Not Without My Mama
Thirty-eight. That was how many stray cats (流浪猫) I had been feeding on the street where I lived. I loved them all, but I did have a favorite. A gigantic yellow cat with blue eyes had seized my heart.
I named him Butterball. Often, Butterball would try to jump in my car when I arrived home or come inside my house. I wished that I could bring him inside, but it was not allowed where I lived.
Week after week, I fed the large group of cats. Mostly, none of them wanted to be touched. They would eat in a hurry and leave, but not Butterball. He would stick around for head scratches (抓挠), purring (发出呼噜声) loudly. I noticed that he was always in the company of a small Calico cat.
Though not as friendly, she was touchable.
One day, my dream came true—I bought my own house. The cats, especially Butterball, watched anxiously as I started moving my things to my new home. I began to be away longer as I set up the new place, but I never forgot to go back and feed them every night. Butterball would jump in my car and try to get in extra hugs.
Sometimes, I found him amongst the boxes in the back when I came out with another load. As I packed up the very last load and set out the cats’ nightly dinner, I paused before leaving.
The nights were starting to get cold, and soon winter would be upon us. Upstate New York winters can be bitter. Butterball seemed to know I was leaving for good. I peered into his blue eyes and told him, “I will come back for you.” He turned away as if he didn’t believe me.
The next day, I returned with a group of friends. We set out a bunch of humane traps and caught the strays one by one. We transported them to a no-kill shelter. All, except Butterball.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150词左右;
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
I intended to take Butterball to my new home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Surprisedly, I followed him to the bush and found Calico.
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Christmas was fast approaching and we had ordered many gifts online. So, when die doorbell rang, I was sure some of the packages had arrived. I ran to the door and swung it open, but no one was there. I sensed something and looked down, only to find a beautiful little cat sitting there, looking up at me with big, intelligent eyes. There was no way that she could have rung the doorbell by herself, was there? Were my new neighbors playing tricks on me?
My husband called her little angel, so we named her Angel. She had a calm aura (氛围) about her as she walked straight into our home and hearts, fitting in perfectly. It seemed as if she was always meant to be in this big house with us. She was an old soul and turned out to be the perfect companion (伙伴). Always by my side, she was more like a puppy than a kitten. Wise beyond years, she enjoyed exploring through the tunnels and mysterious rooms as much as I did, but with much less fear. Angel was brave.
So, I took a page from her book and decided to be brave, too. We had just moved into a big, old country house and there was an underground stone cellar (地下室) I had been eager to explore. The only way in was through a door partly hidden by the grass, then down a shaky ladder (梯子) to its dark floor. I guessed it was probably twelve feet deep.
I had promised my husband that I wouldn’t explore dangerous areas unless he or someone else was around. But he was away on a business trip for a week, and I didn’t want to wait until he came back. I figured that Angel would count as my companion. I was ready to explore this cellar, and so was she. I equipped myself with my cell phone, a good flashlight and warm clothes, and carefully started down the shaky ladder.
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。
Paragraph 1:
I don’t remember what happened but I woke up on the stone cellar floor with a broken arm and pieces of the ladder lying around me.
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Thank goodness, Angel hadn’t fallen into the cellar and she was left as my last hope.
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My best friend Carla Hernandez called me on Thursday afternoon. “Daniel, meet me in the park near the playground in five minutes. I have a great idea!” This worried me because Carla’s great ideas almost always meant big trouble for me!
I dashed outside and jogged to the park. When I saw Carla, my heart sank because her large dog Perro was with her. I liked everything about Carla except Perro. I had never had a pet in my house, and I felt uncomfortable and nervous around animals. But I was embarrassed to say I was afraid of Carla’s dog.
Upon my arrival, Carla smiled in a joyful voice. “Isn’t this the perfect location for a pet show?” I was surprised at her words. Carla explained to me that all the kids in the neighborhood could show off their pets’ talents and demonstrated the things they did well. Besides, there were plenty of comfortable benches for our parents and friends to sit on as audience. Carla added that I could be the announcer since I didn’t have a pet for the show. What she said directly affected my mood because crowds always made me nervous and unsure. Looking into her eyes, I apologized, “I’m sorry, but that’s impossible! Besides, I don’t like animals, remember?”
“That’s nonsense,” said Carla. “There’s nothing to be concerned about because you’ll be great! ”Just at that time, Perro leaped up, slobbered all over me, and almost knocked me down.“ Yuck. Down, Perro! Stay! ”I shouted. Perro sat as still as a statue.“ Wow, you’re good at that, ”Carla raised her voice excitedly. "Now let’s get started because we have a lot to do.”
With her encouragement, I decided to have a try. After going back home, I couldn’t wait to practise announcing each pet’s act. By Saturday morning I had practiced hundreds of times. However, my stomach was doing flip flops by the time the audience arrived at the park. The size of the crowd made me feel even more anxious.
注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: When the show began, I took a deep breath and announced the first pet.
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Paragraph 2: Then it was Carla and Perro’s turn.
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“This Saturday, we’ll be visiting cats at the animal shelter. If you’d like to join us, here’s an application form”, said Ms. Delgado, the school librarian who had held the reading engagement event for students.
Ben loved cats and he had always wanted one, so he hurried to take an application form. Then Ms. Delgado added, “We’ll be reading to the cats and award readers who make most progress.” Ben stopped. Reading al oud can be a challenging task. Ben might feel his heart racing, his palms sweating, and his voice shaking as he read. He might stumble over words or lose his place in the text. He might feel like everyone was watching him and judging him. Still, he really wanted to visit the cats, so he took an application form anyway.
On Saturday, Ben arrived at the shelter with some of his classmates. “This is Max,” the shelter worker told Ben as she handed him a gray cat. Ben carried Max to a beanbag chair and sat down. Max settled onto his lap. He took a book he’d been working on and started reading. Max, very different from other cats walking around the room while the kids read, purred (发出呼噜声) on his lap as if he had understood what Ben read.
“I’m glad Max is staying and listening to my reading and he is the best cat ever,” Ben told Dad excitedly. “I’m glad you two are friends,” Dad said. All week, Ben’s heart was filled with anxiety as he waited for Saturday to arrive. He was eager to read to Max and the anticipation of spending time with his feline (猫咪的) friend made him restless and nervous. When it arrived, Ben got to read to Max again.
“What if someone adopts Max?” Ben asked Dad later. “I guess you’d read to a different cat,” Dad said. “But I don’t want a different cat. I wish we could adopt Max,” Ben said to Dad. He knew they couldn’t because Mom had allergies (过敏). Ben loved the cat so much that he even told his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Patel, about Max. “Max sounds like a special cat,” said Mrs. Patel.
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。
Week by week, Ben realized that reading seemed easier with Max’s company.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Armed with two over-packed suitcases,we arrived at the airport just in time for my flight. “Well, here we are, the airport,” my sister said with a sigh. As I watched her unload my luggage, I could see the sadness in her eyes. This was not easy on her either. We had both been dreading (害怕) this moment for the past week. One last hug and a final good-bye and I would be on my way to a new life abroad, leaving my beloved sister behind.
All my life I had loved airports. To me they were some kind of magic gateway to the world,a place from which to start great holidays and adventures. But today it seemed like a cold and heartless place. I looked at my sister and even though her eyes were filled with tears, she was trying to keep a brave face. “You’d better go or you’ll miss your flight,” she said.
“I’ll miss you,” I replied, and with those last words I was off. As promised, I did not look back, but by the time I reached the customs office I was sobbing (啜泣). “Cheer up, love,” the tall customs officer said with a smile. “It’s not the end of the world, you know.” But to me it was the end of the world, as I had known it.
While boarding the plane I was still crying. I did not have the energy to put my bag in the overhead locker, so I stuffed it on the empty seat next to mine. As I settled into my chair, a feeling of sadness overwhelmed me. I felt like my best friend had just been taken away from me.
Growing up, my sister and I would do everything together. Born barely fifteen months apart we not only looked alike, we were alike. Whenever one of us need something, the other one would come along. When the time came for us to go to college, we also went together. But now that our college days were over and I was off to a foreign country, all I had left were my memories.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly the plane shook heavily and the bag next to me fell on the floor.
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Paragraph 2:
I spent the rest of the flight reading about my sister’s diary.
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My best friend had dropped me off in front of the church. I found myself inside a small entrance, facing a locked door. As I turned to leave, I noticed a man, a vagabond (流浪汉), asleep in a corner, his head resting on an old bag.
My meeting with the man brought to mind an interview with a pastor (牧师) who had spent a day walking around downtown Toronto, handing out change to everyone who asked. The lesson he wanted to convey with his story was that we shouldn’t show so much limit about giving to those in need, because none of us will lose our wealth if we part with a couple of dollars now and then.
I could see the wisdom and truth of his words, but I still mistakenly believed that giving them money would only worsen the condition. When faced with a similar question, the pastor pointed out that we must try to offer charity in whatever manner we can to whomever is in need. That last message was now causing me to re-examine my beliefs towards homeless people.
“Miss? You wouldn’t happen to have a bit of money to spare, would you? Enough to buy breakfast?” the man asked. I hesitated a few seconds before offering, “I have a McDonald’s gift card. I could buy you something for breakfast.” “Thank you,” he replied.
We came to the nearest McDonald’s. After ordering breakfast and a coffee for himself, the man asked me to have time for a coffee, as the buildings don’t open for another hour. His comment caught me off guard, and I was unable to find a polite reason to excuse myself, so I ordered a tea and resolved to sit with him for a while. When we left, the man thanked me again for the breakfast and offered to show me around to thank me for my generosity.
注意：1.续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
I didn’t want to be impolite despite my hesitation.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When leaving, the man took a delicate stone out of his bag.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mom poured herself a glass of orange juice. “I’m worried about your grandma,” she said. I asked, “Why?” “Well, before she moved to Florida, she was active. But now she sleeps most of the day or watches television. I can’t get her out of the house, and she won’t try to make friends,” Mom replied. My grandma wanted to go back to New York. But she couldn’t live alone anymore. That was why my mom let her come to live with us in Florida.
“I’ll find a way to make Grandma love Florida,” I thought for a minute and said. Mom smiled and said, “I wish you could.” After school, I saw Grandma watching television and figured she hadn’t moved all day. In my room, I took out my collection. I had found many beautiful and special seashells. My favourite one was called Baby’s Ear. It’s a beautiful white seashell. Looking at my seashells gave me an idea. I went into the living room and sat on the sofa.
“Did you ever go to the beach when you were little, Grandma?” I asked. “Once my mother took me there, but I didn’t enjoy it because I was afraid of the water and couldn’t swim. Even now, I’m a little afraid of the water,” she replied. I wished Grandma could feel the way I did about the beach. I loved to see seabirds and look for seashells. “Well, could you take me to the beach, Grandma? I need some new seashells for my collection. I’m not allowed to go by myself. Please!” I begged. Grandma finally agreed and took my hand as we left the house.
We walked to the beach. The sky was blue. I handed Grandma a plastic bag, and said, “This is for the seashells you find.” “Oh, you should take it,” she said. I shook my head. “No, Grandma. I need all the help I can get.” “All right,” she said.
注意：(1)续写词数应为150左右；(2)请按如下格式作答。
We walked side by side on the beach.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Wow! Look what I found!” Grandma shouted, standing in the sand and holding a pink seashell.
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