广东省“六校联盟”2026届高三上学期第一次联考英语试卷（Word版附答案）

这是一份广东省“六校联盟”2026届高三上学期第一次联考英语试卷（Word版附答案），共14页。
注意事项：1.答题前，考生务必用黑色字迹的钢笔或签字笔将自己的姓名和考生号、考场号、座位号填写在答题卡上。并用2B铅笔将对应的信息点涂黑，不按要求填涂的，答卷无效。
2.选择题每小题选出答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目选项的答案信息点涂黑，如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案，答案不能答在试卷上。
3.非选择题必须用黑色字迹钢笔或签字笔作答，答案必须写在答题卡各题目指定区域内相应位置上；如需改动，先划掉原来的答案，然后再写上新的答案，不准使用铅笔和涂改液。不按以上要求作答的答案无效。
4.考生必须保持答题卡的整洁，考试结束后，只需将答题卡交回。
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
China Daily, in partnership with relevant rganizatins, is launching the Internatinal Cartn and Illustratin Exhibitin 2025 n a Cmmunity with a Shared Future fr Mankind, hping t prmte the trustwrthy use f technlgy fr the benefit f humanity thrugh creative cartns and illustratins.
Exhibitin fcus
The theme f this year’s exhibitin is “Technlgy and Life”. Ptential tpics include:
1. Displaying hw technlgy changes peple’s lives
2. Envisining future technlgical advancements
3. Hnring scientists and ther technlgy prfessinals
Timeline f the event
Wrk Submissin: By July 15,2025
Review and assessment: July t August 2025
Awards Ceremny: Between September and Octber 2025
Awards
The awards are categrized int 4 types: Gld Prize (1 winner) with ¥30,000 prize mney; Silver Prize (2 winners) with ¥20,000; Brnze Prize (3 winners) with ¥10,000; 10 Outstanding Prize winners with an award. Additinally, all the winners will receive a certificate and prtfli (作品集) bk.
Requirements fr submissin
1. The submitted wrks must be riginal. Participants shuld be fully respnsible fr their entries.
2. The wrks shuld be submitted in JPEG frmat, with a reslutin f 300dpi, file size n less than 2M and nt exceeding 10M.
3. The submitted wrks shuld include a title and a brief textual descriptin.
4. Fr AI-assisted wrks, please label as “AI-generated”.
5. Student participants shuld additinally prvide their schl name and grade year. The names f their instructrs r training institutins are ptinal.
6. Register and uplad yur submissin n the fllwing website:
1. What is the main purpse f the exhibitin?
A. T shw admiratin fr technlgy experts.
B. T encurage reliable applicatin f technlgy.
C. T shw the latest cartn and illustratin techniques.
D. T prmte the develpment f artificial intelligence.
2. Which f the fllwing wrks may meet the requirements?
A An 11M submissin marked AI-generated.
B. A reprduced cartn drawing in JPEG frmat.
C. An illustratin f 6M with a vide explanatin.
D. A titled entry withut the instructr’s signature.
3. Wh are the mst likely target readers?
A. Cartnists and illustratrs.B. Cllege students.
C. exhibitrs and rganizers.D. AI enthusiasts.
B
The rad stretched endlessly ahead. I paused t take a few careful sips f water — nly enugh t misten my tngue, since the bttle was already half-empty — and weigh my ptins. The shade frm the trees did little t ease the burning sun as I struggled t make sense f the maps. The riginal plan was t stay vernight at a turist park near Lgue Brk Dam, where I culd finally reach my wife, but right then, I didn’t have the faintest idea where I was. Wearily, I pushed myself upright, remunted my bike and started t duble back in the hpe f sptting clear trail markers, but this nly made things wrse: the trees seemed t press in arund me as I desperately scanned fr landmarks — and the cicadas (蝉) had erupted int a deafening chrus.
After cycling slwly alng the sandy trail fr abut tw hurs, I was delighted t see seemingly recent cycle tracks. Encuraged, I mved n, keeping a sharp eye n the tracks. Hwever, I sn realised that they were my wn. I was cvering the same grund.
Discuraged, I lay my bike aside, and sank dwn under a tree with a heavy sigh. I had n mre water, and my tngue felt swllen. I felt sleepy as grups f flies settled n me in a vain attempt t find dampness.
A sudden warm breeze stirred me. I pened my eyes, caught the distant hum f an engine, and glanced weakly upward, yet the sund faded away. After a shrt while, I heard it nce mre, but this time it seemed nearer. I dragged my feet and marched tward the surce f the sund. When I made it t the tp f the hill, I gasped in utter disbelief. There in frnt f me lay Lgue Brk Dam, with bats pulling water skiers and flks sunbathing ut in the pen. I went back t my bicycle, pushed it up the hill, and let it cast int the lvely cl waters f the dam, where I rlled arund wearing my full cycling gear.
4 What can be inferred abut the 1st paragraph?
A. The authr desperately cntacted his wife at the turist park.
B. The authr fund the trail markers easily after dubling back.
C. The authr felt cnfused and helpless in the current envirnment.
D. The cicadas’ nise was s lud that the authr culdn’t find landmarks.
5. When did the authr realize he was cycling in circles?
A. When trail markers disappeared.
B. When he recgnized his wn bike tracks.
C. When the lud cicada nises disturbed him.
D. When he nticed the change in sandy trail cnditins.
6. Why were the flies mentined?
A. T shw he was awed at the abundant wildlife.
B. T describe the surrundings were becming tugher.
C. T illustrate his physical discmfrt was intensifying.
D. T infrm he uncnsciusly entered a dangerus zne.
7. What happened t the authr in the end?
A. He deserted his bike near the cast.B. He failed t lcate the dam and gave up.
C. He pushed his bike and rlled abut the dam.D. He had the bike freewheel dwnhill and had fun.
C
Saring abve a desert expanse in an aircraft, tw scientists lked dwn with trained eyes at trees and bushes. After an hur’s flight, ne f the scientists jtted in his bk, “Lk here fr prbable metal”. Meanwhile, abard anther plane cruising ver a muntainus terrain, scientists sent a message t ther cunterparts n the grund, “Gld pssible.” Walking acrss hilly grund, fur scientists dcumented their findings,” This grund shuld be searched fr metals. “Frm an airplane hvering ver a hilly wasteland, a scientist sent back by radi ne wrd,” Uranium.”
Nne f the scientists pssessed X-ray eyes: they had n supernatural pwers fr lking dwn belw the earth’s surface. They were merely emplying ne f the mst cutting- edge methdlgies fr lcating minerals in the grund-using trees and plants as indicative markers that certain minerals may lie beneath the grund n which the trees and plants take rt and flurish. This apprach t mineral explratin is predicated upn the principle that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind f bushes and trees that grw n the surface.
At Watsn Bar Creek, a brk six thusand feet high in the muntains f British Clumbia, Canada, a mineral search grup gathered bags f tree seeds. Bxes were filled with small branches frm the trees. Rts were dug and put int bxes. Each bag and bx was carefully marked. In a scientific labratry the parts f the frest trees were burned t ashes and tested. Each small part was examined t learn whether there were minerals in it.
Analysis f the rts, branches, and seeds disclsed an absence f silver. But small amunts f gld were detected in the rts, with lwer gld cncentratins present in the branches and seeds. The seeds grwing nearest t the tree trunk had mre gld than thse grwing n the ends f the branches.
Had the trees nt prvided indicatins f gld in the grund, the scientists wuld nt have allcated funds fr digging int the depths. They did excavate and uncvered additinal gld reserves belw the surface. Further digging revealed substantial quantities f the precius metal.
8. Why culd scientists tell pssible mineral existence frm plants?
A. Scientists are trained t see thrugh the earth’s surface and detect minerals.
B. Sme minerals deep in the earth can influence the type f surface vegetatin.
C. The rts can absrb and transprt minerals t branches and seeds in large quantities.
D. Plants grwing in mineral- rich areas have unique shapes easy t identify frm the air.
9. The study f the plants’ rts, branches, and seeds suggests that ________.
A. branches tend t hld mre gld than rts
B. rts cntain less gld than seeds near the trunk
C. gld cntent in branches far frm the trunk is higher than in seeds
D. seeds clser t the trunk likely have mre gld than thse at branch ends
10. Hw des the writer supprt trees and plants indicate minerals?
A. By presenting a case study.B. By listing different types f minerals.
C. By making a cmparisn.D. By explaining the chemical mechanism.
11. What wuld be the best title fr the passage?
A. Scientists Study Tree Cmpnents fr Gld.
B. Trees and Plants: Clues t Undergrund Minerals.
C. New Ways f searching fr Undergrund Minerals.
D. The Prcess f Gld Explratin in Trees and Plants.
D
Regardless f hw famus they are, and despite the star treatment they receive, many celebrities make it a pint t give back t charities. Sme have even set up their wn private fundatins. Their widely publicised visits t trubled areas f the wrld help t raise awareness f issues such as famine and pverty. Accrding t Jane Cper f Unicef UK, celebrities have a unique ability t reach huge numbers f peple, many f whm might nt therwise be engaged in charitable causes. She pinted ut that famus faces had played a significant rle in raising funds in recent years, and their energies had prduced tangible results, such as enabling millins f children in prer cuntries t attend schl.
But in spite f these successes, there is evidence t suggest that celebrity endrsement (代言) may be verrated. In a survey f members f the public t find ut if celebrity invlvement wuld encurage peple t dnate, researchers fund that the impact was nt as great as previusly thught. When shwn a list f well-knwn rganisatins and famus peple wh represent them, ver half f respndents were unable t match the celebrity with the cause. What’s mre, three quarters claimed that they didn’t respnd t celebrity endrsement in any way. The survey als shwed that a few names did stand ut as being assciated with particular charities. But the presence f a celebrity in a campaign, was nt a significant factr when it came t a decisin t dnate time r mney. Instead, the majrity f peple cntribute because f persnal cnnectins in their lives and families which make a charity imprtant t them.
In anther study aimed at yung peple, mst participants cited a cmpelling (无法抗拒的) missin as their main mtivatin t give. The secnd mst imprtant drive was if a friend r peer recmmended supprting a particular cause. Only tw percent f respndents said they were mtivated by celebrity endrsement. This seems t cntradict the general assumptin that teenagers are particularly influenced by famus peple. One pssible explanatin is that there is a general fatigue (疲倦) with celebrity culture. There is als a suspicin that the stars are the nes wh benefit mst when they ffer t d charity wrk. Sme critiques have accused that celebrities might actually take attentin away frm issues by attracting mre attentin than the causes they represent.
S taking all these issues int accunt, is it time fr charities t rethink their campaign strategies and lk fr alternative ways t reach new audiences? Whichever pint f view yu favur, there seems t be pprtunities fr mre research int hw charity campaigns might develp relatinships with celebrities t maximise their ptential. This in turn will pen up mre engagement, and better targeted campaigns — which can nly benefit thse wh really matter — the peple and animals that are in need f assistance.
12. What des the underlined wrd “tangible” in Paragraph 1 prbably mean?
A. Cntrversial.B. Celebrated.C. Definite.D. Temprarily.
13. Which f the fllwing statements is crrect accrding t Paragraph 2?
A. Celebrity invlvement is key t mtivating peple t dnate.
B All peple are nt influenced by celebrities in charity dnatins.
C. Mst peple cntribute t charities because they are inspired by the family.
D. Nne f the peple believe celebrities make any difference t their dnatin.
14. The 3rd paragraph is mainly abut ________.
A. hw yung peple react t celebrity culture
B. wh is t blame fr taking attentin away frm charities
C. what mainly mtivates yung peple t be engaged in charitable giving
D. why yung peple are rarely influenced by celebrities in charity dnatins
15 What is the authr’s attitude twards celebrity ding charities?
A. Objective.B. Psitive.C. Negative.D. Unclear.
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。
When yur Hme Becmes a Turist Attractin
Have yu ever lked at a beautiful little new huse in Lndn and thught “It must be s amazing t live there”? ____16____ But fr the peple wh actually d live in thse hmes, scial media phtgraphy has changed what it means t live in a pictures que place.
Alice Jhnstn is a lngtime resident f Ntting Hill, the Lndn neighbrhd famus fr the beautifully-painted rw huses and fr being the setting f the mvie f the same name. Jhnstn, a jurnalist, has cmplicated feelings abut her Instagram- belved neighbrhd. She lives n Prtbell Rad, ne f the capital’s mst famus streets. ____17____ Once, she and a friend were walking his bulldg when a turist asked if they culd “brrw” the pup fr a quick pht. The friend and the dg agreed, s the Instagrammer psed with the dg in frnt f a bright blue dr and then handed ver five punds as a thank yu. In that stry, everybdy had a gd time. ____18____ “I was nce wken up at 6 a.m. n Easter Sunday by a French teenager taking pictures utside,” Jhnstn says.
____19____ Jhnstn, fr example, tries t be sympathetic t travelers cming t her hmetwn, recalling hw she lved taking pictures f histric neighbrhds in Paris, Rme and the like. In fact, she recently fund phts f herself as a teenager hanging ut at the Ntting Hill Carnival years befre she mved t the capital herself. ____20____ “I feel lucky that it’s cl enugh that peple want t cme where I live.”
A. If s, yu’re nt alne.
B. But there can be a darker side.
C. Fr her, nthing beats the pleasure t see s many peple excited abut it.
D. Living in a much-phtgraphed place, sme peple try t take the gd with the bad.
E. Hwever, when private hmes becme turist attractins, quarrels can ccur.
F. And she has witnessed all kinds f behavir cmmitted t getting a perfect picture.
G. As a travel lver, she has becme pretty understanding when seeing the crwds again.
第三部分 语言运用（共两节，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。
Mr. Daltn taught us plane gemetry (平面几何) 37 years ag. I was a quiet kid, neither getting in much truble nr getting ____21____. Smehw, plane gemetry really ____22____ fr me in his class.
Tward the end f the year, Mr. Daltn wanted t ____23____ ur knwledge and gave us a 25-questin true/false natinally standardized test. The test presented each prblem with a cnclusin shwn. We were required t write ut the ____24____ using ur therems (定理).
I cmpleted 24 prblems quickly, but number seventeen was a lin ____25____ I spent thirty minutes n that prf and ____26____ I pulled it ff with all my effrts. With ____27____ I marked the questin true and handed in the test.
The next day I gt my scre, a 96, and number seventeen was ____28____ wrng When Mr. Daltn asked if there were any questins, fr the first time, my hand ____29____.
Instead f ____30____ this was a natinally standardized test and that there culdn’t be any ____31____. Mr. Daltn did the mst pwerful thing I’ve ever seen a teacher d: he held ut the chalk t me with an encuraging smile. Murmurs spread thrugh the classrm — sme classmates exchanged ____32____ glances, while thers leaned frward, curisity sparking in their eyes. I was hesitant fr a mment, then went t the bard and demnstrated my prf, using the whle bard and three different clrs f chalk. In the end, everyne clapped. Mr. Daltn gave ____33____ fr my answer, and I ended up with a full mark.
When I returned 37 years later t visit him again, Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默氏症) had ____34____ his mind, but he still wre a happy grin.
I have been grateful t Mr. Daltn, fr I culd ____35____ have remained silent rather than challenging his authrity r speaking up when I think I’m right.
21. A. punishedB. nticedC. cnfusedD. caught
22. A. clickedB. existedC. accuntedD. twisted
23. A. expandB. furtherC. evaluateD. witness
24. A. resultB. reasningC. categryD. principle
25. A. ut f cntrlB. ahead f timeC. abve averageD. in the way
26. A. graduallyB. eventuallyC. mstlyD. cnstantly
27. A. depressinB. satisfactinC. embarrassmentD. fascinatin
28. A. prvedB. entitledC. detectedD. marked
29. A. sht upB. tk upC. came upD. gt up
30. A. suspectingB. admittingC. implyingD. arguing
31. A. reasnsB. methdsC. cnclusinsD. mistakes
32. A. scepticalB. cheerfulC. admiringD. indifferent
33. A. fameB. schlarshipC. creditD. faith
34. A. claimedB. undergneC. lweredD. crssed
35. A. merelyB. therefreC. therwiseD. still
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。
The Hngku District Sprts Festival, aiming t establish Shanghai’s Ruihng Tiandi as an integrated sprts and ___36___( cnsume) centre, kicked ff n July 5. ___37___( span )58 days thrugh August 31, the event capitalizes n its peak summer seasn t engage all age grups with 13 majr cmpetitins and 45 sprting disciplines.
___38___( structure) arund three main activity pillars — cmpetitive sprts events, cmmunity cmpetitins and recreatinal sprts activities — the festival featured natinal, city, and district-level sprting events. These included a natinal G champinship hsted by the Chinese Weiqi Assciatin, a Shanghai amateur fencing pen rganized by the China Sprt Schl Federatin, ___39___ a yuth jump rpe cmpetitin ___40___ talented students demnstrated their athletic abilities.
Since its launch mre than 200 experiential activities, fllwed by a tech-integrated sprts zne added in mid-August, ___41___( develp) fr the festival thrugh its partnership with Decathln.
T bst cmmercial cperatin, rganizers team up ___42___ 100 lcal restaurants and 39 sprts venues, launching discunt packages with parking privileges. A cutting-edge virtual carnival demnstrates ___43___enhanced reality technlgy transfrms athletic experiences, perating daily frm 7:00 am until 2:00 am ___44___( serve) diverse schedules.
This extended framewrk f the Hngku Hazhajin Sprts Festival prmtes sprts-retail integratin and stimulates district-wide ecnmic vitality, with each gal ____45____ (respective) in place.
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节 （满分15分）
46. 假定你是李华，你所在学校最近举行了一场主题为“Hw t use DeepSeek t enhance English learning?”的演讲比赛，请你为校英语报撰写一篇报道，内容包括：
1. 比赛流程；
2. 精彩瞬间。
注意：写作词数应为80左右；
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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。
A Lunchbx Stitched with Lve
Michael had watched it all unfld. Fr twelve lng mnths, the silence between his father Jack and uncle Sam hung heavier than the winter fg clinging t their small twn. It started with their late (已故的) father’s ld wrkbench (工作台) — hand-carved by their grandfather, a piece they’d bth cherished. When their dad passed away, Uncle Sam tk it t restre, but his father Jack thught he’d taken it fr himself frever. “Yu always gt first pick,” Jack snapped; Sam sht back, “At least I’m nt letting it rt.” Drs slammed, and they’d nt spken since.
Jack, nce a man wh laughed s lud that the neighbrs kncked t cmplain, nw mved like a ghst: mrnings withut the clatter (哐啷声) f his favrite cffee mug, evenings staring at the unlit fireplace in dead silence.
One afternn, Michael fund his dad n the prch (门廊), staring at a pht — Jack and Sam, arms slung ver each ther’s shulders at the wrkbench, bth grinning wide. “Why dn’t yu call him?” Michael asked. Jack’s jaw tightened. “Sme things can’t be fixed, kidd.” But Michael shk his head. He’d watched his mm mend his favrite sweater with a needle and thread, turning a hle int smething stitched with care. Michael als nticed that Aunt Clara, Uncle Sam’s wife, still called Mm, asking gently hw his dad was ding. Maybe brken things just needed the right hands t fix them.
That night, Michael slid a list f Uncle Sam’s favrite fds int his pcket — the nes Dad had always bught at the market n weekends, the tw f them laughing ver plates tgether. By mrning, Michael had cme up with a plan: smething sweet might fix. With his allwance, he set ut t fill his dad’s ld lunchbx with what was n the list. Michael hit the market: Mrs. Hernandez’s warm meat pies; Mr. Patel’s spicy mang sauce and buttery ckies. Althugh his shirt was stained with jam, and his shes were cated in dirt, Michael smiled, seeing the lunchbx was full.
(1)续写词数应为150个左右;
(2)请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When Michael finally std n Uncle Sam’s prch, his heart punded like a drum.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A few minutes after Aunt Clara’s phne call, the frnt drbell rang again.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
广东“六校联盟”2026届高三年级第一次联考
英语科试题
（满分120分，折算成150分计入总分。考试时间120分钟。）
注意事项：1.答题前，考生务必用黑色字迹的钢笔或签字笔将自己的姓名和考生号、考场号、座位号填写在答题卡上。并用2B铅笔将对应的信息点涂黑，不按要求填涂的，答卷无效。
2.选择题每小题选出答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目选项的答案信息点涂黑，如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案，答案不能答在试卷上。
3.非选择题必须用黑色字迹钢笔或签字笔作答，答案必须写在答题卡各题目指定区域内相应位置上；如需改动，先划掉原来的答案，然后再写上新的答案，不准使用铅笔和涂改液。不按以上要求作答的答案无效。
4.考生必须保持答题卡的整洁，考试结束后，只需将答题卡交回。
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
【1~3题答案】
【答案】1. B 2. D 3. A
B
【4~7题答案】
【答案】4. C 5. B 6. C 7. C
C
【8~11题答案】
【答案】8. B 9. D 10. A 11. B
D
【12~15题答案】
【答案】12. C 13. B 14. D 15. A
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。
【16~20题答案】
【答案】16. A 17. F 18. B 19. D 20. G
第三部分 语言运用（共两节，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。
【21~35题答案】
【答案】21. B 22. A 23. C 24. B 25. D 26. B 27. B 28. D 29. A 30. D 31. D 32. A 33. C 34. A 35. C
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. cnsumptin
37. Spanning
38. Structured
39. and 40. where
41. have been develped
42. with 43. hw
44. t serve
45. respectively
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节 （满分15分）
【46题答案】
【答案】A Pssible Versin:
Last Friday witnessed ur schl’s much-anticipated speech cntest themed “Hw t Use DeepSeek t Enhance English Learning?”, which prved a great success.
The cntest, aiming t explre AI’s ptential in language learning, attracted a large number f students. After initial selectins, 10 finalists tk the stage, shwcasing their prfund insights with cnfidence. The cntest unflded in three parts: pening remarks by ur principal, 3-minute speeches by cntestants, and a Q&A sessin with judges. What impressed the audience was the diversity f perspectives. One cntestant shared hw DeepSeek’s persnalized vcabulary lists bsted his memry, while anther highlighted its rle in simulating real-life cnversatins, a practice significantly imprving her fluency.
The event received psitive feedback frm ur students, wh expressed it reshaped ur attitude twards technlgy. We expected mre f activities abut cutting-edge technlgies.
第二节（满分25分）
【47题答案】
【答案】A Pssible Versin:
When Michael finally std n Uncle Sam’s prch, his heart punded like a drum. A surge f shyness and nervusness engulfing him, his ears burned as he paced fr a mment befre ringing the drbell. The dr creaked pen. Uncle Sam frze at the sight f him, frwning in cnfusin. He asked sftly, “Kidd? What brings yu here?” Ducking Uncle’s gaze, Michael hung his head, stammering. “Uncle, I brught yur favrites. Dad’s really sad. He misses the ld time with yu.” The man’s eyes fell n the lunchbx. Memries crashed ver him like a wave: shared meals, laughter eching thrugh the backyard. His expressin sftened, eyes glistening. Uncle Sam squatted dwn, tk the lunchbx, and pulled the by int a warm hug. In the kitchen drway, Aunt Clara had been watching, a smile playing n her lips. She tipted t make a call, her eyes nw sparkling with hpe.
A few minutes after Aunt Clara’s phne call, the frnt drbell rang again. There std the by’s parents, lingering awkwardly n the prch, his dad’s hands in pckets. Michael darted ver, grabbing his dad’s sleeve. “Cme n, Dad,” he urged, eyes bright with anticipatin. When the tw brthers met gaze t gaze, a deafening silence settled, the air heavy with unspken wrds. Jack first brke the silence, cleared his thrat and aplgized sincerely, “I was wrng abut the wrkbench.” Uncle Sam’s eyes reddened as he stepped frward. “I’m srry, t. Let’s frget abut it.” The tw brthers hugged tightly, and the lng-standing tensin finally disslved. At the sight f this, Michael jumped t his feet, pure delight radiating frm his cheeks. Like Mm’s threads stitched back int his sweater, lve wve thrugh the cracks. At that mment, he came t realize that sme bnds aren’t just repaired by time—they can be stitched whle again by the quiet lve packed int a lunchbx.