2023山东省高三下学期仿真模拟（一）英语试题含答案

2023届普通高等学校招生全国统一考试仿真模拟卷

英  语（一）

注意事项：

1.答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号等填写在答题卡上。

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，将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。

第一部分 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和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

A

Not many people are comfortable going deep underground.But humans have been going under-ground for as long as we've been humans. All over the world you'll find all manner of magnificent underground phenomena. Here are our favourite.

1.Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira,Colombia

Engineers, miners and sculptors managed to carve a cathedral beneath 200 meres.Even more amazing is just how spectacular the Salt Cathedralof Zipaquira in Colombia is.The light falls through it, filling the rooms and tunnels with almost neon-like blues and purples. Catch it on a Sunday, and you'll discover it's still a fully-functioning Roman Catholic church.

2.Salina Turda,Romania

Built deep below the Earth's surface in a salt mine, Salina Turda features attractions like a panoramic wheel, mini-golf, bowling, table tennis and even boating on a mine lake. What the park lacks in traditional high-thrills roller coasters, it makes up for in stunning scenery.

    3.Under,Norway

Though not so much underground as underwater, Under in Kristiansand, Norway, this classy restaurant is five and a half metres below the surface.Diners enjoy themselves as icy North Sea cur-rents move across the windows.You neverquite know what might emerge out of the deep.

4.Thrihnukagigur,Iceland

If you don't want to climb up to a volcano crater or view it from far away, you can take a lift 700 feet down into the volcano.Thrihnukagigur is safe,having not erupted in 4,000 years,but even so, it takes a certain kind of thrill-seeker to actively want to get up close and personal with a volcano.

1.Which of the following serves as a church?

A.Under in Norway.                      B.Salina Turda in Romania.

C.Thrihnukagigur in Iceland.               D.Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira in Colombia.

2.What can visitors do at Under in Norway?

A.Ride on a roller coaster or play mini-golf.   B.Have dinner in an underwater restaurant.

C.See the light fill every room in the church.   D.Take a lift and go down into the volcano.

3.What makes Thrihnukagigur a safe place to visit?

A.It's only open to church people on Sunday.   B.It features safe recreational equipment.

C.The lift can take visitors in and out fast.     D.It's been inactive for thousands of years.

B

My sixteen-year-old daughter Julia called twenty minutes after she left,saying she had an accident.I grabbed my shoes and was in the car in less than a minute. When I finally saw her, I hugged her tight. Then I looked at the other driver. Learning that he fell asleep behind the wheel at about seventy miles an hour when the speed limit was forty-five, I could have choked him.

“It could have been worse,”I reminded myself as she cried all the way to the doctor's office. Luckily,four days after the accident,Julia felt better. At her appointment, her doctor cleared her to resume normal activities,including driving.But I could tell by her look that she had no intention of getting behind the wheel.

Later that day, I sat with Julia as she spoke on the phone with our insurance agent.On the phone,she was professional,telling the agent what had happened in a clear,concise way.I realized she sounded like an adult.And adults drive cars. I realized that no matter how I felt about it, allowing Julia to give in to her fear wasn't good for her. When she hung up, I hugged her.“You're stronger than you think,"I said."And tomorrow you're going to drive my car and meet your friends for lunch.You just have to push through the fear and do it, and it will get easier each time you do.”

I ignored the fear in her eyes and the way my heart sped up when I thought about Julia behind the wheel again.

The next day,Julia drove my car to meet her friends.As I watched her leave,I felt nervous and proud.She texted me when she got to the restaurant, and I felt my heart rate return to normal. The tears I'd been holding back all week flooded my eyes. Watching her leave the house without me for the first time since the accident was frightening, but it was also necessary.

4.What was the author's reaction at the driver's words?

A.She almost burst with anger.             B.She felt guilty for her daughter.

C.She felt sympathy for him.               D.She was choked with sorrow.

5.What did the doctor suggest to Julia?

A.Staying away from driving.               B.Attending a driving lesson.

C. Contacting the insurance agent.           D.Retaking her routine activities.

6.What did the author realize when Julia spoke on the phone?

A.The driver took the blame for the accident.

B.The accident had been worse than expected.

C. Julia should overcome the fear to drive.

D.Julia was smart to deal with any trouble.

7.Why did the author cry at Julia's text?

A.Julia was good at learning to drive.         B.Julia recovered mentally and physically.

C.Julia had supportive friends and parents.     D.Julia could look after herself when driving.

C

As summer comes,the promise of "working from anywhere"comes down to the discomfort of the sweaty kitchen table,a noisy cafe or the office hot desk. Now hotels are offering "third spaces", promoting the concept of work in an elegant setting.Your columnist Bartleby tried out two recent London offerings.

She first headed to Birch, a hotel north of the city. Men and women in their 20s and early 30s work over laptops and glasses of red wine at its Hub co-working area, with classes in pottery, baking,and other structured activities.Some pay a monthly membership fee and enjoy special discounts to stay there and work digitally remotely,but you can,like Bartleby,come as an overnight guest.

Her second destination was the Shangri-La hotel in the Shard, which now offers stays from 10 am to 6 pm, aimed at those wishing to work and relax by offering a change of scenery to inspire.

Both Birch and the Shangri-La have their virtues, like Birch's excellent Wi-Fi and the stretch class. So does the Shangri-La, with its pool and a view of St Paul's Cathedral from your room on the 38th floor.

Yet problems soon became apparent. The first is price. An overnight stay at Birch or the Shangri-La sets you back,while the city has plenty of cheaper“third spaces”.The second problem is: how productive workers can be with all the distractions designed to make work not feel like work?Third,if you can get down to business,you may as well be at home or the office.The friendly atmosphere Birch tries so hard to produce is the very thing you miss by staying away from your office.As with most material indulgences（放纵），a sense of emptiness comes once the freshness of the hotel wears off.

Just don't expect white-collar types to crowd in hotels for a hard day's work. Most of the Shangri-La' s daytime residents aren't executives keen t inspire.As for Bartleby,you will find her at The Economist's London head office or, failing that, her kitchen table.

8.What's the purpose of working "third spaces"?

A.To free people of traveling to work.        B.To promote workplace creativity. 

C.To place workers in good work settings.    D.To help people deal with the lockdown.

9.What's the advantage of Birch according to Bartleby?

A.It holds regular work-related classes.       B.It provides discounts for companies.

C.It has inspiring scenery for visitors.        D.It offers day work and night stays.

10.What does the Shangri-La offer to office workers?

A.Stays there in the working hours.          B.Stays overnight for office work.

C.The friendly office atmosphere.           D.Work-related training courses.

11.How does the author like the idea of working from hotels?

A.Supportive.       B.Disapproving.       C.Sympathetic.         D.Uncertain.

D

Car tyres produce particles（微粒）when picking up speed or stopping， which are considered by environmental scientists to be one of the most significant sources of micro-plastics in the ocean.Rain-fall and wind carry them into rivers and the sea.They are also released into the atmosphere,where they can circulate into the ocean and back again.A 2020 study suggested windblown micro-plastics are a bigger source of ocean pollution than rivers.

While it is difficult to pin down the exact composition of micro-plastics, there is plenty of re-search which points to tyre dust making up a significant portion. In 2017, a global model found tyre wear to be the second largest source of primary micro-plastics in the ocean, at 28%.And in 2019, a report by scientists across Europe concluded abrasion（磨损）from car tyres was a large source of micro-plastics.While there remains a lack of data on risks to the environment and human health, the scientists concluded that if future emissions remain constant or increase, the ecological risks could be widespread within a century.

Tyre-wear particles are ubiquitous. The average tyre loses 4 kg over its lifetime,and tyre particles have been found everywhere from the deep sea to the atmosphere, even in the Arctic and the Antarctic.

The study of micro plastic is just beginning. Fewer than 100 scientific papers about them have been published to date, all of them in the last decade.Edward Kolodziej, a professor at the University of Washington,cites two studies from China showing that tyre dust is an important contributor to urban air pollution.“There' re unknown chemicals present in these things that are ending up in our lungs.”

Experts call for more transparency from the tyre companies.“But the formula is what gives a manufacturer competitive advantage. Sharing ingredients is difficult and complicated. Very few people, except manufacturers, know what's in the tyres,”said Allen.“When it comes to micro-plastic, we don't know what a safe level is and we may have already passed it."

12.What did the global model find about car tyres?

A.They cause more pollution to the sea than to rivers.

B.Their exact composition can be tracked down.

C.Tyre particles are one of the largest sea pollutants.

D.They have caused great risk to human survival.

13.What does the underlined word "ubiquitous"in paragraph 3 mean?

A.Widespread.        B.Dangerous.          C.Complex.         D.Unique.

14.What can we infer from Edward's words?

A.The two studies from China are leading the fashion.

B.The unknown chemicals in the air are dangerous.

C.Tyre particles are a major pollutant in the air in cities.

D.Further research should be done about tyre particles.

15.Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A.Tyres Are to Blame as a Pollutant in the Ocean

B.Tyre Companies Should Act Against Micro-plastic

C.Tyre Dust Becomes a Huge Threat to Ocean Life

D.Safety Levels of Micro-plastic Have Been Raised

第二节 全科试题免费下载公众号《高中僧课堂》（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。

So far this summer,nearly 65 percent of the US is experiencing abnormally dry weather.That means more than 109 million people are living under drought conditions.___16___

Jessica has these suggestions for how to keep your garden healthy during periods of dry weather. To begin with,if you are gardening,decide which plants need water most.___17___They require regular watering until their roots become established.Older trees can suffer during drought as well. Flowers return year after year and should be next on the list, along with vegetables in their flowering and fruiting periods.

Low on the list of priorities should be plants that only live for one growing season.___18___  None will likely survive with the little water that can be offered under forced restrictions.

___19___Most plants require an average of 2 to 4centimeters of water each week under normal conditions.That need could increase during extreme heat, when the soil dries out more quickly. Don't offer your plants their weekly water needs all at once.Divide it over two or three times per week. Using recycled household water to water plants is also a good choice.

Avoid fertilizing plants during drought.___20___And avoid using weed killers.These can move to other areas in hot weather and are less effective in high temperatures.

Lastly,don't plant anything new,and use more native plants. Avoid cutting plants, which in-creases their water needs.Take note of the sun requirements of each of your plants.

A.Others include crops with high water needs.

B.And a lot of them have plants to worry about.

C. Newly planted trees are high on the priority list.

D.Making full use of water means reducing water waste.

E. Equally important is that you should water effectively.

F. Fertilizers cause fast growth, which increases the need for water.

G.In the future, consider replacing the lawn with native ground covers.

第二部分  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。

It was a bright spring afternoon along the coast. Jonathan and his 13-year-old daughter Ava were driving home on the___21___.

Suddenly,a black pickup ran into a concrete___22___.It ran over the vehicle directly ahead and ___23___over the railing（栏杆）of the bridge.Stopping the car， he ran to the pickup， which was___24___about 30 feet above the waters of the bay.The driver's___25___opened and a man climbed out.Jonathan ran to him.The man___26___down.In the water was a car seat.Next to it was a girl about two years old,terrified,27  on her back, kicking and screaming.

Matters quickly went from bad to___28___when the girl rolled over onto her stomach. Jonathan climbed onto the railing and jumped onto the beach.Jonathan swam to her and___29___ her out of the water:mouth half open,___30___nearly closed,not breathing.Standing,he___31___ her against his shoulder and patted her back with his hand.

As ocean water came streaming from her mouth,beautiful little___32___held him around the neck.Her eyes were opened now,___33___on him. He pulled her close, hugging her to protect her from the cold.

A moment later a boat pulled up and helped them___34___. Minutes later, the girl was sent to hospital.

Ava was so___35___by her father's actions that she decided to become a firefighter so that she too could save lives.

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。

The popularity of small-town and rural bloggers online across China's video platforms are becoming new trends across China,___36___ (reveal) a true, diverse, and dynamic Chinese society.

As the___37___(popular) short video platforms, Kuaishou and Douyin continue to offer windows into China's rural life.Rural bloggers feel comfortable in using their smartphones to show their ordinary yet colorful lives and diverse values___38___netizens around the world.

Amateur shooting and editing skills haven't discouraged rural content creators from attracting millions of fans who___39___ (impress)by the powerful and confident self-expression through shaky cameras.

Videos showing authentic rural lives remain___40___(high)popular across numerous social media platforms. Already, technological advancements___41___(make) the sharing of ordinary people's lives easier and more realistic.This is worth recording to inspire others.

Young people in cities are curious about___42___diversity of Chinese society.They are often attracted by the___43___(optimistic) of the people shown in the videos going about their daily routines or completing tasks that make people___44 ___(challenge).

Kuaishou, the video platform, has witnessed how China's rural communities have gradually emerged from the backwaters of society to prosperity,___45___demonstrates the country's successful fight against poverty and improved infrastructure.

第三部分  写作（共两节，满分40分）

第一节 （满分15分）

假设你是李华，你的留学生朋友Victor因故没有参加你们社团上周日的农家乐采摘活动。请你给他写封邮件，内容包括：

1.表示遗憾；

2.讲述活动内容；

3.希望他下次参加活动。

注意：

1.写作词数应为80左右；

2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

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。

I opened the text from my agent Susan in Miami. It read:“I'd like to submit you for a cruise commercial（游轮广告）that shoots the end of June.It pays extremely well.Are you available？"Susan has been my wonderful agent for years.

I texted back:“Of course, and thank you for thinking of me."The next day,I received an e-mail from Susan.I glanced at the details.The commercial would be shot in the Galapagos Islands, six wonderful days onboard a major cruise ship.I was thrilled.Suddenly,I saw the description of my character.“Grandma”has to be a strong swimmer. My heart sank.

I called Susan, hoping that she would understand.“In five years of doing their commercials, I never once had to actually get in the water. I was always cast as the mom-type sitting by the pool, dancing in the moonlight."I accepted my fate.A week later,I was eating breakfast by the pool. Wasn't it time to face my fears and take on a new challenge? After all, I had taken a semester of swimming in high school.

I finished eating and went inside to look through my old clothes. There was a black one-piece swimsuit.I put it on and posed in front of my bathroom mirror. I thought I looked pretty good for sixty-nine years old.

I slowly lowered my body into the shallow end of the pool. My arms and legs felt clumsy, but I stood up and let out a victory cry. I had only been crossing the width of the pool so now it was time for the big challenge to swim the length of the pool.

I stayed close to the edge and made it to the center of the pool. Though afraid, I tried a slow crawl and made it to the end of the pool.Then I returned, stopping several times to catch my breath. When I got out of the pool,I was filled with pride, and closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on my exhausted body.

注意：

1.续写词数应为150左右；

2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

That night, I felt worn out from overextending my neck and arms.I knew I needed professional help.________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Every day,I returned to my pool,gaining strength in my strokes and breath control._________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2023届普通高等学校招生全国统一考试仿真模拟卷

英语参考答案（一）

A

本文是一篇广告应用文。文章介绍了世界上四个位于地下的旅游景点：哥伦比亚的锡帕基拉盐矿大教堂、罗马尼亚的萨利纳·图尔达盐矿主题公园、挪威的水下餐厅以及冰岛的斯瑞努卡基古火山。

1.D  细节理解题。第一则场地的介绍说，哥伦比亚的锡帕基拉盐矿大教堂是一座地底下的罗马天主教堂，现在还在被当作教堂使用，因此选D。

2.B  细节理解题。根据题干可以把答案定位在第三则场地介绍。其中提及游客可以在挪威的克里斯蒂安桑的水下餐厅吃饭，因此选B。

3.D  细节理解题。最后一则介绍说，位于冰岛的斯瑞努卡基古火山已有四千多年没有喷发，因此进入火山内部是安全的。

B

本文是一篇记叙文。作者的女儿第一次开车就遇到车祸，在治疗的过程中，作者鼓励女儿战胜恐惧感，重新自信地坐在驾驶室里。

4.A  推理判断题。第一段说，当作者听说肇事司机当时在限速45km/h的区域以70 km/h的速度开车，并且还睡着了，此时作者几乎想要掐死他（I could have choked him），由此判断选A。

5.D  细节理解题。第二段说，预约的医生告诉茱莉亚，她应该继续自己先前的正常活动，包括开车，因此选D. 6.C 细节理解题。第三段谈到茱莉亚与保险公司代理人打电话，在听女儿与代理人交流的时候作者意识到，女儿长大了，不能让她生活在对开车的恐惧中，要让她战胜恐惧，继续开车。因此选C。

7.B  推理判断题。最后一段说，当茱莉亚到达餐馆给作者发来信息时，作者流下了抑制多时的泪水，由此推断选B，作者知道，女儿战胜了心里的恐惧，身心都已经恢复。

C

本文是一篇议论文。居家办公和在办公室办公都有其弊端，于是开拓第三空间的"酒店办公"成为一种新型的办公模式，但是这种模式有太多令人分神的东西，而且新鲜感过后人们又会有无聊的感觉，因此并不是一种理想的办公模式。

8.C  推理判断题。第一段说，随着夏季的来临，人们或在令人汗流浃背的厨房餐桌上居家办公，或在嘈杂的咖啡馆办公，或在炎热的办公室办公。很多酒店推出“第三空间”，以推广在优雅环境里工作的理念。由此推断选C。9.D  细节理解题。第二、第三段谈到英国伦敦的两家酒店给上班族提供的工作环境，说 Birch酒店给在这里上班的客人提供额外的课程，并且缴纳会员费之后还能享受晚上住宿的优惠，而 Shangri-La 酒店只提供早上10点到下午6点的工作时间，因此选D。

10.A 细节理解题。第三段说，Shangrr-La酒店给来这里办公的人们提供早 上10点到下午6点的工作时间，因此选A.

11.B  推理判断题。本文陈述了在酒店办公的好处和弊端，然后说，当这种新鲜感消失之后，人们就会有空虚的感觉，而且别指望白领族或者主管会入住酒店办公。由此推断作者的态度是B，“不赞同的”。

D

本文是一篇说明文。汽车在加速和刹车的时候，轮胎会产生大量的塑料微颗粒，这些颗粒会进入海洋，成为海洋第二大污染物。要想解决这个问题，就需要轮胎生产厂家公布其配方。

12.C 细节理解题。根据题干的“the global model”可以把答案定位在第二段。该段说，2017年人们建立了一个全球性的模型，结果发现汽车轮胎磨损产生的微颗粒是海洋微颗粒的第二大来源，由此可知选C。

13.A 词义猜测题。画线词所在段落讲述这种微颗粒无处不在，从深海到大气层，在南极和北极都有，因此该词的含义是A。

14.D  推理判断题。第四段爱德华说，轮胎微颗粒已成为造成城市空气污染的重要因素，而被我们吸进体内的这些微颗粒里面有些未知的化学成分，因此还需要进一步的研究。由此推断选D。

15.C  标题归纳题。本文围绕汽车轮胎产生的塑料污染展开论述，讲述汽车轮胎造成的塑料微颗粒污染的来历，对海洋生命的危害，以及轮胎生产公司应该承担的责任，因此本文的标题选C。

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍在旱情严重的背景下如何栽种和保养花草，如何根据植物对水的需求区别对待。

16.B  语境题。前文说到美国的干旱情况，下文提到如何在栽培植物的时候节约用水，B项符合语境的过渡：他们很多人还要担心自己栽种的植物的情况。

17.C  语境题。前文说“判断哪些植物最需要水”，C项说“最优先考虑的是新栽种的植物”符合语境.

18.A  语境题。承接前面一段，本段说的是最不被优先考虑的植物，A项的“Others”与前文的“plants that only livefor one growing season”呼应。

19.E  主旨题。这一段说的是植物在不同的天气情况下对水的需求不同，当天气干燥时，应少量多次进行浇水。这里说的是浇水的时候注意有效性，因此本段的主题句选E。

20.F  语境题。语境说的是干旱期间不要给花草施肥，因此选F。

本文是一篇记叙文。故事的主人公从桥上跳进大海，抢救落水的小女孩，并在众人的帮助下将女孩送到医院。

21.D  根据下文的“the railing（栏杆）of the bridge”判断，这里说的是故事的主人公开车带着女儿正从一座桥上经过，因此选D。

22.C  从语境和四个选项看，这里说的是行驶中的这辆车突然冲破障碍物，开到桥边上，因此选C表示“障碍”。

23.B  根据句意，这里用rest来描述车子撞破障碍物之后冲到桥边，悬挂在桥上的情景，rest在这里表示“靠某物支撑”。

24.B  这里用动词hang表示“悬挂”。

25.A  这里说的是司机这边的车门被打开，因此选A。26.A  这里说的是这个司机指了指下面的海水，因此选A。

27.C  语境表示小女孩从车子里被甩出来，漂浮在下面的海面上，因此选C。

28.B  语境说从车上被甩到海水里的两岁的小女孩在水里翻了个身，结果脸朝下趴在水里，此时她的情况就更令人担心了，因此选B。

29.C  这里叙述乔纳森救人时的紧迫情形，因此选C表示“抬起，举起”。30.B  语境说的是小女孩此时紧闭双眼而且没有呼吸，因此选B。

31.A  这里用动词lay表示“安放”，指他把小女孩放在自己的肩头，拍打女孩的背部。

32.C  从语境的连贯看，乔纳森救起洞水女孩，轻轻拍打她的背部，小女孩慢慢恢复知觉，小手搂住他的脖子。因此选C。

33.D  语境说的是小女孩在乔纳森的肩头醒来，眼睛看着他，因此选D。

34.D  这里说的是帮助乔纳森和小女孩上船，用aboard表示"上船"。

35.A  语境表示乔纳森的女儿艾娃深受父亲救人事迹的激励，因此选A表示"使感动，激发"。

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍当前深受人们喜爱的快手和抖音这两个社交平台以及它们对记录中国农村生活与展现农村的现代化发展所起的积极作用。

36.revealing 考查非谓语动词。本空提示动词与谓语动词之间没有连词连接，因此用现在分词作状语表示主动含义。

37.most popular  考查形容词最高级。提示词在句中作定语，根据句意和语境的定冠词可知，这里用形容词最高级表示“最受欢迎的短视频平台”。

38.to  考查介词。本空填介词to与前面的动词show搭配，表示“向……展示”。

39.are impressed  考查时态语态。这里用提示动词的一般现在时被动语态表示被动含义和当前的状态。

40.highly  考查副词。这里用提示形容词的副词highly作状语表示“非常”。

41.have made  考查时态。本空用提示动词的现在完成时表示延续到现在的动作。

42.the 考查冠词。本空后面的名词 diversity接了限制性定语，在语境表示特指，因此填 the。

43.optimism  考查词性转换。这里填提示形容词的名词 optimism作宾语表示“乐观”。

44.challenged  考查非谓语动词。本空提示动词在句中作宾补表示被动含义，因此填过去分词。

45.which 考查定语从句。这里填which引导非限制性定语从句，关系代词指代主句内容并在从句中作主语。

One possible version:

Dear Victor,

I feel it a regret that you failed to join our club in the farm-picking event, which took place last Sunday. At 8 am, a bus took us to our destination, a farm located about threemiles west of our school. Upon arriving there, we began to pick vegetables across the fields for the farmers, working so devotedly that three hours passed before we realized it. After a brief lunch we headed home.All of us had a good time there,as the event provided us with a good chance to see what life is like for farmers. I hope you can join us in our next event.

Yours,

Li Hua

One possible version:

That night, I felt worn out from overextending my neck and arms.I knew I needed professional help.I Googled “Teaching Adults How to Swim”online and found an excellent teacher who stressed that the most important lesson was breathing and building confidence. With her patient guidance and my own effort, I began to be skillful at swimming. What was the most important was that I regained confidence in myself, believing that I could make a perfect swimmer.

Every day, I returned to my pool, gaining strength in my strokes and breath control. It was exciting, and I was having the best time of my life. Having learned what I had been upto for the last few weeks, just last Sunday, my agent Susan texted me again, saying that she felt proud of me, and promised that she would look for a chance for me to do a cruise commercial again.I no longer cared whether such a chance would come. What I cared about most was that I had found confidence in myself that I could make it,however old I was.