全国2021届高三12月高考冲刺押题英语模拟卷（一）Word版含答案

全国2021届高三12月高考冲刺押题英语模拟卷（一）Word版含答案

冲刺2021届高考英语押题模拟卷（一） 考生须知： 1. 本试卷分第Ⅰ卷（选择题）和第Ⅱ卷（非选择题）。满分为 150 分，考试时间为 120 分钟。 2. 请用黑色签字笔将学校、班级、姓名、考号分别填写在答题卷和机读卡的相应位置上。 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卡上。 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，并标在试卷的 相应位置。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。 例：How much is the shirt? A. £19.15. B. £9.18. C. £9.15. 答案是 C。 1. Where does this conversation take place? A. In a classroom. B. In a hospital. C. In a museum. 2. What does Jack want to do? A. Take fitness classes. B. Buy a pair of gym shoes. C. Change his work schedule. 3. What are the speakers talking about? A. What to drink. B. Where to meet. C. When to leave. 4. What is the relationship between the speakers? A. Colleagues. B. Classmates. C. Strangers. 5. Why is Emily mentioned in the conversation? A. She might want a ticket. B. She is looking for the man. C. She has an extra ticket. 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， 并标在试卷的相应位置。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. How long did James run his business? A. 10 years. B. 13 years. C. 15 years. 7. How does the woman feel about James’ situation? A. Embarrassed. B. Concerned. C. Disappointed. 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8 至 10 题。 8. What has Kate’s mother decided to do? A. Return to school. B. Change her job. C. Retire from work. 9. What did Kate’s mother study at college? A. Oil painting. B. Art history. C. Business administration. 10. What is Kate’s attitude toward her mother’s decision? A. Disapproving. B. Ambiguous. C. Understanding. 听第 8 段材料，回答第 11 至 13 题。 11. What is the man doing？ A. Chairing a meeting. B. Hosting a radio program. C. Conducting a job interview. 12. What benefits Mary most in her job? A. Her wide reading. B. Her leaders’ guidance. C. Her friends’ help. 13. Who will Mary talk about next? A. Her teacher. B. Her father. C. Her mother. 听第 9 段材料，回答第 14 至 17 题。 14. Why does the man seldom do exercise? A. He lacks motivation. B. He has a heart problem. C. He works all the time. 15. What does Jacob Sattelmair probably do? A. He’s an athlete. B. He’s a researcher. C. He’s a journalist. 16. Why does the woman speak of a study? A. To encourage the man. B. To recommend an exercise. C. To support her findings. 17. How much time will the man probably spend exercising weekly? A. 300 minutes. B. 150 minutes. C. 75 minutes. 听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。 18. What did the scientists do to the road? A. They repaired it. B. They painted it. C. They blocked it. 19. Why are young birds drawn to the road surface? A. It’s warm. B. It’s brown. C. It’s smooth. 20. What is the purpose of the scientists’ experiment? A. To keep the birds there for a whole year. B. To help students study the birds well. C. To prevent the birds from being killed. 第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分35 分） 第一节（共 10 个小题；每小题 2.5 分，满分 25 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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 A I was given a voice. That’s what people said about me. I trained my voice, because it would be a shame to waste such a gift. I pictured this voice as a greenhouse plant and made sure it was provided with the right temperature, the right amount of water. I relieved its fears. I told it not to tremble. I nursed it, I trained it, and I watched it climb up inside my neck. My voice bloomed. People said I had grown into my voice. Invitations to perform flooded over us. All the best places wanted us. I was sought after, or rather my voice was. We went everywhere together and gave performances. Bouquets（花 束）were thrown to it. Money was presented to it. Men fell on their knees before it. Applause flew around it. Then my voice began to shrivel. People said my voice would bloom only for a certain term, finally it would drop off, and gone with it would be all the fame and wealth. I have noticed it so far. Fear has entered me since my voice has used up most of my life. I’ve given it all my love. But my voice is still as greedy as ever. It wants more, more and more, more of everything it has had so far. Now it’s evening: the bright lights come on, and excitement quickens in the streets. We sit in this hotel room. Soon it will be time for us to go out. We have to attend a grand occasion, the two of us, chained together as always. I have to put on its favourite dress, its favourite necklace and wind a fur around it. Then I have to go out, shining like ice, my voice attached to my throat like an invisible vampire（吸血鬼）. 21. Why did the author compare her voice to a greenhouse plant? A. To introduce her way to grow a plant. B. To stress her hard efforts to train her voice. C. To express her determination to show her gift. D. To indicate her strong desire to improve her skill. 22. What does the underlined word “shrivel” in paragraph 3 mean? A. go up B. die away C. grow more pleasant D. become less attractive 23. What can we infer from the last paragraph of the text? A. The author totally ruined her fame. B. The author gradually lost her freedom. C. The author eventually accepted her voice. D. The author greatly enjoyed her performances. B Plastic bottles by the side of a road are a common sight, an unseemly reminder of how often consumer products are thrown away carelessly. Now some of those bottles may become part of the road. A California company has put recycled plastic into road repaving (重铺), which could revolutionize the industry with environmental benefits. Sean Weaver, president of TechniSoil Industrial in the northern California city of Redding, said, “With this new technique, the repaved roads are stronger flatter, safer and last longer than those made with regular asphalt (沥青).” More appealing to environmentalists, the repaved roads incorporate 100% of the old asphalt- sparing the air from dozens of trips by trucks pulling away and bringing in building materials-and provide a new market for plastic products that could otherwise wind up in a landfill “Everybody that's looked at it said this will be one of the most transformative road-construction technologies ever,” Weaver said. “We're recycling what's there, and we're delivering a road that's better than the original, at no higher cost than it would cost you to repave that road the traditional way.” The process involves four large construction vehicles linked together in what's called a “recycling train,” which scoops up the top 3 inches of asphalt on a lane, grinds (磨碎) them on a mill and mixes them with TechniSoil's G5 binder (粘合剂) containing from 2% to 20% of liquefied plastic. The mixed product is deposited back on the road, paved and rolled over. There's no heat involved in the operation, which essentially replaces the traditional binder-bitumen, a leftover from refining oil-with a stronger plastic composite. The other elements of asphalt, such as crushed rock, gravel, sand and filler, remain in place. 24. What's the new move of the California company? A. To put asphalt into road construction. B. To revolutionize the recycling industry. C. To use recycled plastic in road repaving. D. To add plastic bottles to house-building. 25. What can we learn from Weaver's statement? A. The technique they use is cost-saving. B. His company enjoys high reputation. C. The road-construction process is complex. D. Environmentalists think highly of the new roads. 26. What is the last paragraph mainly about? A. How roads are repaved in the new way. B. Where the new building materials are mixed. C. Why there is no heat in the road construction. D. What materials are used in the road repaving. C Travel has connected the world in ways previous generations could have never imagined. Different cultures and languages are constantly interacting. Even better, it’s made us more aware of the unique challenges among various communities. This heightened awareness is directly behind the growing trend of “voluntourism” — travelers offering up their holiday to volunteer for different causes and among communities in foreign destinations. But every destination is unique in the challenges its community is facing. That’s why Bowen suggests that travelers make themselves aware of those issues before travel, which is something he’s already seen happening. Bowen recently organized community voluntourism opportunities for guests at the Grace Bay in Turks “There’s a new sense of community awareness, even when you’re going to a foreign country,” he says. “Unfortunately a big part of our economy in Turks is import. We import 99.9 percent of everything, so travelers know it's hard to get things here, so they want to give back.” From there, Bowen’s team makes sure to place travelers in programs they’re enthusiastic about. Sports lovers get placed in the sports center and tech travelers might get sent to the computer school. The program has been so successful that Bowen continually sees guests returning for another voluntourism trip in Turks. Limited vacation time in the US makes it difficult to stick to month-long or even week-long programs, yet American travelers still feel the urge to give back. It’s something Rodgers at Give A Day Global used to think about. “I really want to make a positive difference and I don’t know how to do that when I travel if I don’t have a lot of time to give. That’s where the idea of Give A Day Global came from. To find your inspiration for voluntourism and giving back, Rodgers suggests seizing a book. “Reading books about people who have faced great challenges and made incredible progress is a great way to stay inspired and engaged,” she says. For her, it’s about reminding ourselves that there are people devoted to making positive changes in the life of other people. 27. What does the author say has caused the growth of voluntourism? A. Peoples awareness of unique challenges for different communities. B. The need to prevent different cultures and languages from mixing. C. People’s urge to travel and see different cultures in foreign countries. D. The dependence of the world on imported goods for development. 28. What do Bowen and his team manage to do? A. Set up a community voluntourism organization B. Help solve the economy problems in Turks C. Get his customers to join in voluntourism. D. Write about volunteer work while traveling. 29. How does Rodgers suggest we get inspiration to do voluntourism? A. By taking limited vacation time to work in our local community. B. By listening to lectures about ways to give back to undeveloped areas. C. By signing up individually to get engaged in helping poor countries. D. By reading books about people devoted to positively changing others. 30. What is the passage mainly about? A. Making some money when traveling abroad B. Doing volunteer work when traveling abroad. C. The benefit of doing volunteer school work. D. Tips about inspiration to do voluntary work. 第二节（共 5 个小题；每小题 2 分，满分 10 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。 Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an accepted and valuable part of your new neighborhood. The easiest way lo accomplish this is to make re you conduct yourself as a good neighbor should. 31 Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is lo keep your property(房产)neat, clean, and in good repair. 32 By choosing to keep the outside of the home in great shape, you will help lo improve the look and feel of the area. Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously. When going for a walk,take along a small garbage bag. 33 This small act will let your neighbors know that you care about the area. 34 If a neighbor is going to e out of town, offer to collect mail and newspapers. If a neighbor suffers an illness, offer to do the grocery shopping, Let them know that you are there to help in any way that is acceptable. while still respecting the privacy of your neighbor. 35 By following the basic rules of respecting others, taking care of what belongs to you, and taking pride in the appearance of the neighborhood in general, you will quickly become a good neighbor that everyone appreciates. A. In general, keep an eye on their property while they are gone. B. A good neighbor is also one who likes to help out in small ways. C. Being a good neighbor is more or less about considerate behavior. D. Sometimes neighbors may go to the supermarket together to do shopping. E. Should you come across waste paper thrown out of a passing car, pick it up F. People lend to take pride in keeping everything in their street fresh and inviting. G. Here are a few tips to help you win over everyone in the neighborhood quickly 第三部分 语言运用（共两节，满分 45 分） 第一节完形填空（共 20 个小题；每小题 1．5 分．满分 30 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顶．并在答 题纸上将该项涂黑 Experts say boredom is good for kids. It forces them to be creative, 36 their imaginations and helps them discover new things. A (n) 37 in point is 13-year-old Luke Thill from Dubuque, Iowa. Luke was 38 of playing video games and riding his bike, so he decided to build a tiny house in his backyard instead. He made money from cutting lawns(草坪)and 39 exchanged some services, such as gaining the help of an electrical engineer 40 sweeping his garage. Luke also 41 spare materials from his grandmother’s house and other 42 materials from his neighbors for some of the windows and the door. The 89-square—foot home cost $1,500 to build and 43 18 months. Inside there’s a kitchenette, a back sitting room, a table and a mounted(镶嵌的)TV, and an upstairs bedroom can be easily 44 by stairway. Although Luke did the 45 and learned how to do all the work, he had his father’s 46 throughout the project. Greg Thill was very happy that his son learned to stay on 47 and deal with grown-ups. 48 ，he had some simple rules when Luke 49 the house: “You 50 the money. You build it. And you own it.’’ Luke is now in love with 51 . He has a YouTube channel and hopes to 52 other kids to start building. 53 , he wants to build a bigger tiny house to live in, but for now, he 54 in his new home a few nights a week, does homework there, and uses it to take a 55 from his twin brother. 36. A. changes B. ignores C. improves D. weakens 37. A. method B. explanation C. procedure D. case 38. A. tired B. fond C. confident D. guilty 39. A. thus B. even C. still D. anyhow 40. A. in exchange for B. in praise for C. in support of D. in place of 41. A. updated B. ordered C. removed D. used 42. A. recycled B. cheap C. new D. raw 43. A. spent B. took C. saved D. wasted 44. A. supported B. accessed C. held D. landed 45. A. research B. housework C. experiment D. discovery 46. A. permission B. help C. control D. order 47. A. credit B. business C. budget D. duty 48. A. Therefore B. Besides C. Rather D. However 49. A. finished B. decorated C. started D. painted 50. A. borrow B. donate C. raise D. distribute 51. A. books B. videos C. riding D. building 52. A. inspire B. press C. command D. warn 53. A. Luckily B. Eventually C. Frequently D. Strangely 54. A. brings out B. leaves out C. hangs out D. puts out 55. A. ride B. risk C. chance D. break 第二节（共10个小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分） 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1 个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。 A “Children's Press Meeting” was scheduled at the Great Wall on Saturday morning. Beckham shared his thoughts on ___56___ (be) a good listener and supportive parent. 26 children and journalists from across China asked ___57___ (vary) questions about healthy meals, growing up troubles, and ___58___ to create a dynamic family. As a father of three, Beckham ___59___ (he) is eager to be a good role model for his children and also encourage children ___60___ (keep) a healthy attitude towards life. “I like children myself. Today, not only did we play football together, ___61___ I enjoyed very much, but also we discussed varieties of questions regarding health,” Beckham told the children. “The healthy lifestyle is a very important topic in my life. Being a parent, all along I ___62___ (try) my best to encourage my children to take care of their health and pay attention to the family life.” At the meeting ___63___ (hold) by the China Film Director Center, Beckham also attended a charity auction organized by “Angel” and extended his ___64___ (encourage) to the young painter Lin Yuhui. Angel is a program that was launched by AIA China. By charity auction through the collected children's painting, the fund will ___65___ turn produce money to run the program and to help children. 第四部分 写作 第一节：应用文（满分15分） 假定你是李华，你所在城市下个月 1 日将举行 The Color Run 的活动，参加者每跑一公里会被 抛洒上不同颜色，被称为地球上最欢乐的五公里。请给你的英国朋友 Alex 写封邮件邀请他参加， 内容包括： 1. 发出邀请； 2. 介绍活动； 3. 时间、地点、报名方式等。 注意： 1．词数 80 左右； 2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 第二节：读后续写（满分25分） Missy," I cried to my wife, "did you put the banana skin on my desk?" "No, honey, Meghan probably did, "As I'd feared, she had missed my real purpose of the question which was to make it clear to her that she hadn't done her job: defend my desk against the invader--our naughty girl. I abandoned the conversation. I sat here at the desk, and stared at the screen. I waited patiently for ideas to come to me, exam questions for a test I would give my English students. My wife was off to a reunion somewhere, but I was not alone. Meghan, our 22-month-old daughter, kept me company. Yet her plans that day seemed to go against mine. She followed a daily routine that was both time-consuming and challenging. It included certain basic tasks: watching the fish, sweeping the carpet in her room, climbing up and down her bed. At first I could concentrate on designing my test paper. But I was soon sidetracked(分心的). I had not counted on the arrival of the"bib-bibs"("Bib-bibs" were birds). "Bib-bibs, bib-bibs!" Meghan screamed excitedly, her eyes alive with expectation. She insisted that I go with her to the window. "In a second. Just let me finish this question," I said. She pulled me by the hand (two fingers, actually) toward the window. I saw myself as a fool, being led to watch the bib-bibs. And we did watch them. They chattered and leaped back and forth on the lawn just outside our apartment window. Meghan was absorbed, but as I watched them, I still thought about my work. Suddenly she rushed out from the room, and I heard her naked feet slapping against the wooden floor outside. She returned with her doll, Dumpty. She held him up to the window, stretching him out by his two arms and whispering into his nonexistent ear. "Bib-bibs, Dumpty, bib-bibs!" Then I left them in conversation and returned to my desk. __________________________________________________________________________________ 注意： 1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右； 2.应使5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语； 3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好； 4. 写完成后, 请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。 Paragraph 1: Unfortunately, she came again soon, with her shoes in hands and preparing for an outing.__________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 2: Out of the corner of my eye I could see the little girl sobbing because I didn't have time for her. __________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 冲刺2021届高考英语押题模拟卷（一） 参考答案 第一部分 听力 1. B 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. B 8. A 9. C 10. C 11. B 12. A 13. C 14. A 15. B 16. A 17. C 18. B 19. A 20. C 第二部分 阅读理解 21-23 BDB 24—26 CAA 27—30 ACDB 第三部分 语言运用 完形：CDABA DABBA BCDCC DABCD 56. being 57. va rious 58. how 59. himself 60. to keep 61. which 62. have tried 63. held 64. encouragements 65. in 第四部分 写作 第一节：应用文写作（满分 15 分） 第一节：应用文写作（满分15分） 一、评分原则 1. 本题总分为15分，按5个档次给分。 2. 评分时，先根据文章的内容和语言初步确定其所属档次，然后以该档次的要求来衡量、确定或调整档次， 最后给分。 3. 词数少于60和多于100的，从总分中减去2分。 4. 评分时，应注意的主要内容为：内容要点、应用词汇和语法结构的丰富性和准确性及上下文的连贯性。 5. 拼写与标点符号是语言准确性的一个方面，评分时，应视其对交际的影响程度予以考虑。英美拼写及词 汇用法均可接受。 6. 如书写较差，以至影响交际，将分数降低一个档次。 二、各档次的给分范围和要求 档次 描述 第五档 （13～15分） 完全完成了试题规定的任务。 •覆盖所有内容要点； •应用了较多的语法结构和词汇； •语法结构或词汇方面有些许错误，但为尽力使用较复杂结构或较高 级词汇所致；具备较强的语言应用能力； •有效地使用了语句间的连接成分，使全文结构紧凑； 完全达到了预期的写作目的。 第四档 （10～12分） 完全完成了试题规定的任务。 •虽漏掉1、2个次重点，但覆盖所有主要内容； •应用的语法结构和词汇能满足任务的要求； •语法结构或词汇方面应用基本准确，些许错误主要是因尝试较复杂 语法结构或词汇所致； •应用简单的语句间连接成分，使全文结构紧凑； 达到了预期的写作目的。 第三档 （7～9分） 基本完成了试题规定的部分任务。 •虽漏掉一些内容，但覆盖部分主要内容； •应用的语法结构和词汇能满足任务的要求； •有一些语法结构或词汇方面的错误，但不影响理解； •应用简单的语句间连接成分，使全文内容连贯； 整体而言，基本达到了预期的写作目的。 第二档 （4～6分） 未恰当完成试题规定的任务。 •漏掉或未描述清楚一些主要内容，写了一些无关内容； •语法结构单调、词汇项目有限； •有一些语法结构或词汇方面的错误，影响了对写作内容的理解； •较少使用语句间的连接成分，内容缺少连贯性； 信息未能清楚地传达给读者。 第一档 （1～3分） 未完成试题规定的任务。 •明显遗漏主要内容，写了一些无关内容，原因可能是未理解试题要 求； •语法结构单调、词汇项目有限； •较多语法结构或词汇方面的错误，影响对写作内容的理解； •缺乏语句间的连接成分，内容不连贯； 信息未能传达给读者。 0分 未能传达给读者任何信息：内容太少，无法评判；写的内容均与所 要求内容无关或所写内容无法看清。 三、试题具体要求 （一）内容要点： 1. 消息来源； 2. 加入理由； 3. 预期收获 （二） 应用词汇和语法结构的情况： 1. 使用与主题相关的词汇； 2. 能够使用恰当的语法结构。 （三）上下文的连贯性： 按照内容要点展开写作，使用恰当的连接词或表达法使文章内容连贯。 四、One possible version: One possible version： Dear Alex, I’m writing to invite you to participate in the Color Run scheduled to take place in the City Botanical Garden on the first of next month. Known as the happiest 5km on the planet, the Color Run is a unique event that celebrates healthiness, happiness and individuality. All participants are expected to be dressed in white and end up looking like a rainbow, as different colors are thrown for every kilometer, which features the most fun part. If interested, you can register at the website thecolorrun.com, and do remember to wear white. Looking forward to your participation. Yours, Li hua 第二节 读后续写 一、评分原则 1. 本题总分为25分，按5个档次给分。 2. 评分时，先根据所续写短文的内容和语言初步确定其所属档次，然后以该档次的要求来衡量，确定或调整 档次，最后给分。 3. 词数少于130的，从总分中减去2分。 4. 评分时，应主要从以下四个方面考虑： （1）与所给短文的开头语衔接程度； （2）内容的丰富性和对所标出关键词语的应用情况； （3）应用语法结构和词汇的丰富性和准确性； （4）上下文的连贯性。 5. 拼写与标点符号是语言准确性的一个重要方面，评分时，应视其对交际的影响程度予以考虑。 6. 如书写较差以致影响交际，可将分数降低一个档次。 二、各档次的给分范围和要求 档次 描述 第五档 （21-25） •与所给短文融合度高，与所提供的各段落开头语衔接合理。 •内容丰富，应用了5个以上短文中标出的关键词语。 •所使用语法结构和词汇丰富、准确，可能有些许错误，但完全不影响意思 表达。 •有效地使用了词语间的连接成分，所续写短文结构紧凑。 第四档 （16-20） •与所给短文融合度较高，与所提供的各段落开头语衔接较为合理。 •内容比较丰富，应用了5个以上短文中标出的关键词语。 •所使用语法结构和词汇较为丰富、准确，可能有些许错误，但不影响意思 表达。 •比较有效地使用了词语间的连接成分，所续写短文结构紧凑。 第三档 （11-15） •与所给短文关系较为密切，与所提供的各段落开头语衔接有一定程度衔接。 •写出了若干有关内容，应用了4个以上短文中标出的关键词语。 •应用语法结构和词汇能满足任务的要求，虽有一些错误，但不影响意思表 达。 •应用简单的句间连接成分，使全文内容连贯。 第二档 （6-10） •与所给短文关系有一定关系，与所提供的各段落开头语衔接有一定程度衔 接。 •写出了一些有关内容，应用了3个以上短文中标出的关键词语。 •语法结构单调，词汇项目有限，有些语法结构和词汇方面的错误，影响意 思了的表达。 •较少使用了句间的连接成分，全文内容缺少连贯性。 第一档 （1-5） •与所给短文和开头语衔接较差。 •产出内容太少，很少使用短文中标出的关键词语。 •语法结构单调，词汇项目很有限，有较多语法结构和词汇方面的错误，严 重影响意思了的表达。 •缺乏句间的连接成分，全文内容不连贯。 0分 白卷，内容太少无法评判或所写内容与所提供内容无关。 三、One possible version Unfortunately, she came again soon, with her shoes in hands and preparing for an outing. She stood at the desk, and gazed up at me, waiting for me to nod my head. "Dumpty is crying. Go play with him!" I coaxed, pretending not to know what she wanted to do. Hearing this, she reluctantly laid her shoes down and toddled towards the window. Like a mother caring for her baby, she stroked her doll tenderly as she hummed softly to him. Then I turned around and set to work again, pleased that my girl could concentrate on her doll. However, not long after that, she returned, saying excitedly, "He's sleeping!" "Meghan!" I snapped, "Daddy is busy now!" Out of the corner of my eye I could see the little girl sobbing because I didn't have time for her. I shook my head helplessly, unsure of what to do. How I wished my wife would come back home and keep her company! After a few silent minutes, I stood up from the seat and slowly walked over to her, trying to comfort her, but she just wiped her eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry, sweetie!" I said gently, reaching out my hands. Out of my expectation, my girl threw herself in my arms and easily forgave my rudeness. Overjoyed, I decided to take a break from work, and went for an outing. Suddenly it dawned on me that the best way to be a good parent is to spend time with your kids.