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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A painter living by painting portraits was leading a poor life.
One day, a woman came by. She liked the paintings very much and asked the painter to draw a portrait for her. They agreed on 2,000 dollars.
Before painting the portrait, the woman asked the painter to draw more jewels. The painter curiously asked why, but the woman refused to explain. After a week, the portrait was done and the woman came to take the painting. At this moment, she hit on an evil idea of bullying the unknown young artist. She thought, “The portrait is me. If I don’t buy the painting, nobody will buy it. Why should I pay so much money?” So the woman said to the young painter, “I will only pay 200 dollars for it.”
The young man was surprised, for he had never come across such an experience. He argued with her, expecting this woman to keep to the agreement.
“I can only pay 200 dollars to buy the painting,” the woman thought she would win for sure.
The young painter knew the woman broke her promise on purpose, so he felt annoyed. He said in a firm voice, “No, I would prefer to keep this painting rather than be humiliated by you. Today you break your word and some day you must pay 20 times for it.”
“What a joke! 20 times will be 40,000! I won’t be stupid to pay 40,000 dollars to buy the painting!”
“Well, we’d better wait and see,” the young artist shouted to the woman who left angrily. After the stimulation of such an incident, the painter moved out of this sad place, studied under acknowledged teachers and worked hard day and night. More than a dozen years later, he finally started a new way and became popular in the circle of art. However, the woman had forgotten the artist’s painting and words the next day.
注意：
1）续写词数应为150左右；
2）请按如下格式作答。
One day, that famous painter decided to hold an art exhibition.
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The woman went there hurriedly, apologised a million times and promised that she would buy her portrait as soon as possible.
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My wife, Megan, and I went out to dinner with an old friend who we had not seen for a while. There had been some talk of COVID-19 on the news, but it was early in the outbreak and people were still going about their daily routines. Even though everyone in group felt perfectly, we took precautions (预防): we washed our hands with soap and used hand sanitizer (洗手液), did not share food, and had no significantly close contact.
A few days later, our friend called and told us that she had tested positive for the coronavirus. She had felt some mild symptoms for a day or so after that dinner and was able to be tested because she is a doctor. On the following day, I started to feel a little tired and my head was a bit cloudy. I decided to stay in the master bedroom away from the rest of my family. The next morning, I woke up with a 39-degree fever. That was when we realized that I might have caught the virus from our friend.
At once, Megan called our state’s coronavirus hotline, who then called in our primary care doctor and the head of our local hospital system’s coronavirus team. We explained that we had been in contact with someone who had been tested positive, and I was having symptoms. They quickly approved me to receive a test at an urgent care center located 5 kilometer’s drive from my house. The result made my heart sink-I was also tested positive, and the local hospital didn’t have the facilities for my disease. As a mild case, I was recommended to stay home and quarantine (隔离) myself.
Following the doctor’s advice, Megan and I quarantined ourselves and our kids. With my symptoms developing, I started isolation in the bedroom, and the only interaction I had with Megan was when she brought in food. She slept on a small couch in our home office away from the kids’ rooms. She also minimized her contact with our kids in case she was carrying the virus.
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。
Para.1:
We decided to call everyone we had contacted over the course of the past week.
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Para.2:
Though worried about the seriousness of the virus, I knew I had to be brave
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A GIFT FOR GRANDPA
Summer vacation was coming. Jack and his brother Berlin were filled with excitement as they thought of visiting their grandparents again.
The big day came at last. After the happy family got ready, they set out for the grandparents’ eagerly. On the way, the brothers were excitedly talking about the fun they had with grandparents.
A little blue house with a tall white chimney finally appeared. Behind the property was the forest carrying their good memories with Grandpa. They arrived at the driveway, at the end of which Grandma was waiting for them joyfully.
Jack and Berlin each gave Grandma a big hug and then swept to the living room, shouting excitedly “Grandpa, we are back!”
Seeing his grandsons, Grandpa was wild with joy and tried to get up with all his strength from the chair but in vain. A helpless expression flashed on his face. Grandma explained that his health was declining rapidly and maybe couldn’t stand up on his own forever. But Grandpa declared stubbornly (倔强地), “I can!” Certainly, he was stuck in his boyish way. Mum and grandparents were happy to meet again after a long time. They sat together and chatted about what happened recently.
The brothers were soon bored with adult conversation, went out and wandered into the forest. Tall trees stretched up to the heavens with large branches crossing each other, while young ones rose straight like soldiers. Grandpa was once a great explorer full of wisdom. He could tell where the birds came from only by their calls and songs. The trees, birds, lizards, lots of bugs...How many merry moments they spent with Grandpa in the kingdom!
But now Grandpa couldn't get up. This made them worried. “We’d think out a way to cheer him up.” Jack said. “Grandpa is a bird lover, and we can catch him a bird.” Berlin suggested. “But he hates birds being caged!” Jack shook his head.
Then a bright idea came to Jack’s mind. “Why not make a cane (拐杖) out of a young tree!”
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。
Berlin thought it was a good idea.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jack and Berlin handed the cane to Grandpa.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Strange Footprints in the Snow
Jonathan woke up and looked around. For a moment, he wasn’t sure where he was. Then he remembered. He and his sister, Julie, were visiting Aunt Gwen. They had spent yesterday helping Aunt Gwen clean her basement. Today they would have time to play.
He looked out the window. Fresh snow covered the ground. He could hardly wait to go outside. Jonathan dressed and hurried downstairs to the kitchen.
“Hi, sleepyhead,” said Aunt Gwen. “Julie has already eaten her oatmeal. She’s outside.”
“That’s where I’m going as soon as I finish breakfast,” Jonathan said.
A short time later, he zipped up his coat, put on his boots, and walked out the front door. The sun made the snow sparkle. He looked around. He didn’t see his sister, but he saw something else. Strange footprints in the snow tracked across Aunt Gwen’s yard.
“They’re way too big to be Julie’s. They look like they belong to a dinosaur,” Jonathan said. Then he added, “But that’s silly. Dinosaurs are not around anymore.”
He looked closer: The footprints were the shape of a very large oval (椭圆) with a stem. “Maybe they belong to an elephant or a hippo that escaped from the zoo,” he thought. He held his breath and listened. He didn’t hear anything.
He remembered a book he’d seen earlier on Aunt Gwen’s shelf. It was a book about animal tracks. He dashed inside to get it. The book had pictures of animals and the tracks they made. He turned the pages one by one, but none of the photos looked like the footprints in Aunt Gwen’s yard.
He stared at those footprints again. An animal that made such big tracks would have to be heavy. Its tracks should sink far down into the snow. Yet these footprints seemed to skim across the top.
How can that be? He wondered.
Jonathan noticed something else. The tracks never left Aunt Gwen’s yard. Instead, they turned and went around the house. “Maybe the animal is still here,” he whispered.
Paragraph 1:
Quietly, he began following the footprints.
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Paragraph 2:
That was when he saw her—his sister, Julie.
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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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Kathy's family vacation to the beach was usually the highlight of her summer. This year, however, her parents announced a new rule: no phones for the entire week.
“But my friends will be expecting updates about the trip, "Kathy complained. Kathy's mom gave her a serious look. Unwillingly, Kathy handed her phone over and her mom locked it away.
The drive to the beach house took most of the day. As they turned off the highway onto country back roads, the clouds darkened. Rain started to pour. "Even more beautiful in the rain," her mother said. " What do you think, Kathy?" Kathy glared at her mom. "Beautiful, "she muttered.
That night after dinner, Kathy wandered into the kitchen, where her father was washing dishes. She gave her father a loving look and said in her sweetest voice, "Couldn’t I have my phone back, just for one second? Just so I can tell everyone what an amazing time I'm having?”
“Can't, "he said. "It's not here. Remember?" Kathy was very annoyed. Having nothing better to do, she examined the dusty bookcase in the living room. The books looked as dull as the weather. On the top shelf, however, she spotted a puzzle. She took it, emptied the pieces on the table, and began to sort them.
After what seemed like a few minutes, she looked up. It was past ten o'clock. She had been working for almost two hours! She yawned. The puzzle was less than half done, but she was exhausted. So, she went to bed.
When Kathy awoke the next morning, she jumped out of bed and threw open the curtains. A blazing sun was rising over the blue ocean. The sky was cloudless. The scene reminded Kathy of a photo that her friend betty had recently sent her.
This view was even better. It would leave everyone speechless. Kathy dashed to her bedside table and reached for her phone. But there was nothing there. She sighed. Still, she wandered in front of the window, admiring the sunrise.
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 a quick breakfast, Kathy headed to the beach.
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Appreciating the finished puzzle, she realized she hadn't thought of her cellphone for hours.
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The Little Girl Who Dared To Wish
As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her classroom, she knocked into a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite direction.
"Watch it , squirt(矮子)." The boy yelled as he passed by the little third-grader. Then, with a bad smile on his face, the boy took hold of his right leg and copied the way Amy limped(跛行)when she walked.
Amy closed her eyes. Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her classroom.
But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall boy's mean teasing. It wasn't as if he were the only one. It seemed that ever since Amy started the third grade, someone teased her every single day. Kids teased her about her speech or her limping. Amy was tired of it.
Back home at the dinner table that evening, Amy was quiet. Her mother knew that things were not going well at school. That's why Patti Hagadorn was happy to have some exciting news to share with her daughter.
"There's a Christmas wish contest on the radio station," Amy's mom announced. "Write a letter to Santa, and you might win a prize."
Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas.
A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her. Out came pencil and paper, and Amy went to work on her letter.
Dear Santa Claus,
My name is Amy. I am nine years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have a serious disease. I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me.Love, Amy.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully.
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Suddenly the postman in the community was a regular at the Hagadorn house.
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I grew up in a small town where elementary school was a ten-minute walk from my house and in an age, not so long ago, when we children could go home for lunch and find our mothers waiting.
Our lunchtime when I was in the third grade will stay with me always. I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had painstakingly practiced my lines（台词）with me. But no matter how easily I delivered them at home, as soon as I stepped on stage, every word disappeared from my head. Finally, my teacher took me aside. She explained patiently that she needed a narrator (叙述者，旁白员) and had written a narrator’s part to the play, and asked me to play the role of the narrator. Her words, kindly delivered, still hurt me especially when I saw my part go to another girl.
I didn’t tell mother what had happened when I went home for lunch that day. But she sensed my upset, and instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked if I wanted to walk in the yard. It was a lovely spring day and the rose vine（ 藤 ）was turning green. Under the huge trees, we could see yellow dandelions（ 蒲 公 英 ） appearing unexpectedly through the grass in bunches (簇，串）, as if a painter had touched our landscape with small amounts of gold. I watched my mother casually bend down by one of the bushes. “I think I’m going to dig up all these weeds,” she said, pulling a blossom up by all its roots. “From now on, we’ll only have roses in this garden.” I immediately argued, “But I like dandelions. All flowers are beautiful — even dandelions.”
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右：
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已经为你写好。
Paragraph 1：
“Do you mean that every flower has its own beauty?”asked my mother thoughtfully.
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Paragraph 2：
Having learned what had happened, Mom patted me on the back gently and said,“But you will be a beautiful narrator.”
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