江苏省徐州市第一中学、徐州市第三中学等五校2026届高三上学期12月联考英语试卷（Word版附答案）

这是一份江苏省徐州市第一中学、徐州市第三中学等五校2026届高三上学期12月联考英语试卷（Word版附答案），共14页。试卷主要包含了5 分，满分 7等内容，欢迎下载使用。
试卷满分 150 分 考试时间 120 分钟
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。每段对话读两遍。
1. What des the wman ask the man t d?
A. Treat the bird’s leg. B. Clse the windw. C. Give the bird sme fd.
2. What des the man want t d?
A. Get a new bicycle. B. Find a part-time jb. C. Open a restaurant.
3. Why is the man upset?
A. He lst his phne. B. He can’t rw a bat. C. He didn’t take gd phts.
4. What des the wman mean?
A. She finds it easy t make a cake.
B. She wn’t make a new cake.
C She has finished her paper.
5. What are the speakers mainly talking abut?
A. An artwrk. B. A car. C. A painter.
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. What did the wman d yesterday?
A. She did sme shpping. B. She read sme bks. C. She had lunch with Alex.
7. Hw many punds did Alex lse?
A. Abut 30 punds. B. Abut 35 punds. C. Abut 45 punds.
听第 7 段材料，回答第 8、9 题。
8. Wh is the wman prbably talking t?
A. Her rmmate. B. A huse wner. C. A real estate agent.
9. What time is it nw?
A. 3:00p.m. B. 4:30p.m. C. 5:00p.m.
听第 8 段材料，回答第 10 至 12 题。
10. Where des the cnversatin take place?
A. At the wman’s hme. B. At the she shp. C. In the street.
11. What des the wman think f the pair f high heels?
A. Expensive. B. Uncmfrtable. C. Unppular.
12. What clr sprts shes did the wman give her friend?
A Red. B. White. C. Black.
听第 9 段材料，回答第 13 至 16 题。
13. What is the prbable relatinship between the speakers?
A. Family members. B. Clleagues. C. Friends.
14. What will the wman give t Lily?
A. A cup. B. Sme chclates. C. A bttle f perfume.
15. Where des Suzy prbably wrk?
A. In a supermarket. B. In a htel. C. In a bank.
16. What day is it tday?
A. Mnday. B. Friday. C. Sunday.
听第 10 段材料，回答第 17 至 20 题。
17. Wh is Alicia?
A. A taxi driver. B. An ffice lady. C. A delivery persn.
18. Hw lng des Alicia wrk a day?
A. At least 8 hurs. B. At least 10 hurs. C. At least 12 hurs.
19. Which cuntry issued a guideline n prtecting the rights f the flexible emplyees?
A. India. B. China. C. Singapre.
20. Hw des Akkanut feel abut platfrm wrker prtectin in Sutheast Asia?
A. Cnfused. B. Indifferent. C. Optimistic.
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
Night at the Museum at the Natinal Natural Histry Museum f China
On August 1, the Natinal Natural Histry Museum f China launched a mnth-lng “Night at the Museum” prgram (6 p.m. — 9 p.m. daily till Sept 11). Cmbining lantern-making traditin with natural evlutin themes is the highlight f this year’s event. A series f featured activities are arranged as fllws:
Family Sleepver Adventure (¥450 per adult; ¥260 per kid)
Every Friday and Saturday, a night adventure is available fr children aged 6 — 12 with their families. The Africa-themed activity includes a cstume cncert decrated with lanterns and explratin f trpical herbivre (植食动物) migratins, running frm 6:30 p.m. t 8 a.m. the next day.
Nte: Family package can enjy 10% discunt.
Natural Craft Wrkshp (¥199 individual)
Visitrs can jin hands-n crafting sessins themed n prehistric creatures and plants. With guidance frm instructrs, participants make related lanterns using ec-friendly materials, taking their handmade wrks hme as suvenirs.
Special Dinsaur Exhibitin (free)
C-hsted with Zigng Dinsaur Museum, it displays abut 60 precius fssils, including the wrld’s first discvered saurpd bny tail hammer (蜥脚类恐龙尾锤化石) and Sichuan Gigantsaurus (巨棘龙) skin fssil.
Interactive Lectures and Guided Turs (¥199 individual)
Researchers act as guides t interact with visitrs. In the “Animals: The Friends f Humankind” hall, visitrs can explre giant panda feces and cub mdels. Themed turs als explain the relatinship between insects and light, such as hw fireflies attract mates with light.
1. What is special f this year’s “Night at the Museum” prgram?
A. Exhibiting rare dinsaur fssils frm Zigng.
B. Hlding Africa-themed family sleepver events.
C. Arranging interactive lectures by tp researchers.
D Integrating lantern art with natural evlutin themes.
2. Hw much will a cuple with their tw kids pay fr the sleepver event?
A. 1278 yuan B. 1420 yuan C. 970 yuan D. 796 yuan
3. Which activity is suitable fr insects enthusiasts?
A. Family Sleepver Adventure B. Natural Craft Wrkshp
C. Special Dinsaur Exhibitin D. Interactive Lectures and Guided Turs
B
When my grandfather passed away, I inherited his ld vilin. As a practical engineering student, I saw it nly as a brken bject — cracked wd, lse strings — and planned t display it as a decrative piece. That changed when I fund a faded 1958 recital (独奏) prgram inside the case.
Driven by curisity, I tk it t Mr. Chen, a luthier. He examined it nt with pity, but with keen interest. “Ah,” he said, “this isn’t a ruin. It’s a stry waiting t cntinue. True restratin isn’t abut making it lk new, but abut helping it find its vice again.” Inspired, I decided t learn the prcess myself.
Under Mr. Chen’s patient guidance, I began. The wrk was a lessn in humility and slw care. My engineering mind, used t speed, had t learn patience — cleaning dirt, mixing traditinal glue, mending cracks with precisin. Frustratin was frequent.
One quiet afternn, as I struggled t fit a small but vital piece, Mr. Chen said sftly, “Remember, yu’re nt just fixing wd and string. Yu’re rekindling a stry.” His wrds shifted smething within me. This was n lnger a technical prject. I imagined my grandfather as a yung man, perhaps in a rm like this, puring his hpes int this very instrument, the music a part f his dreams.
The final day arrived. With careful hands, I tightened the last string and lifted the bw. The first nte was hesitant, carrying a faint rughness f age and repair, yet it was unmistakably alive. In that mment, hlding the vilin that nw felt intimately familiar, a deep understanding settled within me. I had nt merely restred an bject; I had built a fragile but enduring bridge t a past I nw cherished. The mst significant repair, I realized, had happened within me — cultivating patience, respect fr histry, and the quiet jy f returning vice t a silenced stry.
4. Why did the authr initially plan t treat the vilin as a decratin?
A. Because it was ruined, never t be played again.
B. Because he lacked the musical skill t appreciate it.
C. Because he saw n practical use fr a brken instrument.
D. Because his grandpa wuld have wanted a decrative display.
5. What can be inferred abut Mr. Chen frm the text?
A. He viewed vilin restratin as a purely technical task.
B. He shared a persnal histry with the authr’s grandfather.
C. He was primarily mtivated by making mney frm repairs.
D. He appreciated the histrical and emtinal value f ld instruments.
6 The wrd “rekindling” in paragraph 4 prbably means _________.
A. reviving a lst memry B. repairing an ld bject
C. recrding a past event D. rewriting a family histry
7. Which f the fllwing is the best title fr the text?
A. A bridge t the past B. Lessns in Patience
C. The Vilin’s New Vice D. A Faded Recital Prgram
C
T reduce carbn emissins and slw dwn glbal warming, new buildings must meet high envirnmental standards. In the UK, this gal has been discussed fr many years, especially since the gvernment prmised t achieve net zer emissins by 2050. Hwever, despite the urgency f the climate crisis, many new hmes still lack basic energy-saving features. This situatin highlights the need fr strnger actin t make husing develpment truly sustainable.
England plans t build 1.5 millin new hmes. But previus decisins — such as the remval f key envirnmental rules — have led t huses being built withut essentials like slar panels. Future husing standards are expected t include slar technlgy, thugh there is uncertainty abut hw strict these rules will be. Experts suggest that all new hmes shuld include slar panels, battery strage t reduce pressure n the grid (电网), and high-quality insulatin (隔热) t increase energy efficiency and reduce energy bills.
Dmestic heating is an even bigger challenge. While the use f renewable energy is grwing, reducing dependence n fssil fuels remains critical. Unfrtunately, recent decisins have allwed wd-burning stves and may cntinue t permit gas bilers in new hmes. Hwever, chsing gas bilers instead f heat pumps (热泵) is harmful t the envirnment and ecnmically shrt-sighted. Many Eurpean cuntries have adpted heat pump technlgy, which reduces carbn emissins and culd create new green jbs in the UK if supprted by apprpriate plicies.
A majr issue is that large cnstructin cmpanies appear t have significant influence ver husing plicy. Develpers ften aim t reduce csts and maximize prfits. Hwever, lng-term envirnmental gals are cnsidered imprtant. Refitting heat pumps and insulatin csts far mre than putting them at the beginning. Besides, sme natural habitats cannt be replaced nce destryed. Sustainable husing is essential fr current energy needs and fr the health f the planet.
8. What des the authr imply abut the past effrts n sustainable husing?
A. They faced strng ppsitin. B. They were insufficiently carried ut.
C. They were ignred by the public. D. They led t energy-saving adptin.
9. New hmes in England are expected t _________.
A. reduce energy cst B. remve slar panels
C. lwer battery strage D. fllw flexible standards
10. Why is dmestic heating cnsidered a bigger challenge?
A. Gas bilers are cheaper t use. B. It still relies heavily n fssil fuels.
C. Slar panels require advanced technlgy. D. New hmes lack space fr heating systems.
11. What cncern is raised in the last paragraph?
A. Adpting green technlgy is mre expensive.
B. The gvernment ignres envirnmental issues.
C. Cst-driven decisins may harm future sustainability.
D. Develpers prefer t build hmes near natural habitats.
D
When Sarah, a bk lver lgged int her neighbrhd’s AI-pwered app, she never expected an algrithm (算法) t spark a lifelng friendship. The app, which analyzes residents’ hbbies and interactin patterns, suggested she cnnect with Mike, a fellw petry enthusiast wh lived just three blcks away — yet they’d never crssed paths in five years f living nearby. Their first ffline encunter at a lcal cafe led t a mnthly neighbrhd bk club, nw a crnerstne f cmmunity life
AI is evlving int a pwerful driver fr fstering inclusive scial cnnectins within cmmunities. In daily life, by using data analysis t understand residents’ interests and cntact patterns, algrithms can frm specific interest-based cmmunities — frm gardening grups t hiking clubs. Fr instance, neighbrs living in suburban areas f the United States exchange prfessinal knwledge thrugh nline platfrms, which in turn helps rganize ffline activities such as seed-swapping events and jint cmmunity garden prjects.
Hwever, hidden risks may arise frm the ppularity f AI use in daily life. As scial technlgy expert Dr. Lisa Chen pints ut, the digital gap leaves elderly peple wh dn’t knw hw t use smart devices ut f cmmunity infrmatin and scial activities. Smart mnitring and data cllectin als cause privacy wrries, as cmmunity platfrms ften share data with third parties withut permissin. Wrse still, algrithms fcusing n bad events may increase distrust in cmmunities and stp natural engagement.
Experts advcate that cmmunities ught t bridge the digital divide thrugh AI literacy initiatives, safeguard data privacy via well-defined framewrks, and adjust algrithmic cnduct based n mral standards. Ultimately, the cre value f AI lies in cmplementing rather than replacing human cnnectins. It is nly by integrating technlgical efficiency with human warmth that we can prmte mre harmnius cmmunities.
12. What can we learn abut AI app frm Sarah’s stry?
A. It redefined interactin patterns. B. It directly launched a bk club.
C. It greatly arused scial exclusin. D. It enhanced Sarah’s literacy innvatin.
13. Which best explains “inclusive scial cnnectins” in cmmunities?
A. Residents’ interests are knwn t all. B. All jbs are dne n nline platfrms.
C. AI fcuses n prfessinal skill-sharing. D. Neighbrs interact mre nline and ffline.
14. What slutins may be effective fr AI’s risks?
A. Allwing data sharing with third parties. B. Letting AI evlve freely t ensure efficiency.
C. Helping peple, especially the elderly, use AI. D. Banning AI in activities t prevent privacy issues.
15. What’s the passage mainly abut?
A. AI facilitates diverse interest-based cmmunities.
B. AI bth fsters cnnectins and brings ptential risks.
C. Experts raise practical prpsals t address AI issues.
D. The digital gap threatens elderly peple’s participatin.
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。
The Digital Dctr: A Duble-Edged Swrd
In ur increasingly cnnected wrld, the way we manage ur health is transfrming. Faced with minr illnesses like a persistent cugh r headache, many f us nw instinctively reach fr ur smartphnes rather than the phne t bk a dctr’s appintment.____16____This immediate access t a vast encyclpedia (百科全书) f medical knwledge makes healthcare appear mre accessible than ever befre.
____17____The cnditin, knwn as “cyberchndria”, describes a state f health anxiety fueled by excessive nline searching. The prcess ften wrks like this: an individual researches a cmmn symptm, nly t find it culd be linked t a severe illness. This can lead t self-misdiagnsis (自我误诊) and intense, unnecessary wrry.____18____They advise the initial step in treatment is t drastically (极大地) reduce the patients’ internet brwsing.
While the web hlds a wealth f infrmatin, it critically lacks prfessinal judgment. A face-t-face cnsultatin with a dctr prvides nt just a diagnsis, but als cntext, reassurance, and a tailred treatment plan. But a trend makes physicians feel challenged. They smetimes find patients arriving with printuts r descriptins f vague cnditins they have self-diagnsed.____19____
Hwever, the internet is nt slely a disruptive (破坏性的) frce. As Prfessr Sue Ziebland frm the University f Oxfrd has fund thrugh her research, nline infrmatin is becming a cmmn part f patient-dctr dialgues.____20____This cllabrative apprach can lead t mre infrmed discussins. Ultimately, it seems that while the virtual wrld can ffer a helpful dse f infrmatin, the human medical expert remains irreplaceable fr their experience and empathetic care.
A. It can cmplicate the cnsultatin prcess.
B. Sme apps even enable remte patient mnitring.
C. Hence, building trusted medical websites is essential.
D. Online resurces ffer instant guidance n all health issues.
E. Experts find many such patients spend excessive time nline.
F. Hwever, this cnvenience cmes with a significant dwnside.
G. Therefre, dctrs nw ften discuss nline findings with patients.
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，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。
His gal was t walk arund the wrld. 27 years later, he’s abut t finish.
In 1998, British ____21____ Karl Bushby lked dwn a rad in Chile and set a(n) ____22____ gal: walk all the way hme t Hull, England — withut using a single frm f ____23____. What he didn’t knw then was that it wuld stretch int a remarkable 27-year jurney ____24____ cntinents, ceans, and histry itself.
Nw, after walking 36,000 miles, ____25____ plar bears, swimming acrss seas, and navigating ____26____ visa setbacks, the 56-year-ld ex-paratrper (前伞兵) is ____27____ n the hme stretch.
Bushby began his adventure in Chile, trekking (跋涉) nrth thrugh Suth and Nrth America, eventually reaching Alaska. In 2006, he ____28____ ne f the mst dangerus legs f the jurney: crssing the frzen Bering Strait int Siberia. ____29____ with a gun t scare ff plar bears and frced t ____30____ between mving blcks f ice, he achieved what few peple n Earth have ever dne.
His ____31____ didn’t stp there. Bushby was held in Russia fr entering incrrectly and banned fr five years. Spnsrships ____32____ during the 2008 financial crisis. The pandemic stpped his prgress. Visa issues left him ____33____ in Mexic fr years. But he refused t quit.
Bushby walks an average f 30km a day and rests wherever he can find ____34____. His missin has utlasted five UK prime ministers, a glbal pandemic, and numerus wars — but his spirit remains as strng as it was in 1998.
And the wrld is cheering him n as he enters the final chapter f ne f the mst ____35____ human endurance jurneys ever attempted.
21. A. histrian B. phtgrapher C. adventurer D. jurnalist
22. A. realistic B. daring C. cllective D. demanding
23. A. transprt B. navigatin C. cmmunicatin D. equipment
24. A. cnnecting B. including C. cvering D. vercming
25. A. hunting B. feeding C. threatening D. surviving
26. A. scarce B. minr C. cuntless D. ccasinal
27. A. cnsequently B. randmly C. unexpectedly D. ultimately
28. A. attempted B. sught C. recgnized D. advcated
29. A. Laded B. Armed C. Cnfrnted D. Prvided
30. A. swap B. leap C. slip D. march
31. A. challenges B. achievements C. inspiratins D. pursuits
32. A. used up B. pulled dwn C. backed dwn D. dried up
33. A. islated B. settled C. rted D. stuck
34. A. warmth B. cmpany C. shelter D. cmfrt
35. A. extrardinary B. cnventinal C. universal D. histrical
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。
Lady White Snake is a dance prductin by Shanghai Grand Theater. It will make its first US____36____(appear) at the “Summer at the Lincln Center” festival in New Yrk. The perfrmances will shw the artistic visin____37____cultural vitality f cntemprary China t glbal audiences.
Three shws f the dance theater’s reinterpretatin f the classic Chinese legend ____38____(schedule) t be held at the David H. Kch Theater, a____39____(symbl) venue (场所) within the Lincln Center cmplex, n July 26 and 27. These perfrmances____40____(shwcase) the talents f Chinese artists will allw US audiences t gain a prfund experience f cultural imaginatin. ____41____als makes this event significant is its intentin t prmte internatinal cperatin and peple-t-peple exchange thrugh cultural interactin.
The dance is an____42____(artistic) grundbreaking recreatin f China’s flk legend, The Tale f the White Snake. Zhang Xiading, general manager f SGT, said that the cmpany’s aim f creating Lady White Snake in 2021 was____43____(innvate): “We want t cnverge (汇集) different types f art, and retell____44____legend thrugh a blend f classical ballet and Chinese classical dance.” This innvative apprach allws the prductin t mve ____45____ traditinal narrative (叙述), explring human emtins and expressing the inner spirit f human beings.
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分 40 分）
第一节（满分 15 分）
46. 假定你是李华，你打算参加“青少年创新大赛”，但对比赛的部分要求尚不明确。请你给大赛组委会写一封电子邮件咨询相关事宜，内容包括：
1.咨询事宜；
2.表达感谢。
注意：词数 80；开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Sir/Madam,
I’m Li Hua, a senir high schl student.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Yurs faithfully,
Li Hua
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。
Fr sixteen years, my wrld was made f textbks, phne screens, and the quiet sund f the air cnditiner.
My dad’s wrld, I thught, was smaller. It was just inside his hardware stre (五金店), “Lee & Sn.” That ld sign felt like a prmise I didn’t want — mre like a prisn sentence. My hands were smth, made fr typing His were rugh, full f calluses (茧) and scars, with dirt under the nails that never washed away. He always kept a cuple f bandages in his pcket, ready fr the small cuts and scrapes that were part f the jb.
The wrd “Sn” n the sign seemed like a mistake. My future was in a clean ffice, nt in the smell f sawdust and metal. Every Saturday, Dad asked fr my help. Every Saturday, I fund an excuse nt t g. I was gd at making excuses.
Then ne day, he didn’t ask. He just said in a tired vice, “The basement flded. The stck is all wet. I can’t d this alne.”
It wasn’t a questin. I felt a heavy, guilty weight in my stmach. I fllwed him dwnstairs int the damp, dark basement.
The wrk was hard and quiet. We carried heavy bags f cncrete that scratched my hands. We mved wet bxes f nails, all rusted tgether. The air smelled f wet cardbard. My back hurt, but I didn’t cmplain. I watched my father. He wrked steadily, like a machine used t this. Sweat cut lines thrugh the dirt n his arms. Fr the first time, I didn’t see a shpkeeper. I saw a man wh had wrked like this fr years — every muscle shwing his strength.
We wrked fr hurs. Then, while mving a bent piece f wd, my ft slipped n the wet flr. I fell. The wd cut my arm, and a sharp pain sht thrugh me. I held my arm, feeling srry fr myself.
注意：
1.续写词数应为 150 个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Befre I culd speak, Dad was beside me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
A ht shame washed ver me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2026 届高三年级 12 月学情调研
英语答案
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分 30 分）
1-10 CAABA ACBBA 11-20 BCCAB CABBC
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
【1~3 题答案】
【答案】1. D 2. A 3. D
B
【4~7 题答案】
【答案】4. C 5. D 6. A 7. A
C
【8~11 题答案】
【答案】8. B 9. A 10. B 11. C
D
【12~15 题答案】
【答案】12. A 13. D 14. C 15. B
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。
【16~20 题答案】
【答案】16. D 17. F 18. E 19. A 20. G
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，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出最佳选项。
【21~35 题答案】
【答案】21. C 22. B 23. A 24. C 25. D 26. C 27. D 28. A 29. B 30. B
31. A 32. D 33. D 34. C 35. A
第二节（共 10 小题：每小题 1.5 分，满分 15 分）
【36~45 题答案】
【答案】36. appearance
37. and 38. are scheduled
39. symblic
40. shwcasing
41. What 42. artistically
43. t innvate
44. the 45. beynd
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分 40 分）
第一节（满分 15 分）
【46 题答案】
【答案】Dear Sir/Madam,
I’m Li Hua, a senir high schl student. I’m really interested in participating in the Yuth Innvatin Cmpetitin. Hwever, I’m a bit cnfused abut sme requirements.
Firstly, I wnder what specific criteria will be used t evaluate the innvatin f the entries. Secndly, culd yu please clarify hw the presentatin f the prjects shuld be structured? Fr example, shuld it include a demnstratin, a detailed reprt, r bth?
I sincerely appreciate yur time and help. Thank yu fr clarifying these pints fr me.
Yurs faithfully,
Li Hua
第二节（满分 25 分）
【47 题答案】
【答案】
Befre I culd speak, Dad was beside me. He knelt dwn quickly, his rugh hands lifting my arm gently t check the bleeding cut. Withut a wrd, he tk ut the bandages frm his pcket, wiped the wund sftly with a clean crner f his cat, and wrapped my arm carefully t stp the bld. His mvements were skilled and gentle, with nne f his usual tiredness. He asked in a lw, wrried vice if I felt better, his eyes fixed n my arm. I stared at his dirt-cvered hands that had healed cuntless his wn cuts, and just ndded, unable t say a single wrd.
A ht shame washed ver me. I thught f all thse Saturdays when I lied t skip helping him, leaving him t handle all the hard wrk alne. He never blamed me, but kept wrking silently t hld ur life tgether. My smth hands had never knwn hardship, while his were cvered with scars frm years f til. I bit my lip and said srry t him, prmising t help at the stre every weekend frm then n. Dad smiled faintly and patted my shulder. At that mment, I finally understd the “Sn” n the sign was nt a burden, but a precius bnd I shuld cherish.