Task 7

（2020～2021·福州一中模擬）Born in America， I spoke English， not Chinese， the language of my ancestors. When I was three， my parents flashed cards with Chinese? ? 1? ? at my face， but I pushed them? ? 2? ? . My mom believed I would learn? ? 3? ? I was ready. But the? ? 4? ? never came.

On a Chinese New Year？__________s Eve， my uncle spoke to me in Chinese， but all I could do was? ? 5? ? at him， confused， scratching my head. “Still can？__________t speak Chinese？ ” he? ? 6? ? me. “You can？__________t even buy a fish in Chinatown.”

“Hey， this is America， not China. I？__________ll get some? ? 7? ? with or without Chinese，” I replied and turned to my mom for? ? 8? ? . “Remember to ask for fresh fish， Xin Xian Yu，” she said， handing over a $20 bill. I? ? 9? ? the words， running downstairs into the streets of Chinatown.

I found the fish? ? ?10? ? surrounded by a sea of customers. “I？__________d like to buy some fresh fish，” I shouted to the fish seller. But he? ? 11? ? my English words and turned to serve the next customer. The laugh of the people behind increased? ? ?12? ? their impatience. With every? ? 13? ? ， the breath of the dragons （龍） on my back grew stronger—my blood boiling—? ? 14? ? me to cry out. “Xian Sheng Yu， please.” “Very Xian Sheng，” I repeated. The crowd erupted into laughter. My face turned? ? 15? ? and I ran back home? ? 16? ? ， except for the $20 bill I held tightly in my pocket.

Should I laugh or cry？ They？__________re Chinese. I should feel right at? ? 17? ? . Instead， I was the joke， a disgrace （令人感到羞恥的人或事） to the language.

Sometimes， I laugh at my fish? ? 18? ? ， but， in the end， the joke is on? ? 19? ? . Every laugh is a culture? ? 20? ? ; every laugh is my heritage （傳統） fading away.

1. A. custom B. games C. characters D. language

2. A. ahead B. around C. along D. aside

3. A. when B. before C. unless D. until

4. A. success B. study C. time D. attempt

5. A. aim B. joke C. nod D. stare

6. A. cared about B. laughed at C. argued with D. asked for

7. A. right now B. from now C. at times D. in time

8. A. decision B. permission C. information D. preparation

9. A. repeated B. reviewed C. spelled D. kept

10. A. farm B. stand C. pond D. market

11. A. guessed B. forgot C. doubted D. ignored

12. A. by B. as C. with D. from

13. A. second B. effort C. desire D. movement

14. A. forcing B. allowing C. persuading D. leading

15. A. bright B. blank C. pale D. red

16. A. open？__________mouthed B. tongue？__________tied? ? ? ? ? ? ?C. empty？__________handed D. broken？__________hearted

17. A. service B. home C. risk D. root

18. A. trade B. deed C. challenge D. incident

19. A. it B. us C. me D. them

20. A. thrown B. lost C. divided D. reflected