Yoghurt
It was a rough week. The price of oil skyrocketed as the temperature dropped sharply in Maine. We were looking at a high of eight degrees that week, and I had missed three days of work so my paycheck was going to be lower than normal. I was stressed, to say the least. I shopped strategically, looking for every possible way to cut pennies so I could buy groceries and keep the house warm.
My eight-year-old son didn't understand when I told him we were struggling that week. He wanted a special kind of yoghurt, but I didn't have the extra three dollars to buy it for him. It was the kind of yoghurt with a cartoon kid riding a skateboard on the front of the box, and a mere two spoonfuls in each cup. It was the kind of product that wastes a parent's money and makes me hate advertising.
I felt guilty as a parent when those big eyes looked at me with confusion, as if to say, “It's just yoghurt. What's the big deal?” So I found a way. I put something back as single mothers often do. He got his yoghurt.
On the way driving back from the grocery store, I noticed a homeless man holding a sign by the side of the road. My heart hurt, and I tried not to look at him. I watched people stay away from him on the street and walk by without even meeting his eyes. My son didn't seem to care much, either. I looked at the man closely then — bare hands grasping a piece of cardboard, snot frozen to his face, a worn-out jacket. And there I was struggling because I had to buy oil and groceries. But I decided to help. I pulled over to the man and handed him a five-dollar bill.
Paragraph 1:Seeing this, my son became confused and surprised.
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On that day, my son performed an act that most adults wouldn’t have done.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the last customer left KFC, it was already 10:30 pm. Adam, an 18-year-old college student, dragged himself home. He had been working at KFC for over a month that summer vacation.
Entering his room, Adam found his younger brother Bill sitting on the edge of his bed with an uneasy expression on his face.
“Sorry, Adam. I … I did something wrong,” Bill sprang up and said nervously.
“What is it?”
“This afternoon I sneaked (溜) out for a ride on your motorcycle and accidentally hit our neighbor Osman Brook’s car. I was so scared and I … I hurried home in panic.”
“Is the car seriously damaged?”
“The left headlight got broken.”
“It’s truly your fault and it’s really dangerous to ride a motorcycle at your age. Besides, it’s illegal,” Adam raised his voice, obviously annoyed. Hearing this, Bill lowered his head and bit his lips hard.
“Anyway, it’s no use crying over spilt milk. I will deal with it tomorrow. Now you go to bed and have a good sleep.”
The next morning when Adam got up, Bill was still sleeping soundly. Adam was more determined about what he ought to do as an elder brother.
After breakfast, Adam took out all the money he had earned and went out of the house with it. In the yard he saw his motorcycle, on whose side the scratches (划痕) were clearly visible. Adam shook his head and sighed slightly. Then he squared his shoulders and quickened his pace to Osman’s house.
When he arrived, he was welcomed by Osman’s wife Mary, who told him that Osman had gone to the garage to have his car repaired.
“I have something important to tell him. Can I wait until he comes back?” Adam requested eagerly.
“Of course. He should be home soon,” Mary invited Adam in, served him a cup of coffee and began chatting with him.
After half an hour, the door opened and in came Osman. Having said hello to each other, Osman and Adam both sat down on the sofa.
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。
Adam cleared his throat and began to speak.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Just then, there came a knock at the door.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One Wednesday, many years ago, when I was working as a psychologist (心理医生) at a children's institution in England, a boy showed up in the waiting room. I went out there where he was walking up and down uneasily.
I showed him into my office and pointed to the chair on the other side of my desk. It was in late autumn, and most trees outside the window had lost all their leaves. "Please sit down," I said.
David wore a black rain coat that was buttoned all the way up to his neck. His face was pale, and he stared at his feet while wringing his hands nervously. He lost his father in a car accident 3 years ago. Before he came, his head teacher called and told me, "After his father's death, the boy becomes very sad and depressed. He refuses to talk to others or attend any activities or clubs. He has no social life at all. However, when his father was alive, the boy was active and talkative. After school, they would play chess games happily!"
I looked at David. How could I help him? Perhaps the best thing I can do is to listen openly and to be there for him. But I am still not sure what to do.
David didn't say a word, and only looked at the children's drawings on the wall behind me. As he was about to leave, I put my hand on his shoulder. He didn't step back, but he didn't look at me either. "Come back next week this time, if you like," I said. I hesitated a bit. Then I said, "I know it hurts."
Finally, he came and I took out a set of chess.
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。
Staring at the chess set in silence for long, he whispered in tears, "Father liked it…"_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Another Wednesday, David appeared with a box of chocolate, smiling brightly._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For many years, I had a recurring 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 to receive my diploma. 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. Pretty soon, 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 in her hands and knees, which made it impossible for her to function in a normal classroom. I felt sorry for her and I didn't want her to live her life with regret. I didn't give up hope of her being 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 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 crafts. “This is only an experiment,” I warned him, 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.
1. 写作词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1：
It was exciting to go to school again but________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Linda and I saw each other through the time.
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Last year, I went to Los Angeles for a holiday after I won the Vans U.S. Open of Surfing championship. It was a sunny day, with a blue, cloudless sky over a calm sea. I went outside and climbed up onto the roof for a break. I sat and watched people swimming in the sea. But then, as I looked in the distance, I saw a series of three or four big waves heading toward the shore. I'd seen these mini-tsunamis many times before. They were heading at speed towards the swimming area. Most people knew to look out for them, but from the screams that started coming from the beach, I could tell someone was in trouble.
Without thinking, I ran down into the street, grabbing my bodyboard on the way. I shouted at a stranger to call the lifeguard. My neighbor Tom had heard the screaming as well and was also outside with his bodyboard, so together we rushed to the steps that led down to the beach.
When we got down there, we discovered the waves had pulled two boys into the open sea.
I knew that the nearest boat would take at least 30 minutes to reach us. I wasn’t used to this sort of emergency — I'd never been trained as a lifeguard — but I didn't think twice about trying to save them. I suppose in a way I wanted to impress everyone; at 19, a deal like that can seem like a good opportunity to show off.
Tom and I dived into the water. It took us 10 minutes to locate them. When we finally reached them, they were barely able to stay afloat, their heads bobbing up and down in the water. We could tell they were still alive from their small breaths but it was clear they wouldn’t have been able to stay there much longer. Tom and I held the boys and pulled them over our boards.
注意
1. 续写词数应为150左右。
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
We began pushing them back to the shore, but the waves were getting stronger.
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When we arrived at the hospital, the two kids were in better condition.
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December 16 was an old man's 75th birthday. His health had not been good over the past few years and it was hard for him to run his family business. So he had to decide which one of his sons would take his place.
As they gathered to celebrate their father's birthday, he announced his retirement.“Dad,I can't imagine a day without you as the head of the business,"one said.
There was a silence. Surely the question playing on their minds was “Who would take his place?"The old man turned and walked toward the corner of the room where there were three empty boxes.“Come and take one box each. They are of equal size. On the first day of the New Year when we return here to celebrate, I want you to bring your box filled with what you believe to be the most valuable of this business, then I'll decide who will be chairman,” the old man said.
During the next fifteen days,the families and workers could feel a strong competitive spirit between the three boys.
One carried the box nearly everywhere he went.Another ran department to department asking for records. The third man simply left the box empty at his desk.
On January 1,the family gathered to celebrate. Right after dinner, the old man said,“Well, please share with men what you have placed in your box.” The first son pulled the business ledger(分类账本）from his box. Saying nothing, the old man asked for the second son to share. The son showed him to the safe,where he could see a box full of jewels.
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。
Disappointed,he said to the third son,“What valuables do you have to share?”
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Sitting on his chair, the old man waited for his third son's explanation.
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Humphrey and his wife Hildy had ten white sheep, eight black-faced sheep, and five long-legged lambs. Early every autumn, they would drive their sheep onto the ground beside the big, yellow barn（畜棚）. Then Humphrey would hold each sheep still while Hildy cut off the wool.
When they finished, there were twenty-three soft piles of wool on the floor, and twenty-three pink, skinny sheep jumping around happily as they were freed into the field. Humphrey and Hildy collected piles of wool and put them in the house.
The next few weeks were very busy. They finally finished on cold, fall evening. Twenty-three bright, woolly blankets lay in cheerful piles around the kitchen. They would sell the warm blankets when winter came. By the time the snow flew, the sheep’s wool would have grown long enough to keep them nice and warm. Humphrey and Hildy both smiled, content with a job well done, and went to bed early.
The alarm clock went off at 5: 00 a.m. Humphrey and Hildy listened to the local weather report. “The earliest cold air in history,” The announcer said, “has brought a freeze（霜冻）to our area! So put warm coverings, folks!” They stared at each other in horror.
“The sheep!” shouted Humphrey. They hurried to put on their clothes and raced outside. What a freeze it was! The golden autumn grass fell to the ground, and the sheep without wool were shaking with cold painfully. Their pink skins had turned blue.
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“What will we do?” Hildy cried. “The barn can’t hold so many sheep.”
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Outside the messy kitchen, Hildy had a good idea, eyes falling on the blankets.
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A Run to Remember
Thirteen can be a challenging age. Not only did I have to adapt to my changing body. I also had to deal with my parents’ bitter divorce, a new family and the upsetting move from my country home to a crowded suburb.
When we moved, my beloved companion, a small brown pony(小马), had to be sold.
Feeling helpless and alone, I couldn’t eat or sleep, and I cried all of the time. I missed my family, my home and my pony. Finally, my father, realizing how much I missed my pony, purchased an old red horse for me at a local market.
My horse, Cowboy, was without a doubt the ugliest horse in the world. He was pigeon-toed and knock-kneed. But I didn’t care about his faults. I loved him beyond all reasons.
I joined a riding club and faced rude comments and mean snickers about Cowboy’s looks. I never let on how I felt, but deep down inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful registered horses.
When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly out of the game. I finally realized that my only chance to compete would be in the timed-speed events. I chose barrel racing(绕桶赛), an event in which a horse and its rider attempt to complete a triangular pattern around three barrels in the fastest time.
One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. Needless to say, she didn’t feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn’t need to. I came in next to last.
The bitter memory of Becky’s smirks(得意的笑)made me determined to beat her. For the whole next month, I woke up early every day and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena(运动场地). We practiced for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home. On the way home I would be so tired; those five miles seemed twice as long.
All of our hard work didn’t make me feel confident by the time the show came. I sat at the gate and sweated it out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the pattern of barrels, finishing the course with case.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My turn finally came.
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No cheers filled the air when I finished my show.
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Last week, I watched an old couple when they walked through a local thrift (节俭) store. I had just dropped off a bag of clothes and a few other items I no longer wanted. When I got the opportunity, I stopped by just to look through the old records. Yes, I called them records, not CDs or MP3s, simply records, those round plastic things from ancient times that had music recorded on them.
Anyway, this couple moved slowly around me in search of items they had on a list they held tight in hand. They didn’t say much, but occasionally talked with the other and picked an item up. “No, it’s not suitable for her and she dislikes it,’’ one would say and move on.
My curiosity always got the best of me until I satisfied it by asking. “Can I help you find something?” I asked. They stopped, looking at me. Then the man said, “We are looking for old things that look new. Look, every new year in the past we tried to begin the year with new things. It was a goal to surround ourselves with things fresh and new so that we had new direction, new hopes and dreams for the year ahead. More importantly, we can give some gifts to Eva.”
“Eva? Who is she?” I asked. “She is a lovely 10-year-old girl we adopted three years ago. Her parents died in a serious traffic accident. She always wants to be a singer,” the man replied. When hearing those words, I felt sad and said, “I’m sorry for the girl. Can you tell me how does your search work out?” The lady sighed and said, “It took a long time for us to find a special gift, but we discovered it was in vain (徒劳的).”
I knew it’s difficult for the couple to solve the problem, so I decided to take action immediately. I said to the couplet can do you a favor. Please wait here for me.
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 turned around and ran out of the store.
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When I returned to the store, the couple sat near the counter (柜台).
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“Nothing will ever be the same again,” Ally said to herself.
Ally's father died last summer. It wasn't fair, Ally thought. Dad was young and had never been sick. Why had his heart suddenly stopped? Ally sank slow into her father's favorite chair and looked at his picture on the bookcase. Ally smiled. “I miss you, Dad,” she said softly.
At this moment, she felt a hand smoothing her hair and looked up. “Why don't you come outside with me, Ally?” her mother asked. “The birds are nesting in the woods. By this time last year you'd already taken dozens of pictures.”
But her mother must know birdwatching wouldn't be the same this year. How could it be? Ally wondered. Ever since she could remember she and Dad had been a team, searching the woods for the special wood warbler (林柳莺). “I'll be out in while, I promise,” she answered.
After her mother left, Ally reached for the photo album she and Dad had put together. On the cover was a photo of a tiny yellow bird with blue-gray wings and black eyes. Dad cut it from a local newspaper. Ally smiled, remembering the excited look on Dad's face when he showed her the pretty bird.
“I can't believe someone spotted this little guy way up here in New Jersey,” he said. “Wood warblers are usually found in the south, not this far north. I bet if we search really hard, Ally, we'll see this little guy together someday.”
Ally closed her eyes. She loved thinking about the times she and Dad had spent searching the woods for the little bird. They'd never spotted the warbler, but her father had an amazing way of making each outing seem special. He was her best friend.
注意：
1.续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
When they were together, Ally felt comfortable with her favorite blue sweatshirt on.
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Just then her mother came to her, carrying the old net.
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