The Rainy-Day Picnic
It was Saturday, and Adam was wide awake. The house was quiet, so he knew his parents were still sleeping. His mother had promised that they would go on a picnic in the park today. He had been looking forward to it all week. They would have yummy food to eat at the picnic. They would play catch and maybe fly a kite if the wind was strong. Adam thought maybe he should wake his parents up now.
However, it still looked dark outside. Usually by now the sun was shining through the windows. Maybe it was cloudy, Adam thought. He went to his parents’ room and climbed onto their bed.
“Hello!” said Adam, cheerfully. “It’s time to get up!” His mother yawned, rubbing her eyes. “Hi,” he whispered. “It’s too early. Let’s go back to sleep.” “But it’s morning. And you promised a picnic today!’ “Ugh,” said Mother. “I nearly forget it. Okay, let’s get up.”
The small boy followed her downstairs. His mother went to the glass door that led to the backyard. “It’s raining!” She turned to her son. “Adam, it’s raining. We can’t go on a picnic today.”
Adam’s lip began to shake. His eyes got misty. He sat down on the floor and held his chin (下巴) in his hands. This was not the news he wanted to hear.
“I’m sorry,” said his mother. “Let’s get some snacks and watch some cartoons for a while.” They sat together on the couch. They snuggled (依偎)，and it was cozy. Half an hour later, his father listened to the bad news about the rain and the picnic. “Hmm,” he said. “Rain might spoil a picnic in the park, but it can also be fun sometimes. ”He finished his coffee and asked Adam to go find his raincoat and rubber boots. “Let’s go for a walk.”
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;2续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好：
Paragraph 1:
After putting on his yellow boots and rain coat, he followed his father into the rain.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
When they came back in, wet and happy, Adam’s mother said she had a surprise for them.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That summer I turned 18. I was wild with excitement because I just took my driving license and my parents bought me a new perfect car. I was reminded repeatedly by my parents to drive cautiously. Along with this new privilege (特权) came new responsibilities. I would practice the same routine — call my parents and tell them where I was going, whom I was with, and when I would be home. It became a typical cycle.
I had been working all day in the hot sun. I was exhausted and ready for a nap. But I was hungry. So I called my friend Mike and made our way into town. After our meal, we never knew our day would soon change for the worse.
It takes only a moment to turn your life upside down. I was driving fast. Actually too fast.
Mike and I were driving down a dust y gravel (沙砾) road. I was driving a shiny black Saturn, which was the car I had admired for long. I was filled with excitement and pride to be driving it. I could see the rolling hills in the distance. Tall pine (松树) trees traveled on both sides of the road. The music playing loudly, we both were in high spirits. Somehow, without realizing it, I sped up.
Enjoying ourselves in my car, we came across a loose spot of gravel. My car was stuck in it and desperate to escape. My car started fishtailing (摆尾行驶). Terrified, I tried to stop the car and all of a sudden the car lost control. I froze, my body was stiff, great panic holding me entirely in its power. Looking into the right, I took a glimpse of Mike, whose body had leaned towards me. His face went pale but he was trying to balance himself. The car was rushing left to right, coasting (惯性滑行) along the g ravel as if it were ice. It was only seconds later that my car crashed head-on into a big pine tree.
I heard a roaring sound of my car hitting the tree.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Fortunately enough, Mike and I were not seriously injured.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My mother believed in using things up. Last year, our cornfield had a bad harvest because birds feasted on the crops. It was probably then that Mom’s frugality(节俭)became even more extraordinary. She began keeping everything that seemed useless in the attic(阁楼)—worn-out clothes, old sheets, broken umbrellas, and some other old items. Mom’s favorite saying was “waste not, want not”(俭以防匮). My brother Josh and I weren’t sure what that meant until the “Affair of the Scarecrow(稻草人)”, which, as it later became known, left a lasting impression on us.
The story began with a pretty hat that Mom received as a gift to protect her from the sun. However, Josh and I could see that Mom’s frugal nature and fashion sense were in battle. Mom really didn’t want to get rid of the hat—it was new and had a lot of use left in it—but neither could she stand wearing it. She tried to take off the fancy decorations, but they were stuck on tight. She’d have to find some other solution.
Josh and I watched as Mom headed upstairs to the attic with the hat. “Waste not, want not,” she called back down. We heard boxes being moved around. Moments later, Mom leaned out, holding a flour bag full of straw, and with a mysterious smile, she placed the hat on it.
“What is that for?” I asked, confused. “A scarecrow! ” Mom exclaimed. “But not a good one yet.It needs a strong body to stand firm in the field,” she said with a frown. “And it doesn’t look scary enough,” Josh remarked. I had to admit that Josh, though younger than I was, could sometimes be more imaginative. Josh and I turned to each other, searching for a good idea. Soon enough, Josh’s eyes lit up with inspiration.
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。
Paragraph 1: “Come with me!” Josh called out.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: In the following days, the scarecrow stood proudly.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“When I grow up, I’m going to travel on my own,” said my little daughter, Sophia, reading her favorite picture book in the sunshine. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the beautiful pictures. “Well, I think you can!” I said, believing in her ambitions.
Being a hard-working and reliable child, she could help do the housework skillfully. She had the potential to make her dreams come true. However, we were poor farmers, and all profit had to go back into the farm to keep it going.
When Sophia was ten, a tornado (龙卷风) struck Texas, destroying our farm. We were forced to deal with everything that we faced. This disaster completely changed our lives. My husband, Steve, was disabled by the tornado. After trying and failing at several methods of earning income, finally he decided to become a baker (面包师).
We purchased a small bakeshop, fully equipped, and moved it onto our farmland. In fact, our bakeshop business did very well. Regrettably, Steve did not. His disability was so severe that after several months of trying he simply could not continue. The bakeshop closed.
While our family was going through difficult times, the dream and spirit of Sophia was not lost. She was doing well in school, and I smiled the day I read Sophia’s essay entitled, “Things I would like to do.” Topping the list were these words: I want to travel someday. Again I whispered, “Maybe you can someday.”
A few years later, Sophia started high school and enrolled in a foreign language class in her second year. This class occasionally organized a trip abroad. One day, she came home from school, hardly able to control her excitement, and said, “Mum, our class will arrange for us to travel abroad.”
“Fantastic!” I said. “You can achieve your dream!”
“But it would probably cost a lot of money to go,” she said.
She was right. My salary paid the bills, and nothing was left. Steve was still unable to work. Our hearts sank deeply.
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。
Sophia’s face lit up the moment she thought of her father’s bakeshop.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Orders came flooding in.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Torrie Norwood was a girl student at Lakewood High School, which offered a life-saving course. Torrie was very interested and she was registered at the class. Instructor Erika Miller was a long-time and skilled teacher, who taught basic life support, CPR (心肺复苏), along with Heartsaver First Aid. Erika stressed that life-saving skills were very important. To save a person’s life, you must perform CPR within 4-6 minutes. “You never know when an emergency will occur,” Erika said. “But you know what you should do at a crucial moment.” When Torrie finished the course last Friday, she was glad to earn her certification.
The next day Torrie and her three classmates had just spent a typical Saturday night out when they decided to head home. As they drove back to their hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, a speeding pickup truck crashed into them. Then the screaming started. “It’s gonna blow!” yelled the gathering crowd as the pickup truck went up in smoke.
Torrie’s door wouldn’t open, but her window had been knocked out during the crash, so she was forced to climb through her window to get out. Two of her classmates, both unhurt, were also able to free themselves from the vehicle.
But when Torrie turned around, she didn’t see Simmons running with them. Torrie realized that her friend Simmons was still in the car. Torrie had to run back to the car as fast as she could. She was still in there—unresponsive in the back seat. There was glass and blood everywhere. Things didn’t look good.
Simmons had hit her head on a rear passenger window. The great force resulted in life-threatening injuries. After pulling Simmons out from the car quickly, Torrie gently laid her on the ground and checked her vital signs, unable to detect a pulse (脉搏).
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
Instead of freezing in fear, Torrie kept calm.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Para.2
A few weeks later, Simmons recovered in the hospital.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a small town, Greenfield, lived Alex, a high school student. Alex’s sanctuary (庇护所) was a mix of video games and late-night snacking, a habit that not only distanced him from the world but also gradually ruined his health.
“Hey, Alex, need a wider door to walk through?” taunted (嘲笑) Mike, a classmate whose words were as sharp as knives, under the watchful eyes of their classmates. The laughter that followed was a familiar sting, one that Alex had grown accustomed to, yet it hurt deeper each time.
At home, Alex’s escape into virtual realities became his feeling of emotional comfort, until one evening, his father, Bryan, decided it was time for a change.
“Alex, we need to talk,” Bryan said, his tone soft yet firm. “I’ve seen how hard things have been for you... and I think it’s time we make a change.”
“It’s just how things are, Dad. I can’t change how people see me,”Alex responded. “Maybe you can’t change how others see you, Alex, ”Bryan added gently, “but we can change how you see yourself, maybe, how you feel. Let’s try to adopt a healthier lifestyle, together. What do you say?”
Doubtful but inspired by his father’s suggestion, Alex agreed. They started a journey that introduced morning jogs, replaced chips and sodas with fruits and water, and most importantly, opened a channel of communication that had long been inactive.
The road was not without its obstacles. Mike’s taunts continued. ”Planning to run a marathon, Alex?“ Mike laughed loudly. “Maybe I am,”Alex replied, his voice steadier than he felt.
As time flew, the transformation within Alex became obvious. Not just in his physical appearance, but in his behaviors. He found himself slowly stepping out of the shadow of his insecurities.
Then came the annual school 2-mile run, an activity Alex had never dreamed of participating in. Yet, this year was different.
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。
With confidence and physical strength, Alex decided to sign up.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After the race, as the crowd’s cheers continued, Bryan approached Alex.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My legs and arms were shaking. Sweat was tripping down my face. Every step felt like thousands of needles were sinking into my legs. I couldn’t take it. By that time I had got three blisters (水泡) on each foot. It felt like I was in Sahara!
It was discovery week. Grade eight was visiting Altai for a week. We lived in camps near the river. Now we were going up the mountain called The Devil’s Finger. But the mountain was only getting steeper (陡的). Most of the people were already on the top, screaming, laughing and taking selfies. Then I realized I had left my hat on the bus and I felt even worse. I touched my head. It was warm, but I couldn’t do anything about it.
Most of my friends were up the hill cheering me on. “Pointless!” I told them. “I can’t go any faster!” They looked at me and laughed. “They have got to be kidding me! Are they doing it on purpose?”
I was making my way slowly up the mountain. My feet stepped on something. I thought it was a rock, but whatever. The rock slipped from under my boot and went tumbling down the mountain. I lost my balance and fell on the ground. “Are you OK?” I heard a voice behind me. “Just tired. I’m taking a break.” I didn’t want to say that I fell.
There were only eight people behind me by that time. I decided to speed up because I didn’t want to be the last one up. I looked up. Yana was already on the top, waving to me. “It’s like she isn’t tired at all,” I thought to myself. The sun was behind her so I could barely see her face. Actually, no. I could see a huge smile on her face. She was shouting something, but I couldn’t hear it. I decided that the rest of the way up I would not stop to take any breaks.
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。
However, my body wasn’t listening and I sunk to the ground again.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, I reached the top of the mountain.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I’m going to miss you so much, Poppy,” said the tall, thin teenager. He bent down to hug his old friend goodbye. He stood up, hugged his parents, and smiled, trying not to let his emotions(情绪) get the better of him.
His parents were not quite able to keep theirs under control. They had driven their son several hours out of town to the university where he would soon be living and studying. It was time to say goodbye for now at least. The family hugged and smiled through misty eyes and then laughed.
The boy lifted the last bag onto his shoulder, and flashed a bright smile. “I guess this is it,” he said. “I’ll see you back home in a month, okay?” His parents nodded, and they watched as he walked out of sight into the crowds of hundreds of students and parents. The boy’s mother turned to the dog, “Okay, Poppy, time to go back home.”
The house seemed quiet as a tomb without the boy living there. All that week, Poppy didn’t seem interested in her dinner, her favourite toy, or even in her daily walk. Her owners were sad too, but they knew their son would be back to visit. Poppy didn’t.
They offered the dog some of her favorite peanut butter treats. They even let her sit on the sofa, but the old girl just wasn’t her usual cheerful self. Her owners started to get worried. “What should we do to cheer Poppy up?” asked Dad. “We’ve tried everything.”
“I have an idea, but it might be a little crazy,” smiled Mom. “Without anybody left in the house but us, this place could use a bit of fun. Let’s get a little dog for Poppy.”
It didn’t take long before they walked through the front door carrying a big box. Poppy welcomed them home as usual, but when she saw the box, she stopped. She put her nose on it. Her tail began wagging(摆动)ever so slowly, then faster as she caught the smell.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好;
Paragraph 1
Dad opened the box and a sweet little dog appeared.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2
A few weeks later, the boy arrived home from the university.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Wow, these trees are so tall!” William shouted excitedly, while walking with his classmates in a forest near his school. They were on a field trip to the forest as part of a science lesson.
Over there, they met the forester (护林人), Victor. When William learned Victor lived in a simple wooden house there for years, he laughed at him with his friends.
Then, they passed by an entrance to a cave. William wanted to explore inside the cave, but his teacher didn’t allow it. “I’ll come back here,” he thought. On the way back to school, he remembered the exact location of the cave.
The next day, William asked his four friends to the cave together. They told their parents they would go to the library and return home in the evening. None of the teenagers told their parents about their plan to visit the cave.
When the teenagers reached the cave, they left their school bags outside to reduce the burden. One by one, they entered the cave. Just when they took a few steps inside, some rocks from the cave wall fell and blocked the entrance.
“How are we going to get out now?” one of the teenagers Sarah shouted. William had an idea and said, “Maybe we can try digging through the fallen rocks with our hands to reach the entrance.” But realizing getting out of the cave only by their hands was impossible, they had great fear. The sun was about to go down. The teenagers started calling for help, but nobody could hear them. The teenagers were losing hope.
Victor happened to pass by the entrance to the cave, and five school bags caught his attention. He also heard some sounds coming from inside the cave. “Who’s in there?” Victor shouted.
“I’m William! We came here yesterday with our teacher!” William replied instantly.
“Help us, please! We are stuck! Sarah can’t breathe here because of fear.”
“Okay, calm down, children!” Victor said. “I’ll help you get out!”
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。
Paragraph 1:Victor immediately called the first-aid center and rushed home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Soon, the teenagers walked outside the cave and took a deep breath in the fresh air.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When we are little kids, birthday parties are momentous occasions. They are our time to shine, and we love everything about them: the balloons, the games, the cake, the gifts, and so on.
After reading cool stories about police officers solving mysteries, Allen Miller thought the police were awesome, hoping to become one of them! So, when he had to choose a theme for his seventh birthday party—he went with his favorite: the police! And all he wanted for his birthday party was a model police car. He excitedly invited some of his friends and anxiously awaited the day. Unfortunately, none of them could make it to the party due to various reasons,
Allen’s mom Rachel wrestled with the challenging decision: should she cancel the party and save Allen the embarrassment of an empty party room? He had been looking forward to the party and talking about it daily, so it would break his heart to cancel it.
Officer Frank Smith, who had already planned with Rachel and agreed to show up at the party, heard from Rachel that it might be canceled due to low attendance. That’s when he decided to save the day—he is a police officer after all! His duty is to serve and protect, and he decided to protect Allen from having a bad day, and serve him the most amazing seventh birthday party! Officer Smith got the whole local police to join in. “We like to be involved in our community. It’s not just about enforcing (执行) the law. We like to be there in the good times as well,” he explained to Rachel.
On the day of Allen’s party, Officer Smith picked up Rachel and Allen in his police car. The boy didn’t know where they were going, but was excited. They stopped at Town Hall, and officer Smith led them into the meeting room where a group of policemen were waiting to wish Allen a happy birthday.
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。
There, a party was waiting for him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After they enjoyed the cake, Officer Smith took out a gift bag.
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