My family had only recently moved into a new neighborhood. All of my neighbors have been very friendly and helpful since we moved in.
However, Mrs Davis, an elderly lady living in the last house on the other side of the road, escaped associating with us, or anyone else. When I asked around the neighborhood why, they warned me not to go after her because they thought she was insane (精神失常的) and preferred staying alone after losing her husband and only daughter in an aircraft crash. After that, she stayed isolated (孤立的) from all the neighbors, refusing all the care and help.
I often saw her on the streets during the evening, but she was always by herself. She appeared weak and I always wanted to help her, but after hearing what my neighbors had said about her, I wasn’t sure whether I should.
One day, when I was on my way to the supermarket, our paths crossed. I was walking past her and overheard her singing a tune. It immediately drew my attention because my parents used to sing the same song with me. I began to sing along with her, and she smiled at me for the first time. But when I smiled back, she quickly hurried her pace and went home.
She seemed very different to me that day. I refused to trust my neighbors’ claims that she had cut herself off from the rest of society because she was insane, so the next day, I knocked on her door. Mrs Davis was home, and instead of letting me in, she just looked at me silently through the window. I noticed her staring at me and was about to walk to the window when she quickly closed the curtains.
The next day, I revisited her house. “Hello, I brought you something,” I called out to her. “It’s the record of the music you were singing yesterday.”
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 door opened and Mrs Davis’ eyes widened in surprise at the sight of me standing there.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Several days later in the morning, the doorbell rang at my house.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ethan was a young man living in a small town. He was a bright soul with dreams, but he was also trapped by the chains of fear and doubt.
Ethan worked at a small bookshop, yet deep within, he had a strong desire to become a painter. Every evening, as the setting sun painted the sky in orange and pink, Ethan would sit by his window, a blank canvas (油画布) before him. Yet, no stroke (笔画) graced the canvas. The fear of failure and the whispers of doubt prevented him from painting. “What if I’m not good enough?” he often thought.
One cold autumn evening, an unexpected visitor came knocking at Ethan’s door-Mrs. Wilkins, an elderly well-known woman of wisdom. “Ethan,” she began gently, “I’ve noticed the light in your room night after night, and yet, I’ve seen no color grace the world from your hands. Why is that?”
Ethan sighed, the weight of his unspoken dreams heavy on his shoulders. He whispered, “I’m afraid that I’ll never be good enough and that my work will never touch the hearts of others.”
Mrs. Wilkins smiled, a kind, understanding smile. “Ethan,” she said, drawing closer, “let me tell you a story of a young bird, much like yourself, afraid to leave its nest. The little bird was always scared at the thought of flight. Day after day, it watched other birds fly into the sky, while it remained where it was, full of fear. The bird feared the unknown, feared failure, and most of all, feared that its wings were not strong enough to carry it. But then, one day, a storm approached, and the little bird had no choice but to jump into the storm. It was not an easy journey; the winds were very strong, and the rain blinded its eyes. Yet, with each flap (拍打) of its wings, the bird realized that it was able to fly.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 开头已给出。
Ethan felt a sense of warmth and hope wash over him as Mrs. Wilkins spoke.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That night, for the first time in many years, Ethan picked up his brush.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a small Chinese village, a young girl named Mei lived with a deep love for painting. Her artworks, filled with lively colors, caught the beauty of her surroundings. Despite her talent, Mei often battled with self-doubt. She wondered if her skills were truly excellent or if she was just fortunate.
One day, Mei heard about a painting contest in the town called the “Sunlit Art Challenge”. Determined to prove herself and remove the doubts, Mei quickly signed up for it. The contest stirred a mix of excitement and nervousness in her. Mei spent countless hours perfecting her painting technique, pouring her heart and soul into her works.
For the contest, Mei painted a beautiful sunrise over the sea. The sun just started to rise above the horizon (地平线), its bright light beginning to shine over the ocean. The sun’s rays looked like golden light, spreading across the water and making it shine like a giant mirror. As the sun rose higher, it looked like a bright ball of fire, warming the sea and making the waves shine brightly. The sky changed colors too, from a soft blue to bright oranges, pinks and reds. It was like watching the day begin right there on her canvas (画布). Mei s painting captured the peaceful yet lively scene of the sun’s first rays touching the vast ocean, symbolizing hope.
On the day of the contest, the village square was filled with excitement. Artists from near and far displayed their works. Mei set up her painting, feeling both proud and anxious. As the judges evaluated (评估) Mei’s painting, her heart raced with nervousness. Since their expressions were hard to read, Mei felt like her doubts were right, that she wasn’t as good as she hoped.
When the host started to announce the winners, Mei listened with hope and curiosity. But sadly her name wasn’t called. Disappointment washed over her, and she forced a smile, applauding (鼓掌) the winners. After the contest, Mei felt disheartened. She thought her painting had failed to impress anyone, and she lost her motivation to lift her brush. At that time, Mr. Zhang, a villager, approached Mei.
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。
Mr. Zhang told Mei that Mei’s painting was excellent and moved him.
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Mr. Zhang’s recognition of Mei’s works renewed Mei’s interest in painting.
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The Cry of a Woman’s Heart
The poor children who attended our church-supported Christmas party feasted on Christmas foods, enjoyed wonderful shows and received various gifts from Santa. When all the children had gone, we breathed a sigh of relief with tiredness.
Pointing to the extra gifts left in Santa’s black bag, Jean asked, “What are we going to do with all these toys?” As we were lost in reflection, Bobbie said, “Remember the three sisters who were at the party? Why don’t we deliver the toys to their house on Monday while they are in school to give them a surprise?” Everyone agreed. Since I lived closest to the three little girls, I volunteered to deliver the gifts.
On Monday, I drove to their home, confident their mother would be there. As I got out of my car a small dog appeared. He barked (吠叫) loudly and followed dangerously close to me as I hurried to the front door. With one large bag of toys, I knocked on the door. No one answered. I knocked repeatedly for several minutes. Still no answer.
Disappointed, I said, “Okay, now what am I supposed to do? I can’t carry these presents around all day!”
Managing to stay a few steps ahead of the barking dog. I returned to my car. After I calmed down I remembered hearing one lady at the church mention some needy children, who didn’t attended the party, had no toys. They lived in a wooden house not far from where I sat.
As I approached that location, I saw three shabby (破损的) wooden houses side by side. “Oh, no,” I whispered. “How am I supposed to know which house is the right one?” I pulled into the large dirt yard shared by all three families. As I got out of the car, I thought to myself, “Well, I’ll try the middle one first.” I knocked on the door. As I prepared to knock again, the door opened halfway.
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。
A tired-looking young woman with reddened eyes stood in the doorway.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Knowing that this was just the house I wanted, I was secretly relieved.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Summer vacation had finally arrived, and David’s family were eagerly looking forward to their beach getaway. David, the youngest of four siblings (兄弟姐妹), couldn’t hold back his excitement as they packed their bags and loaded up the car. Little did he know, an unexpected turn of events would leave him alone at home.
As the family hurried around, getting ready for their trip, David quickly went back into the house to take his favorite book. But his careless dad didn’t realize that David hadn’t come back to the car yet. With a quick wave, the car pulled away, leaving David standing alone in the driveway.
Realizing he had been left behind, David’s first surprise quickly turned to fear. He tried his best to catch his family’s attention, but the loud car drowned out his shouts. With no other choice, he went back into the empty house, feeling abandoned and unsure of what to do next.
Hours passed, and David’s hunger grew as he anxiously waited for his family to return. His stomach growled loudly, a clear reminder of his situation. Just as he was about to give up hope, his phone rang. It was his mother, calling to see how he was doing.
David felt annoyed and mad as he answered the call. He couldn’t get why his family forgot about him. His mom sounded worried and sorry, but it didn’t really make him feel better. “David, I’m really sorry,” she said, “We didn’t know you weren’t in the car until it was too late. Please forgive us.”
Angry and depressed, David struggled to find the words to respond. But as he listened to his mother’s apology, a sense of determination began to take root within him. He realized that he couldn’t rely on others to take care of him — he had to learn to tend to himself.
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 decided to make lunch for himself.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________His mother woke him up and asked, “Did you have lunch?”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On rainy days, Juanita liked to climb the attic (阁楼) stairs and play with her stuffed animals (毛绒玩具) under the roof. Here she could hear the drumming sound of the rain. The attic was dark on stormy days, but Juanita thought it was comfortable to have only one light bulb (灯泡) on.
Today, Juanita was pretending that her stuffed animals were Olympic athletes. The event was the high jump, so Juanita threw them into the air to see how high they could fly. Tom, her stuffed monkey, flew so high that he hit the ceiling and went over into a dark corner.
When Juanita went to find Tom, she saw a box on the floor in the corner. It was dusty (布满灰尘的), with gold corners and a metal lock that held it shut. Its key was lying just beside it. She had never noticed this box before. What could be inside?
Juanita brought the box and the key over to the middle of the attic, under the light bulb where she could see better. She opened it carefully and looked inside. Inside the box were a lot of black and white photos. Most of them were of a small girl with her hair braided (编辫子).
The girl looked just like Juanita! This was confusing. “I’ve never been to that house,” she thought as she looked through the photos. There was a gray farmhouse in the background of each picture. How could Juanita be in pictures of a place she had never been to?
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。
Juanita ran downstairs with the photos to show her mom.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Juanita asked her mom to take some photos for her and hang them up with Grandma’s.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Sandringham I got to know this kid, Teddy, a funny guy. He is one of those friends with whom you start hanging out and from that day forward you’re never apart. We were both very naughty. When you put us together, it was a disaster. Walking home from school, we’d throw stones through windows, just to see them broken, and then we’d run away.
One Saturday night, we were at the shopping center and most of the shops were closed. The cinema was still showing movies and the building was still open. There was a shop that sold greeting cards and magazines and it didn’t have a door. So when it closed at night, there was only a metal gate, like a trellis (架子), which was pulled across the entrance and padlocked (用挂锁锁上). Walking past this shop, Teddy and I realized that if we put our arms through the trellis, we could reach the chocolates just inside. We reached in, took a few, and then swallowed the chocolates. We started going back again and again to steal more.
We did this every weekend for at least a month. Then we pushed our luck too far. It was a Saturday night. I reached in to take a chocolate, and at that exact moment a security (安全) guard came around the comer and saw me with my arm in up to my should. I brought my hand out with a bunch of chocolates in it.
注意：1. 续写部分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。2. 续写词数应为150左右。
I saw him. He saw me. His eyes went wide.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next day when Teddy and I ran into the classroom, the headmaster was there waiting.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________For years, putting up Christmas lights had been a family tradition for the Patrick’s household. It was an occasion when they would busily prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
Their Christmas light display was always a highlight of the neighborhood and brought much delight to the whole community. Typically, Anthony would invite the neighbors over as they decorated the Christmas tree in the front yard. Emily, who lived next door and had known Sara’s family for long, often came to admire their wonderland of Christmas lights.
In early December, Anthony would string colorful lights all around their roof until it looked dazzling. On the front lawn, he would blow up a large white Frosty the Snowman and a Rudolph with a glowing red nose. Sara always joined in, along with their warm-hearted neighbors, hanging gifts on the tree and playing “White Christmas” over and over to keep everyone in the spirit.
Yet the bad news came in the midst of the festive mood, before they could finish the Christmas decoration. Anthony fell desperately ill. The symptoms suggested acute heart failure and he was soon admitted to hospital. Sara spent days and nights in the ward, attending to Anthony and praying for his recovery, though the hope was slim. On Christmas Eve, Anthony passed away.
It came as a huge blow to Sara. In the following days, she had to manage the funeral while struggling to figure out a way to cover housing and household expenses, and tackling a seemingly endless list of difficult to-dos. Perhaps hardest of all, she had to persuade herself into accepting the loss of her father. It was too much to take.
When she pulled up to the house after a long day on the go, the only thing that could comfort her were the twinkling Christmas lights, which brought her a spark of hope-it felt as if the brightness of the lights could cancel out some of the darkness of the past days’ misfortune.
Wanting to help, Emily shared their story on a community website.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Touched by their kindness, Sara decided to fulfill the lighting decorations, though Christmas was gone.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Many years ago, when I was just a child, my family struggled to make ends meet. Despite our financial difficulties, I sought out ways to earn a little pocket money by offering my assistance to our neighbors.
One cold day, I knocked on the door of an elderly woman’s house and kindly asked if she needed help to clean her yard. Surprised by my presence, she looked at me with kind eyes and asked why I wasn’t in school. I shyly pointed to my worn-out coat, unable to stay warm on the freezing cold day. Touched by my situation, she allowed me to work in her yard.
As I worked hard in the yard, the lady watched quietly, sometimes giving me a kind smile. When I finished, she looked at the tidy yard and said gently, “You’ve worked really well today, but you should be in school. Promise me you’ll go back.” Then, she took out a jar of money and told me to take what I needed.
I was grateful and took enough to fix my old coat and buy some food. I kept my promise and went back to see her, sharing my school progress. Each time, she welcomed me warmly, checking my report card with interest. Whenever there was an “A”, she’d be proud and reward me with money and tasty treats.
Even though my family faced tough times, I treasured the moments with the kind lady. Her kindness and support motivated me to do well in school and in life.
I studied even harder, knowing that only through education could I change my life and that of my family. The kind lady gave me strength, urging me forward.
My efforts finally paid off. After graduating from high school, I earned an opportunity to attend a prestigious (知名的) university. Upon graduating from college, I landed a well-paid job that I enjoyed. Our family’s financial situation greatly improved as a result, and I had the means to give back to the community that once helped me. I would never forget the kind lady who gave me a chance when I needed it most.
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。
One day, I was walking past a gift shop.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Returning to the little boy, I presented him with the gift.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jackie was searching for her library book in her room. Outside her house stood her friend Sasha waiting for her to go to the library. But the book was missing.
Jackie then ran into her sister’s bedroom. “Have you seen my library book? Last week my book was bitten by your cat. The week before that, you dropped my book in the park,” Jackie asked angrily. Her sister shook her head. Despite her efforts, Jackie found no traces of the book there.
“What’s taking you so long, Jackie?” Mom’s voice rang through the house. “I need to find my library book. It has a red cover. It’s due (到期) today. If I have lost the library book, I am not allowed to check out any books for a whole month,” Jackie sighed, walking down the stairs. She nearly ran into her mom, who was carrying a heavy laundry (待洗衣物) basket.
“Good luck with that book. The library closes in twenty minutes.” Mom stopped to grab Jackie’s clothes from the railing and wrinkled her nose. “I’m putting these in the laundry,” said Mom, disappearing down the basement stairs.
Jackie ran around the house, looking under the sofa, in the fridge, and behind the piano. However, the book was nowhere to be found. Where was that library book? The thought of not being able to get into the world of stories and knowledge for a whole month made her feel very sad. Jackie sank onto the living room sofa, her mind racing with thoughts of the result she would soon face.
Just then Mom came into the living room and suddenly said, “Have you searched all the places? You need to think carefully and see if you’ve missed anything?” “I’ve searched everywhere I can think of, but I still haven’t found it,” Jackie almost cried. “I looked for you in your painting room in the backyard last night where you were practising your painting. I seemed to see a red thing. Maybe it was in the painting room,” Mom added.
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。
Without wasting another moment, Jackie rushed outside to the painting room.
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Rushing to the library, Jackie and Sasha found the door still open.
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