In gift shops, it is likely that many tourists would pass by what may be a symbol of Portugal: swallows made of glass. In Portugal, people gift the birds for weddings, anniversaries, housewarmings and going-away gatherings.
Farewells were on my mind when I met Apolinario in February 2020. At the time I was well aware of my oldest child’s upcoming graduation and departure for university in a city far from home.
Ethan, my oldest child, has been away from me before. There have been camps and school trips, but each time I have rested easy in the knowledge that he would come home. He always comes home.
But this time I feel less certain.
The feeling was at its peak when I entered Apolinario’s gift shop that specialized in Portuguese souvenirs. I was aimlessly walking among the shelves when I noticed the abundance of glass swallows.
“The swallow is connected to a lot of things that are dear to us,’’ explained Apolinario who stood behind me. The birds’ qualities —they mate for life and raise their babies together—make it a nostalgic (怀旧的) symbol. “They don’t leave the nest until all of the babies do and they always return.”
Apolinario also told me that the swallow also marked an important time in the country’s history when the Portuguese sailed around the world. A lot of people missed their homeland and wanted to come back. The swallow represented that there was a nest somewhere in Portugal, although people were living all over the world.
“The concept is best described as the feeling of connection you get when you taste your grandmother’s cooking or a familiar smell that takes you back to your childhood. The swallow is thought to be the embodiment (体现) of that feeling. When you have one in or on your home, it carries those good memories with it,” he added. “When you’re giving this as a gift, you’re basically giving a part of yourself that stays there. You’re creating a connection.”
注意:1.写作词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When Apolinario told me about the bird, I knew I needed one.
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This past September, my husband and I accompanied our son to his university.
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An Unexpected Call
It was a Wednesday. I had just gotten home from work and was getting dinner ready when suddenly I wanted badly to call my grandmother for I felt something was wrong with her.
Having freed my hands from all things, I dialed her number quickly and waited with a growing sense of fear as she did not answer. That was extremely unusual because she always answered, her cell phone always by her side. I called again. “Pick up! Pick up!”
I knew reasoningly she could be out or was away from the phone but as I dialed again and again, getting no answer each time for over two hours, I began to panic. She had no car, she lived alone, she only took short walks around the neighborhood.
I knew she needed help. I didn't know how I knew; I just did. Focusing on what might have happened to my grandma, I called my sister and my father and told them I thought something was wrong and we needed to drive one state over to my grandmother's house to check on her. I was out the door before either of them could text to me any disagreeing idea.
I picked them up and we headed forward. “She's probably at church,” my father kept saying. “Maybe she's taking a nap,” my sister got a word in, but I just stepped on the gas and a half hour later we pulled into my grandmother's driveway.
The gate was shut, and not a ray of light could be seen inside. Now, sensing I was right, my father began knocking on the locked front door. My sister leaned on the doorbell and although we could hear the clock ticking away there was no other noise inside. I pressed my eye against the window of the dining room.
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。
Attempting to see inside the darkened room, I could just make out a pale hand on the floor.
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After she woke up, she told us what had happened to her.
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I’ve been working part-time as a babysitter in the past several weeks because I want to get a new cellphone. So far I’ve saved about 180 dollars. Yesterday afternoon, my eight- year-old sister Lily came to me while I was doing my homework in my room. “Jenny, can I borrow 10 dollars from you?” she asked. “No,” I said, thinking I myself needed more money for a new cell-phone.
Lily looked disappointed and left my room. About half an hour later, my friend Lisa called me and asked if I wanted to go skating with her. Since I had finished my home- work and had no plans for the rest of the day, I said I would go. Before I left, I got changed and put a $20 bill on my desk. Then I walked out of my room. In the sitting room I saw Lily watching TV on the couch.
“Are you going out?” she asked.
“Yes. I’m going skating with my friend Lisa. I’m coming back in about two hours,” I answered and hurriedly went out. I had great fun skating with Lisa and her two friends Mary and Anna. After we finished skating, Lisa suggested that we should have supper at a restaurant together. But I refused because I didn’t take any money with me. Besides, I wanted to save every coin for a new cellphone.
Lisa didn’t insist. She went to eat with Mary and Anna while I returned home. When I entered the house, I saw nobody there. I went to my room to get some clothes for a shower. However, after I entered my room, I noticed that the $20 bill on my desk was gone. I searched everywhere for it but in vain. I suddenly remembered that Lily had asked me for 10 dollars. And I didn’t give her the money.
So I thought she must have taken the $20 bill away. I became angry, rushed out of my room and looked for her everywhere in the house, but I couldn’t find her.
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。
Suddenly, the door opened and Lily entered the house, with a box in her hand.
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Just then, my mother came in looking at both of us in surprise.
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I grew up in a big city. But as a child,I often spent my summer holidays in the countryside of Mississippi where my grandparents lived. And I can still clearly remember one of my great summer experiences there.
During the summer when I was five years old, my parents decided to pay a visit to my grandparents. So I would spend my holiday in my grandparents house again, and I was glad about it. On a cool Saturday morning, my parents and I set out. About one hour later, we left the big city crowded with buildings. people and noises and entered a world with farmlands. Seated in my dad's car, with fresh wind blowing across my face, I was happy and excited the whole way.
After a long time of driving, we finally arrived at the area where my grandparents’ house was. Their house lied in a quiet village. The scenery (风景) alongside the road was really great. When my father pulled up in front of my grandparents’ house, I rushed into their room to see them. After a warm conversation, I left and walked outside into the backyard of their house to enjoy myself.Oh!There was an orchard (果园).
I was drawn by a group of chicks there. They were walking around and chirping(哪唧地叫),happily searching for food on the ground. They were so lovely and lively. Suddenly, the thought of catching one and keeping it as a pet came to me. Wondering whether my grandparents would allow it, I entered the living room to ask them. “You can own one as long as you're able to catch it. But there's a big chance that you won't make it. If you need any help, tell us," said my grandpa with a big smile.“Trust me, Grandpa. I don't think it'll be difficult to catch one,” I replied in a confident voice. “Don't get any chick injured. Remember it,” my mother said.
Then I returned to the orchard happily, setting out for my project.
注意:
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
I quietly approached (靠近) the chicks.
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I had no choice but to go back to the room,turning to my grandparents for help.
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I spent almost three years in food service doing everything from washing dishes to working as a service director at a country club, Firstly, I waited tables, and it was actually one of my favorite jobs, mostly because of the people, One thing I learned is doing your job right .and focusing on ensuring that your customers have the best dining experience.
During college, I worked at a place called O’Malleys. It’s not open anymore so I don’t have to worry about getting anybody in trouble, and besides, this isn’t that kind of story.Every Sunday, these two ladies and a little girl would come in, and nobody wanted to wait on them because they were super cheap and never tipped, so I volunteered, and they became my regulars, I quickly learned that it was a mom, her young daughter, and her mother. They always ordered the same thing. They’d each get water, The two women would split an entree (主菜), and the young girl would get something off the child’s menu. And they’d leave no tip. I didn’t really care because Sunday lunch was always busy with the crowd, and their check was so small that even a 20% tip would have been just a few dollars. Besides, they were super nice, and I understood that this was their special time out. Going out just wasn’t something they could do. I did my best to treat them just like everybody else,which they appreciated.
This went on for over a year, Every Sunday, they would come in their pretty dresses, sit in my section, order the same thing they always did, and not leave me a tip... until one day,they did.
That day, they came in and ordered iced tea and a soda for the girl, I knew something was up. The two ladies each got their own entree nothing share, The little girl got a full order of chicken strips. I’m not sure why I remember exactly what she ordered.
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。
Of course, I asked what the celebration was.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The mother said they were moving to Dallas the next week.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a world where bad news seems to be everywhere, it’s always refreshing to hear stories of kindness. One such story comes from a small town in the United States where a 25-year-old man named Jeremy McGreen went above and beyond to help a neighbor in need.
Jeremy McGreen, the owner of a roofing and construction company, had been eyeing Jane Goodall’s roof for quite some time. The tiles were cracked and worn, and it was only a matter of time before they would start to leak. Every time he drove past her house, he assumed that another group of repairmen had taken on the job. However, as weeks wore on, the roof continued to worsen without any sign of repair.
“I had it in my mind that if no one steps up to help this lonely lady in our community, I’d love to,” said McGreen to his wife.
One day, Jeremy stopped by Jane’s house. He knocked on Jane’s door and introduced himself, explaining that he had noticed the state of her roof and and was concerned about the potential damage it could cause. He offered to repair the roof for free and promised her that he would do an excellent job, and he even offered to show her some of his previous work as proof of his expertise.
However, Jane Goodall politely turned him down because she did not like to accept charity and told McGreen that she had applied for a government grant (补助金) to fix the roof. She promised to hire him once the grant application was approved.
Unfortunately, the approval never came.
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。
Para 1: McGreen decided to change strategies and came up with a new idea.
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Para 2: With the money, Goodall hired McGreen as she had promised.
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Two Golden Hearts
Meg and her eight-year-old daughter, Haley, were on their way home from school, and it had just stopped raining. “What’s that squeaky(吱吱作响的) noise?“ Meg asked. She looked down at the girl’s shoes and noticed her shoes had been tor open. Water on the road had leaked into Haley’s damaged shoes, making the squeaky noise.
Meg immediately took her daughter to a shoe store to buy her a new pair of shoes. She had some money for groceries but thought getting Haley a new pair of shoes was more important. “How about these?” asked Haley, who was checking shoes in the section only for boys.
Meg frowned and approached her daughter.
“Mama, I want these sneakers(运动鞋).Buddy needs them badly.”
Meg was surprised. Not only did she not have money to afford two pairs of shoes, but she wondered why Haley was too interested in getting her classmate Buddy a new pair. “Why do you want to do that?” asked Meg. Haley’s tone became serious. “Buddy is from a very poor family, mama. Poorer than us. His shoes are tom. Everybody laughs at him. Please, can we buy these shoes for him? You can buy mine later.”
Meg thought for a while and decided it would be best if she bought her daughter shoes for now. “You will fall sick if you keep wearing your wet, tom shoes. I’m sorry, honey, but I really can’t afford two pairs.”
Haley sighed (叹气) heavily but agreed.
As Meg and Haley left, Bob, the shoe store owner who knew Meg well, walked to the entrance and sighed. He had overheard everything and knew what it was like to live in poverty. He wanted to help Haley complete her mission of helping Buddy but didn’t know how. Moreover, the sneakers Haley wanted to get for Buddy was a limited-edition collection. They were pretty expensive, and he could not just give them away for free.
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。
Suddenly, Bob remembered the store’s basement where unsold shoes were stored.
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The next morning, Haley was surprised to find a shoe box on the doorstep.
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