How can we celebrate the people we've never met who helped get us through the worst year of our life?
When I was a child, my grandmother often expressed the importance of communicating with everyone. When she walked down the street, she spoke to everyone. It did not matter if you were elderly or a child, or if you spoke English or Spanish. She had a smile and a conversation for you.
My grandmother's wisdom opened my mind to having a pen pal. This hobby-exchanging regular letters with someone on the other side of the world that you may never meet in person used to be popular in the 20th century. But many people consider the practice outdated in age of Facebook. Today, when I reveal that among my long time friendships is a relationship with a pen pal, with whom I communicate solely through long emails, people find it odd.
It isn't odd-it's wonderful. My relationship with my pen pal is one of the most valuable friendships I have ever had. even though I have never met her in person, or even heard her voice.
It all started in 2013. I was on my way to USC to meet Kerstin Zilm, a German radio personality who wanted to interview me about being a struggling student at Long Beach City College. After the interview, a woman named Renate reached out to Kerstin, inquiring how she could find me and help me financially with college. I thought it was great that Renate, who lives in Germany, wanted to assist with my education.
At first, Renate and I emailed each other twice a month. She wanted to know a lot more about my life growing up in Watts, my attempts to further my education, and whether there were ways beyond finances that she could help. I did not have a specific answer for her last question, but her moral support was important. With someone encouraging me and sponsoring my education, my spirits were greatly lifted up.
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。
Her support kept coming, in various forms.
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But as I prepared for meeting with her, I received the worst news I'd ever gotten.
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When Rebecca got home, the first thing she had to do was her homework. She had to write a composition this time. While Rebecca was thinking about her teacher’s instruction that it was always the easiest to write about the most familiar things, she watched her cat slowly approach a fly that had flown to the edge of the bed. Just as a surprise attack was about to be carried out, the fly suddenly flew away. The cat fell off the bed, landed on the floor on her back and looked around as if to say “What happened?” Rebecca laughed hard. That was when she decided to write a piece about her cat.
Having finished her homework, Rebecca was staying inside and playing with her cat when her mum called her to dinner.
“What was the best thing that happened to you today?” asked her dad. It was always the first question he asked as they sat down to dinner. Rebecca wasted no time telling her parents about her cat.
After she told hers, Rebecca’s dad asked, “So,what was the worst?”
Rebecca wore a worried expression. “So what shall I do?” she asked. “There was a new girl whose name was Mary Brown in my class. I want to talk to Mary Brown but I don’t want to risk losing my old friends.
Her dad thought for a moment, and asked, “Rebecca, what do you think courage mean?”
“Isn’t that when soldiers go to war to fight?”
“Well, yes. That is one kind of courage,“ replied her dad. ”Mostly, people are afraid because they might get hurt, or they think people won’t like them. It’s a different kind of courage to do something when you are afraid. “That is called moral courage”, explained her dad.
Rebecca’s mum reached over, holding her daughter’s hands, and said,“Your friends will understand you and still be your friends. If they don’t, then they really aren’t your friends anyway. And you might end up with an even better friend with Mary Brown.”
"The next day at school, Rebecca’s classmates and she all had to read their compositions, and everyone liked Rebecca’s, especially Mary.
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。
By lunch time the next day, Rebecca knew exactly what she was going to do.
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Rebecca asked Mary if she would like to play football with them.
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The whole class burst out laughing as Mohi rushed into the classroom. He was a strange sight. His half-buttoned white shirt revealed a red striped loose-fitting pajama (睡衣) top underneath, and instead of white school shoes, he had on a pair of bright green sandals (凉鞋) that were two sizes too big. The physics teacher’s hand froze in the middle of writing a formula on the blackboard.
Mohi said in a quiet voice, “Sorry, teacher,”and ran with quick short steps to his seat. Mr. Tan glared at the rest of the students. The laughter quickly died down. Mohi’s classmates always looked forward to Mondays. Nine times out of ten, they would be entertained by Mohi’s late arrival and his odd appearance which usually included inappropriate clothing. That day, it was the loose-fitting pajama top and green sandals.
Mohi lived just a street away from the school. He walked to school daily. Students passing by in buses would yell his name together just to see him jump and stop in his tracks. When he spotted the merry bunch in the bus, he would wave good-naturedly. Although Mohi was likable, he was too lost in his own thoughts to make friends. His classmates found him amusing but they ignored him most of the time. Only Hamed, who sat next to Mohi, tried to be his friend.
The following Monday, Mohi did not turn up at school. His classmates were a little disappointed but quickly forgot about him. After school, Hamed decided to walk over to Mohi’s house to check on him. As he approached the gate, he could hear violin music. Mohi must be listening to music, he thought. The gate was not locked. Hamed let himself in. He called Mohi’s name a few times but there was no response.
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。
The music played on.
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Before Teacher’s Day concert, Hamed convinced the class to let Mohi perform.
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My best friend Carla Hernandez called me on Thursday afternoon. She asked me to meet her in the park near the playground five minutes later. She said she had a great idea! This worried me because Carla’s great ideas almost always meant big trouble for me!
I rushed outside and jogged to the park. When I saw Carla, my heart sank because her huge dog Perro was with her. I liked everything about Carla except Perro. I’d never had a pet, so I felt uncomfortable and nervous around animals. I was embarrassed to say that I was afraid of Carla’s dog. Carla smiled. “Isn’t this the perfect location for a pet show?” she asked. “All the kids in the neighborhood can show off their pets’ talents and demonstrate the things they do well. There are plenty of comfortable benches (长椅) for our parents and friends to sit on. And since you don’t have a pet to enter into the show, you will be the announcer.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, “but that’s impossible! Crowds made me nervous and unsure. Besides, I didn’t like animals, remember?” “That’s nonsense,” said Carla. “There’s nothing to be concerned about because you’ll be great!” Carla encouraged me to be brave and confident. But just then, Perro leaped up, slobbered all over (毫不掩饰地表示喜爱) me, and almost knock me down. “Down, Perro! Stay!” I shouted. Perro sat as still as a statue. “Wow, you’re good at that,” said Carla. She thought I was talented at giving orders to pets, and asked me to get started with her immediately because we would have a lot to do.
By Saturday morning I had practiced announcing each pet’s act a hundred times. I felt my heart pounding by the time the audience arrived. The size of the crowd made me feel even more anxious. When the show began, I announced the first pet, nervously. It was a bird named Butter whose talent was walking back and forth on a wire. When Butter finished, everyone clapped and cheered. So far, everything was perfect.
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。
I was beginning to feel calmer and more relaxed.
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This was a disaster, and I had to do something.
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注意：1.词数120～150；2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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It seemed to take forever, but I finally turned thirteen last Saturday. I decided to hang around my room and junk a bunch of kid stuff. As I sorted out the drawers, a photo fell to the floor. The face staring up at me was my friend, Jane.
Jane Farmer was the smartest girl I’d ever known. She almost always got straight A’s, and she was pretty, too. Part of me wanted to hate her, but I couldn’t. She was too nice, instead. I envied her and longed with all my heart to be just like her.
Jane was a top student and always sat in front of the class. My desk was in the back. I’d watch Mrs Schnell, our teacher, pace back and forth in front of us. She as short with thick red hair and a smile she turned on and off like a water tap.
I always slumped (弯垂) way down in my desk, desperately hoping to hide myself. I was terrified that the next name I heard would be my own. Sometimes my heart pounded so loudly that I was sure her ears would find me even if her sharp eyes didn’t.
Each time she called out a name, the victim would have to rise, stand straight as a broomstick, shoulders squared, and read to the entire class. More than anything, I hated to stand and read aloud to the class. Unlike me, Jane rarely made a mistake. And if she did, she was never made to feel ashamed. Mrs. Schnell would flash a pleasant smile and patiently guide her toward the correct answer. I wasn’t good at reading and could tell that Mrs. Schnell was often not at all pleased with me.
One day after soccer practice, Jane and I were standing together waiting for our mothers. We weren’t friends yet. I wanted to ask her if she liked movies, but I changed my mind when I looked at her face. She seemed to feel my eyes “What are you looking at?” She asked. “You,” I said. “Why?” she asked. “Because you seemed so sad,” I said.
Para 1:“I got B+ on the history test,” She said, sounding like she couldn’t accept it.
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She looked at me for a moment, maybe deciding if she could trust me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.要交朋友首先要对别人友好,和他们坦诚相处;
2.其次,要和朋友同甘共苦,患难见真情;
3. 要设身处地地为朋友着想,友谊需要时间和投入。
Dear Tom,
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
