陕西省宝鸡市2026届高考模拟检测试题（二）英语试题（含答案）

陕西省宝鸡市2026年高考模拟检测试题(二)英语试题

(试卷满分150分，考试时间120分钟)2026.03

注意事项：

1.答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号填写在答题卡和试卷指定位置上。

2.回答选择题时，选出每小题答案后，用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，再选涂其他答案标号。回答非选择题时，将答案写在答题卡上，写在本试卷上无效。

3.考试结束后，请将答题卡交回。

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纸

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.Whatisthewomanmostlikelydoing?

A.Doingsomecleaning.B.Fixingtheshelf.C.Searchingforabox.

2.Whatistherestrictionfortheride?

A.Weight.B.Height.C.Age.

3.Whatdoesthewomanmean?

A.Thecoursewillbedifficult.

B.Dr.Robinsoniseasytogetalongwith.

C.Thepoetryclassisverypopular.

4.Whatisthemanconcernedabout?

A.Howhewillgosailing.B.Howbighisboatis.C.Howheisdressed.

5.Howmanytimeshasthemanstayedatthehotelbeforethisvisit?

A.Once.B.Twice.C.Threetimes.

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6、7小题。

6.Whoisthemanmostlikelytobe?

A.AFrenchchef.B.Atourguide.C.Atourist.

7.Howwillthespeakerstravelaroundthecity?

A.Bycar.B.Bytrain.C.Bybus.

听第7段材料，回答8至10小题。

8.Whatisthewomandoing?

A.Borrowingaphonefromtheman.

B.Introducingsomethingtotheman.

C.Askingforthedirections.

9.Howdoesthemanorderataxi?

A.Heuseshishandtosignalone.B.Heusesaphoneapp.C.Hecallsforone.

10.Whatistherelationshipbetweenthespeakers?

A.Strangers.B.Friends.C.Bossandsecretary.

听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。

11.Whatweatherdoesthemanprobablypredict?

A.Snowy.B.Cloudy.C.Sunny:

12.Wheredoestheconversationtakeplace?

A.Onabeach.B.Inarestaurant.C.Inapark.

13.Whatdidthewomanbring?

A.Themusicplayer.B.Anumbrella.C.Sunglasses.

听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。

14.WhatdoesthewomanthinkoftheCAPP?

A.Itwillbedifficult.B.Itwillbehelpful.C.Itwillbeboring.

15.Whatisthewoman'sadvantage?

A.Sheishard-working.B.Sheiscreative.C.Sheisreliable.

16.Wherewillthemanprobablyvolunteer?

A.Atasportinggoodsstore.B.Onaconstructionsite.C.AtaTVstation.

听第10段材料，回答17至20小题。

17.Whatisthemaintopicofthetalk?

A.Foodquality.B.Hotweather.C.Cropharvest.

18.Whatisthequantityofcornproduction?

A.Thesameaslastyear.

B.Twiceasmuchaslastyear.

C.Threetimesasmuchaslastyear.

19.Whichcropisdisappointingthisyear?

A.Oranges.B.Peaches.C.Apples.

20.Whatisthedisadvantageofabigharvest?

A.Pricesarelower.B.Qualityislower.C.Profitsarelower.·

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

Travelinformationforinboundtourists

——fromtheexperts'talks

Visa

In2024,Chinabroadeneditsunilateralvisa-freepolicytoinclude38countries,allowinga

stayofupto30days.Thecountryhasbeenwelcomingglobaltravelerswithopenarms,asitfurtheroptimizes

tourismpolicies,includingthe240-hourvisa-freetransitoptionto54countriessinceDec17,2024.Goonthe

NationalImmigrationAdministrationofficialwebsite(https://)forthedetailedlists.

Language

JManydestinationsandtransportationsystemsarepostingEnglish-languageorevenmultilingual

signage.

TechnologieslikeAIarefulfillingthefunctionsoftranslation.Withmobiletranslationapplications,itwillbe

easierforvisitorstogetaround.DeepSeek,anAItoolavailableonmultiplewebsitesandmobileapps,willalways

offeranswerstoquestionslikethehistoricalbackgroundonanytouristattraction.

Alwaysfeelfreetoaskpassersby,becauseChinesepeopleareknownfortheirhospitality.

Currencyandpayment

PaymentinChinaishighlydigitalized,thusnewmeasureshaveimprovedthosemobilepaymentplatforms'

capabilitiestolinktointernationalcreditcards.Morehotelsarebuyingreadersforinternationalcreditcards;please

checkbeforeyoutransact.PlatformssuchasAlipayofferoptionsforinboundvisitorstoboardtheBeijingsubways

withMastercard.

Andthereisalsotraditionalcashandbanksforyourservice.

Travelingplan

Sometrip-planningAIplatformsofferreal-timeinfoonflights,transportation,attractionsandthelike.There's

alsoonecalledKayak,which,besidesprovidingtraveltips,integrateslocalcar-hailingserviceDidiorothers.

Or,visitorsmaycheckthehashtagfor"ChinaTravel"onsocialmedialikeYouTube,TikTokandInstagram

formoreinformationastheoptimizedvisapolicieshavealreadyattractedmanytoexperienceChina,severalof

whomarehappytoshare.

Tickets

Manycitieshavelaunchedmeasuresthatenableforeignerstousepassportsonsitetogetticketsforsometop

destinations,liketheForbiddenCityinBeijingandTerracottaWarriorsinXi'an,Shaanxiprovince.Checkthe

officialwebsitesofyourdestinationforupdatedticketinformation.

SodownloadamapinEnglish(orinyourlanguage),andenjoyChinaTravel!

21.Howlongcantouristsfromvisa-freecountriesstayinChina?

A.15days.B.30days.C.10days.D.54days.

22.WhatisDeepSeekabletohelptouristsdo?

A.Bookandrentacarride.B.Translateandexplainhistory.

C.Connectinternationalcards.D.Checkvisa-freelists.

23.WhatcanbeinferredaboutpaymentinChinafromthetext?

A.Cashisnolongeracceptedanywhere.

B.InternationalcardscannotbeusedinChina.

C.Itisbecomingmoreaccessibletoforeigners.

D.OnlyAlipaysupportsforeigntouristsinChina.

B

SnowboarderChloeKimsaysshe's"goodtogo"fortheMilano-CortinaOlympics,despitetearingthe

labrum(上唇)inhershoulderduringatrainingrunlastweekinSwitzerland.

Nowcomesaraceagainsttheclocktoseeifshecangetreadyforacontestthatstartsinlessthanamonth.

ThewinnerofthelasttwoOlympicgoldmedalsinthehalfpipepostedanupdatetoInstagramonTuesday,

sayingthatshewasn'tsurprisedtolearnshehadtornherlabrum——theliningofthesocketthatholdsthe

shouldertogether.Shedidnotsaywhichshouldersheinjuredwhenshefellwhilegettingreadyforthisweekend's

LaaxOpen.

"Therearetwowaystodoit,andthewayIdiditislessseverethantheother,soI'mreallyhappyaboutthat,"

shesaid.

"Obviously,I'mreallydisappointedthatIcan'tsnowboarduntilrightbeforetheOlympics,whichisgoingtobe

hard.Ihaven'tgottennearlytheamountofrepsthatIwouldhaveliked,butthat'sOK."

Thewomen'sOlympichalfpipeconteststartsonFeb11.

The25-year-oldKim,whohasalreadyqualifiedfortheUSteam,wouldbetheheavyfavoritetowininItaly

ifshe'scompletelyhealthy.

Shesaidshewon'tcompetethisweekendinLaax.Shedidn'tmentiontheWinterXGamesinAspenlaterthis

month,whicharethelastbigcontestbeforetheOlympics.

Kimhasonlyparticipatedinonecompetitionthisseason—————lastmonthinCopperMountain———

——andwhilewarmingupforthefinalthere,shesufferedashoulderinjury,aswell.

Lastweek,shepostedvideoofherfallinSwitzerland,whichshowedherskitteringacrossthehalfpipeafter

losingherbearingsonthelandingofajump.

Atthattime,shesaidshedislocatedtheshoulderandwasn'tinthatmuchpain.AnMRIlastFridayrevealed

thelabrumtear.

Inhervideo,Kimsaidshe'llhavetoweara"shoulderbrace"thatisuncomfortable.

"Iwentthroughabunchofdifferentwavesofemotions,buthonestly,I'mreallyexcitedforthisweek,"she

said.

"I'msogratefultobeabletodothis,eventhoughthelowscangetprettydamnlow,"Kimwroteonthepost

thatwentalongwithhervideo."Excitedforaweekofexploration!"

Kim,whohasalsowonthreeWorldChampionshiphalfpipegoldmedals,isoneofthehighestprofilewinter

sportsathletesintheUS.

ShebecametheyoungestwomantowinanOlympicgoldinthehalfpipeatthe2018GamesinPyeongchang

whenshewas17.

24.WhathappenedtoChloeKimduringhertraininginSwitzerland?

A.Shebrokeherarm.B.Shehurthershoulder.

C.Sheinjuredherknee.D.Shegotaconcussion.

25.WhatistrueaboutKim'scompetitionparticipationthisseason?

A.Sheonlyjoinedonecontest.B.Shehaswonseveralevents.

C.ShewillcompeteintheXGames.D.ShemissedLaaxOpenforpersonalreasons.

26.WhichwordbestdescribesChloeKim'sattitudetowardhersituation?

A.Anxious.B.Positive.C.Doubtful.D.Indifferent.

27.Whereisthispassagemostlikelyfound?

A.Inapersonaldiary.B.Inamedicalreport.

C.Onafanblog.D.Onanewswebsite.

C

Inaworldfilledwithflashingscreensanddigitalnoise,thesoundofchildren'slaughterinoutdoorparksis

becomingrarer.Play,onceauniversalpartofchildhood,isnowsharingspacewithtabletsandtelevisions.

Thenationallyrepresentativepoll,conductedinAugust,includedresponsesfrom710parentsofchildrenaged

between5and16.Screenshavebecomeadominantpartofchildren'sroutines.Manyparentsadmitthattheirchild

watchesvideosdailyorusesphonesandtabletstostayoccupied.Forbusyfamilies,digitalplayoffersaquick

solution,butMottPollCo-DirectorSarahClarkcautionsthatbalanceiscrucial.

“Phonesandtabletsareconvenient,andit'sunderstandablethatparentsrelyonthemattimes,”Clarksaid.“But

it'simportanttobemindfulofhowmuchtimeisspentinmediaplayandtocreateopportunitiesformoreactive,

imaginativeandsocialplay.”

Actually,activitieslikeclimbingtrees,slidingdownpoles,orbalancingonmonkeybarscanbepowerful

learningmoments.Clarkremindsparentsthatthesemomentshelpchildrentestboundariessafely.Encouraging

suchexperiencesallowschildrentofacesmallfearsanddevelopresilience-acharacteristicthattheycarryinto

school,friendships,andlaterlife.

Parentsalsoplayavitalpartinshapinghowchildrenexperienceplay.Whenadultstakeoverplaytime,

dictatingwhatis“right,”creativityoftenshrinks.Clarkbelievesthatlettingchildrenguidetheirownplay

encouragescuriosityandoriginality.Thisapproachteacheschildrentosolveproblemsontheirownandbuild

confidencethroughexperimentation.Atowerofblocksthatcollapsescanbecomealessoninpatience.Apretend

teapartycanteachempathyandsocialawareness.

Themodernworldgiveschildrencountlesswaystoengagewithtechnology,butnotallplayisequal.Outdoor

playhelpsthemconnectwiththeirsurroundings,whileimaginativeplaybuildsemotionalintelligence.Digitaltools

cancomplementlearningbutcannotreplacethephysicalandsocialbenefitsoftraditionalplay.

Childhoodisabriefwindowfilledwithdiscovery,laughter,andgrowth.Allowingchildrentorun,climb,and

imaginehelpsthemnotonlybuildstrongerbodiesbutalsostrongerminds.Byembracingbothplayandfreedom,

familiescannurtureagenerationthatgrowsupcurious,confident,andconnectedtotheworldbeyondthescreen.

28.WhatcanwelearnabouttheMottPollmentionedinparagraph2?

A.ItwascarriedoutbySarahClark.

B.Itsurveyedchildrenaged5to16.

C.Itturnedoutthatchildrenpreferredscreentime.

D.Itaimedtofindoutwhykidslikedigitalplay.

29.Whatdoestheauthorintendtodomparagraph4?

A.Highlightsomecommonoutdooractivities.

B.Explainwhykidslearntocopewithpositivestress.

C.ShowthatClark'sopinionsaremoreinstructive.

D.Clarifykids'fearofengaginginoutdooractivities.

30.Whatisthedeepmeaningof“notallplayisequal”inparagraph6?

A.Accesstodigitalplayisnotavailabletoeverychild.

B.Childrenderivedifferentbenefitsfromvariousplays.

C.Traditionalplayislessconvenientthandigitalplay.

D.Playhasnodifferenceinanyform.

31.Whatisthemainideaofthepassage?

A.Outdoorplayboostsconfidenceandlearning.

B.Playingoutdoorsismorevitalthanotherplays.

C.Digitalplayisharmfultochildren'sgrowth.

D.Childhoodisapreciousperiodtoshapepersonality.

D

Anypersonwho'severflownakitehaslearnedthelesson:Onceyoucangetthekiteoffthegroundandhigh

intotheair,you'remorelikelytofindasteadybreezetokeepithighupinthesky.Afledglingwindpower

industryistakingthatlessontoheart.

Flyingmassivekites200metersormoreabovetheground,companiesareusingthewindtheyfindthereto

generateelectricity.“It'scheapertomanufacture,cheapertotransportandalsohashigherefficiency,”saysFlorian

Bauer,co-CEOandchieftechnologyofficerofKitekraft,aMunich-basedcompanydevelopingakitepower

system.Thecarbonfootprintisalsomuchsmaller,hesays.“Ifyouhaveallthoseadvantages,whywouldanyone

buildaconventionalwindturbine(涡轮机)?”

Buttobecomeawidespreadsourceofelectricity,airbornewindenergy,asit'salsocalled,needstoovercomea

numberoftechnologicalandcommercialhurdles.Anditwillneedtodemonstratethatitissafe,won'tharm

wildlifeandwon'tcreateintolerablenoiseandvisualdisturbancesforneighbors.Atthemoment,kitepowerisinits

infancy(发展初期).Butsmallversionsarealreadyonthemarket.

In2025,Hamburg-basedSkySailsPowerbecamethefirstcompanytoofferacommercialproduct.Its

productionmodelconsistsofasoft,steerablekiteupto180squaremetersinarea.Thekiteisattachedbyan800-

meterchaintoagroundstationcontainedinashippingcontainer.

Inoperation,thekitemakeslarge,gracefulfigureeightsintheskyandpowersaground-basedgenerator

capableofanaverageoutputof80kilowatts——enoughtosupplyelectricitytoabout60averageUShouseholds.

That'ssmallcomparedwithatypical2.75-megawatt(兆瓦)windturbinebutissimilarinscaletomanyportable

industrialdieselgenerators.Theunitisdesignedforuseinremotelocationsawayfromthepowernetwork.

Eventually,companieswanttobuildlargerkitescapableofgeneratingmegawattsofpower.Theyenvision

hundredsofkitesgroupedtogetheronwindfarms,providingelectricitytothegrid.

However,itremainsunclearhowwidelyusedkite-basedwindpowerwillbecome.AdvocateslikeBauerare

confidentthattheycansolvetheengineeringandcomputingproblemstomakethekitescost-effective.

32.Howdoestheauthorpresentthetopicinthefirstparagraph?

A.Bydefiningtheconceptofkite-basedwindpower.

B.Bycontrastingthedifferencesbetweenkiteflyingandwindpower.

C.Byexplaininghowwindpowerworks.

D.Bylinkingacommonexperiencetoanewindustry.

33.Whydoestheauthorarguethatkitepowerisinitsinfancy?

A.Ithasnotbeenwidelyrecognizedbythepublic.

B.Itisaccompaniedbylimitationsintermsofsafety.

C.Itlackssufficientpromotiontoenterthemarket.

D.Itisstillunderexperimentationbeforewideuse.

34.WecaninferthattheproductofSkySailsPower.

A.hasanoutputof2.75megawatts

B.isequippedwithahardandunsteerablekite

C.ismainlyusedinareaswithoutpowernetwork

D.cansupplyelectricitytohundredsofhouseholds

35.Whichofthefollowingisthemostsuitabletitleforthetext?

A.KitePower:APromisingyetChallengingEnergy

B.AdvantagesofKite-basedWindPower

C.AMajorBreakthroughofAirborneWindEnergy

D.TraditionalWindTurbines:AnOutdatedChoice

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。

Stuckdoingallthehouseholdchores?Thispracticalguidecanhelp

Inmanyhouseholds,onepersonshouldersthebruntofthechoresandchildcare.36Ifwedividedomestic

tasksfairly,itcanhelpreducestressathomeandgivebackprecioustimetoeachmemberofthehousehold.

1.Listeverychoreanderrand(差事)

Thefirstthingyouwanttodoislistouteachandeverytaskrequiredtomanagethehome.Doitinaplace

that'seasyforeveryonetoseeandaccess:asharednotesapp,aspreadsheetorawhiteboard,forexample.Include

essentialtaskslikewashingdishesortakingthekidstoschoolanderrandslikegroceryshoppingorpickingupthe

drycleaning.37

2.Assignthetasks

Whenitcomestosplittingupthehousework,nothingiseverequal.Herearesomehelpfultipsonhowto

assignchores:

38Ifyouhavechoresandworkflowsinplacethatarealreadyworkingforyouandyourpartnerorroommate,

don'tworryaboutreassigningthem.Continuedoingthetasksthatbringyoujoy,whetherit'scookingdinneror

foldingthelaundry.

Sharetheloadonburdensometasks.Nooneshouldhavetoberesponsibleforonetaskforever,especiallyif

it'sunpleasant.39It'sthingslikenighttimebabycareorpickingupdogpoopinthebackyard.Thatcouldmean

takingturnsonthetaskoragreeingtodothatchoretogether.

Consideryourhousemateorpartner'scircumstancesfortheweek.Arethisweek'sconferencecalls

completelyatoddswithyourcarpoolschedule?Doesyourroommateneedabitofabreak?

3.Befullyresponsibleforyourduties

Lastly-ifyou'reinchargeofahouseholdchore,takefullownershipofit.40It'syourresponsibilityto

accountforwhatyouneed.Yourpartnerandhouseholdaredependingonyou.

Wheneveryonedoestheirparttokeepthehouseholdrunningsmoothly,youcanfreeupmoretime.

A.Ownthetasksyoulove.

B.Butitdoesn'thavetobethisway.

C.Reassignroutineswithgreatjoy.

D.Don'texpectotherstopickuptheslackifyoucan'tcompletethetask.

E.Findawaytoassignthemosttime-consumingorleast-favoritetasks.

F.Insteadoflistingallchores,sorttheminto"dailychores"and"weeklyerrands".

G.Don'tforgettoaddtasksthatmightbelessvisible,likewritingthankyoucards.

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，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Seventeen-year-oldsprinterChenYujiemadehistoryattheNationalGames,claiminggoldinboththe100m

and200m———theyoungestevertoachievethis41.Yetbehindtheglorylayanimmense42.

Hertoughestmomentcameafterthe100mfinal.Followingthemedalceremony,shereturnedtoherhotel

around3a.m.,onlyto43at6a.m.forthe200msemifinals.Withjustafewhoursofsleep,shefacedan44sprint

event.“Mybodywasn'tfullyrecovered,”she45,“butIstilltriedtoadjust.”Andadjustshedid.Notonlydidshe

advance,buttwodayslater,46extremefatigue(疲劳),shewonthe200mfinal,breakingarecordthathadstood

since2001.Herabilitytoperformunder47earnedherthenickname“LittleBigSister.”

Offthetrack,Chenbalances48trainingwithherstudies.Herschoolprovidespersonalizedtutoringtokeep

heracademicprogressontrack.“49bothishard,butItrytotakeitdaybyday,”shesays.Chen'sfocusisabsolute.

Inraces,hereyesstay50onthefinishline.51byherfamilyandteachers,shedreamsofrepresentingChina

globally.“Ihaven'tset52formyself,”shedeclares.

Her53ispacked,yetshefindstimeforhobbieslikehandicrafts.Shebelievesthatlife,likearace,requires

notjust54butalsopatienceandbalance.ForChenYujie,everylaneholdsa55——andsheisjustgettingstarted.

41.A.dreamB.recordC.victoryD.goal

42.A.challengeB.secretC.opportunityD.mystery

43.A.pullthroughB.getupC.calloffD.turnover

44.A.officialB.optionalC.explosiveD.ordinary

45.A.wonderedB.arguedC.promisedD.admitted

46.A.reducingB.feelingC.battlingD.ignoring

47.A.pressureB.changeC.controlD.debate

48.A.holyB.moderateC.temporaryD.intense

49.A.EnjoyingB.BlamingC.BalancingD.Forgetting

50.A.fixedlyB.nervouslyC.widelyD.occasionally

51.A.FollowedB.SupportedC.WatchedD.Praised

52.A.goalsB.datesC.examplesD.limits

53.A.theoryB.memoryC.routineD.principle

54.A.speedB.luckC.talentD.fame

55.A.lessonB.promiseC.riskD.truth

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。

TraditionalChineseMedicine(TCM)isfindingnewwaysintomodernlife.FamousTCM

pharmacies,56(include)the350-year-oldTongRenTang,arenowsellingcoffeeandbreadthatcontainherbs.

Theseproducts57(base)ontheideathatsomeingredientscanbebothfoodandmildmedicine.Foryoung

people,theappealliesnotinstrongmedicaleffects,58inafeelingofcomfortandatrendylifestyle.Theymake

small,59(person)choices,likedrinkingherbalcoffee,60(deal)withstressfromworkandlife.61(similar),some

hospitalssellspecialbreadwithherbs,whichattractsmanycustomers.Shopsalsoofferdrinks62(call)“wellness

water,”claimingtohelpwithtiredness.

Thistrendshows63changeinhowpeopleviewhealth.Insteadofonlytakingbittermedicine64theyaresick,

peoplenowtrytostayhealthythroughdaily65(choose),suchaspickingaherbaldrink.TCMisbecomingapart

ofeverydaylife.

第四部分写作(共两节，满分40分)

第一节(满分15分)

你校英文报“TechnologyandLife”栏目正在开展题为“AI-PoweredReading:HelporHurt?”的讨论。请使

用下图中的调查结果，写一篇短文投稿，内容包括：

1.简要描述学生使用AI阅读的目的；

2.你的评论及建议。

注意：1.词数80左右；2.短文题目和首句已为你写好。

AI-PoweredReading:HelporHurt?

Nowadays,AItoolsareincreasinglyusedbystudentstoassistwithreading.

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。

Theschoolmusiccompetitionwasonlytwoweeksaway,andthepressurewasgettingtoeveryoneinthe

practiceroom.Astheleadguitaristfortheirband"TheEchoes,"sixteen-year-oldDamonfeltitmostofall.His

bestfriend,Mark,wasthedrummer,andtheyhadbeendreamingofthismomentsincetheyfirstlearnedtoplay.

However,lately,nothingseemedtogoright.Duringtheirafternoonpractice,Damonmissedacrucialnote,

causingthewholesongtofallapart."Canyoupleasefocus,Damon?"Marksaid,hisvoicetightwithfrustration.

Hethrewhisdrumsticksdown."We'llneverwinifwekeepmakingsillymistakeslikethat."

Damonfelthisfacegrowhot."Itwasonemistake!You'renotperfecteither,"heshotback.Theargument

escalatedquickly,fueledbyweeksofstressandlackofsleep.Harshwordswerespokenaboutcommitment

andtalent,wordstheydidn'ttrulymeanbutcouldn'ttakeback.Finally,Markgrabbedhisbackpack."I'mdone

fortoday,"hesaidcoldly,andwalkedout,slammingthedoorbehindhim.

Thesilenceintheroomwasheavyanduncomfortable.Damonwasleftalone,theangryechooftheslammed

doorringinginhisears.Helookeddownathisguitar,feelingamixofguiltandanger.Theyhadneverfoughtlike

thisbefore.Theirfriendshiphadalwaysbeenstrong,builtonasharedloveformusic.Now,itfeltcrackedand

fragile.

Damonknewthecompetitionwasimportant,butwinningfeltmeaninglessifitcosthimhisbestfriend.He

hadtofindawaytofixthis,buthisprideheldhimback.Apologizingfeltlikeadmittinghewastheonlyoneat

fault.Ashepackedhisguitar,hisphonelitupwithamessagefromtheband'svocalist,Maya:“Hey,sawwhat

happened.Thesong'sbridgestillneedswork.Justathought.”Hewonderediftheirband,andtheirfriendship,

couldsurviveth