湖南省汨罗市2023-2024学年高三下学期联合考试英语试题含解析

湖南省汨罗市2023-2024学年高三下学期联合考试英语试题注意事项：1．答题前，考生先将自己的姓名、准考证号填写清楚，将条形码准确粘贴在考生信息条形码粘贴区。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、笔迹清楚。3．请按照题号顺序在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、试题卷上答题无效。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（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1．ItshockedtheworldtheUnitedStateswithdrewfromsomemajoragreementsithadbeencommittedto,includingthe2015ParisAgreementonclimatechangemitigationandthe2015IranNuclearDeal.A．which B．whatC．whether D．that2．makesmestressedistheentranceexaminationiscomingnearerandnearer.A．It;what B．What;that C．What;what D．That;that3．Thepartylastmonthreallygavemealotoffun.Socanwehavethismonth,Mr.James?A．any B．one C．another D．theother4．Aftershebecameill,Ifelt______withher—shewascheerywhileIfeltgloomy.A．outoftune B．outofbreath C．outofcuriosity D．outofmind5．CareersAdviceserviceisonlyavailabletopeopleonday-timecourses.A．tostudy B．studyC．studied D．studying6．________yourblog,Iwouldhavewrittenbacktwodaysago.A．IfIread B．ShouldIreadC．HadIread D．IfIcouldhaveread7．It'sgreatthatallthevisitorswho

ontheislandweresaved.A．trapped B．havebeentrappedC．hadtrapped D．hadbeentrapped8．Frankstudied_____EnglishlanguageinLondonforfouryears,sohegets____goodknowledgeofLondon.A．a;the B．/;/C．/;a D．the;a9．Helikedthelovelydogsomuchthathe________hisbookandplayedwithitimmediately.A．gaveoff B．setasideC．tookover D．turneddown10．Thenewmovie________tobeoneofthebiggestmoney-makersofalltime.A．pretends B．agrees C．promises D．declines11．Allwehaveis24precioushoursadayandthereforeweshallwaste______A．nothingB．noneC．neitherD．noone12．—Whendidyougettoknowyourgirlfriend?—Itwasin2015________shewasworkingasavolunteerinAfrica.A．that B．whichC．when D．then13．"Theydidn’ttakemeasuresintime,otherwisetheexplosions____．"someexpertssaid．A．wouldn’thappen B．didn’thappenC．wouldn’thavehappened D．mustn’thavehappened14．TheBritishgovernmentpublishedanofficialpolicydocument________itsplanstobringtheUKoutoftheEuropeanUnion.A．lettingoutB．puttingoutC．settingoutD．workingout15．Theproblem_______hewillhavehiscollegeeducationathomeorabroadremainsuntouched.A．howB．whetherC．thatD．when16．Iamsurethatthegirlyouaregoingtomeetismorebeautiful_______thaninherpictures.A．innature B．inmovement C．intheflesh D．inthemood17．—Youcouldalwaysputthedecisionoffalittlebitlonger.—__________IfIleaveitmuchlongerImightmissmychance.A．That’sreasonable. B．Isn’titagoodidea?C．Doyouthinkso? D．Ican’tagreemore.18．Mytoothacheme.Ithoughtitwasgoingaway,butitisgettingworsenow.A．killsB．iskillingC．haskilledD．killed19．Johnsonhasn’tfeltanyeffectthenewdietingrecipehashimsincehetriedtoloseweightthreemonthsago.A．for B．to C．on D．with20．Oursocietywouldbebetteroffbutforthefactthattheeconomy________bythecurrentglobalfinancialcrisis.A．hadbeenaffected B．wereaffectedC．shouldbeaffected D．isaffected第二部分阅读理解（满分40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。21．（6分）EveryyearinAmerica,highschoolstudentswhowanttogotocollegetakeanationalexaminationcalledtheScholasticAptitudeTest,orSATinashortenedway.Theirscoreisanimportantfactorindeterminingwhichcollegeswilladmitthemorwhetheranywillbeadmittedatall.TheScholasticAptitudeTestmeasuresone'smathematicalabilityanduseoftheEnglishlanguage.Traditionally,theEnglishpartinvolvedgrammaticalquestionsandparagraphsthattestreadingcomprehension.ButtheSATfolkshaveaddedasinglequestion,tobeansweredinanessay,handwrittenonthespot.That'saninterestingwaytotestwritingability,butcontentaside,haveyoueverseenyoungpeople'shandwritinglately?Oranyone'sforthatmatter,inthisageofcomputerkeyboards?Studentswritenumbersandsigntheirnamesonbankchecks.Theyscribbleclassnotesinwhatcangenerouslybedescribedasthewrittenword.Yettoday'skidsareaskedtowrite,thoughtfullyandclearly,forseveralminutesonthisSATTest.Goodlucktothetextscorerswhomustworkoutdifficultlythescrawl(潦草的字迹)ofyoungpeoplewho'vebeentypingoncomputerssincetheageofthree!Teachersinsistthatgoodhandwritingcannotonlyhelpone'sscoreontheSAT,butalso,lateroninlife,impresspotentialemployers.Anddon'tforget,weallhavetoturntohandwritingfromtimetotime,ascomputersgodownwhenpowergoesout.Thenhowtoimprovethehandwriting?Well,withafewsimplestepsyoucanimproveyourhandwriting.Positionthepen.Youshouldholdthepenbetweentheforefingerandthethumb,thenrestitnearthefirstknuckle(指节)ofthemiddlefinger.Therestofyourfingersshouldbecurled(卷曲)underyourhandandyourhandshouldremainrelaxed.Evaluateyourwriting.Makechangestoyourletterstillyoulikehowtheylook.Takeyourtime.Speedisboundtomakeyourwritingmessylooking.Practise.Practiseitalot;it'snotenoughtodoitonceandhopeforthebest.Ithastobesomethingyouworkattomakegreatimprovements.1、Theunderlinedword＂scribble＂inParagraph2probablymeans＂______________＂.A．writequicklyandroughlyB．typesimplyandcorrectlyC．paintclearlyandneatlyD．describeproperlyandwell2、AccordingtoParagraph3,studentswithgoodhandwritingskill______________.A．canpasstheSATB．candevelopgoodcharactersC．canimpresstheirclassmatesD．cangetmorejobopportunities3、Whichofthefollowingshouldyouavoidwhenimprovingyourhandwriting?A．Practisingwritingalot.B．Writingasfastasyoucan.C．Relaxingyourhandwhenholdingthepen.D．Changingyourletterstillyoulikehowtheylook.4、Thetextistopresentthefactthat______________.A．writingseemstobeveryimportantintheSATB．thosewhowillgotocollegehavetotaketheSATC．studentsshouldpractisehandwritingmoreoftenD．kidsdon'tknowhowtowriteinthecomputerage22．（8分）Scope:Recentlyyourschoolboardproposedmovingtheschoolstarttimefrom7:50a.m.to7:20a.m.Whatwasyourreactiontothis?JillyDosSantos:IwasgettingonlyfourtosixhoursofsleepanightandIwaslateforschoolalot.Withthenewstarttime,I’dhavetowakeupevenearlier.Afterweheardabouttheproposal,ateacherssaidtomyclass,“Ifyoudon’tlikeit,whydon’tyoudosomethingaboutit?”Scope:Whatdidyoudo?Jilly:Iorganizedagroupofstudentstospeaktotheschoolboard.Scope:Whatdidyoudotoprepareforthemeeting?Jilly:Iwantedtofocusourpresentationonwhyhavinganearlierstarttimewasunhealthy.Thereisscientificresearchaboutteensandsleep.Ilearnedthatduringyourteenyears,becauseofachangeinhormones(激素),yourbodybeginstochange.Youstarttowanttogotobedlater.Schoolstartsthesametimeitalwayshas,sogettingenoughsleepbecomesdifficult.Irealizedtherewasn’tsomethingwrongwithmytimemanagementorme;thewayIwasfeelinghadaphysicalandbiologicalbasis.Scope:Howdiditgo?Jilly:About30studentscametosupportme,andtheboardlikedthatIdidn’tgetemotionalandjustprovidedtheevidence.Twomonthslater,an8:55a.m.starttimebecameofficial.Theboarddecidedtomakethestarttimelaterinsteadofearlier.Scope:Whathaschangedsincethelaterstarttime?Jilly:Idon’tneedtostayupanextrahourortwoatnight,becauseIcangetworkdoneinthemorning.I’vealsobeenlatealotless.Andthisyear,therearemoremorningclubsandmorepeoplegoingtothem.1、Whatcanbeasuitabletitleforthetext?A．TalkingWiththeSchoolBoard?CheerUp!B．AnInterviewonaProposalC．ADialoguebetweenScopeandJillyD．MovingtheStartTimeEarlier?SayNo!2、Jilly’steacherseemedtoencouragethestudents________A．totalkwiththeschoolboardB．togettheirworkdoneintimeC．tovoicetheiropinionsbravelyD．totakeactiontosupporttheproposal3、Whatdoestheunderlinedword“it”referto?A．JillybodyclockB．ThescientificresearchC．ThemeetingJillyorganizedD．Jilly’ssecretfortimemanagement4、HowdidJillysucceedinpersuadingtheschoolboard?A．ByshowingscientificevidenceB．ByputtingforwardanewproposalC．Bytellingdifferentstudents’storiesD．Bypresentingherpersonalexperience23．（8分）HongKongMuseumofArtEstablishedin1962,thepurposeofHongKongMuseumofArtistopreservetheculturalheritageofChinawithalocalfocus.HongKongMuseumofArtfeaturesmorethan15000differentobjectsofancientChineseartfromHantoQingDynasty.StandardticketHK$10;Students,Seniors,DisabledHK$5;FreeadmissiononWednesday!OpeningHours:10:00am-6:00pm(Mon,Tues,Wed,Fri,Sun);10:00am-8:00pm(Sat);ClosedonThursday(exceptPublicHolidays)Phone:+(852)27210116HongKongSpaceMuseumItisoneofthelargestplanetariumsintheworld.Openedin1980,themuseumsuniqueegg-shapeddomestructureaddedanotherfamousarchitecturalhighlighttoHongKong.StandardticketHK$10;Students,Seniors,DisabledHK$5;FreeadmissiononWednesdayOpeningHours:1:00pm-9:00pm(Mon,Wed,Thur,Fri);10:00am-9:00pm(Sat,SunandPublicHolidays);ClosedonTuesday(exceptPublicHolidays)Phone:+(852)27210226HongKongScienceMuseumItopenedin1991andcoversawiderangeofscienceandtechnologyandincontrasttotraditionalmuseums,theHongKongScienceMuseumencouragesitsvisitorstoactivelyparticipate,exploreandexperiencetheexhibitions.Especiallyforkidsthisisagreatlearningandfunopportunity.StandardticketHK$25;Students,Seniors,DisabledHK$12.5;FreeadmissiononWednesday!OpeningHours:1:00pm-9:00pm(Mon,Tues,Wed,Fri);10:00am-9:00pm(Sat,SunandPublicHolidays);ClosedonThursday(exceptPublicHolidays)Phone:+(852)27323232HongKongMuseumofHistoryEstablishedin1975,itisnotonlyahighlightforhistorylovers,butalsoforthearchitecturalenthusiasts.On17500squaremeters,themuseumpreservesanddisplays6000yearsofHongKonghistory.StandardticketHK$10;Students,Seniors,DisabledHK$5;FreeadmissiononWednesday!OpeningHours:10:00am-6:00pm(Mon,Wed–Sat);10:00am-07:00pm(SunandPublicHolidays);ClosedonTuesday(exceptPublicHolidays)Phone:+(852)27249042（307词）1、HowmuchdoesitcostsforacoupletovisitHongKongSpaceMuseumonFriday?A．HK$10B．HK$5C．HK$15D．HK$202、HowisHongKongScienceMuseumdifferentfromtheothers?A．Ithasuniqueegg-shapeddomestructure.B．Visitorscantakepartintheexhibitionsactively.C．IthelpstopreservethehistoryofHongKong.D．PeoplecanlearnthehistoryofHongKong.3、WhatdotheMuseumsmentionedinthetexthaveincommon?A．Theiropeningtimearethesame.B．Theyallopenfreelyonpublicholidays.C．Theirfreeadmissiondaysarethesame.D．Theyareallintendedforhistorylovers.24．（8分）TheBoyMadeIt!OneSunday,Nicholas,ateenager,wentskiingatSugarloafMountaininMaine.Intheearlyafternoon,whenhewasplanningtogohome,afiercesnowstormsweptintothearea.Unabletoseefar,heaccidentallyturnedoffthepath.Beforeheknewit,Nicholaswaslost,allalone!Hedidn’thavefood,water,aphone,orothersupplies.Hewasgettingcolderbytheminute.Nicholashadnoideawherehewas.Hetriednottopanic.HethoughtaboutallofthesurvivalshowshehadwatchedonTV.Itwastimetoputthetipshehadlearnedtouse.Hedecidedtostopskiing.Therewasabetterchanceofsomeonefindinghimifhestayedput.Thefirstthinghedidwastofindshelterfromthefreezingwindandsnow.Ifhedidn’t,hisbodytemperaturewouldgetverylow,whichcouldquicklykillhim.Usinghisskis,Nicholasbuiltasnowcave.Hegatheredahugemassofsnowanddugoutaholeinthemiddle.Thenhepiledbranchesontopofhimself,likeablanket,tostayaswarmashecould.Bythatevening,Nicholaswasreallyhungry.Heatesnowanddrankwaterfromanearbystreamsothathisbodywouldn’tlosetoomuchwater.Notknowinghowmuchlongerhecouldlast,Nicholasdidtheonlythinghecouldhehuddled(蜷缩)inhiscaveandslept.Thenextday,Nicholaswentouttolookforhelp,buthecouldn’tfindanyone.Hefollowedhistracksandreturnedtothesnowcave,becausewithoutshelter,hecoulddiethatnight.OnTuesday,Nicholaswentoutagaintofindhelp.Hehadwalkedforaboutamilewhenavolunteersearcherfoundhim.Aftertwodaysstuckinthesnow,Nicholaswassaved.NicholasmightnothavesurvivedthissnowstormhaditnotbeenforTV.HehadoftenwatchedGrylls’survivalshowManvs.Wild.That’swherehelearnedthetipsthatsavedhislife.Ineachepisode(一期节目)ofManvs.Wild,Gryllsisabandonedinawildareaandhastofindhiswayout.WhenGxryllsheardaboutNicholas’amazingdeeds,hewassuperimpressedthatNicholashadmadeitsinceheknewbetterthananyonehowhardNicholashadtoworktostayalive.1、WhathappenedtoNicholasoneSundayafternoon?A．Hegotlost. B．Hebrokehisskis.C．Hehurthiseyes. D．Hecaughtacold.2、HowdidNicholaskeephimselfwarm?A．Hefoundashelter. B．Helightedsomebranches.C．Hekeptonskiing. D．Hebuiltasnowcave.3、OnTuesday’Nicholas.A．returnedtohissheltersafely B．wassavedbyasearcherC．gotstuckinthesnow D．stayedwherehewas4、NicholasleftGryllsaverydeepimpressionbecausehe.A．didtherightthingsinthedangeroussituationB．watchedGrylls’TVprogramregularlyC．createdsometipsforsurvivalD．wasveryhard-working25．（10分）ChineseInternationalSchoolApplicationFormBeforeanapplicantcanbeinvitedtotakepartinanassessment,anapplicationformshouldbereturnedtotheAdmissionsOffice,andtheapplicationfeeofHK$1,000cannotbereturned.ForoverseasapplicantswishingtopayincurrenciesotherthanHKdollars,thefeeisUS$145.Checksarealsogoodforpaymentto“ChineseInternationalSchool”.Theapplicationshouldinclude※Applicants’academicreportfromthelastschoolyear.※Arecentpassport-sizedphoto(attachedtotheapplicationform).※Acopyoftheapplicant’sHongKongIDcardorapassportshowingavalidHongKongvisa.※OnlyforapplicantsapplyingunderaCorporateNomination(提名)Right：Acompanyletterconfirmingthenomination.Pleasenotethattheapplicationfeeisnon-refundable.Applicantswhowouldliketore-applyforanotheracademicyearareaskedtosubmitanewapplicationandapplicationfee.AcceptanceApplicantswillbeinformedoftheiracceptancestatusinwritingbypostalmail.Initial(最初的)offersforReceptionwillbesentoutfromlateMarchonceallassessmentshavebeencompleted.Someapplicantswhohavebeenassessedmaybeheldonareservelist.Acceptancesmayalsobemadeonaconditionalbasisamongtheapplicantsonthereservelist.Applicantswhohavebeenassessedbutwhohavenotbeenadmittedarewelcometoreapplyforthenextacademicyear.Pleasenotethatsuchapplicantswillbeaskedtosubmitanewapplicationandapplicationfee.ConfirmationofAcceptanceandEnrollment(录取)Onceanapplicanthasbeenadmitted,theapplicantfamilywillbeaskedtoconfirmacceptanceandholdthestudent’splacewithimmediatepaymentoftherequiredfeesfortheNominationRight(HK$500),plusthesumofHK$7,500asthefirsttuitionpayment.Inaddition,enrollmentwillnotbeconsideredcompleteuntilthefollowinghavebeenreceived,normallyonemonthbeforethestartofthenewschoolyear※Physicalexaminationresults※Tuition(firstmonth)1、Accordingtothepassage,iftheapplicantsreapplyforanacademicyear,________.A．anewapplicationandapplicationfeearetoberequiredB．applicantsonareservelistneedn’tbeassessedC．theapplicationfeecanbereducedtoahalfD．theinitialapplicationformshouldbereturnedtotheAdmissionsOffice2、Whichofthefollowingistrue?A．Onceapplicantsarerefused,theycan’tapplyforitagain.B．Applicantsheldonareservelistwillnotbeadmitted.C．Applicantsdon’thavetogetacompanylettertoconfirmtheirapplication.D．TheapplicantsshouldshoweitheraHongKongvisaoraHongKongIDcard.3、Ifanapplicanthasbeenadmitted,theapplicantfamily________.A．willbeaskedtosubmitanewapplicationB．willreceivephysicalExaminationresultsC．willbeaskedtoonlypaythefirstmonthfeeD．willbeaskedtoconfirmacceptanceandpaythefees第三部分语言知识运用（共两节）第一节（每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项．26．（30分）Thesedays，upcycling(升级改造)ispopularwithpeople．They1somethinguniquefromexistingmaterialsratherthanbuymore．Mygranny，Bobohasspent92yearsdoingjustthatoutofnecessity．Wastingtimeandresourceswas2anoptionintheworldshegrewupin．Withsevenchildrento3，shelivedahardandeconomicallife．Bobohasbeenupcycling4thedayGreat-GrannyAnnieputaneedleinherhandandtaughtherhowtogivenew5toeveryfabric(织物)intheirfarmhouse．JustlikeBobo，mymother，Cindy，6makingherclothes．She7herhomecomingdressandboughtthefabricwithmoneysheearned8atthecanfactory．Onegenerationpassedontothenextthe9ofcreatingsomethingbeautifulandusefulbyhand．Granny’sandMom’ssewingskillsmeantthatnomatterthebudget，Christmas，birthday，andweddinggiftswere10．Fromababyblankettoabib(围嘴)，eachtreasure11aspecialqualityofpersonalization．InmyhomeIam12byupcyclingatitsbest．ThankstoBobo’s13ways，theartistryofhandworklivesoninfour14ofcrafters．GrannyBobolivedit．Momcarriediton．Iampickingitupbylisteningand15．Nowmydaughter，Greta，isalsolearningtousethose16．Isitandwatch17asBobo’shandsweaveneedleandthread．In92years，herhandshaveknownand18life，homeandfamily．Agehasbroughtthe19ofsomememories．Butifyoulistentoherstorieswhileshe20，you’lljourneybacktotheoldfarmwithher．1、A．changeB．createC．chooseD．replace2、A．alwaysB．everC．neverD．usually3、A．feedB．teachC．protectD．encourage4、A．afterB．sinceC．beforeD．until5、A．1ifeB．natureC．willD．power6、A．turnedupB．grewupC．settleddownD．calmeddown7、A．borrowedB．spreadC．designedD．exchanged8、A．bargainingB．workingC．inspectingD．wandering9、A．artB．dutyC．typeD．task10、A．impossibleB．preciousC．worthlessD．accessible11、A．carriesB．1osesC．demandsD．extends12、A．filledB．controlledC．disturbedD．surrounded13、A．modernB．strangeC．traditionalD．regular14、A．decadesB．scenesC．occasionsD．generations15、A．arguingB．observingC．complainingD．photographing16、A．detailsB．hintsC．skillsD．outlines17、A．closelyB．randomlyC．carelesslyD．secretly18、A．betrayedB．evaluatedC．wastedD．treasured19、A．1ossB．recoveryC．strengthD．storage20、A．chatsB．cooksC．jogsD．sews第二节（每小题1.5分，满分15分）阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。27．（15分）Elias’StoryElias,apoorworkerinSouthAfrica,saidthatthetime1．hefirstmetNelsonMandelawasaverydifficultperiodofhislife.In1952,he2．(go)toseeNelsonMandela,ablacklawyerforadvice.Mandelawasgenerouswithhistime,forwhichEliaswasverygrateful.Hebeganschoolatsix,buthehadtoleaveschooltwoyearslaterbecause3．(he)familycouldn’taffordtheschoolfeesandthebusfare.As4．result,hehadverylittleeducation.After5．(try)hard,hegotajobinagoldmine.However,toliveinJohannesburg,onehadgottohaveapassbook.Nothavingone,becausehewasnotbornthere,heworriedabout6．hewouldbecomeoutofwork.ThenMandelahelpedhim,tellinghimhowtogetthecorrectpapers7．(stay)inJohannesburg.HebecamemorehopefulabouthisfutureandlaterjoinedtheANCYouthLeague8．(organize)byMandela.JustasMandelaputit,theblackswereso9．(bad)treatedthattheyhadreachedastagewheretheyhadalmostnorightsatall.In1963,hehelpedMandelablowupsomegovernment10．(build).Heknewthatonlybyansweringviolencewithviolencecouldtheyachievetheirdreamofmakingblackandwhitepeopleequal.第四部分写作（共两节）第一节短文改错（满分10分）28．（10分）假定英浯课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加—个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。Thereisnodenyingthatmobilephonesareplayinganimportantlyroleinourdailylife、However,thephenomenonpeoplearetooaddictedintheirmobilephonesisbecomingmoreandmorepopular、Mobilephoneaddictscan’thelpchecktheirmobilephonesallday,evenwhentheyarewalkingontheroad、Astheresult,theircommunicationwithpeoplearoundthembecomeslessandless、Besides,theirhealthyisgreatlyaffected、Manyaresufferedfromneckpains,forexample、Inmyopinion,itistimewethrowawayourmobilephonesandraisedourheadsup、Weshouldspendlesstimecommunicatingwithourfamilyandfriendsfacetoface、129第二节书面表达（满分25分）29．（25分）书面表达假定你是李华，你的英国笔友Jack来信说他最近生活不规律，询问你的生活习惯。请根据下列要点给他回一封信。1你的生活习惯；2你对自己的生活习惯的看法；3你给他的建议。注意:1.词数100左右；2.信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。DearJack,Iamsadtohearthatyouarelivingadisorganizedliferightnow.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Goodlucktoyou!Yours,LiHua

参考答案第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1、D2、B3、C4、A5、D6、C7、D8、D9、B10、C11、B12、C13、C14、C15、B16、C17、C18、B19、C20、D第二部分阅读理解（满分40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。21、1、A2、D3、B4、C22、When1wasaboyweusedtoliveacrosstheroadfromabighillwithhugeoaktreesgrowingoutofit．Whenwinterarrived，thick，heavysnowwouldfall，andmytwobrotherswouldgrabtheirsledsheadingovertothehillforadayoffun．Irememberwatchingthemwithenvybecause1wasstilltoosmalltogosledding．Finally，onewinter1wasconsideredbigenoughandjoinedmybrothersastheycarriedtheirsledsupthelonghillandpreparedtoridedownit．ThefirstfewtripsIrodewithoneofmybrothersandhadthetimeofmylife．ItwassoexhilaratingwhenthewindwhippedacrossmyfaceasIflewdownthehillsideonthewoodensled．Neartheendoftheday1wasoverjoyedtoowhenmyoldestbrotherdecidedtoletmetryridingthesledallbymyself．Iclimbedonitfullofexcitementandlayonmystomach．Thenwithonebigpushmybrothersentmedownthesnowyhillside．1wasdoingprettywelltoountilIhitanoldstumphiddenbythesnowandwentoffcourse，straighttowardsoneofthosebigoaktrees．MyheartpoundedinmychestandIcouldhearmyselfscre