四川省绵阳南山中学2026届高三上学期第五次教学质量检测英语试卷（Word版附答案）

这是一份四川省绵阳南山中学2026届高三上学期第五次教学质量检测英语试卷（Word版附答案），共15页。
注意事项：
1. 答题前，考生先将自己的姓名、准考证号码填写清楚，将条形码准确粘贴在条形码区域内。
2. 选择题必须使用 2B 铅笔填涂;非选择题必须使用 0.5 毫米黑色字迹的签字笔书写，字体工整，笔记清楚。
3. 请按照题号顺序在答题卡各题目的答题区域内作答，超出答题区域书写的答案无效;在草稿纸、试卷上答题无效。
4. 保持卡面清洁，不要折叠、不要弄破、弄皱，不准使用涂改液、修正带、刮纸刀。
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。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。每段对话读两遍。
1. Hw des the man sund?
A. Strict. B. Disappinted. C. Psitive.
2. What was the wman’s prblem?
A. Her flight was delayed. B. Her request was ignred. C. Her mney was gne.
3. What kind f weather des the man prbably prefer?
A. Ht. B. Warm C. Cld.
4. What will the man prbably d tmrrw?
A. Pick up his car. B. Wrk frm hme. C. G int the ffice.
5. What des the wman prbably want t knw?
A. When the man cmes back. B. When the cncert ends. C. When dinner starts.
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 is the prbable relatinship between the speakers?
A. Manager and emplyee. B. Teacher and student. C. Mther and sn.
7. Why des the wman mentin the ld saying?
A. T stress the share f husewrk.
B. T encurage the man t act nw.
C. T teach the man abut respnsibility.
听第 7 段材料，回答第 8 至 10 题。
8. Why des the wman talk t the man?
A. T find a car park.
B. T check int a htel.
C. T ask abut a turist attractin.
9. Hw many Eurpean cuntries is the wman visiting n her trip?
A. Fur. B. Six. C. Eight.
10. What will the wman prbably d next?
A. Rest in her rm. B. G t a restaurant. C. Lk arund the city.
听第 8 段材料，回答第 11 至 13 题。
11. Where is the cnversatin taking place?
A. In the speakers’ hme. B. In a stadium. C. In a pie shp.
12. Which kind f pie des the man like mst?
A. The butter ne.
B. The meat and ptat ne.
C. The chicken and sweetcrn ne.
13. What des the man praise the wman fr?
A. Her cking skills.
B. Her sprts perfrmance.
C. Her envirnmental awareness.
听第 9 段材料，回答第 14 至 17 题。
14. What happened t the bees?
A Their number rse greatly.
B. They disappeared cmpletely.
C. Their number decreased sharply.
15. What has mainly affected the bee ppulatin accrding t Prfessr Clark?
A. Farming chemicals. B. Phne signal. C. Disease.
16. Hw lng has Prfessr Clark been invlved in this prject?
A. 20 years. B. 15 years. C. 10 years.
17. What is Prfessr Clark prbably ding?
A. Chatting with a friend. B. Accepting an interview. C. Teaching a class.
听第 10 段材料，回答第 18 至 20 题。
18. What is the speaker’s jb prbably?
A. A city leader. B. A tur guide. C. A museum wrker.
19. Wh cared fr Bbby when he was yung?
A. Jhn Gray. B. Sir William Chambers. C. Mr. Greyfriars.
20. What happened after Bbby became ppular?
A. He acted in famus films.
B. His wner wrte him a stry.
C. An fficial cvered the cst f his license.
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
A special place t stay can make a hliday — but als break the bank. We have picked new affrdable places in Brklyn, New Yrk fr $150 a rm a night r less.
NU Htel
There are 93 minimalist rms at NU Htel, each decrated individually. Free breakfast and n-site fitness centre are amng its pleasantness. But it’s the lcatin that really sets this htel apart frm its cmpetitrs. All crners f Brklyn are within easy reach. Hungry? Walk dwn t Gus’s Chp Huse at Unin Street, where every dish is delicius.
Arl Williamsburg Htel
Searching fr a rm with a view? Well, lk n further. Many f the 126 rms at this htel have flr-t-ceiling windws lking ut acrss Manhattan. There’s als a vast rftp pl — yu’ll have a hard time finding a better spt frm which t survey the skyline. T explre Brklyn, free-t-use bicycles are available n request.
The Bx Huse Htel
The 147-rm Bx Huse Htel makes an ideal base frm which t explre Brklyn’s Greenpint. There’s a hmely feel t the accmmdatin here, and the decratins are anything but stuffy. This ppular residential area has n shrtage f fd and drink ptins. Plus, yu’re nly a 10 minute walk up t the Grand Central Statin.
The Rckaway Htel
This beach-side prperty has 53 rms. The relaxed rftp restaurant and bar has views f bth the distant Manhattan skyline and ut t the Atlantic. Relax by the pl in the spa, r head t the beach where summer sun, sand and surf await yu. Fr $4 the Jamaica Bay ferry takes yu direct t Brklyn and then int Manhattan.
1. What is the advantage f NU Htel?
A. It serves tasty fds.
B. It is decrated luxuriusly.
C. It is cnveniently lcated.
D. It has free fitness caching.
2. What can visitrs d in Arl Williamsburg Htel and the Rckaway Htel?
A. Train fr cycling.
B. Bathe in the sunshine.
C. Dine in the rftp restaurants.
D. Enjy views ut ver Manhattan.
3 Which htel has the largest number f rms?
A. NU Htel.
B. The Bx Huse Htel.
C. Arl Williamsburg Htel.
D. The Rckaway Htel.
B
Tw winters ag, my cllege rmmate Paul was diagnsed with ALS (渐冻症) and began lsing mst physical abilities, yet he turned t creating AI-generated art with Midjurney in late 2022 — typing prmpts (提示词) int the AI image generatr t make art as a pastime and distract himself frm his illness.
Despite his cnditin, Paul stayed ptimistic in grup texts with Evan (anther frmer rmmate) and me, sending encuraging messages and sharing his strange AI art prmpts like “His cuch eats peple,” “A wrld withut pants” and “Santa Claus in the style f Yayi Kusama.” As his mbility wrsened — frm using a cane t a walker — his md remained psitive and his prmpts even reflected his reality, such as “Blue hedgehg pushing wheelchair amazingly fast.”
Evan and I spent as much time with Paul as pssible: walking by the cean in Suth Carlina, flying t St. Luis, and driving t Clumbia, Missuri, just t be tgether. We didn’t state any real intentin fr the trips ther than t be arund each ther and revisit ur favrite places n earth.
Shrtly after the trip, we started t talk abut putting all Paul’s AI wrks tgether t make a 2024 calendar, a way t literally pass a year tgether, while it als painfully highlighted ur limited time with him — each calendar square bth celebrating his presence and reminding us his days were numbered.
In the past, I culd prbably never argue in favr f what the technlgy f artificial Intelligence wuld bring. It did scare me. But after witnessing what Paul experienced, I knw that it made my friend Paul wh has ALS, laugh.
4. Why did Paul start creating AI art in late 2022?
A. T recrd his daily life.
B. T learn hw t create AI art.
C. T pursue a career as an AI artist.
D. T kill time and lk fr distractin.
5. What can be learned frm Paul’s AI art prmpts?
A. They fcused n frustrating things.
B. They cmbined his life with imaginatin.
C. They were created t encurage his friends.
D. They shwed his hpelessness against the illness.
6. What did the 2024 calendar mean t the authr and Evan?
A. A gift made by Paul.
B. A memry f their trip.
C. A cllectin f Paul’s AI artwrks.
D. A symbl f time-limited cmpany.
7. What is the authr’s attitude twards AI technlgy?
A. Uncertain B. Dubtful
C. Appreciative D. Indifferent
C
An experimental pair f glves, made f simple cttn isn’t designed fr keeping hands warm r lking stylish. Instead, the glves have tuch sensrs built int the fabric t serve an entirely different purpse: teaching pian and ther hands-n skills.
Fr a study in Nature Cmmunicatins, Massachusetts Institute f Technlgy graduate student Yiyue Lu and her clleagues created these “smart glves” using vibratin (震动) technlgy, which uses physical feelings such as vibratin r frce t assist with tuch-based learning. Researchers used the glves t recrd ne pianist’s hand mvements while playing a sng. They then relayed thse mvements t a student thrugh fingertip vibratins, helping the learner build muscle memry and play the piece mre accurately.
Using a cmputer-cntrlled sewing machine (缝纫机), the team added pressure-sensitive wires t detect hand mtins. When a pian teacher wearing the glves repeatedly perfrmed a tune, a machine-learning algrithm prcessed their mvement and translated it int instructinal vibratins. Students wearing similar glves then attempted t play the same tune, with fingertip vibratins guiding them thrugh prper mvements. By the end f the trial, students wh had practiced with the glves culd play mre accurately than thse withut them.
The team als tested the glves t aid peple playing nline games with a muse and keybard, recrding mtins frm experienced players t guide nvices. Peple wh gamed with the glves’ guidance scred better n average than thse wh did nt.
Thugh playing pian r nline games is ften just fr fun, Marcia O’Malley, a mechanical engineer frm Rice University, said that with an imprved algrithm, the new glve technlgy culd smeday help teach crucial practices like surgeries. “When vibratin is felt directly at the pint f actin, we can act and learn quicker—and with that, there’s s much ptential.” She added.
8. Hw did the glves help pian learners in practice?
A. By cntrlling their hands.
B. By playing tunes repeatedly.
C. By using vibratin t guide them.
D. By detecting the mtin f the machine.
9. What can we learn abut the smart glves frm the trials?
A. They can nly be used in pian teaching.
B. Pian learners with them perfrmed better.
C. Skilled gamers gt higher scres with them.
D. They wrked better fr pian learning than gaming.
10. What des the underlined wrd “nvices” in paragraph 4 mean?
A. beginner players B. Skilled trainers
C. Prfessinal players D. Game develper
11. What can be a suitable title fr the text?
A. Smart Glves: Learn by Feelings
B. Smart glves: A Trend fr Players
C. Machine Learning: Future f Educatin
D. Vibratin Technlgy: A Key t Success
D
The bwhead whale (弓头鲸), an Arctic species weighing up t 80,000 kg, can live fr ver 200 years, far surpassing human lifespans. An investigatin f the animal’s cells has nw surfaced ne reasn fr the bwhead whale’s ability t endure fr centuries: a cld-activated prtein that enhances DNA repair.
Despite their massive size and the harsh envirnment, bwhead whales shw remarkable resistance t age-related diseases like cancer. Scientists fund that their cells pssess a superir ability t repair DNA damage, largely due t a prtein called CIRBP, which is activated in cld cnditins — such as the icy seas in which bwhead whales live. Prducing CIRBP in human cells that were grwn in the lab imprved DNA repair. And when the prtein was expressed in fruit flies, the flies lived lnger and were mre resistant t radiatin (辐射), which can cause DNA mutatins (突变), than were nrmal fruit flies.
The bwhead whale, hwever, is a particularly difficult research subject. It is ne f the largest animals n Earth; maintaining a few in a labratry is nt an ptin. And it is endangered, which makes studying the animals in the wild a challenge as well. But each autumn, Iñupiaq Inuit villages in nrthern Alaska are allwed t hunt bwhead whales. hunters then set aside a few tissue samples, researchers make the lng trek nrth t pick up the samples. “Curier service desn’t g there,” said Vera Grbunva, a c-authr f the study and a bilgist at the University f Rchester in New Yrk, “There are n rads.” She added.
These findings highlight DNA repair as a critical mechanism fr lngevity and cancer preventin. While mre research is needed t apply this knwledge t humans, the study ffers prmising insights int hw we might ne day imprve ur wn healthspan and lifespan.
12. Why d the bwhead whales have a lng lifespan accrding t the research?
A. Their massive bdy.
B. N age-related diseases in the Arctic.
C. The cld envirnment.
D. A cld-activated DNA repair prtein.
13. What can we learn frm the fruit fly experiment?
A. CIRBP wrks nly in cld.
B. Flies and whales share the same genes.
C. CIRBP enhances the flies’ lifespan.
D. Radiatin has n effect n such flies.
14. What is the third paragraph mainly abut?
A. The assistance frm native peple.
B. The difficulties f studying bwhead whales.
C. The imprtance f prtecting bwhead whales.
D. The reasn why bwhead whales are endangered.
15. What is the significance f the study n bwhead whales?
A. It guarantees human lngevity.
B. It has been applied in health care.
C. It prevents humans frm getting cancer.
D. It may help humans live healthier and lnger.
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。
Have yu ever nticed hw peaceful the wrld seems after a gd snwfall and hw quiet falls ver the landscape whenever it snws? ____16____ Actually, snw des make the wrld quieter.
Sme f the newfund quiet after a snwfall is lgical. Peple tend t stay hme and there are fewer cars n the rad. And birds als keep quiet in their nests during snwstrms. ____17____ Snw absrbs sund, s when a fresh blanket f snw cvers the landscape, it absrbs many f the sund waves, making it seem quieter utside, accrding t AccuWeather.
Sund absrptin is rated n a scale f 0 t 1, AccuWeather reprts. Smething with a sund absrptin rating f 0.5 absrbs 50 percent f sund, fr example. The sund absrptin rating f snw falls smewhere between 0.5 and 0.9. ___18___
Hwever, nt all snwfalls are equal when it cmes t silencing the wrld utside. ____19____ Usually a few inches f snw is needed t have a nticeable quieting effect, accrding t AccuWeather.
____20____ The reasn? The snwflakes change shape as they melt, reducing the size f the spaces between the crystals. As temperatures fluctuate (波动) in winter, newly fallen snw can partially melt and then freeze. Once the snw turns int ice, it can actually increase nearby sunds because ice reflects sund waves rather than absrbing them.
A. It’s nt yur mind playing tricks n yu.
B. There’s science behind the silence as well.
C. As snw melts, it lses its silencing ability.
D. S silence after a fresh snwfall is temprary.
E. That means it absrbs much f the surrunding sund.
F. Just a dusting f snw isn’t enugh t absrb much sund.
G. It’s better t experience the quiet than just admire it indrs.
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 四个选项中选出最佳选项。阅读下面短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。
Ursula Bannister usually hikes with smene alng the trail in High Rck Lkut, a viewpint near Ashfrd, Washingtn. Last August, Bannister, then 79, went n her wn, figuring she’d be fine because she’s a (an) ____21____ hiker.
She arrived at the trail at arund 11 a.m. and ____22____ her way t the lkut. As she headed back dwn, her ft gt ____23____ in a hle in the grund. She fell frward heavily. By the time she ____24____, her ft was pinting the ____25____ way. She knew right away she had ____26____ her leg.
Bannister cried ut fr help, her vice ____27____ with pain. Luckily a yung man sn appeared. Try May, a 20-year-ld Air Frce airman, saw the injured elderly wman in great pain and made an ffer ____28____: he culd carry her dwn the trail. “I knew I was ____29____ f ding it,” May recalled. “I really didn’t make much f a ____30____ — it was just the right thing t d.”
May ____31____ Bannister nt his back and started hiking dwnward. T ____32____ her frm the grwing pain, the rescuer shared stries and asked Bannister abut her life. Once they reached the parking lt, May ____33____ Bannister t the Tacma General Hspital, where Bannister learned that she had brken her leg in three places.
During her ____34____ May visited her several times. “He is such a kind persn,” Bannister said with ____35____. “I am sure we’ll be friends fr life.”
21. A. curius B. rdinary C. experienced D. brave
22. A. searched B. made C. arrived D. paved
23. A. caught B. lst C. placed D. buried
24. A. tripped ver B. turned arund C. jumped dwn D. sat up
25. A. nrmal B. wrng C. similar D. right
26. A. brken B. cut C. missed D. crssed
27. A. whispering B. sighing C. surrunding D. shaking
28. A. slwly B. immediately C. gradually D. eventually
29. A. capable B. afraid C. fnd D. tired
30. A. cmment B. trial C. change D. decisin
31. A. lwered B. threw C. eased D. pushed
32. A. excuse B. prevent C. distract D. frgive
33. A. fllwed B. invited C. frced D. drve
34. A. travel B. recvery C. vacatin D. leave
35. A. gratitude B. sadness C. wrry D. pride
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。
Guangzhu, a city f Cantnese cuisine and dim sum, ____36____ (regard) as a paradise fr gurmets (美食家 ) since the late Qing Dynasty. It attracts vast crwds f turists every year, sme f ____37____ cme t Guangzhu time after time fr nly ne reasn — the glriusly tasty fd. If they fllw ____38____ (lcal) int a teahuse filled with peple partaking in yum cha every mrning, the visitrs can’t g wrng.
Yum cha, literally translated as “drink tea”, is a ____39____ (huge) ppular Cantnese traditin f brunch ____40____ (invlve) Chinese tea and dim sum. Sipping tea and eating dim sum is the main theme f the tea huses.
Amng the many dim sums, hargw, which is Cantnese fr shrimp dumplings, enjys its fame as “legendary fd” that tuches frm tngue ____41____ heart. The snw-white dumpling skin is transparent (半透明的), revealing the pink f the shrimps inside. ____42____ (it) stuffing is usually a mix f fresh prawns, chpped bamb shts, prk fat and a little bit f green nin. Withut t much flavring, the shrimps by themselves are abslutely delicius. When the visitrs with grwing stmachs bite the tender shrimps ____43____ (mix) with crispy vegetables, they knw immediately ____44____ the dish is legendary.
Fr lcal peple, the real ____45____ (enjy) in the tea huse is the leisurely tranquil time spent having a bwl f tea and ne r tw dim sums in the eateries.
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。你校上周成功举办了中国传统文化节，你的英国好友 Chris 对此非常感兴趣，请给他写一封邮件，分享此次活动。内容包括：
1. 介绍活动；
2. 邀请他明年参加。
注意：
1. 写作词数应 80 个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Chris,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes,
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，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
That Saturday, after an early mrning cup f cffee with Mama, Lenard, ur grwn brther, picked up his heavy tls and headed ut fr the ld henhuse. Mama wanted him t tear it dwn fr she was scared f me and Angie t play near it.
I was twelve and dgged Lenard’s every step. Angie, ur six-year-ld sister, insisted she wanted t help, t. Mama tld we wuld be in the way, but Lenard said, “Oh, they’ll be all right.” “Well, alright, but yu girls watch ut fr rusty (生锈的) nails.” Lenard wrked hard t pry (撬) the stubbrn, gray bards. Angie and I carried the bards t a pile he wuld later burn.
Suddenly, Angie started t scream and Mama came running. Sure enugh, she had stepped n a rusty nail. Mama examined my sister’s ft while Lenard lked at mine. On my way t see abut Angie, I’d stepped n a nail, t. The grwnups agreed we needed tetanus (破伤风) shts.
I hated shts. I wuld rather swallw a thusand pills fr a thusand days than have ne sht. While Lenard drve us t hspital, Mama cupped a hand arund my ear. “Arlene, I need yu t be brave s Angie wn’t be t scared. Yu knw hw she can put up a fight.” Determined t be a brave girl, I didn’t cry a single tear thugh my arm felt like it was n fire.
Then Mama lwered Angie nt the table t get the sht. That’s when she made her big mistake. “Arlene, tell Angie it didn’t hurt at all.”
Her huge blue eyes stared int mine. I thught abut hw Angie trusted me the way I trusted Lenard. “If I tell her it wn’t hurt”, I thught, “she wn’t ever believe me again.” I knew what I had t d. I cupped my hands arund my muth and yelled, “DON’T LET THEM DO IT TO YOU, ANGIE!”
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Several things happened all at nce.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________
On the way hme after ur shts, a tiny finger tuched my shulder.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
绵阳南山中学高 2023 级高三第五次教学质量检测
英语答案
第一部分 听力 (共两节，满分 30 分)
1-10 CCBBA CBBAA 11-20 BACCA ABBAC
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. C 2. D 3. B
B
【4~7 题答案】
【答案】4. D 5. B 6. D 7. C
C
【8~11 题答案】
【答案】8. C 9. B 10. A 11. A
D
【12~15 题答案】
【答案】12. D 13. C 14. B 15. D
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. A 17. B 18. E 19. F 20. C
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 四个选项中选出最佳选项。阅读下面短文，从每
题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。
【21~35 题答案】
【答案】21. C 22. B 23. A 24. D 25. B 26. A 27. D 28. B 29. A 30. D
31. C 32. C 33. D 34. B 35. A
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. has been regarded
37. whm 38. lcals
39. hugely 40. invlving
41. t 42. Its
43. mixed 44. why
45. enjyment
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】Dear Chris,
I’m glad yu’re interested in ur schl’s Chinese Traditinal Culture Festival held last week. It was such a hit that I can’t wait t share it with yu.
Varius activities were arranged, such as traditinal craft wrkshps, calligraphy displays and flk music perfrmances. I tried making paper-cuts, which was really fascinating. Many students and teachers jined in, sharing the beauty f traditinal culture.
Why nt jin us next year? I’ll shw yu arund and we can experience the activities tgether. I’m sure yu will lve it.
Best wishes,
Li Hua
第二节 (满分 25 分)
【47 题答案】
【答案】
Several things happened all at nce. Angie’s eyes grew wide and she started crying, Mama lked at me baffled and Lenard burst ut laughing. “She’ll never trust yu again, Arlene,” he jked. “Why wuld yu d that, Arlene?”
Mama sclded. I felt ashamed and wished I hadn’t said anything. Hwever, when I saw Angie rubbing her arm and wincing, I knew I’d made the right decisin. She might nt trust me t tell her a white lie, but she’d always knw I had her back.
On the way hme after ur shts a tiny finger tuched my shulder. It was Angie, and she was staring at me intently. “Thank yu fr telling me, Arlene,” she whispered. “It did hurt, but nw it’s ver and I hpe yu’re brave like me.” Angie smiled and relieved. Lenard ruffled her hair, adding “that’s the spirit.” Mama squeezed my hand.
“Yu did well, Arlene,” she said sftly. “Smetimes it’s hard t tell the truth, but it’s always the right thing t d.” I beamed with pride and felt grateful fr my family and their lve.