11．　　As a university student, I decided to learn German. For some reason I really liked the language, but I was not very good at learning it. The grammar (1)       me a lot and even drove me crazy. My only advantage was (2)      . I got an A on every word test I took. After two years of studies, I struggled (挣扎)to communicate in (3)       German and signed up to study in Germany to complete my degree. It was the (4)       term I would ever have.
　　The moment I arrived in Germany, I felt like I was starting from scratch (从头开始). The German I'd learned in university wasn't (5)       for everyday conversation. My book knowledge fell by the wayside as I thought about the basics of getting around, reading emails and talking with my classmates. I was often nervous at school, worried about whether the teachers would call on me in class and whether I'd understand their questions. I only (6)       a little around my eight roommates, who were willing to speak German slowly to me and didn't seem to mind my (7)      .
　　I chose to study three courses-reading & writing, grammar and history. All were in German and difficult, but the history class was the worst. The teacher spoke so (8)       that almost everything he said flew right over my head. I sat in the front, took notes and even recorded every single word he said in class, but (9)       helped. I had no idea what the class was really about ...
　　Years have passed, but I still remember how it felt to struggle so hard at (10)       another language. That trip was a difficult but valuable lesson. I think my failure that term taught me just as much as my success.

14．　　On June 9th, 1870, Charles Dickens died at the age of 58. The next day, a headline in The New York Times read: "Death of the Great Novelist... Will Be Remembered by the People... "
　　The headline was not overstating (夸大) the popularity of Dickens. Even today, the British novelist is loved by readers all over the world. Dickens created some unforgettable characters. You must have heard of or even read some of his novels: Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities. A Tale of Two Cities has sold more than 200 million copies. Since 1897, there have been more than 300 film and TV adaptations (改编版本) of Dickens' works. A Christmas Carol alone has had nearly 50.
　　Natalie Mcknight is a literature professor (文学教授) who studies Dickens and his works. She explains why the novelist has remained so popular. One important reason, she says, is that Dickens wrote from his heart. He tried hard to produce emotional effects (情感效果) among his readers. In his works, he paid special attention to the "little man" at the bottom of society in the UK, which deeply mirrored the social reality at that time. A Christmas Carol, for example, was written to make every reader think about how they could make a difference to their society. People always enjoy works that make them laugh, cry and think. Many other 9th-century novelists wrote entertaining (娱乐的) works. However, few of them worked as hard as Dickens to touch the readers deeply.
　　Dickens wrote about situations and emotions that still interest people today. He used his pen to fight social inequality and gave voice to the poor. His works led to many important social changes. Readers always enjoy seeing poor people rise and succeed.
　　This year marks the 150th year of Dickens' death. It's another chance to remember this great writer. Will you read or re-read some of his famous works?

15．　　Have you ever seen a solar panel (太阳能电池板) in your neighborhood? Solar panels take energy from the sun and turn it into electricity. Over the past ten years, the price of solar panels has gone down greatly. In many parts of the world, solar energy is now the cheapest form of electricity. More and more people have started using solar energy to power (给......供电) their homes.
　　However, solar panels also have their problems. They stop working at night and on rainy days. Is it possible to make them produce electricity all of the time?
　　Scientists at Suzhou University, China, have invented a new solar panel now. It can produce electricity not only from solar energy but also from falling rain. When a raindrop falls on the solar panel and then rolls (滚动) down, it creates friction (摩擦力) on the surface of the panel, which can then be turned into electricity.
　　Sun Baoquan is one of the inventors. "Our new invention can produce electricity in any weather during the day," he says. "It can even provide electricity at night if there is rain."
　　The solar panel, however, does not make much electricity from falling rain. So Sun Baoquan is still working hard to improve it. The scientist also wants to make solar panels more flexible, which are as soft as clothing.
　　The field of solar energy is developing fast. Scientists around the world have been improving solar panels. Some have been working on ways to join solar panels and wind power together. Some have been trying to use sunlight to produce liquid and gas fuels (液体和气体燃料).

16．　　Mark Twain once said, "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." The famous writer talked about a problem many of us have. The problem is procrastination (拖延症). When procrastination becomes a habit, it can make our lives terrible. However, everyone can avoid it by taking a few simple steps today!
　　✧Make daily "to do" lists.
　　Before your day ends, make a plan for tomorrow. List upcoming tasks in order of importance. You'll begin each new day with a head start, already knowing what needs to be done. As you complete each task, check it off. (1)      .
Always keep your daily schedule (计划) with you. Use it to remind yourself what you need to do next. You'll then have a much better chance of carrying out your plans.
　　✧Break large tasks up into small ones.
　　If a project looks too big, (2)      . The task at hand may seem too great. You may feel defeated (挫败) before beginning. But every project is doable if it's done in small steps.
Begin by breaking up your task into smaller parts. This helps remove the unnecessary fear of having to do a large project all at one time.
　　✧(3)       .
　　If your workplace is full of distractions (使人分心的事), you'll need to make some changes. You may need to remove your phone or TV from your workplace. If people often stop by for a talk, you may need to move to a different place.
　　✧Follow the five-minute rule.
　　The hardest part about any task is getting started. That's why so many people avoid their work until the last minute. Doing so usually leads to added stress. One solution to this problem is to schedule a time daily to work on your big project. Work on it for only five minutes. Then decide whether or not to continue. Surprisingly, once you've begun, (4)      .

17．　　Jiaozi, also known as Chinese dumplings, is a must-have during holidays in Northern China. It dates back to ancient times.
　　Jiaozi is one of the most important foods in Chinese New Year. Since jiaozi is in the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots (银锭), it symbolizes wealth (象征着财富). Traditionally, the members of a family get together to make dumplings on New Year's Eve. They may hide a coin in one of the dumplings. The person who finds the coin will be likely to have good luck. As the Spring Festival marks the start of a new year, people choose to eat jiaozi in the hope of having a good future in the coming new year.
　　Based on your taste, you can make different kinds of Chinese dumplings using different fillings. There is no set rule as to what makes dumpling fillings. They can be anything from vegetables, meat or seafood. Whatever the fillings are, the wrapping (包) skill needs to be exquisite (精美的) to make jiaozi good-looking.
　　As China is a country with a vast territory (幅员辽阔), there are differences in different areas in ways of making jiaozi or even serving it. For example, dumpling wrappers are made with a rolling stick in Beijing and Hebei province, while in some parts of Inner Mongolia, wrappers are hand-pressed.

18．　　Lots of young people have never experienced home-life. Meals are cooked and clothes are washed as if by magic! (1)我们知道很多孩子不会洗衣做饭. They don't clean the floor, make the bed or slice (切) the meat. Yes, they have homework but often no housework. But how are you ever going to learn the practical skills you will need in later life if everything is done for you? A change is coming. (2)In China, schools are now thinking about teaching life skills as a subject.
　　We all need to prepare for real life, especially the housework. (3)我父母拥有这些技能, 但他们却忘记教我了. At university, I had to learn to shop, prepare my food and cook meals. I wish my parents or my teachers had taught me all of them before! Now, I feel very confident (信心) in running a home. I especially enjoy cooking.
　　(4)Some people might say you can order food or book services online. In fact, good life skills will make you a better student, a better workmate and a better family member in your life. Making a meal needs good planning, skillful cooking, control of temperature and a good nose! It makes you smarter!
　　All this needs to start early. (5)If you don't have practical life skills, your education will be incomplete. One day, you will wonder why you have no clean socks, and why some of your best friends can cook a delicious meal but you cannot!
将划线部分译成英文或中文。

19．A: Hi, Jane. You made great progress in English during the long winter vacation. (1)      ?
B: Just by taking online courses and finishing my homework in time. Sometimes I watched the online classes again when necessary.
A: But I didn't make full use of the time. So I can't catch up with my classmates now. I feel worried and hopeless.
B: (2)      ! Read a lot and do exercises, and you'll get improved.
A: Good idea. When I have difficulties, (3)      ?
B: No problem. I am always there if you need help.
A: It's very kind of you. By the way, what's the title of your tomorrow's speech?
B: Only 1. 5℃.
A: Sounds interesting. But it's just a number. (4)      ?
B: It means we need to keep temperature increases below 1.5℃.
A: If not, what would happen?
B: Unexpected disasters (灾难) would hit the earth again and again.
A: True. The forest fires in Australia have given us warnings. (5)      ?
B: The fires lasted for several months. It is reported that countless wild animals have been killed and thousands of people have lost their homes in the big fires.
A: What a bitter lesson!

20．在日常学习和生活中，我们经常需要与人合作 (cooperate)。假设你是李华，请你就如何成为一名优秀的合作伙伴写一篇英语演讲稿。
内容包括：
合作的技巧 (如耐心倾听, 礼貌建议......);
合作的意义 (如相互学习......)。
要求：
80词左右 (标题和开头已给出, 不计入总词数)；
可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
文中不得出现真实人名和校名。
Be a Great Partner
　　Hello, everyone!
　　As we all know, cooperation is of great importance in our daily life. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________