湖北省重点高中智学联盟2025-2026学年高一上学期12月月考英语试题
一、听力选择题
1.What will the woman probably do next
A.Pay for the clothes. B.Go to another store. C.Try on some dresses.
2.What will the man do about the camera
A.Have it repaired. B.Lend it to Larry. C.Change it for a new one.
3.What will they celebrate
A.Bill’s pay raise. B.Bill’s new job. C.Bill’s project.
4.Where will the woman go to celebrate her mom’s birthday
A.Blue Plate. B.Café. C.Lee’s.
5.What are the speakers mainly talking about
A.A park. B.The weather. C.Bob’s pets.
听下面一段对话,回答以下小题。
6.What is the probable relationship between the speakers
A.Doctor and patient. B.Husband and wife. C.Salesman and customer.
7.What will the woman probably do next
A.Go on a strict diet. B.Start a workout plan. C.Throw away all snacks.
听下面一段对话,回答以下小题。
8.What is the most likely relationship between the speakers
A.Boss and employee. B.Host and guest. C.Driver and passenger.
9.Where is Joshua now
A.In Cider Street. B.On Elmer Road. C.In Poplar Street.
10.What will Joshua probably do next
A.Call Maria again at 7:30.
B.Follow Maria's directions.
C.Look for a map on his phone.
听下面一段对话,回答以下小题。
11.How much rent would the man like to pay every month
A. 400. B. 800. C. 950.
12.What is an advantage of the flat
A.It’s convenient for shopping.
B.It’s in a quiet neighborhood.
C.It’s next to the man’s college.
13.What is the man going to do tomorrow
A.Find a roommate.
B.Move into the flat.
C.Check on the flat.
听下面一段对话,回答以下小题。
14.Where are the speakers
A.On a bus. B.At a store. C.In a church.
15.What was the man's first challenge this week
A.To do some volunteer work.
B.To encourage others to smile.
C.To treat a stranger to a dinner
16.What day is it today
A.Tuesday. B.Wednesday. C.Thursday.
17.What will the woman do next
A.Go find her husband.
B.Apply on a website.
C.Do an act of kindness.
听下面一段独白,回答以下小题。
18.What should a public speaker avoid doing according to the woman
A.Talking too loudly.
B.Speaking too fast.
C.Saying too much.
19.Why does the closing part matter so much
A.It makes the talk longer.
B.It is remembered best.
C.It retells the point.
20.What should a speech finally do to the audience
A.Make them think.
B.Get them to act.
C.Let them relax.
二、阅读理解
Are you passionate about learning Chinese and exploring its rich culture Our Online Chinese Summer Camp provides a fantastic immersive (沉浸式的) online learning journey designed for teens to master Chinese remotely.
Suitable Age Teens aged 10 to 18
Schedule
Monday to Friday. The class time is scheduled according to different time zones.
Camp Content
● Interactive Chinese lessons covering listening, speaking, reading, and writing
● Online Chinese poetry recitation and story-telling contests
● Cultural workshops like Chinese calligraphy and traditional festival celebrations
● Online tours of historic Chinese cities like Beijing and Xi’an on the website
● Project-based tasks such as making a Chinese cultural magazine Cost Details
The camp offers different costs for the 2 levels — Non-Native Chinese Camp for beginners to middle-level levels and Chinese Camp for middle-level to advanced levels. The cost for the Non-Native Chinese Camp is $600, and with additional $400 fee for Chinese Camp. Both include all learning materials, entry to live classes, and cultural activity resources. By the way, a 10% early bird discount is offered.
Application Requirements
● Hand in the online form
● Provide a letter of recommendation
● Send a short self-introduction video in Chinese (no more than 3 minutes)
● Complete an online Chinese proficiency (水平) test independently (for placement test)
Application Deadlines
March 2, 2025 — To be considered for early acceptance. Applicants will be told by March 14.
April 25, 2025 — General Application Deadline.
Note: All spaces may fill after selection from the early acceptance deadline.
21.What does the camp offer
A.Private Chinese story-reading lessons.
B.Chinese cultural magazine creation.
C.Deep research on Chinese calligraphy.
D.Field trips to historic Chinese cities.
22.What is the early bird cost for a Mexican child
A.$540. B.$600. C.$900. D.$1000.
23.Which of the following will result in an unsuccessful application
A.Sending a 2-minute Chinese video.
B.Handing in the application on March 16.
C.Asking an expert to help with the test.
D.Sharing personal hobbies in the video.
The moment was completely unexpected. It came in 2013, when Jane Goodall was helping return a chimpanzee (黑猩猩) called Wounda to the wild. They had not met before, but Wounda jumped into her arms, hugging and kissing her. Ms Goodall never forgot the warmth of that embrace.
It might have been a thank-you from all chimpanzees. She spent her working life with them, mainly in the Gombe Reserve (保护区) along Lake Tanganyika, and joys came thick and fast. Her most significant and surprising sighting, though, came when she noticed her favorite, David Greybeard, sitting by a termite (白蚁) hill. He used a grass stick to fish out termites for food, even pulling off leaves to improve the tool. Before this, people had believed only humans could make and use tools — many thought this ability was what made humans unique. Goodall’s findings shook the world of science.
Goodall had no formal scientific training. As a child, she dreamed of living in Africa and observing animals. There, she named chimps like Goliath and Flo instead of numbers, the common practice, but annoyed some scientists. She believed each had its own personality, and her detailed notes made her a leading expert.
Later in life, Goodall was heartbroken to find chimp numbers dropping sharply due to bush-meat trade and habitat loss. From then on, she gave up her fieldwork in favour of speaking out. She often started her speeches with a greeting in chimp calls. But under the fun lay deep shame at what her generation, not excepting herself, had done to nature.
In 1991, She founded “Roots &Shoots” to encourage youth to protect the environment. She traveled the world, spreading hope and calling on everyone to care for nature. Though Dr. Goodall passed away on October 1, 2025, her spirit still lives on in the lives she protected and in the next generation who believe that kindness can change the world.
24.What did David Greybeard do that surprised Goodall
A.He hugged Goodall warmly. B.He sat near the termite hill alone.
C.He used tools to get food. D.He allowed Goodall to watch him.
25.What can be inferred about some scientists in Paragraph 3
A.They found names hard to remember.
B.They agreed naming chimps was creative.
C.They preferred using numbers for research.
D.They thought chimp names lacked personalities.
26.Why did Goodall stop doing direct research on chimps
A.Because she was too old to go to the reserve.
B.Because she wanted to teach people about chimps.
C.Because she enjoyed making public speeches.
D.Because she desired to call for nature protection.
27.Which of the following words best describes Goodall
A.Patient and pioneering. B.Honest and humorous.
C.Strict and selfless. D.Creative and cooperative.
More than 20 species (物种) of bird around the world use a similar “whining” alarm call to warn that birds like cuckoos, or brood parasites (寄生动物) that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, are around. The call seems to be understood across species, and its use suggest how language may have originated.
Will Feeney at the Donana Biological Station in Spain and his colleagues have now found that 21 bird species, including superb fairy-wrens in Australasia, all use similar “whining” sounds when they see a brood parasite.
The researchers found that the species that produce this alarm call often live in areas where there are lots of brood parasites that make use of many different host species, and when the hosts hear the whining call, they attempt to scare them away with aggressive (攻击性的) physical mobbing. “It’s quite possible that the mobbing call aims to draw in other birds to participate in the mobbing,” says Rose Thorogood at the University of Helsinki in Finland.
To investigate further, Feeney and his colleagues played recordings of the calls made by brood-parasite hosts from other continents to host birds in Australia and China. They discovered that hearing the foreign warning calls brought out just as fast a mobbing response as hearing the calls produced by their own species. Feeney says this suggests there is an inborn part to the alarm calls that many bird species respond to, but birds in areas where brood parasites are common have changed the call and response to pass on knowledge of the local risk.
In 1871, Charles Darwin suggested that spoken language may have begun when humans and animals started copying and changing the sounds they made. “The birds adapting these inborn calls to another purpose could be the first stepping stone towards language,” says Feeney. “So, animal communication and human language are closely related, rather than ‘language’ being a uniquely human feature.”
28.What is true about the “whining” call
A.It’s similar to human language. B.It’s used against host species.
C.It’s used for nest building. D.It warns against brood parasites.
29.What can be inferred from the mobbing behavior
A.It helps recreate brood parasite sounds.
B.It gathers birds to drive away threats.
C.It warns other host species to stay away.
D.It allows communication with parasites.
30.What does the foreign call experiment show
A.Birds only respond to local calls.
B.The mobbing response is learned quickly.
C.The response is inborn but locally adapted.
D.All such calls cause a similar reaction.
31.What is the main idea of the passage
A.A shared alarm call in birds. B.The threat of brood parasites.
C.The development of language. D.Support for Darwin’s theory.
New research shows an important finding to add to the known benefits of regular exercise: middle-aged women with good physical fitness are nearly 90% less likely to develop dementia (失智症) in old age. Also, for those who are affected, the disease appears about ten years later than in women who are less sporty.
Lead researcher Dr Helena H rder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said: “These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people’s cardiovascular (心血管的) fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia.”
For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were tired out to measure their peak (最大值的) cardiovascular ability. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
In total, 40 women reached the standard for a high fitness level, meaning they could manage 120 watts or more. Another 92 women were in the medium fitness group. Finally, 59 women were in the low fitness group. They could only manage 80 watts or less, or had to stop the test early because of health problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following forty years.
During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
“However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an connection,” said H rder. “More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important.” She also said that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were from Sweden, so the results may not apply to other groups.
32.What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph
A.Advantages of sporty women over men.
B.Exercises suitable for the middle-aged.
C.Experimental studies on dementia.
D.Positive effects of doing exercise.
33.Why did the researchers ask the women to do bicycle exercise
A.To predict their maximum heart rate. B.To find their hidden health problems.
C.To measure their cardiovascular fitness. D.To change their habit of working out.
34.What do we know about Dr H rder’s study
A.Many participants quit the study. B.The results were disappointing.
C.Gathering data was a long effort. D.It tried to find a dementia treatment
35.Which of the following is the best title for the text
A.Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia
B.More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia
C.Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise
D.Biking Improves Women’s Cardiovascular Fitness
What makes a happy life According to a study by researchers at Harvard University for 85 years, it is not money or career success, exercise or a good diet that gives someone lasting happiness. 36 . This makes sense. More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle said, “Man is by nature a social animal.” We have a hunger for it. Living without it is to starve ourselves of what is good right for us.
37 . We rely on the Internet to fulfill much of what we did ourselves in the past. The challenging economic situation also means we are more unwilling to spend. The harsh reality is that the desire to socialize is sharply decreasing, for young and older people alike.
The Society of UK Theatre has concluded that 40 per cent of theaters in the UK could close in the next five years. More than 180 libraries have either closed or been handed over to volunteer groups since 2016. Theaters and libraries, unlike shops and pubs, are free. 38 ·
Nothing is more enlivening than the recognition you get from a close friend or a group of like-minded people, where you can talk confidently and freely and listen with complete attention to what they have to say. 39 . This gives a powerful kind of joy.
Of course, going to a coffee house or a museum doesn’t make sure of that kind of deep connection. 40 . But many of our closest relationships are shaped by being in such spaces, either in creating new friendships or deepening the ones we already have. Lose them, and we lose what enables many of us to find the key to true happiness: social connection.
A.You are fully seen and heard.
B.The key to happiness is social fitness.
C.It just shows how serious the problem is.
D.And neither does going to any kind of shop.
E.Nothing makes people happier than friendship.
F.There are countless strengths of staying connected.
G.Yet nowadays, we don’t go out as much as we used to.
三、完形填空
Getting a signature from just one of sports’ “GOATs” is a challenge. Now imagine them from Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky and Lionel Messi — and to make it more 41 , getting them all to sign the same thing. Then imagine doing it in just one 42 . That’s exactly what super collector Patrick Ryan did, creating a one-of-a-kind piece that includes a century of sports 43 .
On June 29, 2024, Ryan bought a nearly 100-year-old album (专辑) with a Babe Ruth signed album page. He found it just looked kind of empty and 44 . That’s when he realized he had an opportunity.
Brady was 45 to attend an event the following week, where Ryan went as well and brought the album page as well as a (n) 46 . It was a ticket to the 1981 NFC Championship game, which Brady famously attended. When Brady got up to leave, Ryan 47 the ticket before asking for the 48 . Brady’s eyes lit up when he saw what Ryan was having him 49 .
Gretzky’s signature came next through mutual (共同的) friends. A few months later, Messi signed during a private event. The 50 piece was Jordan. Ryan kept details private but said, “Michael has a lot of 51 for the other people that are on this piece of paper, and I think that’s what 52 him to make sure it got done.”
As for what to do with the album page, Ryan does not want to put it on sale.
53 , he plans to eventually place it in a museum. “The fact that I’ve had so many people 54 has been really fun,” he said. “The whole process has been very 55 but I’m always looking for what’s next in my journey as a collector.”
41.A.obvious B.impressive C.graceful D.positive
42.A.day B.week C.month D.year
43.A.greatness B.wisdom C.attitude D.movement
44.A.amazing B.obvious C.lonely D.strange
45.A.requested B.scheduled C.begged D.recommended
46.A.gift B.adventure C.exchange D.signature
47.A.delivered B.collected C.presented D.admired
48.A.ticket B.album C.photo D.favor
49.A.buy B.sign C.create D.appreciate
50.A.classic B.valuable C.final D.strategic
51.A.curiosity B.pity C.responsibility D.respect
52.A.drove B.forced C.advised D.helped
53.A.Or B.Besides C.Instead D.Still
54.A.fall apart B.reach out C.check in D.give up
55.A.annoying B.awkward C.official D.rewarding
四、语法填空
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。
China is recognized 56 its ancient civilization, which has lasted into modern times despite historical changes. A key reason for this continuity is the Chinese writing system.
Originally, 57 (write) Chinese was picture-based, dating back thousands of years to carved symbols on animal bones and shells. Some ancient symbols remain recognizable in today’s Chinese characters, or hanzi. By the Shang Dynasty (around 1600-1046 BCE), these symbols 58 (become) a well-developed writing system. Over time, the system developed into 59 (variety) forms due to geographical divisions, 60 (result) in numerous dialects and character variations (变体).
This changed under Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE), who unified China’s seven major states. The writing system was standardized, playing an important role in uniting the Chinese people and culture. Even today, regardless of 61 Chinese people live or what dialect they speak, they can communicate through writing.
Moreover, the writing system serves as 62 important bridge connecting China’s present with 63 (it) past. Modern people can read classical 64 (work) from ancient times. The high regard for Chinese writing system can be seen in their development into an art form — calligraphy — which has become an important part of Chinese culture.
Today, the Chinese writing system is still an important part of Chinese culture. As China’s global role expands, a growing number of international students are gaining 65 (appreciate) for China’s culture and history through this remarkable language.
五、书信写作
66.假定你是李华,你校英文报“Teenage Life”专栏正在征稿,主题为“One Small Step That Changed My Bad Habit”。请你根据以下提示写一篇短文投稿:
1.描述你曾经的一个不良习惯;
2. 说明你为改变该习惯所迈出的“一小步”;
3.分享这一改变给你生活带来的积极影响。
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。
One Small Step That Changed My Bad Habit
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
六、书面表达
67.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。
Every October, my neighborhood has a Halloween costume contest. My neighbor Ollie and I would race to the announcement board to find out the theme. One year, the theme was “Dress up as your favorite book character”. Another year, it was “Be something scary”. But this year, the theme was kind of, well, themeless.
“Be creative ” I said, reading the announcement board. “That’s not really a theme, is it ”
Ollie agreed.
“Let’s just find some materials first,” I suggested, feeling confused.
“I've got it!” Ollie said, grabbing a bunch of fallen leaves. He explained, “They’re free! No one will dress up as a tree like we do!”
I loved the idea. Soon we had filled two bags with all sorts of leaves. Ollie pointed to some bunches of shiny leaves. “These look special,” he said, handing me a handful. I didn’t notice the oily shine on them as I put them in my bag. Little did we know what trouble they would bring. Afterwards, we worked for hours.
“I’m so tired of gluing leaves,” I complained.
“Beleaf me,” said Ollie. “You’re not the only one.”
I laughed. “I’ll be so releafed to be done!”
“There’s no leafing now,” he added lightly. “But it’ll be worth it. These will be the most tree-mendous costumes of all!”
It took us hours to get ready the next morning, and we probably lost half our leaves walking slowly to the park. Around us, we saw witches in pointy hats and superheroes in capes, but many people turned to look at our leaf costumes with surprise and admiration. “I’ve never seen anything like that!” said a witch. “Yeah, they really stand out,” her ghost friend agreed. “The way the leaves move and fall makes them look exactly like real trees!” Hearing this, we were extremely happy.
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。
As we stood there, enjoying all the nice comments about our costumes, a terrible itch (痒) suddenly started everywhere.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Just then, the host announced the winner list.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.C
【原文】W: Excuse me, do you have a fitting room
M: Yes, it’s on the right-hand side behind that cash desk.
W: Can I bring more than one dress to try on
M: Sure.
2.A
【原文】M: Oh, I wish I hadn’t borrowed this camera from Larry. I dropped it and it doesn’t work now.
W: Let’s go downtown and find someone to fix it.
M: OK.
3.B
【原文】M: Kate, good news. The company I did a field project for offered me a job at a good starting salary.
W: Wonderful, Bill. Let’s have a party this weekend.
4.C
【原文】W: I can’t decide where to take my mom to dinner for her birthday. Crest Café or Blue Plate
M: Crest Café is better. Or you can try King Lee’s. I had dinner there yesterday. It was fantastic.
W: OK, I’ll try it, thanks.
5.B
【原文】W: Oh, Bob, you are wet all over. Where did you go
M: I went to jog in the park.
W: Didn’t you know there would be a thunderstorm today
M: I knew there would be a shower, but I didn’t expect it would rain cats and dogs.
6.B 7.B
【原文】W: Oh dear, I gained five pounds in the last two months. These jeans don’t fit me now.
M: Don’t worry, you still look pretty.
W: But it’s too quick. I eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water. I haven’t done anything differently. What gives
M: Maybe because of those healthy foods, you know, too much dark chocolate, nuts and fruits can all lead to weight gain.
W: You’re right, I should stop eating them.
M: No needs, dear. You can just take more exercise and still enjoy those foods.
8.B 9.C 10.B
【原文】W: Hello, Joshua.
M: Hi, Maria, I’m sorry we can’t be at your place on time.
W: Yeah, we were wondering where you were. What happened
M: We seem to have made a wrong turn and got lost.
W: Where are you
M: Let me see. We passed the national bank on Elmer Road ten minutes ago and we’re now on a street with a tall white building. I think it’s Poplar Street.
W: Gee, you really are lost. The best thing to do is to drive back down Elmer Road until you get to Weston Hospital and then turn right.
M: Drive back down Elmer Road.
W: Yes, after you turn right at the hospital, Cider Street will be the second street on your right.
M: Got it, thanks. Hopefully we’ll be there by 7:30.
11.B 12.A 13.C
【原文】M: Excuse me, I’m calling about the ad for the flat.
W: Yeah, it’s still available.
M: Good. The ad says the rent is nine hundred and fifty pounds a month. Could it be eight hundred pounds if I rent it for a longer period of time
W: Possible. We can talk about it. By the way you can find someone to share the rent, you know, it’s a two-bedroom flat.
M: Thank you for the advice. Uh, how close is the flat to London College I have classes every weekday there.
W: It’s about eight blocks from the college, but you can take a number of buses right out in front.
M: Oh, if there’s a busy road out front, is it noisy
W: Well, it’s a little noisy, but the place is really convenient. There’s a shopping center right across the street.
M: I see. Is it possible for me to drop by and see the flat tomorrow
W: Sure. You can take No.9 bus and get off at the art gallery.
M: Thanks. See you tomorrow.
14.B 15.B 16.C 17.B
【原文】W: Oh, so slow.
M: Yeah, it’s a long line. People are buying a lot for the holiday. Would you like to go ahead of me
W: Really Thank you so much. My husband is waiting outside the store and we’re in a hurry. I really appreciate it.
M: That’s okay. If you don’t mind, could you pay it forward by doing something kind for someone else
W: Sure. I’d love to. I will figure out something nice to do on my way back.
M: By the way I’m doing it for Random Acts of Kindness Week. Could I tell you something about it
W: Yes, please.
M: It’s initiated by the local church. We do it from Monday to Thursday. On Monday we encouraged people to smile more. Tuesday’s challenge was to have lunch with someone we don’t normally eat with. Yesterday we had the third challenge: volunteering. I helped at a nursing home. Today we do something for someone in need and ask them to pay it forward.
W: That’s great. I love it. How can I join
M: Here is the website. Just apply online. It’s simple.
W: Okay. I’ll do it now.
18.C 19.B 20.B
【原文】
W: Good afternoon, everyone. I’m here to offer you some tips on public speaking. One of the worst mistakes you can make as a public speaker is talking too long. It doesn’t matter if your entire speech was good and the audience came away with information that will change their lives. If you talk too long, they will leave, saying that speaker just wouldn’t quit. Don’t let this happen to you. Say what you have to say and sit down. Before you do, give them a well-thought-out closing. The last thing you say is generally what the audience remembers most. Just like your opening, your closing doesn’t have to be humorous, it could be challenging, thoughtful or it could retell your point in a different way. Please, at some time during your talk, ask the audience to do something. Many a great talk went no further than the walls of the meeting room. Because the audience wasn’t moved to action. If you haven’t asked them to do something by now, the closing is your last chance.
21.B 22.A 23.C
24.C 25.C 26.D 27.A
28.D 29.B 30.C 31.A
32.D 33.C 34.C 35.A
36.B 37.G 38.C 39.A 40.D
41.B 42.D 43.A 44.C 45.B 46.A 47.C 48.D 49.B 50.C 51.D 52.A 53.C 54.B 55.D
56.for 57.written 58.had become 59.various 60.resulting 61.where 62.an 63.its 64.works 65.appreciation
66.
One Small Step That Changed My Bad Habit
Like many teenagers, I had a bad habit of leaving things until the last minute. This “I’ll do it later” attitude filled my life with unnecessary stress.
The small step I took was to start using the “two-minute rule”. I told myself: if something takes less than two minutes to do, do it now. By completing those small tasks right away, I not only cleared my to-do list faster but also built a sense of achievement. More importantly, that unnecessary feeling of stress disappeared.
I learned that even the smallest step forward can start a journey to positive change.
67.
As we stood there, enjoying all the nice comments about our costumes, a terrible itch suddenly started everywhere. At first it was just a little uncomfortable, but soon it became a strong burning feeling all over my skin. My happy smile disappeared, replaced by a painful expression. I really wanted to scratch my arms and legs. I looked at Ollie and saw he was fighting the same problem. His face looked worried, and he was shaking his hands trying to resist the itch. We stood perfectly still, afraid that any movement would make people notice our trouble. Our beautiful tree costumes now felt like they were punishing us.
Just then, the host announced the winner list. When we heard our names, we were so excited that we almost forgot the itching. “We did it!” Ollie shouted happily. We jumped up with joy, making more leaves fall from our costumes. The crowd’s loud cheers made us feel incredibly proud. As we walked to the stage to receive our prize, the itching didn’t seem important anymore. Later that evening, when we learned that those special leaves had caused the rash, we just laughed. Our trophy shining on the table reminded us that even with small accidents, creative ideas can lead to the most wonderful successes.