安徽省蚌埠市2026届高三英语下学期4月适应性考试二模

蚌埠市2026届高三下学期适应性考试

英语

满分：150分考试时间：120分钟

注意事项：

1．答题前，考生务必用0.5毫米的黑色墨水签字笔将自己的姓名、学校、班级、准考证号及座位号填写在

答题卡上规定的位置。

2．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，如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再

选涂其他答案标号。不能答在本试卷上，否则无效。

3．考试结束，将答题卡交回。

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题。每段对话仅读两遍。

1.Whatwillthewomanprobablydothisweekend?

A.Climbamountain.B.Rideamotorcycle.C.Relaxinthecountryside.

2.WhenwillthemanvisitMike?

A.LastFriday.B.ThisThursday.C.NextMonday.

3.WhatdoweknowaboutAmanda?

A.She’sactive.B.She’sshy.C.She’slonely.

4.Whatdoesthemanmean?

A.Heinvitesthewomantojoinhim.

B.He’slookingforwardtothepicnic.

C.Hecanhelpthewomanthisweekend.

5.Whatarethespeakersmainlytalkingabout?

A.Mary’sclass.B.Travellingplans.C.GiftsforMary.

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.WhydoesEmmarefusetotourGreece?

A.Shedoesn’thaveapassport.

B.Sheisafraidofflying.

C.Shedislikestraveling.

7.Whatwillthespeakerspossiblydosoon?

A.VisitGreece.

B.PlanaCanadatrip.

C.Applyforpassports.

听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。

8.Whatistheman’ssuggestionforthewoman’sfinalpaper?

A.Spendingfixedhourseachdayonit.

B.Concentratingallherenergyonit.

C.Askingherteacherforguidance.

9.Whatmightthewomandoonherjobapplication?

A.Spendhalfadayonapplication.

B.Focusoncontrollableactions.

C.Checkthereplyeverytwohours.

听第8段材料，回答第10-13题。

10.HowdoesNancylook?

A.Surprised.B.Excited.C.Anxious.

11.WhydoesVictormentionhisperformanceinaplay?

A.TocomfortNancy.

B.Toexpresshisregret.

C.Toshowhispride.

12.WhatisNancygoingtodonextweek?

A.Takeaviolintest.

B.Performinaconcert.

C.Jointheorchestra.

13.WhatdoesVictoroffertodoforNancy?

A.AccompanyhernextFriday.

B.Recommendabookforher.

C.Helpherpreparebetter.

听第9段材料，回答第14-16题。

14.Whatisthewoman’soccupation?

A.Journalistofalocalnewspaper.

B.Chefofapopularrestaurant.

C.Hostessofaweeklyprogram.

15.HowdidMr.Bryantmanagehisbusinessintheearlystage?

A.Heranthreerestaurantswithhiswife’shelp.

B.Heandhiswifedideverythingbythemselves.

C.Heworkedbothasacookandawaiter.

16.Whatcontributestotheman’sbusinesssuccess?

A.Therestaurantlocation.B.Thefoodtaste.C.Thediningexperience

听第10段材料，回答第17-20题。

17.WhatwasdifficultforthespeakerwhenstartinglearningFrench?

A.Grammar.B.Vocabulary.C.Pronunciation.

18.WhydidthespeakerliveinFranceforayear?

A.Tocontinuestudies.

B.Togosightseeing.

C.Tofindajob.

19.HowdidthespeakerfeelafterarrivinginFrance?

A.Amazed.B.Helpless.C.Relieved.

20.Whatdoesthespeakeremphasizeasthemostimportantinlearningalanguage?

A.Writingaccurately.B.Memorizingvocabulary.C.Speakingfluently.

第二部分阅读理解（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和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

A

Passwordsarethefirstlineofdefenseforyouronlinelife,protectingyouremail,banking,

shoppingandworkaccounts.Therefore,buildinggoodpasswordhabitsisveryessential.Here’s

ourguidetokeepyourdigitalaccountssafe.

·Lengthcomesfirst:Yourpasswordmustbeatleast16characterslong.Shortpasswords,

evencomplex-lookingones,canbecrackedwithinhoursbyautomatedtools,whilea16-character

onemaytakemillionsofyearstobreak,makingmostattackersgiveup.

·Uniqueforeveryaccount:Neverreusepasswordsacrossaccounts.Ifoneaccountisbroken

into,attackerswilltrythesamepasswordonallyourotheraccounts.Evensmallchangestoa

reusedpassworddonotmakeituniqueenough.

·Randomandunrecognizable:Strongpasswordsarerandommixesofletters,numbersandsymbols.

Avoidusingnames,datesorcommonwords.Whilecomplexitymatterslessthanlengthandrandomness,

mostwebsitesrequireamixofcharactertypes.

·Enablemulti-factorauthentication(认证)forimportantaccounts:Itaddsanextralayer

ofprotection,evenifyourpasswordisstolen.

·Changepasswordsonlywhennecessary:Regularchangesarenolongerrecommended.Youonly

needtoupdateapasswordifyouraccountisleakedoryoususpectunauthorizedaccess.

Long,uniqueandrandompasswordsareoneofthemosteffectivewaystoprotectyouronline

life,andthesetipscanhelpyoustarteasily.

1.Whatistheprimaryfactorforasafepassword?

A.Length.B.Uniqueness.C.Randomness.D.Changeability.

2.Whatisagoodpasswordhabit?

A.Reuseapasswordwithslightchanges.

B.Updateapasswordonlyifnecessary.

C.Usetheowner’snameasapassword.

D.Replacepasswordswithauthentication.

3.Whereisthetextmostprobablytakenfrom?

A.Apubliconlinesecurityguide.

B.Acommercialadforpasswordsoftware.

C.Anacademicessayondigitaltech.

D.Anewsreportonmajoronlinedataleaks.

【答案】1.A2.B3.A

B

ShetaraSimshadweatheredsometoughyears.In2012,hereldestdaughtersufferedsevere

injuriesduringanargumentinKansasCity,Missouri.Lastyear,thesinglemotherlostherjob

inthehardtimes.Shehadonly$7inherpocketassheheadedintothegrocerystoreoneday

lastJulywithher12-year-olddaughter,RakiyaEdmondson.

AndthenluckfinallyturnedSims’way.Sheandherdaughterfoundadollarbillintheparking

lot.Maybethiswastheirday,theytoldeachother.Sotheyboughtalotteryticket(彩票)—

andwon$100.

Butbeforetheycouldspendtheirwindfall,Rakiyahadanidea.ThenewsinKansasCitythat

weekhadbeenfilledwithstoriesaboutapoliceofficer,TylerMoss,whohadbeenshotinthe

headinthelineofduty.Hewasincriticalcondition.Rakiyaandhermotherhadneverforgotten

howkindthepolicehadbeenaftertheirownfamilymemberwasattacked.“Thedetectiveswere

reallythereforus,”Simssays.“Theycametoseemykids.Theywerefathers,therapists(治

疗师).Theywereeverything.”RakiyawantedtogivetheirlotterywinningstoOfficerMoss’s

family.Hermomreadilyagreed.

OnJuly10,Simscalledthepoliceandmadeananonymous(匿名的)donation.Movedbyher

generousact,theofficersdidwhattheydobest—theytrackedSimsdown.Whensheexplained

thefamily’smotivation,theofficerscouldhardlybelieveit.“Withhercurrentfinancial

hardship,weencouragedhertokeepthemoney,”thedepartmentlaterexplained.“Sherefused,

sayingtheofficer’sfamilyneededitandpoliceneededtoknowtheyweresupported.”

Bythen,thatfeelingofsupportwasmutual.ThepolicesetupaGoFundMepageforSimsand

herdaughter,whomtheynamed“TheWomanwiththeHeartofGold.”Theirgoalwas＄10,000.By

January11,2021,theyhadraised＄165,405.Evenbetter:OfficerMoss,whohada1percentchance

ofsurvival,isoutofthehospitalandrecovering.

4.Whatdoestheunderlinedword“windfall”inparagraph3probablymean?

A.Devotedeffort.B.Poortimes.C.Unexpectedmoney.D.Luckydays.

5.WhatmadetheSimsdecidetodonatethelotterywinnings?

A.Desireforpublicpraise.B.Gratitudeforpastpolicekindness.

C.Hopeforfinancialreturn.D.SympathyforOfficerMoss’sfamily.

6.WhydidthepolicetrackdownSimsafterthedonation?

A.Toreturnthemoney.B.Tohelpthefamily.

C.Toreportherinpublic.D.Tofindthetruth.

7.Whichofthefollowingcanbethebesttitleforthetext?

A.ALotteryWinThatBroughtMutualWarmth

B.APoliceOfficerWhoGotSupportfromaStranger

C.APoorFamilyWhoseLifeWasChangedbyFaith

D.AKindPoliceTeamThatHelpedaSingleMother

【答案】4.C5.B6.D7.A

C

ResearchershavecreatedamapofAntarcticarevealingthousandsofnever-before-seenhills,

valleysandplainsbeneaththeice.Thisnewinformationcouldhelpscientistsunderstandhow

thechangingclimatewillaffectthecontinent.

AntarcticaisalmostoneandahalftimesthesizeofEurope.Mostofitiscoveredinalayer

oficethat’sthreemilesthickinplaces,whichmakesitdifficulttoseetheshapeoftheland

underneath.Thenewmaphaschangedthat.

Inthepast,scientistsusedradarfromairandgroundsurveystoworkoutwhatthelandsurface

mightlooklike.Radarsendsoutradiowaves,whichbounceoffthegroundandarereflectedback.

Researcherscanthenworkouthowfarawaythelandisbeneaththeice,revealinghills,valleys

andplains.Thetroubleis,therearebigdistancesbetweentheareasthey’vesurveyed,leaving

scientiststofillinthegaps.

Tocreatethenewmap,theteamusedsatelliteimages,surveysofthesurfaceiceandan

understandingofhowicemoves.Althoughicebehavesdifferentlytowater,thescientistswere

abletofigureouthowtheicehadflowedandpinpoint(精准定位)themountainsandvalleys

underneathit.“It’slikekayakinginariverwithrocksunderwater.Eddies(漩涡)inthesurface

tellyouabouttherocksunderthewater,”saidthestudy’sleadauthor,HelenOckendenfrom

theUniversityofGrenoble-AlpesinFrance.

MappingthelandunderneathAntarcticaisimportant.Thecontinentislosingiceastheplanet

warms.Astheicemelts,itfallsintotheocean,raisingglobalsealevels.Scientistsarenot

surehowmuchicethecontinentwillloseinthefutureandhowthiswillraisesea.Theshape

ofalandscapeaffectshowquicklyicemovesacrossitssurface,andthespeedatwhichitpushes

upsealevels.

Expertssaythemapwillgiveabetterideaofwhat’sgoingtohappeninthefuture.“It’s

likeagrainypixel(像素颗粒感的)filmcamerabefore,andnowaproperlyzoomed-indigitalimage

ofwhat’sreallygoingon,”saidOckenden.

8.Whydidtheresearcherscreateanewmap?

A.TostudyiceinEurope.B.Toforecastsealevelchanges.

C.Toreplaceoldsurveytools.D.ToshowAntarctica’shiddenland.

9.HowdidscientistsdiscoverthelandformsbeneathAntarctica’sice?

A.Bystudyingicemovement.B.Bydrillingicesurfacedeep.

C.Bycreatingeddiesatsea.D.Byanalyzingsatelliteimages.

10.WhydoesmappingtheAntarcticlandunderneathmatter?

A.IthelpsslowglobalwarminginAntarctia.

B.Ithelpsexplainpastglobalsealevelrise.

C.Ithelpspredicticemeltandsealevelrise.

D.Ithelpsmeasurethecurrentamountofice.

11.WhatdoesOckendenintendtoshowbymentioningthecameras?

A.Howmuchthenewmapsareimproved.

B.Howmanydetailedmapstheyhavemade.

C.WhytheicemeltssoquicklyinAntarctica.

D.Whenthenewtechnologywillbeused.

【答案】8.D9.A10.C11.A

D

Symbolicofbeauty,pride,andwealthinsomecultures—likelythankstothemales’

rainbow-coloredtailfeathersanddramaticcourtshipdisplay—peacocksareoftenassociated

withbeingconfidentandattention-grabbing.So,perhapsit’snosurprisethatthesestriking

creaturescanbeusedinametaphortoillustratecomplexfamilydynamics.

Beinghonestabouttheupsanddownsoffamilylifeisn’tsomethingyou’llusuallyhear

froma‘peacockparent’.Instead,they’llprojecttheperfectfamily,paradingtheirchild’s

talentsinpublic,whilecriticisingthembehindcloseddoorswhendisappointed.Forthechild

onthereceivingendofthistreatment,itcanfeelliketheirvalueisonlyaspartofashow

putonforeveryoneelse’sentertainment.

Youmayhaveheardthesaying“asproudasapeacock”,whichdescribessomeonewhothinks

highlyofthemselvesandlikestobethecenterofattention.Whenthisappearsinparenting,

itiscallednarcissistic(自恋的)parenting.Suchparentslackunderstandingandcarefortheir

children’sfeelings,oftencontrolorinfluencetheminordertomeettheirownemotionalneeds,

andalwayswanttofeelpowerfulorspecialinthefamily.

ThephrasebecamemorewidelyknownafterBritishpsychotherapistandwriterKathleenSaxton

publishedherbookMyParentthePeacock.Inthebook,shelooksintohownarcissisticparenting

influenceschildren.Shealsotalksabouttwocommonrolesthesechildrentakeon:the

‘scapegoatedchild’,whobecomesatargetfortheparent’sownworriesandshortcomings,and

the‘goldenchild’,whoistreatedlikesomethingvaluabletomaketheparentfeelmoreimportant

andsuperior.

CounsellorOlenaChechelsaysthisarrogantbehaviourcomesfromdeepinsecurityandlack

ofconfidenceinsidetheseparents.Thatiswhytheyseetheirchildrenmorelikepartsof

themselvesortoolstohelpthemfeelsuccessfulandimportant.

“Thechildmustbeperceivedasacceptable,shiny,orsignificant,asthisalltiesback

tothem.Themessageissimple:‘YouhavetobewhatItellyoutobe,becauseIknowbest,’”

Olenasays.“Thisisdeeplyharmfulforthechild,astheyarenotabletodeveloptheirown

identity.”

12.Whydoestheauthormention“peacocks”inthefirstparagraph?

A.Toshowpeacockcharm.B.Tointroduceaparentingmethod.

C.Tofixfamilyconflicts.D.Toillustratethefamilycomplexity.

13.Whatdothepeacockparentslooklike?

A.Theyprioritizechildren’sfeelingsoverevaluations.

B.Theyexpresstheirdisappointmenttochildrenpublicly.

C.Theyattachimportancetoothers’perceptionoftheirfamily.

D.Theysharetheirrealfamilysituationwithpeoplearoundthem.

14.What’stherootcauseoftheparents’behavior?

A.Theirlowself-worth.B.Theirhighexpectations.

C.Theirheavyworkpressure.D.Theirrichlifeexperience.

15.WhatisOlenaChechel’sattitudetowardpeacockparenting?

A.Supportive.B.Indifferent.C.Tolerant.D.Critical.

【答案】12.B13.C14.A15.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。

Gettingbackintoexercisecanbeachallengeinthebestoftimes,butwithgymsandin-person

exerciseclassesoff-limitstomanypeoplethesedays,itcanbetrickytoknowwheretostart.

Andit’simportanttogettherightamountofactivity.“Toomuchtoosooneitherresultsin

injuryorburnout,”saysMaryYoke,PhD.____16____

____17____Don’ttrytogobacktowhatyouweredoingbeforeyourbreak.Ifyouwerewalking

3milesaday,playing18holesofgolfthreetimesaweek,orlifting10-pounddumbbellsfor

threesetsof10reps,reduceactivitytohalfamileeveryotherday.Increasetime,distance,

andintensitygradually.“Thisisn’tsomethingyoucandoovernight,”saysKeriL.Denay,MD.

Ifyou’rebreathingtoohardtotalkincompletesentences,backoff.Ifyoufeelgood,go

alittlelongerorfaster.____18____Goeasiernexttime.Andstayalerttoserioussymptoms,

suchaschestpainorpressure,severeshortnessofbreathordizziness,orfaintness,andseek

medicalattentionimmediately.

Consistencyisthekeytogettingstrongerandbuildingendurance.Tenminutesofactivity

perdayisagoodstart.____19____Alltheexpertswespokewithhighlyrecommendwalkingbecause

it’stheeasiest,mostaccessibleformofexercise.Althoughitcanbeaworkoutonitsown,

ifyourgoalistogetbacktoZumbaclasses,tennis,cycling,oranyotheractivity,walking

isalsoagreatfirststep.

Evenifyoucan’tyetdoafavoriteactivity,youcanpracticethemoves.Withorwithout

acluborracket,swinglikeyou’rehittingtheball.Paddlelikeyou’reinaboat.Copyyour

favoriteswimmingmoments.____20____

A.StartLow,GoSlow.

B.AimHigh,PushHard.

C.Feelingwipedoutafterasession?

D.Youcanalsojoinalivestreamexerciseclass.

E.Itcanlayasolidfoundationforyourfutureexerciseplans.

F.Thisactionwillremindyouofthejoytheactivitybroughtyou.

G.Thefollowingstrategieswillhelpyoureturntoexercisesafelyafterabreak.

【答案】16.G17.A18.C19.E20.F

第三部分语言运用（共两节，满分30分）

第一节完形填空(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15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。

Itwas10p.m.onawinternightinBoston.Isatinthesofa,staringata____21____Word

document.Mypaperproposaldeadlinedrewnear.Ihadn’twrittenaworddespiteweeksofthinking.

Earlierthatevening,whenImetanotherPh.D.student,Sachin,hewasequally____22____—buried

undertheweightofafellowshipapplication.So,wemadean____23____:Afterdinner,wewould

sittogether,laptopsopen,phonesaway.ItwasthepushIneededtofinallystartwriting.

Ialways____24____writingtasks,waitingfortheperfectmomentforthoughtstoflow.But

thatmomentneverreallyarrives,andIendupwitha____25____writtenpieceonlywhenthedeadline

becomesdangerouslyclose.

SachinandIbothgrewupinIndia,wherecompetitionisfierceandpursuing____26____is

prized.Wecarriedaperfectionistmindsetintograduateschool,andnewpressuresmadeuswant

faultlessfirstdrafts,buttheresultwasa____27____.

Havingsomeonebesideme____28____everything.Itwasameanstoensure____29____.Our

informalagreementsoonbecamea____30____.Wescheduledweekly90-minutesessionsforfocused

writing,settingasmallgoaleachtime—itmadethesessionssurprisingly____31____.

Smallwinsbuiltmomentum(动力)and____32____.Writingnevergoteasy,butitbecameless

____33____.Later,welaunchedpeerco-workingsessionsforotherstudents.Whatbeganastwo

stuckstudentssoonbecameasmall____34____.Ourexperienceshowedusthatresponsibility,

companionship,andasharedsenseof____35____canlowerthebarriersthatmakewritingso

frightening.Nooneshouldhavetowritealone.

21.A.clearB.draftC.blankD.complex

22.A.stuckB.restrictedC.respectedD.fascinated

23.A.apologyB.agreementC.impressionD.argument

24.A.giveupB.putoffC.turndownD.handout

25.A.neatlyB.secretlyC.carefullyD.hurriedly

26.A.justiceB.pleasureC.excellenceD.stability

27.A.balanceB.blockC.responseD.relief

28.A.predictedB.replacedC.observedD.changed

29.A.responsibilityB.noveltyC.flexibilityD.honesty

30.A.billB.habitC.problemD.trick

31.A.respectiveB.attractiveC.productiveD.alternative

32.A.confidenceB.generosityC.convenienceD.curiosity

33.A.perfectB.particularC.relativeD.lonely

34.A.dreamB.communityC.differenceD.part

35.A.purposeB.securityC.worthD.happiness

【答案】21.C22.A23.B24.B25.D26.C27.B28.D29.A30.B

31.C32.A33.D34.B35.A

第二节语法填空（共10小题；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。

Anovelexperimentonthefundamentalscienceoflithium-ionbatterieshasbeencarriedout

aboardChina’sTiangongspacestation,accordingtotheDalianInstituteofChemicalPhysics

oftheChineseAcademyofSciencesonWednesday.

Thisexperiment,conductedbythethreeastronauts____36____(comprise)theShenzhou-21crew,

aimedtouncoverthemechanismsbehindbattery____37____(perform)byusingtheuniqueconditions

ofspace.

Lithium-ionbatteriesareessentialformodernspace____38____(mission)duetotheirhigh

energydensity(密度)andreliability.However,athoroughunderstandingoftheirinternal

behavior—particularly____39____chemicalsdistributewithintheelectrolyte(电解质),which

criticallyimpactspoweroutputandlifespan—hasbeenchallengingtoachieveunderconditions

onEarth,theinstituteexplained.

“Thefundamentalchallengeontheground____40____(lie)ingravity,”saidtheinstitute.

“Gravityis____41____(constant)mixedwithelectricfields,makingitdifficulttoseparate

theinfluenceofgravity____42____internalbatteryprocesses.”

Incontrast,themicrogravityenvironmentofthespacestationoffersanidealsetting

____43____(observe)theseprocesseswithouttheinfluenceofgravity.

“Insightsgainedfromthismicrogravityresearch____44____(expect)toovercomecurrent

limitationsinunderstandingtheinterplaybetweengravitationalandelectricfields.”saidthe

institute.

Thesefindingswillhelpimproveexistingbatterysystemsinorbitandsupportthedesign

of____45____newgenerationofsafer,higher-energy-densitybatteriesforfuturespace

exploration,itadded.

【答案】36.comprising

37.performance

38.missions

39.how40.lies

41.constantly

42.on43.toobserve

44.areexpected

45.a

第四部分写作（共两节，满分40分）

第一节（满分15分）

46.假定你是校英语报记者李华，你校近期针对全校学生开展了劳动实践参与情况的调查。请你给校英语

报编辑写一封信，简要说明此次调查的结果。内容包括：

1.调查的对象与目的；

2.主要的调查结果；

3.调查带来的启示。

注意：

1.写作词数应为80个左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，使行文连贯；

3.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

DearEditor,

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Yourssincerely,

LiHua

【答案】DearEditor,

I’mLiHua,areporterforourschoolEnglishnewspaper.Recently,ourschoolcarriedout

asurveyamong500studentstolearnabouttheirparticipationinlaborpractices.

Accordingtothesurvey,85%ofstudentsdohouseholdchores,rankingfirst.62%takepart

incampusvolunteering,whileonly38%areinvolvedincommunityserviceandamere25%experience

farmwork.

Thissurveyremindsusthatstudentsaremorewillingtododailylabor.It’shightimewe

organizedmorediverselaboractivitiestodeveloptheirall-roundabilities.

Yourssincerely,

LiHua

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。

Myfatherbecamemyonlyguardianaftermymotherpassedaway.Chattingwithothershelped

easehisdeepsadness.Everymorning,hewouldgotohisbelovedlocaldonut(甜甜圈)shop,where

healwaysstartedwarmconversationswiththepeoplethere.Whenweleft,alongwiththebear

clawpastryinasmallbox,therewasalwaysachocolate-covereddonutpreparedjustforme.On

therideinDad’struck,mylittletaskwastoholdDad’scoffeebetweenmyknees,tostopit

fromspillingontheway.

AstimewentbyandIgrewup,thatdonutshopbecameaspecialplaceforustocelebrate

allkindsofmyachievements.EvenifIdidn’twinorgetaranking,Dadwouldstilltakeme

there.Finally,IgrewintoanadultandmovedoutofDad’shouse.Onmyweddingday,Dadhanded

measmallgiftbox.Insideitwasatinychocolate-covereddonut.Myheartwasdeeplymoved,

meltingfasterthanthechocolatefrostingwouldinahotoven.

InOctober1989,Dadwastoldhehadincurablecancer.Welivedanoceanapart,soourvisits

wereveryrare.Ayearlater,Iwashurtinanattack,andhadtoreceivethreebacksurgeries

inhospital.Dad’scancerhaddevelopedsobadlythathisbodycouldbarelysupporthim.But

heignoredthedoctor’sorders,andflewtothehospitaltocomfortme.Hisweakbodyleaned

overmychest,histhinarmshugging