For more than 20 years I have been traveling the world, preferring often to spend a year or two in different countries rather than to just visit as a tourist. It has become an important part of my personality as I grew older and shaped the way I saw the world and myself.
My little taste of this amazing life was when I was 19 years old. I was selected among a small group of college classmates to spend a year abroad. This was long before people could travel the world through social media like Facebook and Twitter. In order to see a place, you had to go there and experienced it.
I was raised in a middle-class family and couldn’t afford to travel around the world the way I wished I could. The only way I knew about the world outside was through letters I wrote to pen pals from over a dozen countries as a kid, and from television. Growing up, I always loved the very funny British comedies that were shown on local public television every Saturday night. So when I got the chance to apply for a study abroad program, I chose London.
Living abroad can be exciting, scary and challenging. I thought it would be easier because I spoke the same language as the local people did. But I also like to relish (享受) the little differences between the British and American culture and language. I also learned that in England, they spell words differently than in the U. S. In British spelling, they put a “u” in words like favor to make it “favour” and an “s” in words like analyze to make it “analyse”. I was able to adapt quickly to this new way of writing since I was submitting papers all the time for my classes.
Academically, I got to take classes that weren’t offered at my college back home. For example, I had a course in sociology and learned about the native people of Papua New Guinea.
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: But there were also challenges that year too.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Sometimes the difficult times made me sad and homesick.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Javon was the shortest kid in the class. Since the third grade, he had been smaller than every boy and all of the girls. He’d had to ask Ms. Haygood to get his gym locker changed so that he didn’t have to stretch so much to reach it. For most kids, being short would be a problem, but Javon just never let it bother him. Whether he would grow or not, there was nothing he could do. Javon held a similar attitude to most things.
The one exception was school work. Right before the first day of middle school, his dad had a serious talk with him about college. More precisely, his dad told him that college was expensive. College cost more money than a year’s rent on their apartment and the yearly income of either his dad or his mom. Given that, Javon didn’t understand why anyone would want to go to college. His dad explained some people who worked really hard and got good grades paid less or nothing at all for college. It was called a scholarship. Javon nodded, promising his dad that he would work hard and get a scholarship.
And Javon had worked hard. By middle of seventh grade, Javon was one of the top kids in the class. He was still the shortest, but now he also got called one of the smartest. So, he hadn’t been too concerned when Mr. T announced they were starting a new unit in math. The class started normally enough. But then Mr. T threw a letter into his math problem. He smiled at the class like using letters in math was perfectly normal.
For Javon, math used to be easy. But he could not wrap his mind around using these letters. He couldn’t remember the rules Mr. T had given and he didn’t even understood the ones he did remember. Whenever Mr. T tried to explain, Javon seemed to focus so hard on wanting to understand that he didn’t actually hear what Mr. T said. Before he knew it, he was hopelessly lost in math class. Soon the chapter test came.
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 test was cruelly challenging for Javon.
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Following his parents’ advice, Javon knocked on the door of Mr. T’s office.
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I didn’t like Del so much. He always called me the nickname “Germy”, which meant “dirty”, instead of my real name “Jamie”. Besides, he was known as a trouble-maker in school. So when the head teacher Mr. Smith asked Del to come to his office, I naturally thought that Del had done something mean to someone. Through the window, I caught sight of a smaller boy crying. Del seemed unhappy, too.
He did not return to class that day. All of us were discussing what had happened to him. What else could such an annoying boy do? “He must have hit the boy and was sent home,” I whispered to my friends. Their eyes widened. It felt good to see them so interested in what I said.
The next morning, the whole school was talking about Del being expelled(开除) for beating up a kid. I was surprised that my assumptions were passed on so quickly. So when Del walked into the classroom, all the kids were shocked. The kids next to him shift ed their desks away. “What’s your problem?” Del asked. “I don’t want you to attack me,” one kid said. Some laughed. “Yeah, I might,” said Del. I could tell he was joking, but many kids thought he admitted he did beat up someone.
During recess(课间休息), Del tried to join the kickball game. “Neither team wants you,” one of the players said. “Why?” Del asked, looking confused. “I always play with you guys.” They ignored him and went on playing. Del sat by himself while the rest of the school enjoyed their recess away from him. Del looked lonely and sad, much different from before. I started to feel sorry for him.
Later that day, I learned what really happened. The kid was Del’s little brother and he was crying because their mother fell ill and was sent to hospital. I felt even sorrier for what I said before. I started a rumor(谣言).
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 recess the next day, I saw Del sitting alone watching the kickball game.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now that Del had forgiven me, I decided to do more before the recess was over.
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In Texas, a concerned father named Bradley learned that his 17-year-old son, Brad, was causing trouble at school. It wasn’t just a one-time occurrence; Brad’s physics teacher had complained multiple times about his constant talking during class. As a result, Bradley was faced with the challenge of finding an effective way to discipline his son and teach him a valuable lesson.
In a moment of inspiration, Bradley came up with an idea that parents around the world would later praise him for. He decided to teach his son a lesson. He declared, “If we receive another call from your physics teacher, I will go to your school and sit beside you in class.”
However, Brad didn’t take his father’s words seriously and continued his loose conduct in his physics class. And his father received another call from the teacher, and now it was time for the father to keep his promise.
Friday arrived, and Bradley, who normally had this day off from work, was awakened by his wife. He reluctantly got ready to go to his son’s school. Upon arriving at the school, he made his way to Brad’s physics classroom. The other students chatted joyfully, unaware of what was about to happen. Bra d entered the room as usual, and to his shock, he saw his father sitting by his desk. It hit him like a ton of bricks. His dad had actually come to school and was sitting right next to him in class. The once happy-go-lucky teenager was now filled with embarrassment and regret.
Throughout the class, Bradley silently observed his son’s behavior. He witnessed first-hand the disruptive comments and constant talking that had been causing so much trouble. It was clear that Brad was not taking his education seriously, and his father realized that something needed to be changed.
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。
After the class ended, Bradley apologized to the physics teacher for his son’s behavior.
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Later that day, when Bra d returned home, his father was already waiting for him.
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It’s important to make your big brother angry. As far as Sandy was concerned, that wasn’t just her job, but her calling. Greg was 15 years old, a skinny kid who seemed to get an inch taller every month. What else are little sisters for? She hid his schoolbooks. She flicked rubber bands at him while he was talking on the phone. When his friends came over, she was extremely nice to them, so they always asked her to hang out and play video games. This drove Greg crazier than anything else.
But now that Greg was almost 16. More than anything else, Greg wanted to learn to drive a car. He wanted his driver’s license so badly that the tips of his fingers sometimes hurt from thinking about holding it. Sandy knew how important it was to him, but she worried about Greg never hanging out with her. She was going to make sure he never got it.
He’d just finished Driver’s Ed and got a learner’s permit, but Dad insisted Greg practice driving with him a few times. “Driving with an instructor is one thing,” Dad said, “but until you’re comfortable driving with a few people, I’m never letting you touch my car alone. We’re going to your aunt’s for dinner. Why don’t you drive the whole family?” “Sure thing,” said Greg, his eyes shimmering with anticipation. This would be Sandy’s big chance. She hid Greg’s permit in Greg’s shoe in his bedroom as she knew Greg couldn’t drive without a permit.
After the family climbed into the car, Greg took a few minutes to get ready. He adjusted his seat, fiddled with his mirrors, and familiarized himself with the air-conditioner and windshield wipers, even though it wasn’t hot outside or raining. For all of his confidence, he was starting to look nervous. He was about to turn on the car when Sandy made her attack.
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。
“Do you have your learner’s permit?” she asked from the back seat.
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Greg returned flushed, but smiling, the permit displayed proudly in his hand.
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When you’re a poor kid, you worry a lot about how you look, how much you’re spending on clothes. I had problems. I wore high waters (露脚踝裤). And my shoes? Forget about it. I had fake shoes — the kind your mother finds in supermarkets.
“John, here’s one I like! Go find the other one that matches!” My mom shouted in the supermarket. Then, I followed her instruction and found it. However, it was only a three and a half, too small for me. Suddenly, an bad feeling took my heart. As expected, she convinced me that we could cut the toes to fit into it.
So there I am, pants too high, shoes too tight, underwear with holes. I was strange-looking in my neighborhood. It hits me: there is no way to get friends. So I had my mission: become cool. I persuaded myself that I dressed like that not because I was poor but because I was cooler than anyone else. So I totally changed. I hung out with bad boys. Cut class. By the time I got to high school, I had been getting in troubles all the time.
What I loved most was telling joke. I liked keeping the kids laughing. Even the teachers laughed sometimes, which was the best part of my school time. See, I was still so out of it in a way — too cool to hang out with the nerds (书呆子), not cool enough to be with really bad guys. I figured my only value was to be funny. I enjoyed people enjoying my jokes. Maybe that’s the only point where my self-recognition came from.
One day during my junior year, I was walking down the hallway, making jokes as usual, when Mr. Zufa, my math teacher, pulled me aside. I got criticized by teachers all the time, so I didn’t think much about 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。
He did nothing at first but stared at me, eyes shining with appreciation and care.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After his encouragement, I changed a lot and was determined to pursue comedy.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The school’s annual Animal Day performance is coming. How much happiness will it bring to the teachers and students? Jamie wandered. As a lively and humorous student, Jamie often makes his classmates burst into laughter with his humor, sometimes even in class. But now, he sat in his English class, mindlessly doodling (涂鸦) on his notebook, when suddenly a notice came from the loudspeaker of the classroom.
“Jamie Turner, please report to the head master’s office immediately.”
Jamie’s heart sank, not knowing what it was for. When he reached the headmaster’s office he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst. But what he found was far beyond his expectations. The headmaster, Mr. Harrison was wearing a giant yellow chicken hat on his head. The hat had red combs, white feathers, and wings that covered his ears. Jamie’s mouth fell open at the sight, too shocked to speak.
Mr. Harrison glanced at Jamie over his reading glasses, “I’ve called you here because we’ve been having some complaints about your behavior.”
“Complaints?” Jamie repeated, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Yes,” he said, nodding seriously. “You’ve been…too funny.”
He leaned forward, “You see, we’re getting reports from your classmates that you’re constantly making them laugh in class. They can’t focus on learning.”
Jamie’s jaw dropped further. Was that really the reason he was called to the headmaster’s office?
The principal continued, his tone serious “Now, we take our education very seriously here, and while we appreciate a good sense of humor, we have to draw the line somewhere. We cannot have students spoiling the learning environment with their…their humor. Well, just …just make sure you keep your jokes to a minimum during class time, okay?”
Jamie nodded promising he would try to be less funny in class. “Um, Mr. Harrison, why are you wearing a chicken hat?” Jamie asked, unable to contain his curiosity. Mr. Harrison told Jamie that he would play the part of a chicken at the school’s Animal Day performance. Jamie grinned, imagining the sight of his normally serious principal acting like a chicken.
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。
Then Mr. Harrison said to Jamie mysteriously, “I have a great idea.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________He stood up and thanked Mr. Harrison for giving him the opportunity to perform.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One summer day, I decided to go for a walk in the nearby forest. I had my backpack prepared with water, food, and sunscreen. I was excited to spend some time in nature, away from the busy city.
The forest was attractive, with towering trees that seemed to touch the sky and colorful wildflowers under my feet. I walked deeper into the woods, attracted by the pleasant sounds of birds. The path I followed was winding and narrow, but I paid little attention, carried away by the beauty. I started to notice that the trees around me looked unfamiliar. Soon I found myself lost. I realized that I had no idea which way to go.
The sun was setting and I knew that I needed to find a way out before it got dark. I started walking, trying to remember which direction I had come from. But the forest was a maze (迷宫) of winding paths, and I soon found myself going in circles. Every tree looked the same, and every path seemed to lead nowhere.
The sound of leaves made me jump. Was it a wild animal? My heart was racing and I tried to stay calm as I listened for other sounds. But there was only silence, broken now and then by the distant calls of birds.
As the sun set, I fully understood the seriousness of my situation. There was no food or water left. I was completely alone, lost in a wilderness that could easily devour (吞噬) me. I walked nervously, tripping over things in my path, feeling frightened with a racing heartbeat. Hours passed, or maybe only minutes. Time had lost all meaning in this place.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
But then, as I was about to give up hope, I saw a weak light in the distance.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The house s owner welcomed me inside.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
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