I remember the day as clear as glass. I was in 6th grade and my teacher had just announced it was a class break, a time we were allowed to eat snacks and move around the classroom. But on that day, I reached a breaking point.
My friend sat across from me. Two classmates who were attention seekers were making fun of him again. They did something mean to him every day: stealing his school supplies, calling his sister ugly, or laughing at his big head. On this day, they were singing a song about him, “Chicken, chicken Josh.” They sang endlessly and cruelly. Those words were like a bite of hot pepper to my friend, who turned red with anger and embarrassment, while tears of frustration dropped from his eyes. I could see how hopeless he felt.
Normally, I would just sit and watch it all. I was very shy. I rarely spoke during breaks or raised my hand in class. I was so shy, in fact, that my teacher made me a chart to tick every time I raised my hand. She said I’d receive a prize if I filled it up. But I never did. It didn’t help with my shyness; it just made me more self-conscious. But on this particular day, I took a stand. I’d had enough. I stood up and shouted, “Leave him alone!” Silence broke out, all eyes in the room fell on me. But the silence was short-lived as everyone went back to enjoying their break. For the rest of the day, every time the bullies would laugh at my friend during class, I would scream, “Stop troubling him,” or, “It wouldn’t hurt to be nice.”
But these words didn’t help. In fact, it made the situation worse: I too became a victim. From that afternoon on, the two bullies began to make up songs about me. They chanted, pronouncing my name in a different dialect to show I was different from them. This mocking and disrespect upset me a lot. I felt helpless.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；2. 请按所给格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
A few weeks later, I spoke to my teacher after class.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day, my teacher finally said, “David, I think it’s time to get the principal involved.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One night, sitting on the cold steps at the back of my apartment in Kansas, I’d been staring out into the darkness. The only light came from my cigarette. Rain soaked (浸湿) through my pants, but I didn’t care. Back in my room, there was a knife on the bedside table and a note on my computer screen. I hoped that whoever read it first would understand why I had the plan to end it all.
Six months before that night, a car accident caused a brain injury in me. I lost my job and had to live on my savings in my lonely apartment. Since then, I had been suffering from depression and struggling to get through each day.
I sat there on those cold steps just wanting to end it all. “Tonight. I will,” I thought as I took another drag of my cigarette.
“Meow?”
I looked up. A black and white cat with round green eyes looked back at me. He meowed again. Then, walking out from his hiding spot, he jumped at me. He was tiny and damp, but he rubbed up against my legs. When I reached down to pet him, he leaned into my touch, purring (发出呼噜声).
That was all it took. I cried. The cat just watched me. I didn’t scare him away. In fact, he stood there as if he knew how desperately I needed a companion right at that very moment.
I looked into his big green eyes and he looked back. Clearly a stray (流浪的) cat. “When was the last time you ate?” I said. My plan to end it all was put on hold, at least until I found this cat some food.
It became a routine: Every day, I’d go to the back steps with some cat food. Usually, the cat, whom I named Scout, was already waiting for me. He became more than something to live for. Over time he inspired me to get help for my depression and even gave me the confidence to get into a serious relationship with Becky in Pittsburgh, whom I had known for years.
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。
Scout became my constant companion.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was far from the lonely and depressed man that Scout had first approached in the rain, but I still needed to make a few more changes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The motley (混杂的) looking group of eleventh graders didn’t look like any “honors” U.S. History class I’d ever imagined. They shuffled (拖着脚步走) into my classroom, which I had painstakingly decorated with Presidential portraits and colorful maps.
Fresh out of college with a degree in history, a teaching certificate, and not a lick of experience, which was what I was.
“Good morning,” I said brightly. I was greeted with vacant stares. “I am so excited to have been selected to teach this honors class,” I continued. “They usually don’t let first-year teachers do that.”
Several of the students sat up straighter and cut their eyes at each other. Too late, I wondered if I should have tried to hide the fact that I had zero teaching experience. “First off, let’s rearrange these desks,” I said. “I like lots of class discussion, so let’s put them in a big circle so we can all see each other’s faces.”
Several of the kids rolled their eyes, but they all got up and began scooting (拉) the desks out of the traditional straight rows. “Perfect! Thanks. Now, everybody choose a seat and let’s play a game. When I point to you, tell me your name. Then tell me what you hate most about history.”
Finally, some smiles. And lots more as our game progressed.
Amanda hated how history seemed to be all about war. Jose didn’t like memorizing names and dates. Gerald was convinced that nothing that had happened in the past was relevant to his life. “Why should I care about a bunch of dead white guys?” was how he put it. Caitlyn hated tricky true-or-false questions. Miranda couldn’t stand fill-in-the-blank tests.
Armed with the feedback my students had given me, I began formulating a plan. No teaching straight from the textbook for this group. No “read the chapter and answer the questions at the end” homework. These kids were bright. My honors class deserved to be taught in a way that would speak to them.
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。
Our courses were somewhat different from traditional ones.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________During our final workday, the principal called me into her office for my end-of-the-year evaluation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As we stepped off the plane in Pucón, the lively atmosphere of the town immediately lifted our spirits after the long flight from New York.
The contrast between the freezing Big Apple and the warmth of Pucón was striking. The climate was delightful, which was a welcome change from the busy New York City.
“Feel that?” my friend said proudly, bathed in the gentle sunshine. “This is what I call a vacation!”
Our guide, Herman, was waiting for us with a broad smile. His English was limited, but his enthusiasm was boundless. He greeted us with heartiness, “Welcome to Pucón! I have everything ready for you.”
We spent our first day settling into the luxurious house he had arranged for us. The unique design of the house deeply attracted us. The house was a combination of modern luxury and traditional charm, neat and tidy, with tall windows framing the greenery outside.
Herman insisted on taking care of our every need. He would not even let us lift a finger in the house, which was above and beyond his duties.
One evening, as we wandered along the beach, the sky transformed into a canvas (画布) of rich colors. We were placed in a world of wonder. My friend turned to me, eyes sparkling, and said,“This is why we travel, isn’t it? Moments like these make everything else fade away.”
As we planned to go to another town to admire the unique architecture, something unexpected happened. I got a fever.
Our explorations were cut short. Lying in bed, I could hear my friend pacing outside my room, worried. And our travel plans were put on hold as there was no choice but to rest in the hope that I would recover soon.
The next morning, my fever worsened. Being new to the area and struggling with the language barrier, we felt helpless.
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。
Just then, Herman appeared.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With Herman’s help, I began to recover.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Special#2，Please
My flight arrived in San Diego around midnight, and by the time I drove home and got into bed it was nearly 2:00 a. m. I was tired and jet-lagged when I dragged myself out of the bed. Nevertheless,I had to be up bright and early that morning: I was the opening keynoter(主旨发言人) at a national conference.
In short, I needed to recover quickly. A hearty breakfast in the early morning sun was what I needed. I headed for Carlos & Annie’s, a popular restaurant located in the heart of the seaside town.
“I’d like steak and eggs, please,” I said to the waitress after I had finally found a table in the restaurant. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she apologized. “We're out of Special#2. We've served the last of our steaks. How about Special#14?” “Oh, no steak and eggs?” I couldn't seem to accept it.
I'm not sure if it was my heartfelt sigh that caught Carlos, the owner's attention. His warm, caring brown eyes seemed determined to pinpoint the best solution. He then said, “You know, I think I did see one final steak back
there.”Pressing my luck,I quickly declared, “Wow,that would be great. But you know, I’m not sure if I want a breakfast stenk at all. What I really want is a steak—one that’s two inches thick, tender and juicy, served medium rare.” “Not to worry,” Carlos assured meand left. The young waitress gave me a wink(眨眼) and said with a knowing smile, “Carlosis being Carlos again!” I did not give her words much thought.
Then, I noticed Carlos as he left the restaurant through the side door and walked into a neighborhood grocery store across the street. Carlos exchanged morning greetings with everyone he knew and even helped the owner of the bookstore next door by holding the items that filled her arms. Then he reentered the restaurant with a bag in his hand.
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: Within minutes，an exact Special#2 was in front of me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: I was about to leave when I learned Carlos had already sold the restaurant.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Another Way
The train ran smoothly on a spring afternoon. At one station, the doors opened, and came in a man. He wore laborer’s clothing, big, drunk and dirty. Screaming, he swung at an elderly couple. Terrified, the couple jumped up and quickly walked away. The laborer aimed a kick at the back of the old woman but missed. The passengers froze with fear.
I’ve been putting in a solid eight hours of martial arts (武术) training nearly every day for the past three years. “We study how to resolve conflict, not how to start it,” my teacher had said again and again. I listened to his words. In my heart, however, I wanted to save the innocent by destroying the guilty.
“This is it!” I said to myself as I got to my feet. Seeing me stand up, the drunk recognized a chance to focus his rage (怒火). His fists upraised, he gathered himself for a rush at me. A second before he could move, someone shouted “Hey!”
I remembered the strangely joyous quality of the voice. We both stared down at a little old man. “Come here and talk with me,” the old man said in an easy voice. He waved his hands lightly. The big man followed, as if on a string. He planted his feet in front of the old gentleman, “Why should I talk to you?” The old man continued, “What have you been drinking?” “Beer,” the laborer replied, “and it’s none of your business!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” the old man said with interest. “You see, I love beer, too. Every night, my wife and I take beer out into the garden, and we sit on an old wooden bench. We look to see how our persimmon (柿子) tree is doing. We worry about whether it will recover from those ice storms we had last winter. Our tree has done better than I expected, though, especially when you consider the poor quality of the soil.”
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。
As the laborer struggled to follow the old man, his face began to soften.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I turned my head for one last look before getting off the train.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My childhood is magical and full of adventure. I have so many childhood memories, and I would like to share one that still stimulates me. This unforgettable childhood event was about the first day when I learned how to swim. It happened so unexpectedly and quickly that not only I but my parents were surprised. Of course, we were proud as well. I was barely seven years old back then, and my parents thought that it was time for me to learn how to swim. One summer morning, they took me to a swimming pool in the City Swimming Complex which was just a 35-minute drive from our house. It was a weekend and both my parents accompanied me. After we reached the Swimming Complex, we found many people were learning how to swim. My mother said she would watch me learn this important skill with the help of my father. Then she cheered me on and took a seat.
I had no idea how to swim but I was excited to try this new adventure. However, when my father got into the swimming pool with me, I became a bit nervous. It seemed that things were not quite as easy for me.
Looking around, I noticed that many other children of all ages were also trying to grasp this skill and some of them had pretty much learned the art and science of this skill. Influenced by others, I was determined to focus on my training and swim as well as them. Under the guidance of my father, I learned with all my effort and devotion, and I made rapid progress. After teaching me for 30 minutes or so, my father went to buy some snacks for us and my mother came to talk to me for a while near the pool. She asked me if I had learned anything at all. To prove my progress, I jumped into the water and started swimming.
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。
My mother was frightened by my action at first.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Eating the snacks bought by my father, we were all thrilled and excited.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . 根据以下图画，写一篇英语短文，描述今昔通讯方式的变化，以及这些变化给人们生活带来的影响。
1. 词数100左右
2. 参考词汇：通讯 communicate (with sb.) vi./communication n.；
互联网 the Internet
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July 1971, I was taking a summer class in Black-American literature on the campus of SUNY Oneonta in northern New York. Professor James walked into the classroom and announced that he had invited a special guest to class, but his guest was delayed. The class stirred with curiosity and anticipation.
“Who’s coming?” someone asked.
“All I will tell you is that he is the author of one of the books you have read for this class,” he said. “I need a volunteer to meet him in the hall of the administration building and take him here.”
To my amazement, my right hand shot up as though it had a mind of its own. “What am I doing?” I thought. I never volunteered for anything. I was shy and uncomfortable meeting new people. In fact, I was absolutely the wrong person for this job. Realizing my mistake, I pulled my hand down quickly, but it was too late.
“Thank you, David,” Professor James said. “You’d better leave now. He’ll be arriving any minute.”
Seeing no way to back out, I reluctantly got out of my seat and headed for the classroom door. When I reached it, I stopped.
“Umm,” I said. “If I don’t know who this person is, how will I recognize him? I’d hate to bring back the wrong guy.”
Professor James laughed. “Good point,” he said. He pulled me aside and whispered a name in my ear. “Alex Haley,” he said.
“Really?” I said. I gave a thumbs-up to the class and left the room.
As I entered the empty hallway, I criticized myself for volunteering. “Why didn’t you let someone else do this?” Alex Haley was the author of The Autobiography (自传) of Malcolm X. He was also famous for his diligence, perseverance and in-depth thinking.
As I walked across the campus, my anxiety grew. I feared that I was about to embarrass myself in front of this famous gentleman by asking stupid questions, or worse, accompanying him in painful silence. I reached the front steps and climbed them slowly.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150 左右;
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
As I pulled open the heavy glass door, I realized why I raised my hand to volunteer for this job.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I’d like to become a writer, but I don’t know if I have the talent,” I said.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There are too many treasures in life we take for granted, the worth of which we don’t fully realize until they’re pointed out to us in some unexpected way. So it was with Mama’s minestrone soup (意大利浓菜汤).
There was no recipe for her minestrone soup. For our large immigrant family, Mama’s soup guaranteed we would never go hungry. It was a symbol of security. Its recipe was created spontaneously (非计划安排地) from what was in the kitchen. And we could judge the state of our family economy by its contents. A hearty soup with tomatoes, pasta, beans, carrots, celery, onion, corn and meat indicated things were going well. A water y soup suggested hard times.
At one time, however, Mama’s soup pot became a source of embarrassment to me, for I feared it would cost me a new friend I had made at school. Sol was a thin, dark-haired boy, and an unusual pal for me because his father was a doctor and they lived in the best part of town. Often Sol invited me to his home for dinner. The family had a cook in a white uniform who worked in a kitchen with shining utensils (厨房用具). The food was good, but I found it bland (清淡的), lacking the heartiness of my home food served from flame-blackened pots. Moreover, the atmosphere matched the food. Everything was so formal. Sol’s mother and father were polite, but conversation around the table was subdued (克制的). And no one hugged! In our family, warm hugs were a constant and if you didn’t kiss your mother, she demanded: “What’s the matter, you sick?” But at that time in my life, all this was an embarrassment.
I had known Sol would like to eat dinner at our house, but that was the last thing I wanted. My family was so different.
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。
Finally when Sol asked again if he could come to our house, I had to say yes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But to my amazement, I noticed Sol took a spoonful of Mama’s minestrone soup.
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