湖南长沙市雅礼中学2025-2026学年高二下学期第三次月考英语试卷

**基本信息** 雅礼中学高二英语月考卷以真实情境与多元素材为载体，融合科技前沿（如心脏芯片研究）、文化传承（如新加坡酒店、贵州抹茶）及社会热点（如文化遗产旅游），全面考查语言能力、文化意识与思维品质，适配高二学生综合素养发展需求。 **题型特征** |题型|题量/分值|知识覆盖|命题特色| |----|-----------|----------|----------| |听力|20题/30分|日常对话、新闻报道|情境真实（如航班延误、飓风新闻），考查信息抓取与推理能力| |阅读|20题/50分|广告、记叙文、科普文、七选五|素材跨领域（酒店推荐、医学插画、北极熊研究），问题梯度分明（细节理解到深层推理）| |语言运用|30题/30分|词汇辨析、语法（时态/非谓语）、课文填空|完形聚焦伦理困境（医生善意谎言），语法填空融入中国文化（贵州抹茶产业）| |写作|2题/40分|应用文（文化遗产旅游）、读后续写|应用文贴近社会热点，续写考查情感表达与逻辑连贯，培养批判性思维|

2025-2026：雅礼中学高二下学期第三次月考 英 语 注意事项： 1、答题前，请考生先将自己的姓名、准考证号填写清楚，并认真核对条形码上的姓名、准考证号、考室和座位号； 2、必须在答题卡上答题，在草稿纸、试题卷上答题无效； 3、答题时，请考生注意各大题题号后面的答题提示； 4、请勿折叠答题卡，保持字体工整、笔迹清晰、卡面清洁； 5、答题卡上不得使用涂改液、涂改胶和贴纸； 6、本学科试卷中听力材料以中速朗读两遍。 试卷分四个部分，72小题，时量120分钟，满分150分。 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。 1. What did the woman do yesterday evening? A. She attended a concert. B. She finished her report. C. She took care of her mother. 2. How does the man sound? A. Disappointed. B. Pleased. C. Anxious. 3. Why doesn’t the man choose Dorris Place Primary School? A. It has an age limit. B. It’s far away from his home. C. It has a poor learning environment. 4. What will the weather be this afternoon? A. Sunny. B. Windy. C. Rainy. 5. What problem did the woman have? A. She overslept. B. She was stuck in traffic. C. She missed the early bus. 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，每小题听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话读两遍。 听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。 6. How long has Miss Gall trained the woman? A. Three years. B. Four years. C. Ten years. 7. What will the speakers do after school? A. Watch a match. B. Play basketball. C. Visit Miss Gall. 听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。 8. What does the man recommend for the main course? A. A steak. B. Roasted vegetables. C. A chicken salad. 9. What dessert does the woman choose in the end? A. The cheesecake. B. The pudding. C. The tiramisu. 听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。 10. What does the woman plan to study in her spare time? A. Architecture. B. Environmental design. C. Computer programming. 11. What will the woman do this Saturday? A. Work overtime. B. Visit her cousin. C. Do an outdoor activity. 12. Who is Lily? A. The man’s colleague. B. The man’s friend. C. The man’s cousin. 听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。 13. What is troubling the man? A. Missing a flight. B. Experiencing flight delays. C. Buying the wrong flight ticket. 14. Where is the man now? A. In Houston. B. In Miami. C. In Boston. 15. Why is the man going to London? A. To visit friends. B. To take a holiday. C. To have a meeting. 16. When will the man arrive in New York? A. At 6:30 p.m. B. At 7:15 p.m. C. At 7:30 p.m. 听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。 17. Who is Leon Smith? A. A pilot. B. A weatherman. C. A news reporter. 18. Where is the hurricane moving toward? A. Mississippi. B. Tennessee. C. Louisiana. 19. What happened to David? A. He crashed into a tree. B. His house was destroyed. C. He experienced an electric shock. 20. What do we know about the Alaska Airlines Flight 369? A. Nobody was hurt. B. The tires were undamaged. C. There were 182 passengers on the plane. 第二部分 阅读（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 Four Best Hotels in Singapore Marina Bay sands Opening this list with Singapore’s best-known icons (标志), you’ll find Marina Bay sands is definitely a top choice if you’re thinking of a luxury experience. Amongst the many facilities that make Marina Bay sands an experience to remember, the pool with probably the best view of Singapore’s skyline is certainly a highlight. Price Per Night: $565-$1,057 Location: 10 Bayfront Ave., Singapore 019856 Website: Maria Bay sands The Fullerton Bay Hotel If you’re looking for a perfect spot to spend some quality time together with your family, look no further than The Fullerton Bay Hotel! Located in the Marina Bay area, the hotel is sure to make you enjoy the beautiful night scene as you take an evening walk along Clifford Pier. From free dining credits to SPA discounts, The Fullerton Bay Hotel packages are a must-get if you’re looking for an all-in experience! Price: $570-$1,236 Location: 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326 Website: The Fullerton Bay Hotel Mandarin Oriental Singapore An iconic part of Singapore’s skyline and one of Singapore’s top five-star hotels, Mandarin Oriental Singapore makes for an excellent place that’s surrounded with fun-filled activities, awesome food and a whole lot of shopping options. Don’t miss out on the stunning views of the city and bay from your room! Price Per Night: $317-$1,647 Location: 5 Raffles Ave., Singapore 039797 Website: Mandarin Oriental Singapore The Scarlet Hotel Singapore’s another luxury hotel, The Scarlet Hotel is set in one of the oldest conservation buildings in Singapore and decorated with modern design. With its location close to the heart of Chinatown, there’s a wide range of dining options just a moment away—from Italian food to Japanese-French patisseries (糕点). Price Per Night: $162-$828 Location: 33 Erskine Rd, Singapore 069333 Website: The Scarlet Hotel 21. How much should you pay for a night in Marina Bay sands at least? A. $317. B. $565. C. $570. D. $1,057. 22. Which hotel is recommended for families? A. Marina Bay sands. B. Mandarin Oriental Singapore. C. The Scarlet Hotel. D. The Fullerton Bay Hotel. 23. What is special about The Scarlet Hotel? A. It is a mix of old and new. B. It owns an iconic shop. C. It lies in the Marina Bay area. D. It offers free fine food. B My fingers trembled as I signed the pre-medical application form. The watercolor brushes on my desk stared back at me like abandoned friends. I’m Lora, an 18-year-old who secretly drew brain diagrams on napkins while my classmates drew cartoons. “Art feeds the soul but starves the body,” Mom always said. Her words troubled me as my biology textbooks slowly buried my drawing pads. Then came the school career fair that changed everything. Dr. Eleanor Whitman from Harvard asked us to list our “hidden skills”. My hand shook as I wrote “observing details”—something I’d learned from painting flower petals. “That’s medical research’s most needed skill,” she said excitedly, sharing how a student turned microbiology notes into textbook illustrations (插图). My lab partner whispered, “Remember our photosynthesis (光合作用) comice?” For the first time, my two worlds didn’t feel so separate. The real surprise came during hospital volunteering. Watching surgeries, I noticed that the steady hands of doctors reminded me of my brushwork. When a boy struggled to describe his pain, I drew a fire-breathing dragon on his cast. “You made medicine speak,” the nurse said. Slowly, my drawing pads filled with cells that looked like colored-glass art and X-rays arranged like abstract paintings. Mr. Dawson, our career counselor (顾问), helped me see the link between my two interests. On his whiteboard, he created a yellow overlap zone labeled “Medical illustration”—the point where my medical knowledge and art skills meet. He showed me job listings I never knew existed—graphic designers for science apps, 3D modelers for anatomy (解剖学) classes. “Your ‘impractical’ skill makes you excellent” he said, pointing to my dragon drawing now used in pain management workshops. Today, my microscope and paintbrushes share the same desk. The same hands that once hesitated between them now create 3D models of viruses for vaccine (疫苗) education. My story isn’t about heart and reality canceling each other out—they just multiply possibilities. 24. What can be inferred about Lora from Paragraph 1? A. She was excited about studying medicine. B. She regretted not practicing painting earlier. C. She felt torn between art and medical study. D. She decided to give up her hobby of drawing. 25. How did Lora’s hospital experience influence her? A. It helped develop her surgical skills. B. It directed her toward doctor training. C. It boosted her enthusiasm for abstract art. D. It convinced her of art’s role in healthcare. 26. What finally led Lora to pursue Medical illustration? A. Recognition from a nurse. B. Encouragement from her lab partner. C. Guidance from Mr. Dawson. D. Comments from Dr. Eleanor Whitman. 27. What does the author’s experience show? A. Where there is a will, there is a way. B. It’s good to enjoy the best of both fields. C. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. D. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. C Polar bears are often the poster children for the impacts of climate change because of how much they rely on the ice for survival. Less ice forces these powerful predators to swim further to find food or spend more time on land living off fat reserves. Many polar bear populations are at risk of starvation. These polar bears are getting fatter as sea ice melts. What’s going on? To find out what might be going on, researchers looked at the body size and chest circumference of 770 adult polar bears captured during this monitoring between 1992 and 2019. Leaner polar bears, with less fat stores to see them through hard times, can be an early warning sign of a struggling population, so body condition can indicate how a population is faring. Scientists had predicted that diminishing (逐渐减少的) sea ice would leave polar bears thinner and in poorer body condition, and Jon Aars, the lead author from the Norwegian Polar Institute, who observed rapid ice loss in Svalbard, expected this trend to harm the local bears’ physical state. Their new findings revealed the opposite. The bears’ body condition decreased between 1995 and 2000 before improving again, even though the region was rapidly losing sea ice after 2000. “I was a bit surprised when we found that it had actually increased instead of decreasing,” says Aars. “It’s good news that they have coped so well, despite nowhere else in the Arctic having sea ice disappear at this rate.” This doesn’t mean the bears aren’t affected by climate change. They have been forced to spend more time on land hunting less energy-rich foods, such as seabird eggs, and swim further between hunting and mating grounds. They have also lost important denning areas. “The good news is that they’re still in good health,” Aars says. One cause is Svalbard bears preying on more land animals like reindeer, whose numbers rebounded after overhunting, supplying summer food when bears usually fast. Reduced ice may also cluster ringed seals tightly, making them easier to hunt. This is only a small window of hope, not long-term safety. Experts warn the ecosystem could hit an irreversible tipping point, and future conditions for the bears will grow harsher. Other Arctic subpopulations decline with less ice, and each group is shaped by its local habitat. Although these polar bears are currently doing well, that won’t continue if the ice disappears completely, says Aars: “You don’t have polar bears anywhere where you don’t have sea ice for part of the year.” 28. How does the passage start? A. By stating a common belief. B. By describing a disaster scene. C. By introducing poster children. D. By raising a heated issue. 29. Which study design is similar to that in the passage? A. Check exercises to note weak learners’ personal growth. B. Mark quiz scores to judge top students’ class progress. C. Grade all papers to check the whole class’s true level. D. Review all mistakes to test whole-unit knowledge grasp. 30. Why does Jon Aars say “The good news is that they’re still in good health”? A. They keep healthy by getting enough food amid sea ice loss. B. Enough food helps them stay healthy despite ice reduction. C. Sea ice loss has little effect on their health. D. Their diet adjustment helps deal with ice loss well. 31. What does Jon Aars express at the end? A. Hope for partial climate adaptation. B. Concern about ice-free survival. C. Optimism about temporary security. D. Worry about ecosystem loss. D Scientists have created a three-dimensional “heart-on-a-chip” (HOC) that could provide a breakthrough in the fight against the world’s leading cause of death, cardiovascular (心血管) disease. One major challenge is that we cannot easily test how a human heart will react to a drug or disease without putting someone at risk. This engineered heart tissue beats on its own, it releases chemicals to start muscular activity, and it responds predictably to common drugs. It’s the first to include a two-way sensing platform that provides real-time tracking of activity throughout the heart tissue down to the cellular level. In a recent paper, scientists from multiple Canadian institutions describe how they achieved this “significant advance in heart tissue engineering and drug testing.” The key advance here is the integration of sensors that can detect both large-area and small-area heart activity. Both current HOC platforms and the research team’s previous version, described in a 2024 paper, lack high-resolution (高分辨率的) cellular-level sensing. Small-area sensing is vital because many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are associated with impairment in heart muscle cells, the individual beating cells that form heart muscle tissue. As a result, measuring cellular function is critical for preventing heart failure in patients with CVDs. To build their HOCs, the researchers harvested heart muscle cells and heart connective tissue cells from lab animals. They placed these cells into a soft structure rich in fibrous proteins (纤维蛋白) and nutrients to stimulate growth, and then seeded them on tiny, flexible silicon-based chips (芯片). This is a major step toward testing diseases in the lab, since cell-generated forces govern the development of heart tissues, including their formation, remodeing, contraction efficiency, wound healing, and cancer progression. Next, the researchers plan to model specific disorders by building heart tissues using cells from patients living with various heart conditions. These include a type of genetic heart muscle disease that can lead to heart failure, as well as irregular heartbeats, an umbrella of disorders that cause heart rate abnormalities. 32. How does the new HOC differ from earlier versions? A. It uses human patient cells. B. It beats with external help. C. It senses cellular heart activity. D. It uses more flexible materials. 33. What does the underlined word “impairment” in paragraph 3 mean? A. Abnormal working. B. Quick recovery. C. Natural growth. D. Regular beating. 34. What do the researchers intend to do with HOCs? A. Replace animal testing. B. Grow full hearts for patients. C. Cure DNA-based heart diseases. D. Study patient-specific heart diseases. 35. Which of the following is the best title for the text? A. The New Methods to Build 3D hearts B. A Fresh Process for Heart Drug Testing C. An Innovation in Heart Tissue Engineering D. The Fight Against Cardiovascular Diseases 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可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。 Helping others can be one of the most meaningful things you do, but it can also take a lot out of you, making you lose sight of the fact that you need support, too. You might think pushing through is normal. 36. ___________________ You need to learn how to invest in yourself and pay attention to your mental well-being. Burnout doesn’t always look like exhaustion. Burnout isn’t always obvious. 37. ___________________ It can be irritability (易怒), lack of focus, or feeling like you’re disconnected from the work you used to enjoy. Being aware of the emotional signs early makes it easier to step in and make changes. That might mean adjusting your schedule, taking breaks when you can, or just giving yourself permission to unplug after a long day. Learning something new boosts mental energy. Doing the same routine every day can start to feel dull. 38. ___________________ Adding something fresh to your day, like learning a new technique or exploring a new topic, can bring your energy back. A few minutes a day reading an article, watching a short tutorial, or engaging in a new task can refresh your mindset. 39. ___________________ If you want to know how to invest in yourself, having control over your schedule can make a huge difference in how you feel day to day. When you’re able to choose how and when you complete tasks, it reduces stress and helps you feel more balanced. Small wins matter for motivation. Sometimes big goals feel out of reach. That’s why small wins are so important. Checking something off your list—even if it’s just attending a class—builds positive drive. 40. ___________________ Over time, those small wins lead to larger milestones. A. When that happens, your interest and motivation can fade. B. Purpose is a powerful mental health tool. C. Sometimes it can mean saying yes to extra tasks. D. It doesn’t only appear as physical tiredness. E. But the truth is, constantly putting yourself last isn’t sustainable. F. Time flexibility leads to emotional stability. G. Each time you complete a step, you prove to yourself that progress is happening. 第三部分 语言运用（共三节，满分30分） 第一节（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。 One of the basic 41 the public have of doctors is honesty. But what would you think if I told you that 70 percent of doctors 42 to lying to their patients? Mrs. Walton was in her eighties and 43 to see her husband. She would try to get up to find him, despite being at risk of falling. “He’s on his way, don’t worry,” I said to her. But it was a lie. He died two years ago. The truth is that it is 44 to lie sometimes. Mrs. Walton is one of the dementia (痴呆) sufferers, who lose their short-term memory and the memory of 45 events, but hold memories of the distant past. Sufferers are trapped forever in a confusing past that many realize bears little 46 to the present, but are at a loss to explain. Those with dementia often feel upset, scared and confused that they are in a strange place, 47 by strange people, even when they are in their own homes with their family, because they have gone back to decades ago. They look at their adult children 48 and wonder who they could be because they think their children are still little kids. I have had countless families break down in tears, not knowing how to react as their loved ones move further away from them and go back into their distant past but they are 49 in the present. And how, as the doctor or nurse caring for these patients, does one manage the anger and outbursts of distress that comes with having no 50 of life for the past ten or twenty years? The lies that doctors, nurses and families tell these patients are not big and elaborate—they are 51 comforts intended to calm. 52 with them about this false reality is actually a kindness. That’s not to say that lying to patients with dementia 53 is right or defensible. But what kind-hearted person would put another human being through the unimaginable pain of learning, 54 again and again, that they have lost their beloved ones. Sometimes honesty is 55 not the best policy. 41. A. expressions B. expectations C. reputations D. regulations 42. A. objected B. contributed C. admitted D. stuck 43. A. ashamed B. delighted C. nervous D. desperate 44. A. cruel B. kind C. painful D. pleasant 45. A. recent B. popular C. distant D. small 46. A. opposition B. connection C. attention D. similarity 47. A. attacked B. left C. surrounded D. attracted 48. A. puzzled B. satisfied C. amused D. motivated 49. A. cut off B. brought up C. put off D. left behind 50. A. knowledge B. chance C. imagination D. record 51. A. brief B. constant C. permanent D. secret 52. A. Competing B. Plotting C. Matching D. Mix 53. A. unfoundedly B. inaccurately C. impatiently D. impolitely 54. A. ahead of time B. in no time C. for the last time D. for the first time 55. A. mostly B. informally C. actually D. finally 第二节（共15小题；每小题1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。 With the morning light of early summer breaking over 56. ________ (mist) hills of Jiangkou County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, tea farmers begin their day among rows of tea trees, skillfully picking tender green buds. By way of more than 20 processes, these fresh 57. ________ (leaf) are refined (精制) into premium matcha (抹茶), destined for teacups around the world. Once 58. ________ poverty-stricken mountainous region, Jiangkou made tea its key industry in 2007, taking advantage of its favorable tea-growing conditions, namely high altitude, low latitude, frequent fog 59. ________ limited sunlight. The drinking of matcha originated from ancient China, and 60. ________ (introduce) to Japan later. Today, China has become the world’s largest matcha producer and consumer. So far this year, Jiangkou alone 61. ________ (export) four tons of matcha to Japan, with another six tons 62. ________ (schedule) for delivery. 63. ________ matcha products gain popularity, so does the young consumers’ interest in its profound culture. In the city of Tongren in Guizhou, a matcha culture experience center showcases unique products such as matcha noodles, while 64. ________ (invite) visitors to learn about the history of matcha and try their hand at Diancha, a traditional tea-making technique. “Over 80 percent of our visitors are young people, many 65. ________ outside the region,” said Lu Qian, a tea master at the center, as she mixed matcha powder with hot water and used a bamboo whisk to create a rich, frothy brew. 按照课文原文填空。 66. Such dangers can have ______________ (disaster) outcomes not only for the sites themselves, but also for people. 67. Assigned by the emperor, the ambassador Zhang Qian ______________ (journey) from Chang’an to Central Asia, seeking to build bridges between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions. 68. There used to be a restaurant ______________ this store stands—‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant. 69. “It has given me everything I asked it for. You’ve changed lots, Jimmy. I never thought you were tall ______________ two or three inches.” 70. “Bob: I was at the ______________ (appoint) place on time. When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the criminal wanted in Chicago...” 第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分） 第一节（满分15分） 随着全民文化自信的增强，文化遗产旅游受热捧。请你针对这一现象用英语写一篇短文向学校英语报投稿，内容包括： （1）你的看法； （2）文化遗产旅游带来的益处； （3）总结。 注意： （1）写作词数应为80左右； （2）请按如下格式在相应位置作答。 The Rise of Cultural Heritage Tourism 第二节（满分25分） 阅读下面的材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。 The first week of the new semester always carried a strange kind of energy—new classes, new faces, and the quiet hope of starting over. As a 11th-grade transfer (转学) student, I walked into the noisy classroom with my head low, clutching (紧握) my backpack strap like a lifeline. Everything felt foreign—the laughter, the inside jokes, the invisible circles I wasn’t part of. My new desk mate, Olivia, sat by the window, her notebook perfectly organized, her confidence filling the space between us. When she noticed me hesitating, she smiled, slid a neatly written class schedule across the desk, and in a soft voice said she’d show me around at lunch. That small gesture made me want to belong—to be seen. So when she mentioned the debate club after class, I told her I’d been on the debate team and had even won a regional contest. It wasn’t planned. The lie just slipped out, smooth and effortless, like it had been waiting for its cue. Her eyes lit up, and for the first time, I felt noticed—no longer just the quiet new kid. A few days later, Olivia came running up with a sign-up sheet. “The annual school-wide debate competition is in a month—we should team up!” she exclaimed, her enthusiasm unshakable. I tried to match her energy, but the panic settled deeper each time I imagined standing on stage. Four weeks to prepare—it felt endless and terrifying at the same time. At our first rehearsal (排练), I stumbled over debate terms, struggled to organize arguments, and froze when asked to practice rebuttals (反驳). Some teammates exchanged eye rolls and quiet laughs that stung more than their whispers. Olivia didn’t say anything; her smile faded, polite yet puzzled. By Friday, the lie felt heavier than the weight on my shoulders. Each “keep going” she offered sounded like a test I couldn’t pass. That night, I stared at my debate notes, the words swimming before my eyes. I knew I couldn’t keep pretending. Something had to give. 注意： 1. 写作词数应为150个左右； 2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。 During the next rehearsal, I finally admitted the truth to everyone. A month later, Olivia and I stepped onto the stage together, ready for the big day. 1 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 2025-2026：雅礼中学高二下学期第三次月考英语试卷 （参考答案） 第一部分 听力 第一节 1—5 CABCB 第二节 6—10 ABABC 11—15 CAABC 16—20 ACCBA 第二部分 阅读 第一节 短文理解 21—23 BDA 24—27 CDCB 28—31 ACDB 32—35 CADC 第二节 语篇补全 36—40 EDAFG 第三部分 语言运用 第一节 词语填空 41—45 CBDAD 46—50 BCADB 51—55 CADBC 第二节 语法填空 56. misty 57. leaves 58. a 59. and 60. was introduced 61. has exported 62. scheduled 63. As 64. inviting 65. from 66. disastrous 67. journeyed 68. where 69. by 70. appointed 第四部分 写作 第一节 The Rise of Cultural Heritage Tourism With growing cultural confidence, cultural heritage tourism has gained increasing popularity recently. From my perspective, this is undoubtedly a positive trend worth promoting. Firstly, it enables us to reconnect with our long - standing history and traditions, which strengthens our national pride and cultural identity. By visiting historic sites and museums, we can better understand our ancestors' wisdom and achievements. Secondly, it contributes to cultural preservation. Tourism income can be used to maintain and restore heritage sites, safeguarding them for future generations. Last but not least, it fuels local economy by creating jobs and stimulating local businesses. In short, the boom of cultural heritage tourism reflects people's rising awareness of cultural roots. It plays a vital role in protecting precious heritage and boosting regional economy. 第二节 During the next rehearsal, I finally admitted the truth to everyone. For a long moment, the room went silent—you could have heard a pin drop. Then Olivia spoke, calm and steady: “It’s fine. We’ll start from scratch.” One by one, the others offered advice, shared notes, and cracked small jokes that eased the tension. From that day on, I stayed after school until the lights went out—repeating lines, practicing arguments, recording myself to correct every pause. My voice wavered, my notes were full of red marks, but fear slowly turned into focus. I was no longer pretending; I was learning to earn my place. A month later, Olivia and I stepped onto the stage together, ready for the big day. My palms were sweating, and my heartbeat drowned out the audience. When I stumbled over a point, Olivia jumped in smoothly, guiding me back on track. Our teammates whispered reminders and adjusted timing, and by the final round, we were in sync. When the judges announced our victory, the applause felt like sunlight breaking through. Standing there, I understood something deeper than winning: the path I’d faked at first had led me to something real—courage I had built, friends who believed in me, and a place where I truly fit. 13 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $