It was a special Saturday evening. Hardly had I finished my work and left my office building at 9:00 pm when it rained cats and dogs. In order to get home earlier, I dashed into the rain without hesitation. Out of my expectation, I noticed a man wandering around my car, the moment I approached the parking lot.
Shaking with cold in the heavy rain, he was looking around every few seconds as though to be waiting for somebody. It was at that moment that it occurred to me that I had forgotten to roll the car window up and that was exactly where I left my wallet. In a flash, I got a big breath.
So I couldn’t help speeding up and at the same time called out to the man, expecting that he didn’t take the money and make a run with it, as after a busy day’s work, I was too tired to catch up with him.
“Are you the owner of the car?” the man asked in a shaking voice, but raindrops on the roof of my car made his voice unclear.
“And who the hell are you?” I replied with an unfriendly expression as if he was a thief who was caught stealing my wallet.
The man went on to tell me that he was a beggar, begging around the nearby buildings where I worked every day and familiar with every face and every car here. “This morning, several young men walked up plotting to take the wallet in your car. I came over and frightened them away, pretending to call the police. Thus the bad boys were scared to run away immediately. I had been waiting for you here since then so that the car and your wallet would be secure,” added the man.
When the man gave me a clear explanation of what had happened earlier, I was astonished to cover my open mouth with my hands.
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。
Standing in the rain, I couldn’t believe my ears.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Why didn’t you take the money?” I asked him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was time to go home. “Remember to work on your class speeches for homework,” Miss Walker called, as everyone started talking and packing their school bags. Jenny felt sick. She hated having to read aloud in class. She was sure everyone got really bored listening to her. Once, when Jenny was reading out her holiday diary, Lee was even looking at his watch, a silver and blue one which seemed just magical.
Jenny watched Lee walk ahead of her as they left school. He seemed so clever, and he had a certain sort of shining confidence. He was just one of those people who were good at everything. Jenny sighed. As she turned the corner, she saw Lee’s watch lying right in the middle of the path.
Jenny knew she should just pick it up and return it to him, but she didn’t want to run after him. Jenny bent down quickly, picked up the watch and ran home. On arriving home, Jenny put it on almost without thinking. She was surprised it fitted so well. She walked to the mirror and started practicing her speech. Words just flooded out of her. “I’m going to talk about swimming. I have been lucky. I’ve won lots of competitions. But when I’m in a race, I’m not really thinking about winning. I’m just loving the feeling of being in the water...”Jenny laughed with excitement. She walked across the room. She suddenly seemed to have a certain sort of confidence. Turning back to the mirror, Jenny saw a flash of light from the watch in the glass. The flashes of silver seemed almost magical. So maybe Lee’s watch really DID have something magic.
The next day, as the lesson began, Miss Walker asked who was going to be brave and go first. No-body moved. Jenny slowly raised her arm. Before Miss Walker could say anything, there was a shout from behind. “She’s stolen my watch!” Lee said angrily, “It went missing at school yesterday.”
Paragraph 1: Everybody was fixing their eyes on Jenny, waiting for an explanation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph2: At that moment, Miss Walker smiled and asked the class to listen to Jenny’s speech first.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a busy and stressful town, there was a large square with many trees around. There the collectors came together. These were people who were busy making a living by collecting things that other people had thrown away.
There were pan-collectors, book-collectors and shoe-collectors complaining about the burden of their life on their shoulders.
One day an old man came into the village asking where the collectors’ square was. He carried a large bag, but didn’t seem to be burdened by its weight. Finally, he found the square, and he decided to stay in one corner.
Naturally, the collectors discovered there was a new collector in town, and they asked about what he had in the bag. He simply told them there was nothing in it but his lunch and a raincoat in case it rained. “You mean, you don’t have a collection of some kind?” they asked. “Aren’t you a collector?”
“Oh, yes,” he said. “I’m a care-collector. But what I collect does not fit in a bag or a box. I offer to collect people’s care like worries, sadness and difficult times-all kinds of things that weigh them down, and they feel better.”
Quickly, one pan-collector asked him how he collected care, and he replied. “Well, there is probably something in your life that troubles you right now. Just tell me about it and I will add it to my collection.”
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。
“Can I have a try?” asked the pan-collector doubtfully.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Soon words spread, and there were a group of people coming to the care-collector.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family between us and the ticket counter.
This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of twelve. Their clothes were not expensive but very clean. They were well behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly talking about the clowns, elephants and other acts they would see that night in low voices.
One could sense they had never been to the circus before. It promised to be a highlight of their young lives. A father and mother were at the head of the line, standing hand in hand.
The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly responded, “Please let me buy eight children’s tickets and two adult tickets so I can take my family to the circus.”
The ticket lady gave the price. The man’s wife let go of his hand, her head dropped and the man’s lips began to shake. The man leaned a little closer and asked, “ how much did you say?”
The ticket lady again gave the price. Obviously the man didn’t have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight children that he didn’t have enough money to take them all to the circus?
Actually we were not wealthy in any sense. I felt sorry for them.
注意:
1.续写的词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式作答。
Seeing what was going on, my dad put his hand into his pocket, put out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground.
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That day, my father and I went back to our car and drove home without buying any tickets.
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注意:
1. 续写词数应为80词左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Two fast friends were Willie Brown and his little dog Bounce. Willie could never think of taking a walk without Bounce. Cake and play were equally shared between them. Willie taught his dog many running tricks and often said that Bounce could do almost anything in the world but talk. There came a time, however, when Bounce really told Willie’s father something, though he could not talk. Let me tell you how he did this.
It was on a bright summer afternoon. Willie had strolled with Bounce down to the river, which was not more than two blocks from his father’s store. Willie began to throw stones into the water, and to watch the ripples as they made one circle after another. Bounce lay on the grass, watching the flies that buzzed around his nose, and catching any that came too near. There were some logs floating in the river near the store. Willie jumped upon one of them, to see if he could throw a stone across the river.
He drew back, and sent the stone with all his might. Just as it left his hand, the log turned, and he fell into the water. He was very much frightened, for he did not know how to swim, and there was no one to hear, though he called as loud as he could for help.
Poor little Bounce gave a great yelp of distress. If he had been a big water dog, he could have jumped in and brought his master out. He ran up and down the bank two or three times, barking, looking first at Willie and then around.
Suddenly he started running, as fast as he could.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My problems started when we were having a biology class. Students were curious about a picture of ducks and wanted to see the kind of animals. Mrs Reno, our biology teacher, told us that she had a baby duck in her yard and could take him to us to know him. But baby ducks were on my list of terrifying things. Because I’ve always been afraid of these furry (毛茸茸的) animals.
To make matters worse, Trent Dillard was in my class again, Last year, I had to sit in front of him. He knew I was afraid of furry animals, and all the year he pretended to put them on my hair.
The next day. Mrs Reno took a cage, a baby duck inside it. She pulled out the baby duck and set him on the desk. “This is Ripley,” she said. Strangely, he seemed to understand what Mrs Reno said, and he was quiet and stayed at the desk.
Trent whispered (小声说), “I think you’re scared of him.” “I am not!” I said. Mrs Reno looked towards Trent and me. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Amy’s scared of Ripley,” Trent announced. “No, I’m not.” I was nervous. “I love ducks. They’re my favorite animals.” Mrs Reno smiled, “I was going to ask for a volunteer to feed Ripley at recess (课间休息), but since you’re a duck lover, how would you like the job?” She probably thought I was speech-less with joy. But I was very frightened.
At that time, Trent stood up and said, “I want to join Amy.” Mrs Reno said, “OK. I guess Amy can have a helper.” During the recess, Trent opened the cage and caught Ripley. “Careful!” I cried, surprised that I was worried about him. Trent looked out the window. “Hey, the guys are playing football and I’ll go. Take Ripley.” “You can just put him down.” I meant for Trent to put him down inside the cage, but Trent set him on the floor and ran out-side. At that time, Ripley walked towards the door.
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 took a deep breath (呼吸) and caught Ripley.
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In fact. Mrs Reno knew I was afraid of Ripley and was glad that I could overcome my fear.
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That night, I quarreled with my mother, then stormed out of the house. While on the road, I remembered that I did not have any money in my pocket, I did not even take my cell phone with me to make a call home.
At the same time, I went through a noodle shop, and I suddenly felt very hungry. I wished for a bowl of noodles, but I had no money!
The seller saw me standing before the counter and asked, “Hey little girl, you want to eat a bowl?”
“But … but I do not carry money …” I shyly replied.
“Okay, I’ll treat you.” the seller said, “come in, I will cook you a bowl.”
A few minutes later the owner brought me a steaming bowl of noodles. After eating some pieces, I cried.
“What is it?” He asked.
“Nothing. I am just touched by your kindness!” I said as I wiped my tears. “Even a stranger on the street gives me a bowl of noodles, and my mother, after a quarrel, chased me out of the house. She is cruel (残忍的)!!”
The seller sighed, “Girl, why did you think so? Think again. I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you felt that way. Your mother has been taking care of you since you were little, why were you not grateful and why did you hurt your mom?”
I was really surprised after hearing that.
Why did I not think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful, and my mother has raised me since I was little and I have never felt so, not even a little.
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。
Just at that moment, many memories came back into my mind.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When arriving home, I saw my mother sitting at the dinner table, worried and tired.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . According to a study published this week, habitual napping (打盹) appears to be associated with a large brain volume in adults although experts stressed that further research was needed. It reduces the cost caused from the lost time and the fatigue-related errors. The work followed previous studies that suggested a brief doze could improve people’s ability to learn.
Arianna Huffington, a co-founder of Huff Post and the founder and chief executive of Thrive Global, said, “Given the latest science on the effectiveness of napping and the clear link between employees feeling well rested and their productivity, it’s long past time that businesses embrace short naps at work.”
Some businesses, including Thrive Global, have already introduced facilities for employees to take naps. Google introduced sleep pods as far back as 2014 and companies like Nike and Ben & Jerry’s introduced nap rooms. The practice has even been adopted by the NHS, with a growing number of hospitals introducing sleep pods for staff in an effort to help them get more rest. Employees, it seems, are enthusiastic. Sean Greenwood, of Ben & Jerry’s, said, “If a quick nap gets employees more involved and creative, we’re happy to provide that for our team members.”
Unfortunately, the practice of napping still suffers from our collective concept that sleep equals weakness and laziness. However, the performance-enhancing benefits of naps have been no secret to many leaders throughout history. It also gives the higher-ups the chance to acknowledge the 24/7 culture and come up with top-down solutions that encourage workers to take care of themselves in and out of work.
While sleep experts stressed that a daytime doze could be beneficial, they said it was crucial to get enough shut-eye at the end of a day. It is the late stage of sleep, sometimes missed by early risers, that strengthens the nerve circuits that make for learning and memory, allowing the brain to make and consolidate new neutral connections. Additionally, prioritizing sufficient sleep during the regular nightly sleep period is essential for overall well-being.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．Work stress. | B．Learning abilities. |
| C．A research finding. | D．The brain volume. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Approving. |
| C．Unclear. | D．Critical. |
| A．To advocate enough rest. | B．To praise creative employees. |
| C．To compare the differences. | D．To present the current situation. |
| A．The approaches to shut-eye. | B．The importance of napping. |
| C．The secrets to well-being. | D．The benefits of memory. |
In the spare time, Mrs Green always asked her sons, Alan and John to help their neighbor, Ms Maud, to clean her house because she was too old to do it herself. They helped Ms Maud throughout the spring.
Summer vacation just began. The two brothers planned to play tennis with friends every day, so they could make the freshman team. However, Alan’s racket (球拍) was lost, which disappointed him a lot.
As usual, Alan and John came to Ms Maud’s house to help her. They went down the block to the Ms Maud’s and got started. Before cleaning, John put boxes that were thrown around the garage (车库) floor on shelves. When John put a big box on a shelf, he found a tennis racket in the box. It was a new racket, which was exactly what Alan wanted.
“You’ve got to see this.” John took out the tennis racket and showed it to Alan.
“Whoa, where did you get that?” Alan asked. John pointed to the shelf, “It was just in the box over there.” Alan continued to say, “It is so beautiful. My tennis racket was missing. If we take it, I believe no one will ever know.” He looked at the garage door, which was closed.
But John didn’t think it’s a good idea, “Well, we do a lot of things for Ms Maud and don’t get paid. It’s not really stealing. It’s a kind of payment for our hard work,” said Alan. Without hesitation (犹豫), John looked at the racket, took it from Alan’s hand and put it back in the box.
“Hello, boys.” At that time, Ms Maud walked into the garage, surprising them. “I’ve made a cake. Can you come in for a piece? I really appreciate all the things you do for me.” “Ugh... sure, Ms Maud,” said John. “Let us finish up and we’ll be right in.” Ms Maud went back to her house.
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。
Then, John told Alan that Ms Maud always rewarded (奖励) them for helping her.
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After Alan and John finished the cake, Ms Maud walked in and handed Alan a new tennis racket.
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10 . The first thing you notice at Nate Otto’s house is a 1967 Oldsmobile 98, an old car. Inside is a small, 100-year-old reed organ ( 簧风琴). It’s just a small taste of what’s in Otto’s house: self-playing, old-style musical robots called player pianos. Some sound and look as good as they did a century ago. Some are awaiting repair. Otto, a 29-year-old, has decided that it’s his job to bring player pianos back to life.
As the owner of Rum River Restoration, Otto believes he’s the only full-time player piano restorer ( 修复师) in the state of Minnesota. He specializes in Jazz Age objects that once were ubiquitous in America but now are largely forgotten except by collectors.
Otto believes in doing things the old-fashioned way and tries his best to make player piano restorations as real as possible.
Otto views the player pianos that he fixes as kinetic art ( 动态艺术) pieces. The classic player piano, or pianola, was first developed at the end of the 19th century. It was seen as a thing that helped to change American musical tastes, spreading new styles of music such as jazz to middle-class people. In their successful days, most of the pianos made in the U.S. were player pianos.
By the 1920s, however, the rise of radios and record players provided an even easier way to listen to music, hurting the sales of player pianos. The market for the instruments finally disappeared with the 1929 stock market crash ( 股票市场暴跌) and the Great Depression.
Keeping a player piano going today is a little like restoring an old car: It takes time, love, money and so on. A full rebuild of a player piano mechanism might take 100 to 150 hours of work and cost $5,000 to $8,000 on average, Otto said. But it’s worth it for some people to once again hear an instrument that brought generations of family members together to listen, sing and dance.
1. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Natural. | B．Difficult. |
| C．Common. | D．Interesting. |
| A．It was created in the 20th century. | B．It was invented by Otto’s family. |
| C．It helped the spread of jazz. | D．It can be easily found today. |
| A．It fell out of popularity. | B．It was not known to the public. |
| C．It was first brought outside the U.S. | D．It caused the sales of record players to fall. |
| A．It was a waste of time. | B．It was worth continuing. |
| C．It was easier than restoring cars. | D．It was not helpful in supporting his life. |
