Part IV Writing (45 marks)

Section A (10 marks)

Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer．

Since it was founded a year ago, the babysitting pool has become increasingly popular in the United States. More and more mothers have joined it and have benefited from it. What attracts them most is the idea that you pay your babysitter not in cash, but in paper cards. When you join the babysitting pool, you are given thirty cards, which are worth 30-minute babysitting time each.  For each half an hour while you are gone, the babysitter gets paid one card.

There are rules regulating this service. You should not watch more than three kids at a time including your own. On big holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, the babysitter should be paid twice as much, which means two cards for every half an hour. When you leave the babysitting pool, you should return all the cards. If you are out of cards, you cannot use money instead. You should have to baby-sit for others to earn enough cards so that you will have them handy when you yourself need a babysitter.   Many mothers think highly of this service. It keeps children in constant touch with one another, and makes life easier for the mothers. Since in most cases, the babysitter is the mother who watches other kids at her own home, it is still possible for her to do her own things while the kids play with each other. In fact most mother babysitters find that their own kids are less of a monster and easier to watch when they are around other playmates. Moreover, since the babysitting pool service does not involve money, it will not be a financial loss to the family.

In the past year, the babysitting pool has helped so many mothers with their work that they all think that it is indeed a good community service worth keeping.

Section B (10 marks)

Directions: Read the following passage.Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit.

What is Christmas all about? Has it ever crossed your mind? Are we teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas? Do they know that a single gift of kindness can touch an endless number of hearts forever?

We met a little girl seven years ago during one of my daughter’s occasional hospital stays. Her name was Beth and she was my daughter’s roommate for a week. My daughter had an incurable kidney disease. Beth was a very happy girl, despite the fact that she had cancer. I was amazed at her will and determination to never give up, however sick her treatment made her. She was always concerned about my daughter and the other children with cancer.

My daughter’s hospital treatment was completed in a week and we were waiting for her final discharge orders when Beth appeared. She said “I want you to have this. I know you need a new kidney, so keep this angel pin with you till you get better. She will watch over you and make you smile. My friend, John, gave it to me to watch over me. When you get your new kidney and smile, you can give this angel to someone that needs her, too”. My daughter thanked her and the girls exchanged hugs and big smiles. Later that year, Beth passed away.

We kept that angel for six more years. My daughter had gone beyond what medical journals had studied and expected from her disease. Finally, a kidney became available and she received a transplant.

Now she felt it was time to give it to someone who needed to be watched over until he or she could smile again. She gave it to an elderly man trying to recover from a heart problem.

How many families and hearts this angel has touched, no one knows for sure. But all that it took was a single gift of kindness. So in this Christmas season, create a tradition with your children or maybe someone you love. Give them a gift that keeps on giving. It’s a gift from your heart. After all, isn’t that Christmas is all about?

81.Why did Beth give an angel pin to the author’s daughter? (No more than 8 words )(2 marks)

82. How does a single gift of kindness affect people? (No more than 6 words ) (2 marks)

83. What did the girl impress the author with? (No more than 8 words )(3 marks)

84.How do you understand “the true meaning of Christmas” in the passage? (No more than 8 words )

     (3 marks)

Section C (5 marks)

Directions: Write an English composition according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

假如你是李红，近日，你班正在开展一场主题为“幸福是什么？”的讨论。请你根据下列信息，给校报写一封120词左右的英文信，介绍讨论的情况。

1.40%学生认为: ①幸福就是住大房，生活在大城市②身体健康，生活无压力自由自在③工作、生活得过且过，不必吃苦

2.60%学生认为: ①幸福就是拼搏取得成功②保持自信乐观，迎接各种挑战③爱家人爱朋友，奉献社会

3.你的看法: (至少两点)

Dear editor,

I’m writing to tell you about                                                           

                                                                             Yours,

                                                                            Li Hong
英语学习  http://www.yggk.net/english/