I sat in my parents’ car. Mom had insisted I go with her to pick up Dad from work. Across from Dad’s office is a bike store. That was the day my eleven-year-old eyes first saw the purple BMX Mongoose bike. From that day on, all I could think about was that bike. I even drew pictures of the bike in class. Every evening afterward, at five thirty, I eagerly went along with Mom to get Dad.
And every day I told my parents, “I want that bike!” But they disagreed and replied that I had already had a perfectly good bike at home. I’d argue it was old and ugly, thinking that my happiness depended on that purple bike. Days later, I found the store had sold that bike. I knew I’d never be happy again.
A week later, returning home from school, I tripped over something. Lying in the weeds near a river and some wooded lots, was a bike — the exact bike from the store. “Hey, whose bike is this?” I shouted, scanning the area. No one replied, and there was no one in sight. Maybe its owner didn’t want it any longer. I couldn’t leave it lying in the weeds. So I took it home and hid it behind the garage. Every day after school, I sat there, admiring it. But I didn’t feel like riding and didn’t feel as happy as I had thought. Thinking about the bike made my stomach tighten and uncomfortable.
A few days later, during lunch at school, my friend said, “Did you hear about Tyler, in the other fifth-grade class? He lost his new purple BMX Mongoose bike he had just gotten for his birthday. He left it by a river while playing in the woods. It got dark, and he couldn’t find it.”
“I’d never go off and leave a new bike like that. He doesn’t deserve to have that bike,” I replied. My friend added, “Kids say he’s nice. And they say Tyler is upset because his dad worked overtime to buy the bike for him.” For the rest of the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about Tyler.
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。
After school, I returned home and dragged to my room.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I know Tyler’s house,” Mom said. “I’ll drive you there.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a warm Sunday. 16-year-old Stella settled down with a book, enjoying her quiet moment when her friend Bog came over with his 6-year-old sister. “Stella, please! I need you to help to watch Hazel! I have a lecture to attend this afternoon,” Bog begged.
Stella frowned, not thrilled with the idea of babysitting a little girl. However, Bog didn’t offer her any other choice. He dropped Hazel off with Stella and quickly ran away before she could react.
With a heavy sigh, Stella unwillingly turned her attention to Hazel. “Fine, just stay there and don’t cause any trouble,” she grumbled (嘟囔). To her surprise, little Hazel smiled and obediently sat by the table, drawing quietly without making a single noise.
For the next hour, Stella was quietly engaged in reading without being disturbed by Hazel. Gradually, her annoyance disappeared and she got accustomed to the company of Hazel. After a while, Hazel cautiously approached Stella, holding a picture. “Look, it’s you and me,” she said in a low voice. It was a simple drawing of two girls, hand in hand, smiling.
Stella’s heart softened as she looked at the drawing. She felt guilty about treating Hazel impatiently. Setting her book aside, Stella smiled warmly and said, “I love it. Thank you!” Then Stella began to join Hazel to create it together.
Just as they were lost in a world of colors, a sudden phone ringing broke the warm atmosphere. It was a phone call from her friend, reminding her about the long-awaited plan to go skating on the ice rink (溜冰场). Stella’s heart sank because she had forgotten all about it. She was torn between the desire to go skating and her duty to look after Hazel. She was also worried that taking her to skate would prevent her from enjoying gliding (滑) freely on the ice.
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 Stella hesitated, Hazel looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hazel admiringly watched Stella and her friends gliding on the ice.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One morning, as I walked to the market, I saw an old man, with a bandanna(印花大方巾) covering his face, sitting in front of a tea shop. He seemed to be just watching the traffic on the road, not paying attention to anyone. His bandanna was dirty and his clothes were crumpled(褶皱的). His hair stuck out because he wore a cap that didn’t fit well. I quickly assumed he was a beggar asking for money. I decided to give him some change on my way back from the market.
A little further down the road, there was a young man lying on the pavement(人行道) with his arms outstretched(张开的). No one passing by paid any attention to him. It seemed that he had drunk too much. Thus, I thought to myself that he was just a worthless man who had spent all his money on wine.
I finished my shopping at the market and headed back. Before reaching the point where the old man sat, I took out all the change I wanted to give to him. When I approached him and held out the change, he barely looked at me, but still looked ahead. He shook his head as if he was saying he didn’t need it. I insisted and pushed the change into his hand. As I stood there feeling proud of my act of charity, the old man slowly got up and walked to the young man who was lying on the pavement. The old man kept down, woke the young man up and whispered something in his ear. It seemed that they knew each other. The young man seemed to respond and then shook his head. The old man walked back and headed for the tea shop.
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 stood there, watching in amazement, as he walked to the tea shop.
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The old man noticed that I was still there so he looked up.
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Mr. Barnes was a very wealthy man who lived in the early days in the United States. It was one of his chief pleasures to walk through the countryside near his home, and as he walked, he often noticed a particularly fine group of cattle. One day he stopped to visit the rancher (牧场主) who owned the cattle and purchased a cow from him with the agreement that the cow would be delivered to his house the following day.
The next day as Mr. Barnes was out for his morning walk, he saw a young boy trying his hardest to lead the cow over to Mr. Barnes’ field. The boy, who did not know Mr. Barnes, called to him, “Please sir, would you come and help me with this cow? It is so stubborn!”
Mr. Barnes readily agreed and went over to help. As they walked along together, he asked the boy, “How much do you expect to get for delivering the cow?”
“I… I don’t know,” the boy said, “but I think I’ll get something because the people who are buying the cow live in that house, and those people are very kind to everyone.”
By now the stubborn cow was walking along nicely, so Mr. Barnes excused himself and took a path through a wooded area that led to his back door. As soon as he got into the house, he gave one of his trusted workers a fifty-dollar bill and told him to give it to the boy who was delivering the cow. After the cow had been left at the house and the boy was returning to the ranch, Mr. Barnes went out again and met the boy on the road.
“Well, how much did you get?” asked Mr. Barnes.
“Five dollars,” answered the boy.
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. Barnes felt surprised when hearing the answer.
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The boy agreed, and they walked back to the house together.
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Not so long ago, most people didn’t know who Shelly Ann Francis Pryce was going to become. She was just an average high school athlete. There was every indication that she was just another American teenager without much of a future. However, one person wants to change this. Stephen Francis observed then eighteen-year-old Shelly Ann at a track meet and was convinced that he had seen the beginning of true greatness. Her times were not exactly impressive, but even so, he sensed there was something trying to get out. He decided to offer Shelly-Ann a place in his very strict training seasons. Their cooperation quickly produced results, and a few years later at Jamaica’s Olympic games in early 2008, Shelly Ann, who at that time only ranked number 70 in the world, beat Jamaica’s unchallenged queen of the sprint (短跑).
“Where did she come from?” asked an astonished sprinting world, before concluding that she must be one of those one-hit wonders that spring up from time to time, only to disappear again without signs. But Shelly-Ann was to prove that she was anything but a one-hit wonder. At the Beijing Olympic she swept away any doubts about her ability to perform consistently by becoming the first Jamaican woman ever to win the 100 meters Olympic gold.
Shelly Ann is a little woman with a big smile. Her journey to becoming the fastest woman on earth has been anything but smooth and effortless. She grew up in one of Jamaica’s toughest inner-city communities known as Water house, one of the poorest communities in Jamaica. Sometimes her family didn’t have enough to eat. She ran at the school championships barefooted because she couldn’t afford shoes. Her mother Maxime had been an athlete herself as a young girl but, like so many other girls in Water house, had to stop after she had her first baby. Maxime’s early entry into the adult world with its responsibilities gave her the determination to ensure that her kids would not end up in Water house’s roundabout of poverty. One of the first things Maxime used to do with Shelly-Ann was taking her to the track, and she was ready to sacrifice (牺牲) everything.
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。
It didn’t take long for Shelly Ann to meet her mother’s expectations.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But Shelly Ann’s victory was far greater than that.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I had spent the long winter months waking up each morning with the sun and birds. Each day began like the previous one: sneakers (运动鞋), headphones and stretching. The fresh air filled my lungs as I ran out the front door, greeted by the empty streets and sidewalks. The world became my own training ground. As I ran, I found peace in the rising sun. This boring time quickly became my favorite time of the day.
I was born into a “running family”. I lost count of how many marathons my dad had participated in, and I was pretty sure my mom traveled on foot more than she did by vehicle. My brother, Mike, followed in their footsteps by running when he could, and competed in at least 4 races throughout the year. Unlike him, I didn’t naturally fall into the running life.
“Running is the best thing for you. I don’t know how people can dislike it,” my dad questioned during many dinner conversations in grade school.
“You would be a fool not to join the track team, Colleen,” my mom suggested in her serious voice.
“Of course I will,” I replied while rolling my eyes. “What could be funner than running?”
After hundreds of practices and a handful of track meets later, I found myself agreeing with my parents and laughing at the idea that I once disagreed with them. The time had come when my dad finally asked the big question, which I had been nervous about for a while.
“So, the marathon is in November. What are we thinking?”
I felt my heart sink and speed up at the same time. Oh no, was I ready for this? The words suddenly came out before I could even fully process the question.
“Yeah, let’s do it!”
I couldn’t let him down. He had been waiting years for this experience. Finally, we spent hours training and bonding together until the big day came.
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。
It was at mile marker 20 when my legs began to lose feeling.
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The finish line was finally in view.
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Nuts was quite an adventurous and smart squirrel kitten. One day, without the notice of his parents, he slipped out of home and set off to Mr. Elk’s Candy Company to buy toffees. On the way, he met Robert the little deer, his best friend. He said, “Hello, Robert. Would you like to come with me to Mr. Elk’s Candy Company?”
Robert replied, “Sure. But it’s a long way from here. We may come across some fierce beasts (野兽) along the way and get ourselves in danger. I’ve got to ask my mother.”
To which Nuts replied, “Oh, don’t be such a coward (胆小鬼)! You’ll be back home in no time at all. I have been to the Candy Company alone several times and I have never met any beast at all.”
“Okay,” Robert replied nervously.
Soon they were both marching joyfully through the forest, although Robert did feel a bit uncertain about the idea. After half an hour, they stopped by at Mr. Cooper’s house. Mr. Cooper was the wise squirrel fond of inventing various mousetraps or fox traps to defeat predatory(捕食性的) opponents. Nuts and Robert had a brief chat with Mr. Cooper before they continued their journey to the Mr. Elk’s Candy Company.、
Several minutes later, as they were travelling on, a frightening beast appeared from behind the bushes. It was Mr. Gordon, the bad fox!
They both screamed at the very sight. Robert rushed away in panic but then he realised that he had left Nuts behind. When he went back, he found that Nuts was frozen still in front of the fox (a common squirrel instinct).
Mr. Gordon licked his lips and said, “I haven’t had squirrel for dinner for a long time.” He was about to grab Nuts when Robert screamed from behind the bushes. “Well, well. What do we have here, a live and healthy little deer. He would make an even better dinner,” said Gordon. He forgot all about Nuts and began chasing Robert.
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。
Nuts was alarmed by the scream and rushed to get help for Robert.
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Both the two headed home and told their parents the risky adventure.
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Back to the time when I was a clerk working in a 24-hour convenience store on the East Coast, people there were experiencing a heat wave. So the absolute thing you wouldn’t want to do was staying in a hot car! That’s what I thought when I saw a woman doing that. Going past the car, I noticed she was always lying, but not sleeping inside. The car was piled with her belongings, including a variety of paints and brushes, from the passenger side to the back seats.
I’d been aware of this car parked for a few weeks in the same space on this quiet lot just next to the convenience store where I worked. Maybe she was in trouble. Finally, one day I asked my partner to fill in for me. Then I stepped out of the store, went over to the car and got a close enough look to see the woman. I found that she was clear-headed in spite of a little pain in her face. This made me more anxious.
“Excuse me, I’m John. I work in the convenient store over there. I’m here to check out if you need any help,” I said.
“Pretty good. Thank you, gentleman. By the way, I’m Justine,” the woman replied with a sweet smile. Seeing that she was OK, I told her I had to go back to work and that I’d be there if she needed a hand.
The next day, after a little rush following the noon, there were no customers coming to buy groceries. With a bit of time, I invited Justine in to enjoy some cool air from the air conditioner. I gave her a cold drink, and then we sat down. “Thanks for your invitation. And I know you have many questions about me. John, go ahead,” she said calmly. She dressed with artistic taste and behaved gracefully. Naturally, I did have much doubt in my head about her situation. When asked why she kept staying in the car, she stopped for a while and said, “Because my precious works are in it.” She added, “What I did was all for my next art exhibition.”
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 she told me that she was an artist.
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A month later, I received a call from Justine when in the store.
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A Chocolate Cake
Sam is autistic (患孤独症的). Thus, dining out can be tricky. Though he loves to eat, he dislikes the loud noise over restaurant dining. Ever resourceful, he has a solution overpower all noise with a much louder noise of his own.
This begins with what I like to think of as dueling (斗) tables: neighboring parties raised their volume followed by Sam increasing his until some sort of extreme point is reached, making us quite unpopular with family, most friends and other diners.
Faced with a possibility of forever dining alone, I decided to work on dining skills at a trendy new spot early one Tuesday night.
To my delight, we arrived at an empty restaurant, So far, so good. Everything went well until two older women entered, Well-groomed (干净整洁的) and elegantly dressed in an understated way, they were seated two tables away from us. I felt a bit worried about what might happen.
The women began to chat, paying little notice to us. Sam happily took this as his cue (暗示) to start talking and drown them out. I leaned into Sam and asked for a quiet voice, but unfortunately, Sam had left that voice at home, I glanced at the neighboring table, knowing we wouldn’t go unnoticed much longer. I quickly resorted to Plan B: eat quickly and leave. Sam, who normally ate his favorite chocolate cake quickly, suddenly embraced the concept of leisurely dining and refused to rush—all while chattering away endlessly.
“SHUSH! (嘘)” I said, a little angry. Sam responded by giggling loudly. “Be quiet!”
I could sense that the two women were now watching us. Finally, the older of the two women leaned over. Here it comes, I thought.
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。
“Honey, stop shushing that boy,” she said, completely surprising me.
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Sam smiled because someone wanted him to do what he did best; make noise and eat chocolate cake.
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A Dream Come True
For many years, I kept having the same dream. I was a little girl again, rushing about, trying to get ready for school.
“Hurry, you’ll be late for school,” my mother called to me.
“I am hurrying, Mom. What did I do with my books?”
Deep inside I knew where the dream came from. It was about some unfinished business in my life. As a kid, I loved everything about school. I loved books, teachers, tests and homework. Most of all, I longed to someday march down the aisle (走廊) to receive my diploma (毕业文凭). That seemed more appealing even than getting married.
But at 15, I had to drop out because my parents couldn’t afford tuition. My hope of getting a diploma was dead, or so I thought. Years later, I married and had three children, and I thought, “There goes my diploma.”
Even so, I wanted my children to be educated. But Linda, our youngest child, had juvenile arthritis (幼年型关节炎) in her hands and knees, which made it impossible for her to function in a normal classroom. I felt really sorry for her and I didn’t want her to live her life with regret. I didn’t give up hope of her going back to school in some way.
One day, I saw an ad. in the newspaper for evening courses. “That’s the answer,” I said to myself. Linda always feels better in the evening, so I’ll just sign her up for night school.
Linda was busy filling out enrollment (登记) forms when the secretary said, “Mrs. Schantz, why don’t you come back to school?”
I laughed, “There’s no way. I’m 55.” But he persisted, and before I knew what I had done, I was enrolled for classes in English and art. “This is only an experiment,” I warned the secretary, but he just smiled. So, I told myself to try for just a semester and to see if it would work. Anyway, my dream was still there in my heart.
续写要求：
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。
It was exciting to go to school again but it was no picnic (不轻松).
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Linda and I helped each other through this difficult time.
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