广东省茂名市第一中学2022-2023学年高一下学期期末考试英语试题

这是一份广东省茂名市第一中学2022-2023学年高一下学期期末考试英语试题，共10页。试卷主要包含了 选择题的作答， 非选择题的作答等内容，欢迎下载使用。
2022—2023学年度第二学期五校联盟高一期末联考
英语试卷
本试题卷共8页。全卷满分130分。考试用时120分钟。
注意事项:
1. 答题前, 先将自己的姓名、准考证号填写在答题卡上, 并将准考证号条形码粘贴在答题卡上的指定位置。
2. 选择题的作答: 每小题选出答案后, 用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑, 写在试题卷、草稿纸和答题卡上的非答题区域均无效。
3. 非选择题的作答: 用签字笔直接写在答题卡上对应的答题区域内。写在试题卷、草稿纸和答题卡上的非答题区域均无效。
4. 考试结束后, 请将本试题卷和答题卡一并上交。
第一部分阅读 (共两节, 满分40分)
第一节 (共11 小题; 每小题2.5分, 满分27.5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 big music festivals in Canada
Celtic Colours International Festival, Nova Scotia
9 days and 300 events focused on Celtic celebration, hosted on Cape Breton Island (North America’s only living Celtic culture). Concerts are set in many unique places, including a beautifully reconstructed French church.
Montreal International Jazz Festival, Quebec
The Montreal Jazz Festival is the largest jazz festival on the planet, with 1, 000 concerts and 3, 000 artists from over 30 countries. The event lasts 11 days and attracts around two million attendees. But it’s not just about the music, it’s about practicing your French while you linger over (逗留) five-course tasting menus, shop in chic boutiques (精品店) and snack on pain au chocolat at an outdoor cafe.
Winnipeg Folk Festival, Manitoba
The Winnipeg Folk Festival takes place five days and includes seven performance stages and many famous artists. This signature summer event mixes it up with traditional folk, roots, gospel, blues, Celtic, French-Canadian and world music. Looking to learn to do it yourself? Try a song writing workshop or instrument lesson. Looking for a place to rest your head? Camping is the way to go, since the action takes place outside at Birds Hill Provincial Park. Craven Country Jamboree, Saskatchewan
Going since 1983, this is “one of the granddaddies of music festivals”. It’s an annual country music party that takes place four days every July in the Qu’Appelle Valley near Craven; here you’ll find bull riding, saloon dance party and song-writer circles, too. Greats like Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and John Denver have played Craven. On the jamboree’s very first stage, Ray Orbison performed. Need we say more?
1. What is special about Montreal International Jazz Festival?
A. It attracts 3, 000 visitors every year. B. It is the largest festival in the world.
C. It shows Celtic culture to the visitors. D. It lasts the longest of the four festivals.
2. Where is the festival lasting five days held?
A. On Cape Breton Island. B. In a French church.
C. At Birds Hill Provincial Park. D. In the Qu’Appelle Valley.
3. At which festival did John Denver once perform?
A. Winnipeg Folk Festival. B. Craven Country Jamboree.
C. Montreal International Jazz Festival. D. Celtic Colours International Festival.
B
The birth of a healthy calf is certainly something to celebrate on a farm but one calf gave farmers Megan and Barry Coster even more to smile about. That’s because the Holstein calf was born with markings that look like a smiley face.
The Costers’ Bellbrook Holsteins farm in Ripplebrook, West Gippsland in Australia breeds around 700 calves a year, but they have never seen anything like this before.
When Barry Coster was checking the herd (牛群) during his morning rounds on March10, 2023, he came across the calf — now named Happy — and was surprised to see a face smiling at him. He was so shocked that he took a photo and sent it to his wife. “We’ve seen some number sevens or love hearts on the head and a few strange markings, but we’ve never seen anything that looks like a smiley face before, ” Megan Coster said.
At first, the Costers were going to keep Happy on the farm where he would be a life-long pet but after the news about this unique calf got out, the couple was bombarded (轰炸) by media from around the world. That was when they decided Happy should go on to do great things. So they started looking for a buyer for the calf but the Costers were not looking to make a profit from the sale. The money was donated to the West Gippsland Hospital that is being redeveloped and upgraded.
Farm World, a field day event held at Lardner Park purchased Happy who will now live out his days at the park which consists of a 120-hectare working farm that has livestock so Happy will have plenty of company. And the farm is located just around the corner from his birthplace.
“Happy is adjusting well, eating well, and has a great temperament (性情),” Craig Debnam, Lardner Park’s officer said. “With about 40, 000 to 50, 000 visitors coming through the gates to see ’Happy’ this weekend, we know Happy will put a smile on everybody’s face,” he said.
4. What can we know about the calf?
A. He was born on a special day. B. He was born to a great parent.
C. He has a love heart on the head. D. He was born with a smiley face.
5. How did Barry Coster feel when he first saw the calf on March 10?
A. Frightened. B. Astonished. C. Excited. D. Unbelievable.
6. Why did Barry Coster look for a buyer for the calf Happy?
A. To make a profit. B. To find Happy a new home.
C. To make Happy more popular. D. To let Happy do more meaningful things.
7. What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. Happy doesn’t adapt to his new life. B. Happy misses his owners very much.
C. Happy leads a comfortable life in the park. D. Happy is too tired to respond to so many visitors.
C
The jackfruit (菠萝蜜) is a delicious fruit found throughout certain parts of Asia. But there is more to the fruit than just its taste. When considering the fruit’s English name, it is easy to become overwhelmed with questions like: “Who is Jack? And why does he have his own fruit?”
Surprisingly, “jackfruit” isn’t a person’s name at all. The fruit’s name originally comes from the southern Indian word chakka pazham, with India thought to be the fruit’s place of origin. Portuguese explorers who journeyed to this region went on to call it jaca, which leads us to the current English name of jackfruit, according to NPR. Unfortunately, no one called Jack has been proven to be involved at any point in this process.
There is another food, however, that was directly named after a person --- the sandwich. In the 18th century, playing card games late into the night became fashionable in British high society. John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, started the habit of ordering pieces of cold beef between two pieces of bread in order to get a late-night snack without having to leave the gaming table or use a knife and fork. This ingenious (独创的) snack kept hands clean so card players could continue on without dirtying their cards.
The midnight snack quickly became popular among everyday people, and before long everyone was making their own sandwiches. That is how the sandwich was invented and got its name.
Away from the world of food, there are more examples of names inspired by people. Long johns, the warm trousers that keep us warm in winter, are said to have been named after the US boxer John L. Sullivan who took to wearing a similar type of garment in the ring.
There are many other interesting etymologies (词源) in the English language like these. So the next time you find an interesting name, why not explore its history too?
8. What does the underlined word “overwhelmed” in paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Puzzled. B. Excited. C. Worried. D. Annoyed.
9. Where does the jackfruit’s name come from?
A. A place in India. B. An Indian word.
C. A Portuguese explorer named Jack. D. The man who discovered the fruit.
10. What do we know about the sandwich according to the text?
A. It was named after a popular card game.
B. It was once eaten as a snack in the daytime.
C. It was first popular among the UK’s middle class.
D. It was created for the convenience of playing cards.
11. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To raise readers’ interest in etymology. B. To introduce things named after people.
C. To stress the importance of learning history. D. To explain the effects of people’s names on food.
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。
How to treat yourself with kindness
Let go of negative thought patterns and beliefs about yourself. Negative thoughts often come from outside people whose opinions we value and from whom we seek love and acceptance. For example, if you forgot to buy litter bags when you got groceries, you might say to yourself, “Ugh! 12 How could I forget that?” Instead of calling yourself stupid, you might think, “Oops! I forgot those annoying litter bags. I’ll just pick some up next time I go out --- no big deal.”
Accept your shortcomings as part of who you are. Everything you’ve done and everywhere you’ve been is a part of who you are. 13 Instead, accept that they’re all parts of the same whole. When you love yourself, you love all of you because you wouldn’t have the good without the bad.
14 If you expect yourself to be perfect all the time, you’ll never be pleased with anything you produce. This can lead to low self-esteem (自尊). Instead, make a point to appreciate the work you put into completing a task, rather than looking for faults in what you produced.
Practice gratitude for good things rather than focusing on the negative. It’s human nature to see negative things as bigger and more important than positive things, but this also does great damage to your self-esteem. When you find yourself focusing on negative events in your life, immediately try to name 3 to 5 things that you can be grateful for. 15
Speak kindly to yourself. For example, if you lose your job, you might think “I’m such a failure. 16 ” Stop. Take a deep breath and be more constructive. Think instead, “I lost my job, but I can learn from this experience to find and keep a new job that suits me better.”
A. I’m so stupid!
B. I’m careless and awkward.
C. I’ll never amount to anything.
D. Self-love isn’t about fixing all the “bad” things about yourself.
E. Try to come up with just one thing each week to add to the list.
F. Look for the positive side even when bad things happen to you.
G. Focus on your effort rather than the result to control perfectionism.
第二部分语言运用 (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。
Missy was an energetic nine-year-old girl. She loved school and sports. 17 , things changed. Missy began to feel tired all the time. Something wasn’t right, so her parents took Missy to hospital. It wasn’t long before they heard the news-Missy 18 cancer. “We live in rural Queensland and we had to get on a plane that day to get to Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital so Missy could start 19 . We have two other daughters, so my husband had to stay behind at home with them. It was really 20 ,” said Anj, Missy’s mother.
From the moment she began treatment, Missy was unwell. “She didn’t 21 her hospital room for three months 22 ,” explained Anj. “We almost 23 her twice due to complications (并发症). At one point her immunity (免疫) was 24 and she was sent to a separate room.”
“I was really 25 ,” said Missy. “It was painful and I really wanted to bed with my family. I felt sick and I couldn’t walk for a few weeks. I needed 26 just to do basic things like going to the toilet.”
Thankfully, Missy’s treatment was 27 . On the 13th of December, she was able to ring the 28 chemotherapy (化疗) bell in hospital, 29 the end of her treatment. Missy still has to have 30 checks, but she is much better. That’s why, when she grows up, Missy wants to be a researcher to 31 a cure for cancer.
17. A. Instead B. Besides C. However D. Therefore
18. A. suffered from B. caught up with C. reflected on D. took control of
19. A. examination B. treatment C. research D. inspection
20. A. unbelievable B. terrible C. expensive D. hard
21. A. leave B. enter C. clean D. decorate
22. A. at a time B. on a basis C. in a row D. in a line
23. A. missed B. called C. cured D. lost
24. A. protected B. tested C. weakened D. rescued
25. A. confident B. scared C. angry D. puzzled
26. A. space B. instruction C. surgery D. help
27. A. successful B. free C. special D. private
28. A. warning B. final C. early D. distant
29. A. shaping B. pointing C. identifying D. marking
30. A. regular B. full C. close D. quick
31. A. design B. bring C. find D. check
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。
Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s 32 (nature) resources for future generations.
The first Earth Day 33 (celebrate) on April 22, 1970. Environmental activism during the 1960s inspired Gaylord Nelson, a US official from Wisconsin, to create a national celebration uniting the environmental movement. 34 the help of Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard University, Nelson organized the first Earth Day, 35 (educate) participants (参与者) on the importance of environmental conservation. 36 (attend) by 20 million people across the United States, the event strengthened support for making laws.
In 1990, Hayes organized a global Earth Day, 37 was observed by some 200 million people in more than 140 38 (country). Since then, Earth Day has been international.
By the early 21st century, Earth Day’s many activities included raising awareness of a number of growing environmental concerns, 39 (especial) the threat of global warming and the need for clean, renewable energy sources.
The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest (投资) in Our Planet”. This year’s theme is designed 40 (persuade) businesses, governments, and citizens around the world of the need to invest in our planet to improve our environment and give our descendants 41 better and safer future.
第三部分课本知识考查 (共三节, 满分20分)
第一节单词拼写 (共5小题; 每小题1分, 每空只填一个单词, 满分5分)
根据单词的汉语提示, 写出单词的正确形式。
42. She became famous through her connection with the group of ________ (诗人).
43. The policy is to integrate children with special needs into ________ (普通的) schools.
44. Let me give another example to ________ (阐明) this difficult point.
45. She seemed to have no ________ (欲望) to go there; besides, her clothes were not good enough.
46. She had been thinking the matter over, and she thought an ________ (道歉) distinctly needful.
第二节单句语法填空 (共10 小题; 每小题1分, 满分10分)
47. She seemed totally absorbed ________ her book.
48. The ________ (equip) is slow and heavy by modern standards.
49. She came down last year and ________ (定居) in the village.
50. They were talking to the natives, the guide ________ (act) as an interpreter.
51. In a good ________ (marry), both husband and wife work hard to solve any problems that arise.
52. They ________ (seek) out a shady spot where they might sit down and rest.
53. Good research requires, among other things, ________ (determine), plenty of hard work, careful observation, and a little bit of luck.
54. ________ (eventual) your child will leave home to lead her own life as a fully independent adult.
55. Certain courses are compulsory; others are ________ (option).
56. It must be a great comfort to you to have all the news ________ first hand.
第三节完成句子 (共5 小题; 每小题1分, 每空只填一个单词, 满分5分)
根据句子的汉语意思, 使用所学的短语、句型完成句子。
57. My sister has come from America to ________ ________ ________ during my illness.
我姐姐从美国回来了, 在我生病期间陪我。
58. While the two are only days apart in age they seem to ________ ________ wholly different generations.
尽管这两人年龄上只相差几天, 他们却好像是属于完全不同时代的人。
59. She has had a number of different jobs, ________ ________ chef ________ swimming instructor.
她做过许多不同的工作, 从厨师到游泳教练。
60. The house was alive with devoted and loving people, ________ ________ ________ had worked there for decades.
房子里到处都是忠实且慈爱的人, 他们中许多人已经在那工作了数十年。
61. Running on an empty stomach may cause you to ________ ________ ________ energy.
饿着肚子跑步会导致你精力耗尽。
第四部分 写作 (共两节, 满分40分)
第一节 (满分15分)
为了庆祝中国的第八个航天日, 你校举办了一系列的主题活动。请你写一篇英语短文报道此次事件, 内容包括:
1. 活动的主要内容;
2. 同学们的感受。
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。
Celebrating China Aerospace Day




第二节 (满分25分)
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。
On a Friday evening in December, two weeks before Christmas, I lost my job. I hadn’t seen it coming. I was excited for the weekend, when my daughter, Kristil, then 12, and I planned to get our Christmas tree. Then I listened to my voicemail: “We’re sorry, but your work assignment has ended as of today.” My heart sank.
I wasn’t just a single parent; I was the only parent. My paycheck was survival. I did everything I could to give Kristil a good life, but there were some things my love couldn’t fix. The next day as we searched for our tree, I struggled to be cheerful as I eyed the Christmas tree prices.
“Is everything OK?” Kristil asked. “You seem worried.”
“I got some bad news yesterday,” I told her. “But it is OK, honey. Please select your favorite Christmas tree! Let’s take it home!” I didn’t want my daughter to discover the fact that I was unemployed. She started telling me a few months ago that she wanted a Christmas tree.
“Daddy, is it too expensive?” She pointed to a Christmas tree and said to me carefully.
“Absolutely not,” I told her. “Let’s take it home!”
I pretended to swipe my card and pay, and quietly made up my mind to set off on my moneymaking pursuits. Over the next week, I applied for jobs as my bank account grew smaller. There was no suitable position for me in this world. I felt as if the world was closing in on me.
The day before Christmas, I dropped Kristil in a wealthy gated community for a birthday party. I watched as she went in, surrounded by all the nice things we couldn’t afford. I went back home, frustrated.
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。
Watching the Christmas tree and thinking about the upcoming Christmas, my heart sank to the bottom.


Reading the card on the tree my daughter wrote, my eyes were filled with tears.


2022—2023 学年度第二学期五校联盟高一期末联考
英语参考答案及解析
第一部分阅读
第一节
A
【语篇导读】本文是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了加拿大四个盛大的音乐节。
1. D 【解析】细节理解题。根据 Celtic Colours International Festival, Nova Scotia 部分的“9 days and 300 events focused on Celtic celebration”, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Quebec部分的“The event lasts 11 days”, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Manitoba部分的“The Winnipeg Folk Festival takes place five days”以及Craven Country Jamboree, Saskatchewan部分的“It’s an annual country music party that takes place four days every July”可知, Montreal International Jazz Festival持续的时间最长。故选D。
2. C 【解析】细节理解题。根据 Winnipeg Folk Festival, Manitoba部分的“The Winnipeg Folk Festival takes place five days”以及“Camping is the way to go, since the action takes place outside at Birds Hill Provincial Park.”可知答案。故选C。
3. B 【解析】细节理解题。根据Craven Country Jamboree, Saskatchewan部分的“Greats like Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and John Denver have played Craven.”可知答案。故选B。
B
【语篇导读】本文是一篇新闻报道。文章主要讲述了一只小牛的故事。Happy生下来就带有笑脸的印记, 主人把它卖给了一家公园让它给更多的人带去欢乐, 收益捐给了一家医院。
4. D 【解析】细节理解题。根据第一段“That’s because the Holstein calf was born with markings that look like a smiley face.”可知答案。故选D。
5. B 【解析】细节理解题。根据第三段“and was surprised to see a face smiling at him. He was so shocked that he took a photo and sent it to his wife” 可知答案。故选B。
6. D 【解析】细节理解题。根据第四段“That was when they decided Happy should go on to do great things.”可知答案。故选D。
7. C 【解析】推理判断题。根据最后一段“‘Happy is adjusting well, eating well, and has a great temperament,’ Craig Debnam, Lardner Park’s officer said.”可推知, Happy 在公园里生活得很好。故选C。
C
【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了英语中那些含人名的物品。
8. A 【解析】词义猜测题。根据后面的问题“Who is Jack? And why does he have his own fruit?”可推知, 此处 overwhelmed的含义是: 困惑的。故选A。
9. B 【解析】细节理解题。根据第二段“The fruit’s name originally comes from the southern Indian word chakka pazham”可知答案。故选 B。
10. D 【解析】细节理解题。根据第三段“This ingenious snack kept hands clean so card players could continue on without dirtying their cards.”可知答案。故选D。
11. A 【解析】推理判断题。根据最后一段可推知, 作者的写作目的是提高读者对词源学的兴趣。故选A。
第二节
【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了要善待自己的几种方法。
12. A 【解析】根据本节下文“Instead of calling yourself stupid”中的”stupid”可知答案。故选A。
13. D 【解析】根据本节中心句中的“Accept your short-comings”以及本节下文中的“Instead, accept that they’re all parts of the same whole.”可知答案, “they”指代D项中的”all the“bad” things”。故选D。
14. G 【解析】此空选中心句。G 项概括了本段的主要内容。故选G。
15. F 【解析】本节的中心意思是: 对好的事情心存感激, 而不是把注意力集中在消极的事情上。F项“即使遇到不好的事情, 也要寻找积极的一面。”符合语境。
16. C 【解析】此空前一句讲: 我是一个失败者。C项“我永远不会有任何成就。”顺承上文。故选C。
第二部分 语言运用
第一节
【语篇导读】本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了Missy (米西) 和癌症作斗争, 长大后想成为一名研究人员, 寻找癌症治疗方法的故事。
17. C 【解析】根据下文的描述可知, 然而, 情况发生了改变, 米西开始一直感到疲惫。故选C。
18. A 【解析】根据下文“a cure for cancer”可知, 米西得了癌症。故选A。
19. В 【解析】根据下文“From the moment she began treatment”可知答案。故选B。
20. D 【解析】根据上文“We live in rural Queensland and we had to get on a plane that day to get to Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital so Missy could start 19 . We have two other daughters, so my husband had to stay behind at home with them.”可推知, 当时处境很艰难。故选D。
21. A 【解析】句意: “她有连续三个月没有离开病房,” 安吉解释道。故选A。
22. C 【解析】解析同上。in a row 意为“连续地”。故选C。
23. D 【解析】句意: “由于并发症, 我们两次差点失去她。”根据常识可知, 得了癌症, 很可能由于并发症, 病情会突然恶化, 导致病人生命垂危。故选D。
24. C 【解析】句意: “她的免疫力一度受损, 被隔离。”故选C。
25. B 【解析】根据她的年龄以及下文“It was painful and I really wanted to bed with my family. ”可知, “我真的很害怕,”米西说。故选B。
26. D 【解析】句意: “只是做一些基本的事情, 比如上厕所, 我也需要帮助。”故选D。
27. A 【解析】根据下文“the end of her treatment”可知, 谢天谢地, 米西的治疗很成功。故选A。
28. B 【解析】句意: 12月13日, 她在医院进行了最后一次化疗, 标志着她的治疗结束。故选B。
29. D 【解析】解析同上。
30. A 【解析】句意: 米西仍然需要定期检查, 但她好多了。故选A。
31. C 【解析】句意: 这就是为什么当米西长大后, 她想成为一名研究人员, 寻找癌症的治疗方法的原因。故选C。
第二节
【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了地球日的历史和庆祝活动。
32. natural 【解析】修饰名词 resources, 应用形容词, 故填natural。
33. was celebrated 【解析】主语和谓语之间是被动关系, 该句叙述的是发生在过去的事情, 主语是单数意义, 故填was celebrated。
34. With 【解析】with the help of sb. 为固定搭配, 意为“在某人的帮助下”, 且空格处位于句首, 故填With。
35. educating 【解析】空格处所填单词与主语之间是逻辑上的主动关系, 故此处填现在分词作状语。故填educating。
36. Attended 【解析】空格处所填单词与主语之间是逻辑上的被动关系, 故此处填过去分词作状语, 且空格处位于句首, 故填Attended。
37. which 【解析】分析句子结构可知, 该空是定语从句的关系词, 先行词指物, 关系词在定语从句中作主语, 又因为是非限制性定语从句, 故填which。
38. countries 【解析】 140多个国家, 表示复数意义, 故填countries。
39. especially 【解析】此处指”尤其是”, 表示强调。故填especially。
40. to persuade 【解析】动词不定式表目的。故填to persuade。
41. a 【解析】此处指“一个更好、更安全的未来”, 不定冠词表泛指。故填a。
第三部分 课本知识考查
第一节 单词拼写
42. poets 43. ordinary 44. illustrate 45. desire 46. apology
第二节 单句语法填空
47. in 48. equipment 49. settled 50. acting 51. marriage 52. sought
53. determination 54. Eventually 55. optional 56. at
第三节 完成句子
57. keep me company 58. belong to 59. ranging from, to
60. many of whom 61. run out of
第四部分 写作
第一节
One possible version:
Celebrating China Aerospace Day
To celebrate the 8th China Aerospace Day, our school hosted a series of themed events.
The main activities included a lecture on the history of China’s aerospace industry and a rocket-building competition. The lecture covered the milestone achievements of China’s aerospace industry. In the rocket-building competition, the winning team launched their model rocket into the sky with great success.
The students were thrilled and inspired by the events. Many expressed their admiration for Chinese astronauts’ bravery and perseverance to carry out their missions. They took great pride in China’s achievements in space exploration.
第二节
One possible version:
Watching the Christmas tree and thinking about the up-coming Christmas, my heart sank to the bottom. The tree stood there, decorated with shining lights and colorful ornaments, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness in-side. How would I provide the joy and abundance that this festive season deserved for my daughter? The weight of unemployment pressed down on me, casting a shadow over the holiday spirit. However, as I stared at the tree, its branches reaching towards the ceiling, I suddenly saw a card hanging on the Christmas tree.
Reading the card on the tree my daughter wrote, my eyes were filled with tears. She wrote, “Daddy, I love you The best gift is not the tree but you. No matter what difficulties you encounter, I believe you can always overcome them.” In that moment, I realized that no matter what challenges lay ahead, I would continue to persevere for Kristil’s sake, knowing that the greatest gift I could give her was my firm support and devotion. Together, we would find a way to make our Christmas meaningful and filled with warmth.