辽宁省锦州市2024_2025学年高一英语下学期期末考试

这是一份辽宁省锦州市2024_2025学年高一英语下学期期末考试，共15页。
考生注意：
1. 本试卷考试时间为120分钟，满分150分。
2. 答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号填写在答题卡上。
3. 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，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）
做题时，先将答案标在试卷上。录音内容结束后，你将有两分钟的时间将试卷上的答案转涂到答题卡上。
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。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. What des the man want t d?
A. D sme shpping. B. Clean the kitchen. C. Find his car key.
2. Why des the man cme t the wman?
A. T extend an invitatin. B. T have an interview. C. T cngratulate her.
3. What did the man think f the match?
A. Disappinting. B. Bring. C. Exciting.
4. Wh might the man be?
A. The wman's sn. B. A shp assistant. C. A she designer.
5. What are the speakers mainly discussing?
A. The bad weather. B. A kind little girl. C. A beautiful umbrella.
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 des the man rder?
A. A steak and a cffee. B. A steak and a pie. C. A pie and a cffee.
7. What d we knw abut the restaurant?
A. It desn't have a pie menu.
B. It received bad reviews f its dessert.
C. It is experiencing a supply chain issue.
听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. Which subject d the speakers bth find difficult?
A. Math. B. Histry. C. Chemistry.
9. When d the speakers agree t meet tmrrw?
A. At 2: 00 p. m. B. At 7: 00 a. m. C. At 6: 40 a. m.
10. What des the girl remind the by t d?
A. Give Eva a call. B. Take his math ntes. C. Save a seat fr her.
听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. Hw did the man get the tickets?
A. He bught them nline. B. He gt them frm his friend. C. He wn them in a cmpetitin.
12 Where did Dra find the tickets?
A In her pcket. B. In a drawer. C. In her backpack.
13. What des Rsie suggest the man d?
A. Make a checklist next time.
B. Give her a timely call when necessary.
C. Empty pckets befre getting changed.
听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。
14. Hw many images did Tracey Lund take that day?
A. 900. B. 1, 200. C. 1, 800.
15. What is the main purpse f the Wrld Nature Phtgraphy Awards?
A. T raise public envirnmental awareness.
B. T encurage phtgraphers t take mre pictures.
C. T prvide financial supprt fr pr phtgraphers.
16. What wuld an envirnmental rganizatin d fr participants?
A. Give each f them $1, 000.
B. Plant a tree fr each f them.
C. Make a pht album fr each f them.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
17. What des the speaker talk abut at the beginning f the talk?
A. The meaning f a wrd. B. The functin f a nap. C. A sleep researcher.
18. Where is Matthes frm?
A. Spain. B. Brazil. C. America.
19. Hw lng is an ideal nap accrding t Dr. Dylan Petkus?
A. Abut 10 t 15 minutes. B. Abut 20 t 30 minutes. C. Abut 35 t 45 minutes.
20. What did Dr. Keith C. Summa say abut taking an afternn nap?
A. It can reduce the risk f accidents.
B. It may make us feel dizzy when we wake up.
C. It is mre beneficial than taking a mrning nap.
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
Learn t Turn Yur Favrite Pht int a Digital Illustratin
That’s right. We’re abut t seriusly schl yu n the art f prtraiture, using nthing but a pht, yur cmputer, and ur trusty friend, Adbe Illustratr. In ur brand-new class, Digital Illustratin: Turn Yur Phts Int Art, artist and designer Kristin Berry will teach yu hw t create yur wn digital prtrait art using a phtgraph.
In Berry’s latest Digital Illustratin class, yu’ll be surprised and delighted by hw just a few simple steps can result in a custm piece f art. It’s a great creative skill t learn fr creating wedding invitatins, hliday cards, birthday gifts, r wall art fr yur hme. Plus, if yu want t change the clr f yur shirt r add in a crazy clr backgrund, she’ll teach yu hw t d that t. There are endless ways yu can custmize yur digital illustratin, and this class will shw yu all the tips and tricks yu need.
In the 82-minute nline class, we’ll teach yu:
·The best way t rganize yur Adbe Illustratr wrkspace
·Hw t illustrate the human frm frm the face all the way t the utfit
·Tips n hw t add special tuches t make yur illustratin unique and persnalized
Once yu sign up fr the class, it’s yurs t take n-demand, meaning yu can watch it whenever (and at yur wn pace). Students will als get access t a design class that will have yu learning frm a prfessinal. Yu’ll als get t dwnlad an exclusive curse wrkbk that will help guide yu thrugh the class.
Sunds amazing, right? S find yur mst prtrait-wrthy pht and sign up fr Digital Illustratin: Tur Phts Int Art TODAY!
1. What is Adbe Illustratr accrding t the text?
A. It functins as an art teacher.B. It serves as a curse guideline.
C. It perates as an applicatin sftware.D. It wrks as a prtrait phtgrapher.
2. What skill can be learned in Kristin Berry’s class?
A. Taking digital phts.B. Making New Year cards.
C. Designing nline curses.D. Organizing wedding parties.
3. What is the main purpse f the text?
A. T recmmend essential tls fr digital art.B. T make an advertisement fr an applicatin.
C. T stress the value f digital illustratin skills.D. T prmte an n-demand digital illustratin curse.
B
There was a fine piece f carving stne material, but it was ruined by an unskilled sculptr. Mistakenly, he dug a hle n the part that was riginally fr the figure's leg. S this rare piece f marble （大理石）was abandned in a church.
One day, smene called in Michelangel. They believed nly he was able t make use f this piece f marble. Michelangel lked at the stne and cncluded that he culd carve ut a beautiful figure as lng as he gt the design adjusted t hide the damaged part.
Michelangel decided t carve the yung David. One day, the mayr （市长）f the city entered the studi. He regarded himself as a carving expert and appreciated the wrk. He tld Michelangel that his wrk was a fantastic masterpiece, but the nse was t big.
Michelangel knew the mayr was standing right belw the statue, s his visual angle was incrrect. Withut a wrd, he asked the mayr t climb up the platfrm fllwing him t the nse psitin. He then picked up a tl and sme small pieces f marble. Michelangel began t carve gently with the tl and made the cllected stne pieces in his hand drp bit by bit. In fact, he didn’t change the nse, but it seemed as if he did. After several minutes, he std aside and said, “Nw, have a lk!"
The mayr answered, "This is better. Yu have made it true t life."
Everyne believes they are right. If yu try t persuade thers t change their grunds by wrds, the reasning f yur argument may fall n deaf ears. Learn t prve the crrectness f ideas in an indirect way. Getting the supprt f thers thrugh yur wn actins will be mre pwerful. One can never win if he nly relies n arguments.
4. Why was Michelangel invited t make the sculpture?
A. The frmer sculptr brke the figure's leg.
B. He culd design a yung David fr a church.
C. The mayr believed he culd d a gd jb.
D. He culd reuse the rare damaged material.
5. Which f the fllwing best describes Michelangel?
A. Dishnest.B. Respnsible.
C. Overcnfident.D. Intelligent.
6. What des the underlined wrd “grunds” in the last paragraph refer t?
A. Lifestyles.B. Hbbies.
C. Opinins.D. Flrs.
7. What can we learn frm the stry?
A. A smart mve is better than wrds.
B D what yu say and say what yu d.
C. Actin is the prper fruit f knwledge.
D. Frm small beginning cme great things.
C
When Lenard da Vinci wasn’t painting masterpieces r dreaming up flying machines, he was explring the secrets f gravity. Cnsidering himself a scientist and artist, this Renaissance thinker spent untld hurs studying hw the “attractin f ne bject t anther” affected phenmena like the flight f birds and the fall f water.
Recent research published in the jurnal Lenard reveals that da Vinci cnducted detailed gravity experiments ver a century befre Galile and tw centuries prir t Newtn. “His thinking was far ahead f his time” said c-authr Dr. Mrteza Gharib. The study highlights Lenard’s determinatin t find the law gverning the dynamics f falling bjects.
Dr. Gharib said he discvered the experiments while examining an nline versin f The Cdex Arundel, a cllectin f Lenard’s ntes frm 1478 t 1518. Amng its mirrr-written texts, a drawing n Page 143 caught his eye: a triangle (三角形) frmed by cycles puring frm a pt. He used a cmputer prgram t flip (翻转) the triangle and the nearby backward writing. Suddenly, the image came t life. “I culd see mtin,” Dr. Gharib recalled. “I culd see him puring stuff ut.” It was a eureka mment that revealed Lenard’s frward-lking experiment.
Gazing at Lenard’s drawing, Dr. Gharib realized that the artist had separated gravity’s effects int tw cmpnents, revealing a nrmally hidden aspect f nature. Inspired by hail falling frm fast-mving cluds, Lenard demnstrated thrugh his drawing hw gravity’s cnstant frce causes a steady speed gain — shwn by the increasing gaps between falling bjects as the pt mves.
Despite his basic experimental setup 500 years ag, da Vinci calculated the gravitatinal cnstant t an accuracy within 10 percent f the mdern value. “It’s mind-bggling,” Dr. Gharib said. “That’s the beauty f what Lenard des.”
Hwever, Dr. Gharib hesitated t examine the Cdex further. “I’m like a kid in a ty stre, afraid t even lk at it,” he said. He nted that while art histrians had studied it, scientists had nt. “It’s an pen bk with s much t discver.”
8. What is the main purpse f the text ?
A. T reprt da Vinci’s unknwn research.
B. T cmpare da Vinci with ther scientists.
C. T prve da Vinci’s artist and scientist rle.
D. T shw a way f analyzing da Vinci’s ntes.
9. What des the underlined phrase “a eureka mment” in paragraph 3 refer t ?
A. Finding da Vinci’s secret drawings.
B. Detecting the need f mirrr-writing.
C. Discvering the pwer f technlgy.
D. Realizing the triangle’s scientific meaning.
10. What is special abut da Vinci’s experiments?
A. They were the first t explre the law f gravity.
B. They achieved high-level accuracy with simple tls.
C. They fcused n the beauty f falling bjects’ mtin.
D. They integrated artistic strategy with scientific methd.
11. What can we knw abut The Cdex frm Dr . Gharib’s wrds?
A. It cntains unexplred scientific insights.
B. Histrians misunderstd its real purpse.
C. Its artwrk hasn’t been prperly analyzed.
D. New tls are required t reveal its secrets.
D
Lifestyle creep, smetimes called lifestyle inflatin (膨胀), is when living expenses and nn-essential expenses grw with incme. In bad cases f lifestyle creep, this unnecessary spending can cut int savings.
Lifestyle creep is mst visible amng high earners, but anyne can fall int this trap. Wh hasn’t justified eating ut mre ften every week after receiving a 1 r 2 percent raise? The temptatin f a mre cstly lifestyle is difficult t resist. If yu’re making enugh mney t affrd a larger apartment, shuldn’t yu mve t a larger apartment?
Imprving yur standard f living as yur incme increases isn’t an bjectively bad thing, but when that habit cuts int yur savings effrts, it can be a majr financial risk. As Katie Waters, a financial planner at Stable Waters Financial, says, “Smething’s gt t give.”
Then hw t avid lifestyle creep? It just takes the same mderatin and planning yu used when yu had a smaller incme. If yu can, head ff lifestyle creep frm the beginning by giving yur raise r bnus mney a purpse immediately. This can be used t pay dwn debt, save fr a huse, r add t retirement accunts. This way, yu wn’t be tempted t spend it n a nn-necessity. If yu fear yu’ve already fallen victim t lifestyle inflatin at any level, yu can still turn yur spending arund. If yu are putting all yur expenses n yur credit card, Waters recmmends rearranging s that nly rutine, fixed mnthly expenses are n the card. “The mnthly variable csts — fd, clthing, persnal care, purchases fr the hme, the list ges n — are where yur mney slips away easily, ” Waters says. “Calculate yur pssible savings each pay perid and put that mney int a separate checking accunt.”
“As with all things, the secret t managing yur finances like an adult is a cnstant strive fr balance,” Waters says. “Have fun alng the way, but dn’t let the tail wag the dg.”
12. What is characteristic f lifestyle creep?
A. It culd accelerate incme grwth.B. It nly traps peple with a high incme.
C. It might affect a persn’s savings.D. It generally represents a high living standard.
13. Why are Katie Waters’ wrds quted in paragraph 3?
A. T prvide advice n finance.B. T supprt the authr’s pint.
C. T highlight giving in ne’s life.D. T justify a mre cstly lifestyle.
14. Which measure helps avid lifestyle creep?
A. Putting all the expenses n a credit card.B. Saving the bnus mney fr nn-necessities.
C. Increasing the mnthly csts n fd and clthing.D. Setting different checking accunts fr specific purpses.
15. What des the phrase “dn’t let the tail wag the dg” imply?
A. Dn’t bite the hand that feeds yu.B. Dn’t put the cart befre the hrse.
C. Dn’t d ne thing under the cver f anther.D. Dn’t cunt the chickens befre they are hatched.
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。
There’s a reasn why s many peple lve running early in the mrning. ___16___Nt nly d yu begin yur day mre relaxed and refreshed, but yu’ve already started things ff with an accmplishment. If yu think yu’re ready t take advantage f the benefits f a mrning run, here are sme reflectins frm the prfessinals.
Finding a partner t run with will give yu smene t be respnsible fr, and make it much harder t blw f the run. It’s als imprtant t remember that this is a prcess, and yu can’t expect t d it perfectly frm the beginning. ___17___“Once yu get int the habit, it becmes natural and actually jump starts yur day, ” says Sheri Piers, tp American finisher at the 2012 Bstn Marathn.
“The first few steps r blcks will be tugh in the mrning. They always are,” says Dr. Jrdan Metzl, wh has ver 32 marathn finishes under his belt. With a practice f mre than 20, 000 patients, Metzl’s days are jam-packed, s early mrning runs are a must. ___18___“Smetimes yu have t just d it, and remember that the mtivatin will cme later,” he says.
___19___“If I g t bed in my sprtswear, all I need t d is thrw n the uter layers and head ut the dr. At least that takes away sme f the incnvenience,” says Tina Muir, a half-marathner. She als leaves her alarm n the ther side f the rm t help push herself up.
“I view waking up early like tearing ff a Band-Aid,” says Michele Gnzalez, a running cach, “it gnna hurt fr a bit.”___20___“Yu just have t set the alarm early and start ding it,” she says. “After a few days, yu’ll be tired earlier at night and will start ging t bed earlier. This makes the early alarm feel a bit mre manageable. ”
A. Have a training plan.
B. It has majr benefits.
C. Her advice is relatively simple.
D. It’s just like warming up a car in the winter.
E. Even if yu have a setback r tw, keep at it,
F. Still, he knws hw hard it can be t get mtivated.
G. The wrst part is getting changed in the cld air, especially in winter.
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。
In my family, Nrz — the Persian New Year — has always been the mst imprtant day f the year. It means making and enjying ___21___ prepared dishes with the peple I lve, the sund f drinks puring, and the ___22___ f fingers mving fast t deal with nuts.
When I met my husband, Kyle, I tld him everything abut Nrz, which Kyle lves very much, and that’s a(n) ___23___. After mving t the US with him, I knew we had t ___24___ a way t be with my family fr the ccasin.
The nly way fr me t be with my parents is fr all f us t ___25___ in Istanbul. It’s nt easy r ___26___, but we’ll d it, because, fr us, Nrz is tp pririty, and nthing can ___27___ family. Since mving t the US, I’ve brken many ___28___, but this is ne I’d never break.
Every year, arund the festival, Kyle and I srt ut ur Nrz plans and start ___29___ and when I get n the plane, my heart feels s full and ____30____, knwing that I’ll be with my ____31____, and shw Kyle hw these days are abut ____32____, hpe, and new beginnings.
The days we spend in Istanbul are ____33____. We prepare fr Nrz just like we used t when I was a kid. Our time tgether ____34____ s much mre nly nw, because we ____35____ better than t assume it will always be there withut appreciatin.
21. A. dangeruslyB. speciallyC. naturallyD. curiusly
22. A. skillB. awarenessC. sightD. arrangement
23 A. blessingB. successC. hnrD. accident
24. A. turn tB. make frC. give upD. figure ut
25. A. perfrmB. liveC. meetD. wander
26. A. difficultB. cheapC. interestingD. adventurus
27. A. manageB. cntrlC. hldD. replace
28. A. traditinsB. cntractsC. prmisesD. recrds
29. A. ckingB. packingC. quarrelingD. thinking
30. A. disappintedB. surprisedC. excitedD. cnfused
31. A. flksB. childrenC. ppnentsD. freigners
32. A. lnelinessB. tgethernessC. genersityD. patience
33. A. terribleB. regretfulC. astnishingD. precius
34. A. meansB. takesC. drawsD. drives
35. A. wrkB. expectC. playD. knw
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。
Stars Cllective Film Entertainment Grup is prducing an ambitius animated film trilgy ____36____ (base) n Jurney t the West, ne f China’s fur great classical nvels, and the cmpany revealed this n the first day f Hng Kng FilMart.
The trilgy — Ba Jie, Mnkey King and Ne Zha — aims t intrduce and expand Eastern mythlgy (神话) ____37____ glbal audiences, building n recent successes in the space. The prject cmes as Eastern mythlgy cntinues gaining ppularity in ____38____ (entertain), with vide game Black Myth: Wukng, which is adapted frm Chinese mythlgy, ____39____ (hit) recrd-breaking sales f 28 millin cpies ($1. 25 billin in revenue) since its August 2024 release.
Jurney t the West, which ____40____ (translate) int mre than 40 languages, is described ____41____ an Eastern cmbinatin f The Odyssey and The Lrd f the Rings.
Peter Lu, ____42____ (fund) f Stars Cllective, said: “Our Jurney t the West trilgy represents a new chapter in glbal strytelling. We're nt just adapting a classic tale, we’re revlutinizing ____43____ Eastern mythlgy can be presented n the wrld stage. Our missin is t create ____44____ extrardinary experience that bridges cultures and generatins, cmbining timeless strytelling with cutting-edge technlgy. This prject uses innvative ways, ____45____ n glbal audience has ever experienced, t present Chinese mythlgy. ”
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
46. 假定你是高中生李华，将在假期和你校的英国交换生 James 共同完成一项研究性学习任务。请给 James 写一封邮件，提议研究“AI对未来职业选择的影响”。内容包括：
1. 选题理由；
2. 实施方案。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear James,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best regards,
Li Hua
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话，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
As a yung by, I smetimes traveled the cuntry rads with my dad. He was a rural mail carrier and n Saturdays he wuld ask me t g with him. Driving thrugh the cuntryside was always an adventure: There were animals t see, peple t visit, and chclate ckies if yu knew where t stp, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered bxes full f baby chickens, and when I was a by it was such fun t stick yur fingers thrugh ne f the hles f the bxes and let the baby birds peck (啄) n yur fingers.
On Dad’s final day f wrk, it tk him well int the evening t cmplete his runds because at least ne member frm each fatuity was waiting at their mailbx t appreciate him fr his friendship and his years f service. “Tw hundred and nineteen mailbxes n my rute,” he used t say, and a stry at every ne. One lady had n mailbx, s Dad tk the mail in t her every day because she was nearly blind. He nce lectured me that t bring everyne plain pleasure is his greatest pleasure, which has clung t me s far.
Mailbxes were smetimes used fr things ther than mail. On cld days Dad might find ne f his custmers waiting fr him with a cup f ht chclate. A yung girl wrte letters but had n stamps, s she left a few buttns n the envelpe in the mailbx; Dad paid fr the stamps.
With a heavy heart, I traveled back t my hmetwn n the sad ccasin f Dad’s death, and the mailbxes alng the way reminded me f sme f his stries. I thught I knew them all, but that wasn’t the case.
As I drve hme, I nticed tw lamp ples, ne n each side f the street. When my dad was arund, thse ples supprted wden bxes abut fur feet ff the grund. One bx was painted green, and the ther was red, and each had a lng narrw hle at the tp with white lettering: Santa Claus, NORTH POLE. Fr years children had drpped letters t Santa thrugh thse hles. I was amng the kids whse letters were always answered in time.
I made a turn at the crner and drve past the pst ffice and acrss the railrad tracks t ur huse. Mm and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard ftsteps. There, at the dr, std Frank Twnsend, Dad’s pstmaster and great friend fr many years. Threads f silver ran thrugh his beard and the hair. Obviusly, time and srrw fr the past days plughed deep wrinkles n his brw. Sitting dwn at the table, he began t tell ld stries.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
At ne pint Frank lked at me with tears in his eyes as if recalling smething.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Thinking f my father’s philsphy f pleasure, I reslved t be this year’s Santa Claus.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
英语答案
听力
阅读
1. C 2. B 3. D
4. D 5. D 6. C 7. A
8. A 9. D 10. B 11. A
12. C 13. B 14. D 15. B
16. B 17. E 18. F 19. G 20. C
21. B 22. C 23. A 24. D 25. C 26. B 27. D 28. A 29. B 30. C 31. A 32. B 33. D 34. A 35. D
36. based
37. t 38. entertainment
39. hitting
40. has been translated
41. as 42. funder
43. hw 44. an
45. which
46. One pssible versin:
Dear James,
Hw's everything ging? I've been thinking abut ur research prject during the hliday. Cnsidering the rapid develpment f AI, I prpse we explre “The Impact f AI n Future Career Chices. ”
AI is reshaping varius industries, and understanding its influence n career paths is significant fr us students. This tpic will help us grasp jb trends and prepare fr ur wn futures. Fr the plan, we can first survey high schl students' awareness f AI-related careers. Then, analyze data frm nline resurces and interview career advisrs. Finally, we'll summarize tips fr making infrmed chices.
Yur insights n technlgy are impressive! Which part wuld yu prefer t take charge f? Lking frward t yur reply!
Best regards,
Li Hua
47.
At ne pint Frank lked at me with tears in his eyes as if recalling smething. Hardly had the wrds telling my father was genuinely the Santa Claus escaped frm his trembling lips when my emphasizing lk changed int an astnished ne. Recalling every letter answered in time, I was chked with gratitude, my eyes mistened with tears. Flakes were still whirling while a sparkle f light zigzagged acrss the sky, casting warmth nt my heart. Frank’s stries went n and ntably cnveyed in his tne was pursuit fr the gne era. “Yur father always cnsidered thers’ pleasure as his wn,” Frank’s remark ccurred t me like a clap f thunder, planting a seed f dedicatin rted in my heart.
Thinking f my father’s philsphy f pleasure, I reslved t be this year’s Santa Claus. Enduring the needle-like wind hwling ruthlessly, I made my way t the lamp ples, carefully fumbling fr the ld letters. Mature as the previus kids were nw, I still put pen t paper t respnd the inncence with the signature f Santa Claus. When I brught every letter t every riginal address, the wners’ eyebrws lifted high but then sthed as I explained t them. Sptting the pleased lks n their faces, I felt a surge f warmth circulating thrugh my bdy. After waving them farewell, I slackened my steps in the snw and wandered arund the familiar rad, lst in thught f the past glden days that wuld never fade away.