When I was in high school, like many other teenage boys, I played in a band. Most of our families came from South Africa, so, we mixed our favorite hard rock and heavy metal songs with elements of South African rhythms and melodies. Although our band didn’t achieve widespread success, we had a special night that I would never forget, when we realized the unique impact of music on lonely hearts.
At our school’s talent show, we weren’t the best, but we were good enough to come in third place, which made us more confident. Then, we decided to test the waters beyond our classmates. When we were booked for a charitable event at a large hospital, we were delighted. This opportunity was a thrilling breakthrough. Yet, beneath our excitement, we felt a sense of anxiety to perform for strangers-could our tunes really touch an audience unfamiliar with our sound?
For two weeks, we threw ourselves into intense practice sessions, meeting daily after school to practice hard and learn enough songs to fill a one-hour show.
On the concert day, we arrived early to check the stage. We felt nervous as we stood there and looked out at the hundred or so empty chairs lined up below us. After setting up and doing a quick sound check, we went backstage to have a soda and rest, doing anything to calm our nerves. While we were back there the hospital’s entertainment director came over to chat with us.
“Okay, boys, there are a couple of important details you should know,” she began. “Many in the audience today are suffering from severe physical and/or mental disabilities. Don’t be surprised by that. These patients have very few chances to see live entertainment of any kind, so they enjoy any kind of musical act that we can provide. Just go ahead and play your regular show, and you’ll do fine.” After saying that, she left, joining into the theatre to help the volunteers and staff who were assisting the patients to their seats.
注意：1.续写的词数应为 150 左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Before long, it was time to begin our show.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Don’t go! You don’t understand—they love your performance!” said the director.
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When I was 11, I quite wanted a bicycle-not any bicycle, but a blue bicycle from Jihnston’s store on the Hill, a smal shopping area that was six blocks away from the our house.
The Monday before Christmas, my 9-yea r old Steve and I ran to the Hill to do our Christmas shopping. Past the ice- cream shop and the pet store, we entered the five-and dime store. My brother had his savings (65cents) held in his hand, and I had four dollars, some of which I had got by cleaning the neighbor’s yard. At the store, I picked out writing paper for our sister, a pair of earrings for our mom, and notebook for our 45-year-old since he would be going to college to get a Ph, D. I had enough money left to buy basball cards for Steve.
We went home by way of the bike store, so I could look at my bike. It wasn’t my bike actually, but I was saving money to buy it. I wanted it more than anything else in the world. It was a blue Italian model; I had never seen another one like it. I planned to ride it to school. However, to my shock, the blue bike had been sold. It seemed like my heart stopped and time stood still. For three months,ever since the first day I saw it, I had been saving money to buy it. I ran from the store,fighting back tears.
On the way home, I thought I no longer needed the 12 dollars I had saved. I started to think what I should buy with it.
Back home, when I put my package presents under the tree, I noticed other packages which had been palced by Steve, my sister and my parents.
After dinner, Dad told us that he would go to college and that our family would have a tight (紧的) budget. And he felt sorry for that. Suddenly, I knwe what I would use my 12 dollars for. I ran to my room, and wrote on a card, “Dear Dad, this is for your education.”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右，2.请按如下格线作答。
And I put the paper and the money into a shoesbox.
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When I thought about that blue bike, Mom suddenly said, “Terry, could you go to the kitchen to see if the coffee is ready?”
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Helen was putting her dress on. It was a bit small, but she could manage.
She would be getting the rent with her father, Mr. Resnick, today. Helen didn’t often get to spend time with her father these days. He was always working, and always trying to make enough money to support the family. The rent was what kept them going during the Depression (经济大萧条). When Helen worried about her too-tight dress, other children had to worry about food or even their homes.
The houses were not far, and three families lived there. Everything went smoothly at the first two apartments, but both Helen and her father were worried about the third. The Katz family never had enough money, and it had become harder and harder to accept their rent, even though her father had lowered it.
Mrs. Katz opened the door when Helen’s father knocked. “Her eyes were red—from crying,” Helen thought. “Good afternoon, Mr. Resnick,” she said, hands nervously smoothing her gray dress.
“How are you, Mrs. Katz?” he asked.
“We’re. we’re getting by (勉强度日),” she said, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes or even Helen’s. “You’re here for the rent.”
“Yes, Mrs. Katz, I’m afraid so.”
“Please come in.”
Inside of the apartment, Mr. Katz and the two children were sitting at a table, waiting for Mr. Resnick. “They all have such thin faces!” Helen thought. She was embarrassed, suddenly, by her own round cheeks and strong body.
Mrs. Katz gave Helen’s father the money. He thanked her and turned to go.
“Mr. Resnick?” Mrs. Katz said before they could leave. He turned to look at her. In a shaking voice she told him, “We haven’t eaten in two days.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为120词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答；
3. 写作提示：第一段可写出Helen和她父亲听到消息后的反应；第二段可写出Helen买东西及众人的反应。
Two days! Helen couldn’t imagine such a thing.
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“Yes, Dad,” she answered and started running on the way to the store.
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A girl went to her mother and complained that the senior high school life was so hard for her. Every day she studied very hard and often stayed up late doing homework, but the result was beyond satisfaction. She often felt lonely without anyone to talk with at school. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the water came to the boil. She placed carrots into the first pot. Then she placed eggs into the second pot. Finally, she placed ground coffee beans into the last pot. She let them boil without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She took the carrots, the eggs and the coffee out with a scoop and placed each of them in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, the mother asked, “Tell me, what do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” the girl replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked her to drink the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted it.
The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, Mom?” Her mother explained that these objects had faced the same adversity—boiling water, but they reacted differently. The carrots had been hard. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, they softened and became weak. The eggs had been weak. Their thin outer shells had protected their liquid interior(内部). But after sitting through the boiling water, their inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. “Which are you?” the mother asked her daughter.
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 girl became silent and lost in thought.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The girl changed completely from then on.
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