Amy loved drawing, but her grandmother Bonnie was opposed to it, who thought those strange things Amy drew were not going to help her in the future. One day, when they were eating dinner at the table, the doorbell rang.
Amy answered the door to see a well-dressed man standing at the door. “Oh my God, I know you! Mr Henderson?” Amy said gladly. “You are my favorite cartoonist (漫画家)! Wow! Hello, sir!” Then she led Mr Henderson into her house.
Mr Henderson was a famous New York-based cartoonist. He worked for an art magazine.
“I received a letter with some samples (样本) of your artwork, Amy. And I must say I was so impressed by your talent. In fact, I wrote you letters, but In ever got a reply,” Mr Henderson said to Amy. “If I hadn’t visited you today, you might have missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“You sent me letters?” Amy wondered aloud. Amy noticed Bonnie sat uneasily in her seat, and she realized why the letters had never reached her. Her grandmother kept them hidden from her. Mr Henderson continued, “We are accepting applications for our arts training program this summer. I would personally teach the students the art of cartoons and everything related. For that, you need to pass a drawing test. If everything goes well, you will be able to learn from me later and pursue your dream for art.”
Amy was excited about the news, but Bonnie refused and said angrily, “You are wasting our time, sir. Please leave.”
“But ma’am, this can really shape your granddaughter’s career,” Mr Henderson sad. “And if you’re concerned about the money, please don’t be. The committee will cover all the costs. A gifted childlike Amy can greatly benefit from the program.” Then Mr Henderson pulled out a file from his document case and gave it to Amy. “It’s a test assignment I know your grandmother is against it and things are tough, but I hope you’ll be able to do it,” he added as he left the house.
Amy couldn’t contain her excitement after Mr Henderson’s visit.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Amy’s strong love for drawing deeply touched Bonnie.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1、你打算去的地方；2、你为什么想去那里；3、你希望学到什么；
4、可能面临的困难；5、你会在旅途中感受到什么。
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In my high school years, I tried not to be anybody’s best friend and avoid going to birthday parties or weekend trips with my peers (同龄人). That was not because I was too shy but because I couldn’t afford the expenses. My parents did odd jobs to support the family and our income was low and unstable. As the oldest of the three kids in my family I had started to take part-time jobs on weekends and during vacations to help improve the family economic conditions. However, in my heart I did have a best friend, Joseph. I never said that to him and I guessed he didn’t know it.
Joseph came from a very different family from mine. His parents were both senior executives (管理人员) of high-tech companies, who provided him with the best of everything and he had many friends around him. We did school projects together, had discussions about interesting topics and enjoyed our time together. But I never joined him in anything outside the school. I liked him but I knew I didn’t have much to offer.
I had decided to go to college after graduation from high school, so I needed to have excellent academic performance in all subjects to be qualified for scholarships. I worked hard and was doing well in everything except math. I knew math was important to me but there seemed to be no way out. I was struggling when Joseph came to my help. He was considered one of the smart boys by the math teacher, who gave us monthly tests and awarded best performance with chocolates and best progress with Skittles (彩虹糖).
Joseph was a frequent holder of the best performance award. I appreciated his help because he had great ways to get me thinking and guide me to solve problems. I was making progress in math and Joseph knew it. He encouraged me to go for best progress award first and then best performance.
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。
Those awards seemed really big goals for me, but I decided to go all out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Three months later, my first goal was achieved.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One morning, as I walked to the market, I saw an old man, with a bandanna(印花大方巾) covering his face, sitting in front of a tea shop. He seemed to be just watching the traffic on the road, not paying attention to anyone. His bandanna was dirty and his clothes were crumpled(褶皱的). His hair stuck out because he wore a cap that didn’t fit well. I quickly assumed he was a beggar asking for money. I decided to give him some change on my way back from the market.
A little further down the road, there was a young man lying on the pavement(人行道) with his arms outstretched(张开的). No one passing by paid any attention to him. It seemed that he had drunk too much. Thus, I thought to myself that he was just a worthless man who had spent all his money on wine.
I finished my shopping at the market and headed back. Before reaching the point where the old man sat, I took out all the change I wanted to give to him. When I approached him and held out the change, he barely looked at me, but still looked ahead. He shook his head as if he was saying he didn’t need it. I insisted and pushed the change into his hand. As I stood there feeling proud of my act of charity, the old man slowly got up and walked to the young man who was lying on the pavement. The old man kept down, woke the young man up and whispered something in his ear. It seemed that they knew each other. The young man seemed to respond and then shook his head. The old man walked back and headed for the tea shop.
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 stood there, watching in amazement, as he walked to the tea shop.
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The old man noticed that I was still there so he looked up.
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I had run away from home after finishing high school. My parents had insisted I go to college, but I was tired of school. I hated it. I was determined not to go. And, besides, my father was too strict. I had too many chores to do around the farm. I haled the work!
There had been a quarrel between my father and me. I threw some things into a bag and left angrily, as my father shouted after me, “If you leave, don’t come back!” My mother cried openly, and I had seen those tears during a hundred sleepless nights.
Then it was time to write a letter to my father.
Dear Dad,It’s been more than a year now. I’ve traveled east to west. I’ve had dozens of jobs. None of them amounted to very much. Always the same questions: “How much education have you got?” It seems they always want college men for the good jobs.
Dad, you and Mother were right about everything. I know now that the work on the farm didn’t hurt me, and I’m convinced I need college. I’m also convinced that both of you loved me.
Dad, I’ve learned a lesson. I want to come home. I know you said if I left, I couldn’t come back, but I’m praying you’ll change your mind. I want to come home and be a part of the family again.
Give my love to Mother and the girls.
Love,Your son
As I folded the letter and put it into an envelope, I felt a refreshing relief. It was as if a heavy load had been lifted from my shoulders. And I had to be on my way home.
I started down the desolate road—the long road home. Fortunately, a car picked me up, and it was good to have someone to talk with. The driver was a salesman and very pleasant.
“Where you going, boy?” he asked good-naturedly.
There was a long silence before I said, “Home.”
“Been away from home long?”
I smiled, a little self-conscious, and said, “One year, one month and two days.”
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。
Having heard my story, he expressed his support for my final decision and told me something surprising.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, I arrived home when. it was completely dark.
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The Great Field Day
The sun was shining brightly on the day of the big school field day. All the kids from different schools gathered for a day of fun games and activities. As I looked around, I noticed Molly, a small girl standing all by herself on the side of the field.
Feeling curious, I walked up to Molly and asked why she wasn’t playing with the other kids. She usually had a big smile, but today she looked a bit sad. After a little pause, she told me she decided not to join in. I wondered why, as she had been excited about this day for a long time.
Feeling a bit worried, I had a chat with the person in charge and found out that Molly was worried about not being as fast or strong as the other kids. The person in charge thought it was best to let Molly choose whether to play or not.
Trying to cheer her up, I told Molly that she had her own-special qualities, and if she wanted to play, what others thought didn’t matter. Molly, still unsure, decided to give it a shot and joined me, looking a bit shy. I whispered, “It’s your choice. Don’t let what others think stop you. Your preparation is what counts the most.” Molly took a deep breath and turned to me with watery eyes.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为120左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1
We sat down together, and I reminded Molly that only she could decide what to do.
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Paragraph 2
When the activities began, Molly stood with the other kids at the starting line of the race.
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At the center of the mall was the perfect Santa with a gentle manner and a real white beard. My six-year-old granddaughter, Leah, jumped from foot to foot as we waited in line for her turn to sit on his lap.
“I don’t know what to say,” Leah said, raising her neck around the kids in front of her.
“Sure you do.” her mother, Leanne, said. “It’s Santa. He’s already your friend. You’ll do just fine.”
“He’ll ask you what you want for Christmas.” I said. “And you just tell him.”
We’d gone over and over the toys she’d ask for. Her mother didn’t want surprises! Leah repeated the list. But a minute later, she inserted new toys she’d just spotted at the mall.
“I’ve got an idea,” said Leanne, digging into her purse as the line inched (缓慢移动) forward. “Let’s write down your requests so you won’t forget them.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Going to see Santa was such an important appointment for a six-year-old. No child should have any worries bigger than that. But the night before, on the news, I’d seen a village in the Middle East that had come under fire. Many of the wounded were children just like our Leah. Looking around the mall full of magical decorations and happy shoppers I felt safe, as safe as anyone could be. Everyone in the world should have that kind of security, especially at Christmas.
“Okay,” Leanne said. “Now you’ve got everything you want written down here. If you get nervous you can just give the note to Santa.”
Leah nodded and took the list. She read out loud, “A Chia Pet, Moon Sand and Aquadoodle.”
“Why don’t you add a fourth request, Leah,” I heard myself say. “Ask for peace on Earth.” My daughter looked a little surprised by my suggestion.
“What’s peace on Earth, Grandpa?” Leah asked.
“Peace on Earth means all the people in the world would get along. That’s the true meaning of Christmas.” Leah nodded seriously. “Yes,” she agreed.
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: Finally we reached the head of the line.
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Paragraph 2: The coming days were filled with thrilling expectation.
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Jack was a bright and curious child, always eager to learn new things and explore the mysterious world about science. However, he often found himself in disagreement with his mother. His mother was always busy with her work and she didn’t have enough time to learn about his interests and passions.
One day, Jack came home from school feeling particularly excited. He just found a sci-fi book about an adventure on the moon. Upon arriving at home, he couldn’t tear himself away from the book. He read and read until it was dark. Having finished reading it, he couldn’t wait to share it with his mother, only to be told that he should focus on more practical subjects like math and history, which would help him get into a good college and have a successful career.
Jack couldn’t understand why his mother didn’t see the value in what he was doing. He felt that she was holding him back and not allowing him to pursue his true interests. “Why can’t you see how important this is to me?” Jack asked his mother angrily. “I’m never going to be happy if I have to spend my life doing things that I show no interest in just because they are practical or make you proud.”
The once peaceful home was filled with tension and anger. His mother’s voice grew louder as she shouted, “You can’t just do whatever you want! You should be responsible for your future!” Jack, fueled by his own frustration, shot back, “I am tired of you always telling me what to do! I am not a child anymore! You only care about your own feeling! You never thought about my feeling!” They were so caught up in their own anger and hurt that they failed to see how their words and actions were affecting each other.
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。
Jack rushed into his bedroom and locked the door heavily.
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When Jack heard his mother’s words, regretful tears rolled down his face.
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As the school Halloween party was just around the corner, the school hall was full of children dressed in different shapes and colours of spooks (鬼) and wonder. Some walked in as princes and princesses, some stepped in as vampires (吸血鬼) and superheroes and some made dramatic entrances as astronauts and historical figures. But one little girl walked in, hiding her face and hoping nobody would take notice of her grey pants and white T-shirt.
Ellie wanted to dress up as a princess that year. Her dad had promised her a few months earlier that her costume would turn a lot of heads. But, as you know, sometimes dads are too busy with their work and forget the small important things while dealing with the big important ones. When Ellie’s dad forgot to save up for her princess costume for the school Halloween party that year, she wasn’t mad at him. However, she couldn’t hold her tears back when the mean kids from her class started making fun of her.
“What are you supposed to be dressed as? Ugly Ellie?” one of the boys laughed quietly. Ellie covered her ears and cried as she heard the kids crying out her latest nickname and laughing naughtily over and over again. Every face around her was unkind and indifferent to her sadness.
Mr. Borges was her favourite art teacher and Ellie liked his classes very much. He would listen to Ellie’s deepest fears and biggest dreams. Ellie lived with her grandmother, but it was Mr. Borges who took the place of her father as her guardian, because her father was too busy with his work.
Just as the boys were making fun of Ellie, Mr. Borges came up to her. He was trying to tell her something. The girl wiped her tears right away and managed to escape the crowd of children, closely following him.
“Wait here!” Mr. Borges said and walked into the supply closet (贮藏室). A moment later, he returned, with a few rolls of toilet paper in his hand. Ellie couldn’t help but wonder why he was holding a few rolls of toilet paper.
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。
“What’s that for?” Ellie asked.
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What Mr. Borges did meant everything to Ellie, especially in the field of art.
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