The art competition at school was always a highly anticipated event. This year was no exception, with students from all grades eager to showcase their creative talents. Among them were two friends, Jane and Sally.
Jane had a deep passion for art, but she often struggled with expressing her ideas on paper. She would spend hours in front of a blank canvas (画布), trying to capture the perfect image in her mind, but her efforts often fell short. Sally, on the other hand, was naturally talented and her artworks were always praised by teachers and classmates.
As the competition drew nearer, Jane worked harder than ever, staying up late into the night to perfect her piece. Sally, however, seemed to take it all in stride (大步走), casually sketching and painting without much effort. She often teased Jane about her lack of talent, making jokes that were meant to be light-hearted but stung Jane deeply.
On the day of the competition, Jane’s heart was filled with both excitement and fear. She had worked so hard on her piece, but she knew that it still paled in comparison to Sally’s effortless creations. As she set up her canvas and began to paint, she could feel Sally’s eyes on her, mocking (嘲笑) her every move.
Halfway through the competition, Jane encountered a difficult obstacle. She couldn’t seem to capture the essence of her subject the way she wanted to, and her frustration mounted. She looked around at the other students, seeing their confident strokes and vibrant colors, and she felt a pang of defeat. She wanted to give up, to throw away her brush and walk away.
But just as she was about to do so, she caught sight of Sally. Sally wasn’t laughing or mocking her now; instead, she looked at Jane with a mixture of surprise and concern. It was as if she realized that her words had hurt Jane more than she had intended. And in that moment, Jane found a new resolve. She wasn’t going to let Sally’s words or her own doubts defeat her. She was going to finish her piece, no matter what.
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。
With renewed determination, Jane returned to her canvas.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________She heard her name announced as the winner of a special recognition award for perseverance and dedication.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Day Mother Cried
Coming home from school that dark winter’s day so long ago, I was filled with anticipation. I had a new issue of my favorite sports magazine under my arm. Dad was at work, my sister was away, and Mother wouldn’t be home from her new job for an hour.
I was shocked into stillness by what I saw . Mother pulled into a tight ball with her face in her hands. She was crying. I had never seen her cry.
I approached cautiously and touched her shoulder. “Mother?” I said. “What’s happened?”
She took a long breath and managed a weak smile. “It’s nothing, really. I’m going to lose this new job. I can’t type fast enough.”
“But you’ve only been there three for days,” I said. “You’ll catch on.” I was repeating a line she had spoken to me a hundred times when I was having trouble learning or doing something important to me. She sobbed in silence .
I felt helpless and out of place. At the age of 16 I still assumed Mother could do anything. To provide enough income for my college two years later, Mother was crazy for ways to save money.
A few months ago, Mother arrived home with an old typewriter. It skipped between certain letters. “That’s all we can afford,” Mother said. “It’s good enough to learn on.” And from that day on, immediately after dinner, Mother would disappear into her sewing room to practice. The slow tap, tap, tap went on some nights until midnight. On Monday, she got a job as a typewriter at a radio station. I was not the least bit surprised but she was excited. But on Tuesday Mother looked drawn. I didn’t care honestly.
My shock and embarrassment at finding Mother in tears on Wednesday showed how little I understood the pressures on her. Sitting beside her on the couch, I began very slowly to understand.
“I guess we all have to fail sometimes,” Mother said quietly. I could sense her pain. I reached out and put my arms around her.
A week later Mother took a job selling dry goods at half the salary the radio station had offered. “It’s a job I can do,” she said simply.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
But the evening practice routine on the old green typewriter continued.
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The old green typewriter sits in my office now, unrepaired.
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Triiiiiingggggggggggg, the bell rang. Suddenly my heart was raising and fear rose within me. I was nervous as I started to feel sick, really sick. I ran to the bathroom and washed my face with water. I felt my heart pound against my chest, hard and loud as I looked into the mirror and whispered “Come on, you can do this.”
Some were looking forward to this moment for ages; but not me. I felt frightened every time I imagine how uncomfortable it would be on a stage, and being the center of attention. If it was a speech, I could manage, but repeating a scene from a movie that has already been done by professional actors is simply hard because we get compared to them. But there was no choice.
As I made it to the assembly hall, I went over the script in my head. Suddenly I tensed as I couldn’t remember all the lines. Once I was there in the assembly hall, my brain literally stopped working because of all the noise and the tension in the air.
As soon as the teachers who were supposed to judge our performance entered, the crowd quieted down and the performances began. I was really nervous until the first performer was called, because I was really tired of being the first in everything as my name is the first in the register. But the more I waited, the more tired I got of waiting. There came a point where I, who once was feeling sick and scared of performing, wanted to go on stage and get my performance done. That’s when I found out that I was arranged to perform the next day. I was quite happy because maybe that would give me some more time to practice and improve the weaknesses that I saw in others.
The bubble burst when the teacher asked us to perform that day. My heart beat raced and as I walked on to the stage, I was shaking. When I got up along with my friend, I had a good look around. There were 50-60 people, which weren’t much. Then I felt really stupid for being scared of having an audience.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I introduced myself and stared to perform what I had been dying for long before.
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After I was done, I looked at the audience, thinking how much I loved doing this.
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It was Thursday morning. Phil was on a mission. Hurrying along the Primary 3 corridor, he was looking for his younger brother Jimmy, who had left the house early to walk to school with a friend and had forgotten his pocket money. As a Primary 6 boy, Phil had been asked to make sure that Jimmy had it in time for break.
Phil was about to enter his brother’s classroom when he thought he saw the back of his brother’s jacket further ahead. It must have been Jimmy. No one else in the school had a jacket like that one. “Hey Jimmy!” he called out but his brother did not stop. Phil rushed forward and grabbed hold of the boy. But it wasn’t Jimmy. It was someone Phil had never seen before and he was wearing Jimmy’s jacket. As the boy struggled to break free, Mrs. Atkins came towards them. Immediately, sensing the teacher’s presence, Phil released his grasp. Staring at both boys, Mrs. Atkins ordered them to follow her. Once they were at the school office, Mrs. Atkins asked the younger of the two to explain.
“I was walking along the corridor when this boy grabbed me. I didn’t do anything!” explained Daniel.
“He stole my brother’s jacket,” explained Phil.
“Liar!” Daniel immediately jumped to his feet and faced Phil, his fists tightly closed. “I have never stolen anything! This jacket is from my mother. Stop saying that!”
“Boys! I am sure this is a simple misunderstanding. Isn’t possible that this is just an identical jacket, Phil?” Mrs. Atkins reasoned.
Phil shook his head forcefully. “My mother got that jacket for me when she was overseas some years ago. Go on, look at the label inside the collar. It will say ‘Di Roma’. That’s because she got it in Rome. That is my jacket which I’ve outgrow n so Jimmy, my younger brother, has been using it.”
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。
Hearing that, Mrs. Atkins asked Daniel for permission to look at the label.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A short while later, Mrs. Atkins explained that she had called Daniel’s mother.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________写作要求：
1.写作词数应为100词左右；
2.行文流畅，语句通顺；
3.书写规范，字迹清楚，卷面整洁。
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My first year of senior high school felt awkward. The school was twice as big as my old school, and to make matters worse, my closest friends went to a different high school. I felt very lonely.
One cold and windy Sunday afternoon, I was sitting at home at our dining room table doing homework, with a fire going in our fireplace. As usual, my cat was lying on top of my papers, purring(发出呼噜声)loudly. She was never far from me. I had rescued her when she was a kitten and put my name on her collar in case she got lost again.
Suddenly, I smelled something strange, and then I noticed that smoke was pouring in. It filled the room so quickly that we all ran out into the front yard. By the time we made our way outside, the whole roof was in flames and the fire was spreading quickly.
When the fire was finally out, our house was almost completely burned down. I was in a bad mood and then it struck me...I hadn’t seen my cat. Where was my cat? Much to my horror, I realized that my cat was gone and my heart ached for her. Then all at once it hit me-the new school, the fire, my cat—I broke down in tears and cried and cried.
The next day, I went to school. But I was totally embarrassed by everything. My clothes and shoes were borrowed from my aunt. I had no books or homework, and my backpack was gone. I had my life in that backpack! I didn’t want to grow up if it was going to be this way. I just wanted to curl up and quit school.
It always seems that bad news spreads quickly. Everyone in high school, including the teachers, was aware of my sad situation. What a way to start off at a new school! This was not the kind of attention I was looking for.
The next day at school, people were acting even stranger than usual. They kept asking me to hurry up to the gym. I thought it was strange, but when I went into the gym, I knew why.
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。
There was a big table with all kinds of stuff on it.
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A week later, I was planning my new bedroom when the doorbell rang.
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I drove to Yosemite Valley, California, for the first time in years. This was the first time I’d traveled to the valley by myself. I connected with my friends and found out about Facelift, a project started by a rock climber, Ken Yager. The goal was to spend a week volunteering to clean up trash in Yosemite Valley.
Thankfully, Yosemite Valley only has one or two roads, so it was impossible for me to stay lost for long. I pulled into Yellow Pine, the campground set aside for volunteers at the event.
I felt shy and insecure as a new comer. When I found the Group camp area, I saw eight event coordinators (协调者) I’d been talking with recently but had never met. These were outdoor people. I found a campsite, parked, got out, and walked over and introduced myself. They were nice.
The week turned into a wonderful learning experience. Meeting new people was a bonus. A few became forever friends. But the nights were really hard! I was alone in my tent in the thick, black forest. There were absolutely no lights. I rarely slept. A ranger (护林员) warned us about recent bear activity in our campground. A mother bear and her cub had been spotted wandering around during the day. The ranger explained that bears with cubs are especially dangerous. Great information, I thought. What should I do with it? I knew, my fear doubled.
Each night, I wrapped the band of my headlamp around my wrist so I could instantly turn on its bright light. I placed a couple of metal pots by my sleeping bag to make noise if I heard anything. I lay awake most of the night staring at the tent door to see if it moved.
The week flew by. I enjoyed every part of it, except for the sleepless nights. My daughter Leah joined me on the last day. We would drive together back home.
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。
Leah asked how I did camping alone for the first time.
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After I finished, Leah gave me a funny look.
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It’s a great pity that I had not put forth the amount of effort required. I had spent too much time playing with my friends instead of improving myself. I had let down my teacher, who was the kindest, sweet, and prettiest one I had ever known. She laughed often, and never threatened any of us, yet she was able to “read” the children, control the class, and teach effectively. Miss Pratt put a lot of herself into her work. Every day near the close of school, she would read to us, or even better, tell us stories about when she was a little girl. Most importantly, she made us feel that she cared about us and that we were important.
Because of a serious car accident when I was three and a half years old, I had a scar below my nose that was the result of a torn upper lip. Everything else had healed up without any after effects physically, but my emotions remained scarred. Meanwhile, having been called “Chief Running Nose ”and “Scarface” by many insensitive children, my confidence had suffered. Although my parents and relatives referred to me as pretty, I did not see myself that way.
Focusing on my scar, I could not appreciate any redeeming features (可取之处). At the end of one school day, I remained in my classroom, waiting for the arrival of my mother, who was coming to take me to an appointment close to the school. Miss Pratt sat at her desk with a fellow teacher and chatted.
I glanced at the clock and realized it was time to get ready to leave. I put on my wool coat and hat. The teachers looked at my clothes and seemed to admire it. I was able to read their lips a little and my ears perked up to hear, “Who is she? She really is cute.” My teacher Miss Pratt answered, “I agree; Bernice is quite adorable.”
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。
“Adorable” was exactly what grabbed me since it was almost my favorite word.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________About two months later, Miss Pratt announced that I got first place in the final exam.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was invited to give a speech as a graduate representative at the graduating ceremony. Standing on the stage, overwhelmed by the thunderous applause, I couldn’t help but reflect on my life journey. I own great thanks for success to my beloved teacher and every person who had shown me kindness.
I grew up in a financially disadvantaged family with five children. The burden of poverty, compounded by the responsibility of looking after my younger brothers and sisters, made it hard to pursue my studies further. Just when we believed things couldn’t get any worse, my father suddenly fell gravely ill. His illness progressed swiftly, and we were heartbroken when he passed away. With my fathers untimely death, my mother found herself struggling with the enormous task of single-handedly raising a large family. Our situation became even worse, and I couldn’t bear to increase her burdens. It was then that I made the difficult decision to forego my education in order to support my family.
But little did I know that my life was about to take a turn that would change everything. One rainy day, my teacher Mr. Scott decided to brave the storm to find my humble home tucked away in the mountains. His determination to reach me despite the harsh weather painted a vivid image of his commitment and care. As the rain poured relentlessly, my teacher navigated the paths full of twists and turns, determined to understand the true reason behind my decision to drop out of school. Upon reaching my doorstep, he was greeted by a shabby house that reflected the hardships my family faced daily.
Sitting in my modest living room, Mr. Scott patiently listened to the challenges that burdened my family and me. The weight had become too much for me to bear, making the pursuit of education seem like an unattainable dream. Deeply touched by my story, Mr. Scott’s eyes brimmed with empathy and understanding. He recognized the potential that lay within me and refused to let my circumstances define my future.
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。
At that moment, he made a decision that changed my life.
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When the college entrance examination finally arrived, I faced it confidently.
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I got through another long, annoying day teaching high school English via Zoom. Upon reaching my office, I pulled up my work email. There was a message from a woman who I didn’t know: Gigi Shepherd, who asked how she could join my class. “Was she a new teaching assistant?” I wondered. I’d never done any co-teaching. And I certainly wasn’t interested in doing it now with a stranger.
The email must be a mistake. Before I could figure it out, the principal called. She explained that Ms. Shepherd had got the passcode that would grant(同意) her admittance to my Zoom space.
“It’s good news!” the principal said. “Our district is trying to improve teachers’ skills by placing experienced part-time teachers with new full-time educators. It means more help for you.”
“Can’t you put her in another classroom?” I said. “I’m just fine alone.”
“The assignments have been made,” she said. “This will be fine.”
Deep down, I disliked changes. When things didn’t go as I wanted, I tended to get anxious. That evening, I emailed the stranger, as I’d come to think of her, with directions for joining us online.
The next morning, my screen was filled with the image of Gigi’s husband, as he helped her sign on. Gigi looked to be about my age. I put her on the spot, asking her to teach a lesson supporting the students’ emotional needs. To my surprise, the students became cheerful and lively as Gigi led them in a discussion on ways to stay connected. “Remember-even when we’re apart physically from friends and family, we needn’t feel alone, " she said in a breathy, sweet yet deliberate(从容的) voice, like a grade schoolteacher. And all the students responded. That was totally different from my teaching style.
Her kind words weren’t reserved only for students. “What a wonderful lesson,” she said before we signed off. “I really like the way you express yourself, Lori,” she told me.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右;
2.请按照图如下格式在答题卡的相应位置做答。
After school that day, Gigi and I got to know each other.
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Since then, I had learned a lot from Gigi.
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