidence B. forgiveness C. advice D. selflessness
第二节 单项选择（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）
从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可填入空白处的最佳选项。
36. He made a foolish mistake and became everyone’s ________ at the office.
A. long face B. laughing stock C. health care D. laughing partner
37. — Did Jim come
— I don’t know. He _________ while I was out.
A. might have come B. couldn’t have come
C. should have come D. needn’t have come
38. It’s eleven o’clock already. ________ you watch the movie at such a late hour
A. Should B. Might C. Would D. Must
39. “You are very selfish. It’s high time you ________ that you are not the most important person in the world,” Edgar said to his boss angrily.
A. realized B. have realized C. realize D. realizing
40. If you had studied the problem carefully yesterday, ________ any difficulty now.
A. you won’t find B. you would not have found
C. you would not find D. you have not found
41. I forget where I read the article, or I ________ it to you now.
A. will show B. would show C. am going to show D. am showing
42 All of us made a request that the problem __________ at the meeting.
A. should discuss B. discussed C. should be discussed D. discuss
43. —I like shopping online because I ________ spend a lot of time from shop to shop.
—But I enjoy the pleasure of hanging out.
A. needn’t B. can’t C. mustn’t D. shouldn’t
44. What's more, ________ others sincerely and kindly makes a big difference to our life and study.
A. to be treated B. treating C. treat D. treated
45. Living in the heart of New York City is certainly _________ living in the rural countryside.
A. an example for B. a far cry from
C. a way to D. an expectation as
46. It was reported that over 3,000 lives were ______ in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
A. criticized B. conducted C. confirmed D. claimed
47. The school schedule is designed to be ______, allowing students to choose their favorite classes and timetable.
A. military B. sufficient C. flexible D. elegant
48. Although__________ funds and short of financial aid, the organizers ultimately managed to put on a successful event that received widespread praise.
A. being lacked B. lacking C. lacked D. lack of
49. You didn’t take his advice. ________ his advice, you ________ such a mistake.
A. Were you to take; shouldn’t have made
B. If you had taken; would make
C. Had you taken; wouldn’t have made
D. Have you taken; won’t have made
50. Everyone knows that success ________ happens overnight but perhaps not many know that a lot of highly successful writers have ________ faced rejection.
A. hardly; preciously B. nearly; vividly
C. merely; steely D. rarely; previously
第三节 单句语法填空（共10题；每小题1分，满分10分）
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
51. Darkness would make him more ______ (appreciate) of sight. (所给词的适当形式填空)
52. Use your eyes as if tomorrow you ________ (strike) blind. (所给词的适当形式填空)
53. The police charged the young man___________car theft. (用适当的词填空)
54. Fighting spirit alone was not enough to g______ (保证) victory. (根据中英文提示填空)
55. The car is loaded ______ books from the library. (用适当的词填空)
56. Zhu Ting identified this as the special i______ (要素) in the team’s success. (根据中英文提示填空)
57. Life mainly consists ______ happiness and sorrow. (用适当的词填空)
58. The clown doctor deserves _____（win）the glory. （用所给单词适当形式填空）
59. The response from a publisher comes back and the writer eagerly opens and reads it, their hearts ________(sink) when they reach the final sentence.(所给词的适当形式填空)
60. I honour endurance, ______ (persevere), industry, talent. (所给词的适当形式填空)
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
61. 最近，我校举办以“Sports and Fitness”为主题的征文活动。请你用英语写一篇短文，内容包括：
1. 运动的重要性；
2. 你的运动建议。
注意：写作词数应为80-100。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
62. 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使其构成一篇完整的短文。
Niesha could not forget the way she froze in front of the class today. Mr. Roberts had divided the class into groups to do presentations. Today was Niesha’s turn. However, her hands shook so violently that she couldn’t read her notes. Her voice became softer even to silence. Mr. Roberts kindly ended Niesha’s part of the presentation even though she did clearly not finish. He also asked Niesha to stay after class for a moment.
“Niesha, I know you’re shy, but you worked hard on this project. I’d hate to see you give up on yourself.” Then Mr. Roberts hesitated, “If I give you another chance until tomorrow, do you think you can find your courage ” Niesha nodded, grateful for the chance. She went as quickly as she could to her next class. She kept her head down and hoped the school day would end soon.
When she reached her back steps that afternoon, she could see an inviting light coming from the kitchen windows. Momma was baking. Momma studied Niesha’s face as she came into the kitchen. “What’s wrong, Niesha ”
Tears shone in Niesha’s brown eyes. She told her the whole story. Momma was silent for a moment, her hands still busy with the cake. “Why is it that you can talk to me about anything and everything, but you can’t talk to your class ” Momma asked. She set the timer (计时器) and then said, “Let me show you something.”
Niesha followed Momma to her bedroom. There Momma showed her a book filled with newspaper clippings (剪报) and pictures. In it there was a blue ribbon (丝带) that said “First Place” and a picture of herself when she was very young, standing with her parents.
“I won it for public speaking. I started the school year as the shyest girl on the speech team, but I ended the year as the blue ribbon winner. It wasn’t easy at first-- I was not sure of myself at all. I worked hard, and mostly I faced my fears. You just need to find your courage.”
注意：(1)所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
(2)续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Hearing Momma’s words, Niesha stared at the precious blue ribbon, lost in thought.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
The next day Niesha again walked to the front of the classroom to give her presentation.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
听力：1—5ABCAC 6—10 CBBCA 11—15 BCACA 16—20 BACAB1
鸡西市第一中学2024--2025学年度第一学期高二学年期中考试
英语学科试卷
第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分50分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5分）
【答案】1. B2. D3. A
【答案】4. A5. B6. A7. B
【答案】8. C9. B10. A11. D
【答案】12. A13. C14. C15. D
第二节（共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5分）
【答案】16. C17. G18. B19. D20. E
第三部分语言运用（共两节，满分30分）
第一节完形填空（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）
【答案】21. D22. B23. C24. A25. D26. B27. A28. C29. A30. C31. B32. D33. A34. B35. D
第二节单项选择（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）
从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可填入空白处的最佳选项。
36.
【答案】B
37
【答案】A
38.
【答案】D
39.
【答案】A
40.
【答案】C
41. I
【答案】B
42.
【答案】C
43.
【答案】A
44.
【答案】B
45
【答案】B
46.
【答案】D
47.
【答案】C
48.
【答案】B
49.
【答案】C
50.
【答案】D
第三节单句语法填空（共10题；每小题1分，满分10分）
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
51.【答案】appreciative
52.【答案】would be stricken##struck
。
53.
【答案】with
54.【答案】guarantee##uarantee
55. 【答案】with
56.【答案】ingredient##ngredient
57.【答案】of
58
【答案】to win
59.【答案】sinking
60.【答案】perseverance
第四部分写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
61.
【答案】Sports and Health (1)
As we all know, sports do good to our health in both mental and physical ways. Hence, we should attach great importance to exercise in our daily lives.
On the one hand, sport is a good way to strengthen our muscles while we try to lose extra weight, which enables us to stay in good physical conditions. On the other hand, regular exercise enables us to gain a sense of fulfillment and confidence through constant practice and progress, helping us develop a positive mindset towards the academic stress.
As for exercising suggestions, working out on a regular basis is highly recommended. What’s more, we can take up easy sports such as running, rope skipping as hobbies.
Let’s join in sports activities and make teenage lives colorful!
Sports and Health (2)
Not only do sports keep our physical health but they also maintain our mental health. Thus, it is necessary for teenagers to realize the significance of sports and do sports regularly.
On the one hand, regularly working out enables us to accelerate blood circulation, which can reduce the risk of illness. On the other hand, exercising physically is of great importance to relieve stress as outdoor activities can refresh our mind.
Since doing sports is beneficial for our health we should work out more often. Firstly, choose one sport that we like and exercise on a regular basis. Moreover, it’s highly advisable to gradually improve the intensity of sports to prevent injuries.
I hope we could engage ourselves in sports and live a healthy life.
62.
【答案】One possible version:
Hearing Momma’s words, Niesha stared at the precious blue ribbon, lost in thought. She pictured the scene where her mom tried her best to overcome her fears and gathered all her courage to deliver a fantastic speech to the audience. And Momma, aware of Neisha’s inner confusion and anxiety, reached out her hand to tie the blue ribbon onto Niesha’s wrist with a sweet smile, saying she would be with her all the time. Greatly touched and determined to find her courage, Neisha stood in front of the mirror, constantly practicing from pronunciation to tone and even each gesture. “Try harder, and I can make it!” she kept cheering herself up.
The next day Niesha again walked to the front of the classroom to give her presentation. Still shy and nervous, she customarily lowered her head to avoid making eye contact with others, numb there for seconds. But shortly afterwards, courage found its way back the moment she caught sight of the blue ribbon. Comforted and inspired, she took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and then got started, “Dear fellow students, ...” While presenting herself, Niesha glanced at Mr. Roberts smiling at her and listening attentively. A spark of joy flashing across her eyes, she knew for sure that she had found her courage, in the mill and in the adversity.
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