安徽省马鞍山市第二中学2024-2025学年高二下学期4月期中考试英语试题

马鞍山市第二中学2024-2025学年度第二学期期中素质测试 高二英语试题 注意事项： 1.答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、班级和准考证号填涂在答题卡指定位置上。 2.回答选择题时，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。回答非选择题时，用0.5mm黑色签字笔将答案写在答题卡上，写在本试卷上无效。 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） 请听下面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. Which place will the man go to next? A. The office. B. The café. C. The park. 2. What will the man do tomorrow? A. Eat out. B. Watch a match. C. Bring a cake to Granddad. 3. What are the speakers talking about? A. Returning a jacket. B. Repairing a jacket. C. Buying a new jacket. 4. How does the woman feel about the man’s work? A. Disappointed. B. Satisfied. C. Worried. 5. What does the man complain about? A. The terrible food. B. The slow service. C. The loud noise. 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，并标在试卷的相应位置。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 did the man do first every morning as an assistant cook? A. He washed vegetables. B. He cleaned the equipment. C. He prepared the ingredients. 7. What did the man think of the chef? A. He was helpful. B. He was difficult. C. He was famous. 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。 8. What is the man responsible for? A. Booking the hotel. B. Hosting a conference. C. Arranging the trade show. 9. Why does the woman talk to the man? A. To check on his work progress. B. To tell him about a discount offer. C. To ask him to respond to the email. 听第8段材料，回答第10至13题。 10. Why does the man come to the classroom? A. To attend a meeting. B. To do promotion. C. To offer help. 11 Who is the woman probably? A. A student. B. A local painter. C. An art teacher. 12. Where will the exhibition be held? A. In the gallery. B. In the gym. C. In the main hall. 13. How many people are involved in the exhibition planning in total? A. 8. B. 11. C. 14. 听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。 14. Why did the man decide to work at the greenhouse? A. He has a love for plants. B. He can learn new things. C. He lives near the workplace. 15. What does the man mainly do at the greenhouse now? A. He waters the plants. B. He treats the disease. C. He does the cleaning. 16. What is the greenhouse mainly used for? A. Classes. B. Research. C. Relaxation. 17. How does the greenhouse get most of their money? A. From the university. B. From the plant sale. C. From personal donations. 听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。 18. When did the speaker start Tasca Coffee Company with her husband? A. Ten years ago. B. Fifteen years ago. C. Twenty years ago. 19. Where are the majority of Tasca shops located? A. In Wales. B. In Scotland. C. In England. 20. What can customers do in all Tasca shops? A. Get free delivery. B. Enjoy live music. C. Use the loyalty card. 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和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。 A Motilal Nehru College Students’ Union Election The elections of the Office Bearers of the College Students’ Union and Central Councilors will be held on 27th September. The details and schedule are given below: College Students’ Union Posts 1 President: One post 2 Vice-president: One post 3 Secretary: One post 4 Joint Secretary: One post 5 Central Councilors: Two posts Provided that: a) The President and Vice-president should be final-year students. b) Candidates for other posts should not be final-year students. c) Be between the ages of 17 and 22 years before 16th August. d) Have attained 75% attendance. e) The candidate should in no event have any academic arrears in the year of contesting the election. Any unfinished paper(s) will be considered as academic arrear(s). Candidates who failed in the previous academic year and / or are re-admitted in the current academic year will not be qualified to contest the election. f) No candidate can contest more than one post at the same time. Election Schedule 1 Last date for receipt of nomination (提名) papers:19th September up to 6:00 pm 2 Review of nomination papers:19th September at 7:30 pm 3 Date of publication of final list of candidates:20th September at 7:00 pm 4 Date of election:27th September, 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm 1. Which post can a final-year student run for? A. President. B. Secretary. C. Joint Secretary. D. Central Councilors. 2. Which of the following will result in disqualification? A. Being 20 years old. B. Failing in the last academic year. C. Having only 75% attendance. D. Contesting last year’s election. 3. What is the deadline for submitting nomination papers? A. 16th August. B. 19th September. C. 20th September. D. 27th September. B It is hardly the only bagel (百吉饼) line in Los Angeles, but people I trust say Courage Bagels is worth the wait. I take a place in line on an otherwise quiet block in Virgil Village. The regulars debate their sandwich orders the way a fashion editor might work. I revise my order with every overheard comment. I consider leaving after 20 minutes. Then again at the 40-minute mark—but the only thing sillier than standing here, I realize, would be to leave empty-handed. The modern era of line culture began in 2006, to my mind, at the original Shake Shack in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park. All of a sudden waiting was fun, complete with the Shake Shack Cam to record the scene. Now a line runs from Los Angele’ s citywide bagel subculture to Seattle’ s Doce Donut to Chicago’s Michelin-starred Kasama, which draws a crowd for its daytime bakery and breakfast menus. Standing in line provides a nice little one-hour ego (自我) boost because it confirms our judgment. We are waiting for the very best bagels. We are in the know. Being here makes us feel special. The line is a necessary chance to catch our breath, and the closer we get to that order window, the better we feel. Another plus, although I am a generation older than the rest of the line, we have the same goal while waiting. The divide between groups of people that is so strong in daily life is easier to cross here, thanks to our shared experience. Courage co-owner Chris Moss said, in fact, that he and his partner Arielle Skye are in the process of expanding into a neighboring space to make room for more ovens (烤箱), though it’s taken almost four years to get there. “Slow growth is healthy growth, and it keeps you strong,” said Mr. Moss. They have no outside investors and plan to keep it that way. 4. Why does the author revise his order while waiting in line? A. He hates to leave empty-handed. B. He is influenced by the regulars. C. He attempts to shorten his wait time. D. He tries to accommodate dietary restrictions. 5. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Chicago’s Kasama? A. To demonstrate the impact of line culture. B. To introduce the features of line culture. C To recognize the origin of line culture. D. To illustrate the spread of line culture. 6. What has standing in line brought to the author? A. A sense of equality and belonging. B. A better taste in judgment and style. C. A deeper appreciation of social media. D. A chance to reflect on personal priorities. 7. What does Mr. Moss expect of Courage Bagels? A. It’ll rely on rapid expansion. B. It’ll seek investments for growth. C. It’ll prioritize sustainable development. D. It’ll benefit much from regional cooperation. C More is known about the surface of Mars (火星) than the floor of the ocean. By one count America spends 150 times more on space exploration than ocean research. Scientists have mapped almost every large hole on the surface of Mars but only about 20% of the seabed. Yet, interest in the ocean is growing. In The Underworld, Susan Casey, a Canadian writer, describes her trip to an underwater volcano off the coast of Hawaii in 2021, alongside Victor Vescovo, an explorer. When the deep-sea submersible (潜水器) parked 5,017 metres down, she found a world of slow-moving beauty. Mr Vescovo has previously explored the deepest part of the Mariana Trench (nearly 11,000 metres down), where the water pressure is so high that it feels like 50 large airplanes piled on top of you. Ms Casey’s book flows between descriptions of the deep and the history of ocean exploration. In the 19th century, scientists believed the deep-sea regions were azoic. Yet, the situation is different. The HMS Challenger brought all manner of sea creatures to light on its trip around the world in the 1870s. Around 60 years later William Beebe, an American naturalist, explored the Atlantic Ocean in a submersible and saw such living beings for himself. For much of the 20th century oceanography grew significantly, popularized by explorers such as Jacques Cousteau, who wrote that the deep was a “silent world”. In truth, it is remarkably noisy. Sing Like Fish, by Amorina Kingdon, a science writer, reveals remarkable facts about ocean noise. Readers learn that sound travels four and a half times faster underwater than on land, and that fish have the greatest variety of sound-producing organs of any vertebrate (脊椎动物) group. Sometimes fish are so noisy that they are heard above water. In the 1980s houseboat owners in Sausalito, California, thought a loud sound was being produced by a secret military experiment. In reality, it was the call of a male toadfish. 8. What did Casey do in 2021? A. She explored the Mariana Trench. B. She witnessed an erupting volcano. C. She had The Underworld published. D. She travelled deep beneath the ocean. 9. What does the underlined word “azoic” in paragraph 3 mean? A. Beautiful. B. Dangerous. C. Lifeless. D. Freezing. 10. What does Sing Like Fish uncover? A. The underwater world is not quiet. B. Sound travels quite slowly in the ocean. C. Fish are lacking in sound-producing organs. D. A secret military experiment was being conducted. 11. What would be the best title for the text? A. Up to Mars B. Into the depths C. Sounds of the deep D. Amazing sea creatures D In 1994, a British racing driver named Mark Hughes had “one of the greatest days in my life” when he began a race right at the back of the grid (赛车起跑线), with 25 other cars in front of him. Somehow he managed to overtake 23 cars, finishing third. While driving, Mark felt a sense of timelessness. As he described it, “It’s funny and it sounds odd as if you could go back, analyse and watch from outside your body.” Time expansion experiences, as I refer to them, or TEEs for short, are common in other sports, too. The American sprinter (短跑选手) Steve Williams, who equaled the men’s 100- and 200-metre world records in the1970s, described how, when he was running well, “10 seconds seems like 60.” Ted Willians, a baseball player, is usually regarded as one of the greatest hitters ever, with the highest on-base percentage in baseball history. He described how the ball sometimes appeared to grow, so that it seemed like a beach ball moving toward him quite slowly. In my view, the key to understanding TEEs is altered states of consciousness (意识状态的改变). In sports, intense altered states occur due to what I call “super-absorption.” In some cases, an athlete builds up concentration gradually over the course of a game or a contest. A racing driver or a golfer may concentrate hard for hours, eventually attaining a state of intense absorption. In other cases, an athlete shifts quickly into super-absorption during a critical period of a game — for example, when they are losing and making a concerted effort to catch up or in the final minutes of a game when scores are tied or close. Many factors contribute to sporting ability — for example, physical fitness, strength, and technical skill. But perhaps the main key to extraordinary sporting ability is the capacity to enter intense altered states, through super-absorption. And the most important feature of such states—in terms of contributing to a higher level of performance — is time expansion. 12. What happened to Mark during a race in 1994? A. He experienced a sense of team spirit. B. Time seemed to switch to slow motion. C. He lost track of how much time had passed. D. The grid placement system amazed him. 13. What can we say about Steve and Ted? A. Both were all-round talented players. B. Both were eager to witness time expansion. C. Both experienced time expansion in sports. D. Both made history in the early 20th century. 14. What is paragraph 3 mainly about? A. What super-absorption means. B. When super-absorption may emerge. C. How super-absorption affects an athlete. D. Why super-absorption matters in sports. 15. What does the author think of intense altered states? A. They can rarely be noticed in team games. B. They are somewhat difficult to understand. C. They are crucial for exceptional performance. D. They can be achieved through mental exercises. 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。 When something goes wrong at work, it’s normal to take that negative experience to heart and hold onto it for the rest of the day. That tendency is a product of how our brains are wired, and it exposes us to extra, unneeded stress. ____16____ Although it can be difficult, it’s possible to change our negative experiences, let go of negativity, and focus on the good. Here are three strategies that will help you train your mind to focus more on the positive. Practice “gain framing”. ____17____ When you describe a glass as half-full, that’s what Alison Ledgerwood, a social psychologist at UC Davis, calls a gain frame, because you are focusing on what’s been gained. On the other side, seeing the glass as half-empty is a loss frame. By using “gain framing” to describe your experiences to others, you will start to see the positive in any given situation. ___18___ While it’s easy to assume that venting (发泄) will help remove your negative emotions, focusing on something happy that happened recently can make your brain switch directions, which is eventually more helpful. ___19___ Of course, it may feel difficult at the beginning. Therapists (治疗师) widely recommend journaling to their patients. Devoting the effort to writing down happy things actively engages your brain in positivity. Think outside the box. Basically, the way we react at the moment can make a significant difference in how we think about a situation later. Instead of reacting angrily to someone who has annoyed you, try forgiving them. ____20____ By responding this way, you can engage in spreading the positive to others. A. Just put pen to paper. B. Acknowledge one good thing. C. However, it doesn’t have to be like this. D. Discussing goals with your friends helps you stay motivated. E. If your waiter at a cafe mixes up your order, leave a nice tip anyway. F. Keep a journal to note down the lessons learned from daily experiences. G. The way you recall your own experiences can change the way you see them. 第三部分 语言知识运用（共三节，满分45分） 第一节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分） 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 On a sunny Sunday morning, I first went to Class on Stage. It was a rare opportunity to watch dancers from the National Ballet of Canada ___21___ during their daily 75-minute class. As I settled into my seat, the dancers began to ___22___ the stage, their bodies warm and ready. They moved smoothly and seemed ___23___, yet I knew the countless hours of practice behind each ___24___. The room was filled with the soft sounds of ballet shoes ___25___ against the floor and the occasional correction from their ___26___. Each dancer pushed themselves to the limit, correcting their form and trying to achieve ___27___. The air was ___28___ with energy. At the end of the class, I ___29___ and watched the dancers leave the stage. They had already achieved so much with their day, and I was left in complete ___30___. With the determination and discipline of ballet dancers still fresh in my mind, I ___31___ doing some hard things: I ___32___ a copy of a difficult book I’d always wanted to read. I got back in the habit of ___33___ a language I’d been trying to learn. Nothing demands as much of me as what ballet demands of those dancers every day, but I felt ___34___ by their practice. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes a fitness class can ___35___ your life, even if you’ re not the one taking it. 21. A. warm up B. stand up C. settle down D. slow down 22 A. fill B. decorate C. build D. clean 23. A. helpless B. careless C. effortless D. fearless 24. A. rule B. move C. desire D. concern 25 A. going B. fighting C. pushing D. brushing 26. A. audience B. designer C. instructor D. dancer 27. A. peace B. happiness C. independence D. perfection 28. A. compared B. popular C. charged D. identical 29. A. applauded B. prepared C. talked D. entered 30. A. safety B. admiration C. silence D. anger 31. A. heard about B. waited for C. committed to D. learned from 32. A. edited B. bought C. published D. distributed 33. A. recalling B. teaching C. understanding D. practicing 34. A. inspired B. confused C. relaxed D. amused 35. A. save B. transform C. record D. lengthen 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。 On October 30, China successfully ___36___(launch) the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission. The crew consists ___37___ mission commander Cai Xuzhe, along with astronauts Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, ___38___ is notable for being China’s first female space engineer. ___39___(compare) to Shenzhou-18, the storage space of Shenzhou-19 has increased by 20percent. This improvement enables astronauts and related systems ___40___(transport) more time-sensitive and essential supplies. The launch of Shenzhou-19 has attracted global attention, ___41___(make) headlines across international news outlets. The Associated Press reported China’s new crew arriving at the space station demonstrates the country’s growing influence in the space field, while the BBC described it as ___42___ moment of national pride. At a time when global space competition is becoming increasingly fierce, Shenzhou-19 opens up greater opportunities for international ___43___(cooperate). News from Japan highlighted that China is regarded “as a country that is willing to share its advanced achievements.” In the past, China has engaged in international collaborations (合作) with major space-exploring nations and developing countries, focusing on space science applications and in-orbit ___44___(facility). China’s Tiangong space station serves as a platform for international collaborations to advance space technology, ___45___(ultimate) benefiting all of humanity. 第四部分 写作（满分25分） 第一节（满分15分） 46. 你所在的城市正在举办科技展，展品包括各种机器人，比如服务机器人（service robots）、教育机器人（educational robots）、工业机器人（industrial robots）、医疗机器人（medical robots）等，请你选择一类机器人展品向来这里参观的同学们介绍一下。 内容包括：1.介绍它的用途。 2.说明它的优点。 注意：1.写作词数应80个左右。 2.开头已给出。 Good morning, everyone! Today I will be speaking to you about ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 第二节（满分25分） 47. 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。 In my childhood, the homes on my street were pretty close to each other. This meant that the free-standing, flat-roofed garages (车库) behind these houses were also lined up in inviting fashion, with just enough space between them for an energetic, long-legged boy like me to bound from roof to roof. One late afternoon, when I was 12 years old, I bounded up and onto the next-door neighbor’s garage. Mrs. Strenger came out with a stick and tried to drive me away. She complained to my father, who sat me down that evening and suggested that I look for a job, in the interest of redirecting some of my misdirected energy. Truth to tell, I had long wanted to be a working adult so that I could have some income of my own. And so I began the search, going from business to business along the main shopping street, offering to sweep, deliver, clean—anything to earn a few dollars. But it was a no-go. “Too young” was the repeated reply. My last hope was a small pet store run by Mr. Timmerman. Gathering my courage, I begged him for a job. It was near Easter, and he had just obtained a large number of baby chicks, which were making noises nonstop in the background. Surely he needed help with those. Mr. Timmerman looked me over. “Come back after school tomorrow.” I was overjoyed. The next day after school I hightailed it to Mr. Timmerman’s. He pointed me toward a mountain of cardboard shoeboxes in the backroom. Then he handed me a penknife. “Cut a long narrow opening in every box for the chicks,” he said. “That should keep you busy for a while.” I worked apace, nonstop. With every box 1 cut, my mind flew like a boy jumping across garage roofs. What would I buy? Sports shoes? A skateboard? The possibilities were endless! After two hours of hard labor, I returned to the front desk. “Done, Mr. Timmerman,” I said in relief. He thanked me and then handed me my pay: a pen marked with the name of the pet store. 注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。 I was very disappointed, but what could I do? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My father was right and it did get better. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 马鞍山市第二中学2024-2025学年度第二学期期中素质测试 高二英语试题 注意事项： 1.答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、班级和准考证号填涂在答题卡指定位置上。 2.回答选择题时，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。回答非选择题时，用0.5mm黑色签字笔将答案写在答题卡上，写在本试卷上无效。 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） 请听下面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. Which place will the man go to next? A. The office. B. The café. C. The park. 2. What will the man do tomorrow? A. Eat out. B. Watch a match. C. Bring a cake to Granddad. 3. What are the speakers talking about? A. Returning a jacket. B. Repairing a jacket. C. Buying a new jacket. 4. How does the woman feel about the man’s work? A. Disappointed. B. Satisfied. C. Worried. 5. What does the man complain about? A. The terrible food. B. The slow service. C. The loud noise. 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，并标在试卷的相应位置。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 did the man do first every morning as an assistant cook? A. He washed vegetables. B. He cleaned the equipment. C. He prepared the ingredients. 7. What did the man think of the chef? A. He was helpful. B. He was difficult. C. He was famous. 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。 8. What is the man responsible for? A. Booking the hotel. B. Hosting a conference. C. Arranging the trade show. 9. Why does the woman talk to the man? A. To check on his work progress. B. To tell him about a discount offer. C. To ask him to respond to the email. 听第8段材料，回答第10至13题。 10. Why does the man come to the classroom? A. To attend a meeting. B. To do promotion. C. To offer help. 11. Who is the woman probably? A. A student. B. A local painter. C. An art teacher. 12. Where will the exhibition be held? A. In the gallery. B. In the gym. C. In the main hall. 13. How many people are involved in the exhibition planning in total? A. 8. B. 11. C. 14. 听第9段材料，回答第14至17题。 14. Why did the man decide to work at the greenhouse? A. He has a love for plants. B. He can learn new things. C. He lives near the workplace. 15. What does the man mainly do at the greenhouse now? A. He waters the plants. B. He treats the disease. C. He does the cleaning. 16. What is the greenhouse mainly used for? A. Classes. B. Research. C. Relaxation. 17. How does the greenhouse get most of their money? A. From the university. B. From the plant sale. C. From personal donations. 听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。 18. When did the speaker start Tasca Coffee Company with her husband? A. Ten years ago. B. Fifteen years ago. C. Twenty years ago. 19. Where are the majority of Tasca shops located? A. In Wales. B. In Scotland. C. In England. 20. What can customers do in all Tasca shops? A. Get free delivery. B. Enjoy live music. C. Use the loyalty card. 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和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。 A 【1~3题答案】 【答案】1. A 2. B 3. B B 【4~7题答案】 【答案】4. B 5. D 6. A 7. C C 【8~11题答案】 【答案】8. D 9. C 10. A 11. B D 【12~15题答案】 【答案】12. B 13. C 14. B 15. C 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。 【16~20题答案】 【答案】16. C 17. G 18. B 19. A 20. E 第三部分 语言知识运用（共三节，满分45分） 第一节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分） 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 【21~35题答案】 【答案】21. A 22. A 23. C 24. B 25. D 26. C 27. D 28. C 29. A 30. B 31. C 32. B 33. D 34. A 35. B 第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分） 【36~45题答案】 【答案】36. launched 37. of 38. who 39. Compared 40. to transport 41. making 42. a 43. cooperation 44. facilities 45. ultimately 第四部分 写作（满分25分） 第一节（满分15分） 【46题答案】 【答案】 Good morning, everyone! Today I will be speaking to you about educational robots. These robots are designed to revolutionize learning. They can teach various subjects, from math to languages, by providing interactive lessons. Students can ask questions, and the robots will offer instant answers. The greatest advantage of educational robots is their personalized approach. They adapt to each student’s pace, ensuring better understanding. Additionally, they make learning fun, which helps students stay engaged. With educational robots, learning becomes more efficient and enjoyable. 第二节（满分25分） 【47题答案】 【答案】 I was very disappointed, but what could I do? Clutching the cheap pen, I dragged my feet home. My father noticed my frustration and asked about the job. When I showed him the pen, he chuckled softly. “Every job starts small,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Mr. Timmerman gave you a chance when others didn’t. Prove you’re reliable.” His words lit a spark in me. The next day, I returned to the pet store early, determined to work harder. My father was right and it did get better. Mr. Timmerman, impressed by my persistence, began assigning me real tasks — feeding animals, arranging shelves, even assisting customers. By summer’s end, I earned my first real paycheck. More importantly, I learned the value of perseverance. Years later, whenever I use that pet store pen, I remember how a simple job taught me responsibility — and how leaping between garage roofs led me to leap into adulthood. 第1页/共1页 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$