Saturday afternoon came as usual, so did my football class. It couldn’t be more discouraging.
I didn’t like Saturdays! Even though it was a holiday for most children, it was not for me because I needed to go to the football club. Many kids loved sports, but I was not one of them. I would rather stay at home and read.
I didn’t like running at all, so I was a bad player in the team. The coach was fed up with me and my teammates sometimes laughed at me. I had no idea how to play football. Usually, after practice my teammates would ask me to stay out of the game and I would just nod.
Last Thursday, the coach told us that we would be competing with some other team in a month and many people would come to watch the game. Our opponents were the last winner and I froze at the thought of the embarrassment I would face if the team lost because of me. So I decided to practice hard for the match and I went to practice every single day in case I had to play.
A month later, when the game day came, my teammates were reluctant (不愿意的) to take me in the team, and I also wished to stay away from the ground as well. But as luck would have it, they were short of one player and had no choice but to take me in the team.
Our team was named the Big Blues. There was a great cheer on our arrival in the field. I got very nervous. The game started and within two minutes, I got a blue card. By the time I was allowed back, the score was two goals for each team and the next goal would decide the winning team.
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。
Seeing the ball shooting towards me like a bullet, I froze in wild shock.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________All my teammates ran towards me to lift me in the air.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Sweat poured down Marquez’s face. He was preparing for a basketball game and he would win. That was a pretty sure thing. After all, he wasn’t just good; he was excellent.
Basketball was a way of life in Marquez’s family. His older brother Reggie was now playing at a top college. Marquez was ready to follow in his brother’s footsteps and make his family proud. But he had a secret. As good as he was at basketball, Marquez’s heart wasn’t in it anymore. He had another sport on his mind.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead (额头), Marquez jumped on a bus heading home. Through the bus window, he could see cheerleaders dancing and performing amazingly on the field. Marquez was attracted. He pulled out a sheet from his bookbag. Across the top in big block letters was the phrase: Cheerleading Competition (啦啦队比赛). That’s what Marquez really wanted to do. He longed for a new challenge.
Although it is accepted that cheerleading was girly, Marquez knew the meaning of cheerleading for a game. He also knew that cheerleading wouldn’t just be a physical challenge; it would be an emotional one, too.
Now, he knew it was time for him to tell his family.
As soon as he arrived home, his parents and Reggie were at the door. Marquez’s face grew bright as he hugged Reggie. “You’re home?” “Of course, little man. I planned to come to your game. You’re going to be a better player than me!”
Everyone in the family was smiling…except Marquez. His family had such high expectations for him when it came to basketball. But Marquez was tired of trying to keep up with his brother. He was ready to carve his own path. He wanted to tell his parents, but Reggie being there put much more pressure on him.
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。
However, Marquez knew what had to be done.
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Over the next few weeks, his family began to understand and support him for the big event.
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My mum and grandma drove me to a 5km race. There was a fierce thunderstorm, and when we got there, I had to wait for it to pass beneath an overhang (屋檐) with the other runners. I started to feel a little nervous, because some of the people there looked really fast. They had proper running shoes and long skinny legs. They were all different ages. I wasn’t wearing running clothes; just a normal T-shirt and shorts.
An hour after the official start time even though it was still raining, the race organisers said we could go. That morning, I was running confidently and feeling strong. The route went through a neighbourhood and there were quite a few people cheering us on, but I didn’t see any faces I knew. It started to pour again, but I love running in the rain: It keeps me cool and I can keep going for longer, even when I get tired, when I run, I don’t wear a watch to see what distance I’m at；I just focus on moving, breathing and how my body feels.
At one point, I came to a split (分叉) in the course. A woman who was directing us blocked off (封锁) the route which I was meant to take and told me to go the other way, so I followed her directions.
I was confused, but just kept running. I knew I must be close to finishing the 5km, but I couldn’t see the finishing line. After a while I saw route directions for a 10km race. I was worried and thought I was lost, but had to keep going. My body started to get tired and my muscles a little sore. I said to myself, “You’re almost there. Just keep breathing.” Eventually I saw the finishing line and spotted my mum. She looked angry. I got past the line and she was yelling, “Why did you do this, Kade? You are in so much trouble.”
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 learned why my mum was angry later.
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My mum went up to the lady who was timing the race.
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Mike’s Lucky Ice Cream
Mike licked(舔)the last of the chocolate ice cream. It was almost time to leave. He jumped into the car with his parents and headed to the swimming pool for the big swim meet(运动会).
When his race began, Mike was confident. He was strong and fast. Mike climbed out of the pool, smiling. He had just won the first place, making him the fastest boy in his age group. He walked towards his parents. “Congratulations, son!” his father said. His mom hugged him.
A week later, it was time for another swim meet. Like before, Mike decided to enjoy his favorite chocolate ice cream before leaving home. Mike remembered that the last time he had won a race, he also ate chocolate ice cream first. Maybe he would win again. Yes, the result was what he had expected.
Gradually, Mike got used to having some chocolate ice cream before every one of the next swim meets. He began to think of it as his lucky charm(吉祥物). His parents didn’t think it a great idea but Mike argued that he needed to eat it to win.
After several months of being the top one of every race he swam, though he wouldn’t admit it, he was also starting to feel a little uncomfortable. All that ice cream was adding a few pounds to him. Practices were getting a little harder for Mike to keep the speeds he was used to getting.
Soon Mike became the last one in his races. The lucky chocolate ice cream lost its magic. Mike didn’t know what to do. He had been certain that it was the ice cream that helped him win.
On the day of his next swim meet, his mother told him it was not a good idea to eat so much ice cream because of its high fat and sugar. Maybe it was time to stop. Mike followed his mother’s advice, unwillingly. He lost the game again.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
His father decided to help him.
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It was the last meet of the season(赛季), and Mike wasn’t sure what the result would be.
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Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses! Turning our weaknesses into strengths makes us unbeatable. This is an inspiring story of a 12-year-old boy Kim who defeated his weakness, by unknowingly making it his strength.
Poor Kim lost his left hand in a terrible accident. His parents could not comfort him. To cheer him up, his father made him join a Judo(柔道) school. As the boy always wanted to learn Judo, his father thought that this would make him happy.
Everyone wondered how a single armed boy could learn Judo. However, the master happily accepted him. He trained in Judo for about 8 months. He practiced nothing but a single stroke(击) . He trained for all 8 months in mastering a single stroke. The boy was surprised and sometimes annoyed as his master taught him only one stroke.
Yet, he said nothing. The boy mastered the stroke and grew as nobody could excel(胜过) in doing that particular stroke. The boy was picked by the master to compete in the national level Judo championship tournament(比赛).
Everyone made fun of Kim and the master. How a one-handed boy could win a national championship? Even the boy was not sure about why his master chose him.
Surprisingly, Kim easily defeated his six contenders(竞争者) with his single stroke. He gradually moved to semi-finals. He struggled a bit in the semi-finals and won again.
Needless to say, it surprised everyone and the final match began.
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Kim asked his master how he won the championship with just a single stroke.
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