In an art class my friend Mareya and I took, we had to look at art made by lots of different artists and then try creating our own. We made pencil drawings and paintings using only small dots of paint.

For our very last task, our teacher asked us to paint a portrait of a friend or family member. Mareya and I looked at each other and nodded. We both had the same idea.

“You’ll each get one of these art sets,” said Ms. Williams. “Every set contains a small canvas (画布), some tempera paints (蛋彩画颜料), and two foam brushes (泡沫刷). You can paint in any style you choose.”Mareya and I put our sets into our art bags. Then we headed over to her house.

And then our friend Jasmine stopped us. “I was so excited to tell you my amazing news. My family just got the cutest dog named Ginger, and if you want to come over, you can meet her!” Jasmine's house is only a couple of blocks from Mareya’s, so after checking in with Mareya’s mom, of course we had to go. Ginger was the cutest dog imaginable. “Whenever she’s not running around, she’s sound asleep in dreamland,” said Jasmine. She led the way to the kitchen. “Do you have time for a snack?” “Sure!” we said.

After we ate some cookies at the kitchen table, Mareya and I stood up to leave. But when we went to pick up our art bags by the front door, we found a big surprise! Mareya pointed at our torn-open art sets. “Something tells me Ginger might not have been sleeping this whole time.” “Oh no!” I said. “Our foam brushes are now foam shreds (碎片)!” “Bad Ginger!” Jasmine shouted. “It’s OK,” said Mareya. “She’s way too little to know any better.”

On the walk to Mareya’s house, I said, “I hope Ms. Williams will understand why we couldn’t do our portrait task.”

We ended up having a great time making our portraits with our fingers.

“I challenge you to a hundred-meter race,” my opponent, Julius, declared. He had beaten me countless times during practice, but I wanted to prove him wrong for a change. “That’ll wipe the smile off his face!” I thought, even as fear started to pour in my stomach. He was well-known around the school for being the fastest runner on the track-and-field team, while I tailed behind in second place- a respectable position, but not yet good enough to surpass (超过) him. Nevertheless, I shook his hand and said, “Challenge accepted!” However, negative thoughts flooded my mind. Would I be able to win? After all, Julius’ speed of light would guarantee a sure win!

Soon, all my friends and the teachers had gathered around to watch the challenge. “Oh no, I will lose and be embarrassed in front of the whole school!” I spoke in a low voice. Nevertheless, I turned my worried expression into a determined smile. To keep myself from sinking into self-doubt, I did some stretches and jumping jacks to warm up my body.

Finally, the crucial moment arrived. The referee(裁判)fired the starting gun and we took off like a shot. Adrenaline(肾上腺素) rocketed through my body as I launched myself forward. True to my expectations, Julius caught up with me easily and was in the lead! “No way will I lose! Victory, here I come!” I motivated myself as anger coursed through my body. As the race progressed, my eyes locked onto Julius, his athletic form effortlessly moving ahead. His quick steps and strong focus showcased his impressive skills. Yet, I refused to let doubt consume me. A fierce fire burnt within, fueled by a mix of unwillingness to admit defeat and anger. How dare he assume he was unbeatable? With every step, my determination solidified(变坚定), and my resolve to surpass him strengthened.

“Faster!” I screamed and in that instant, I felt like Superman.

“Yi Rou! Yi Rou! Yi Rou!” The whole school was cheering my name!

In a misty morning, Robert was hiking high in the mountains with Lucky, his tiny but energetic dog. Every weekend, the two would go together on a hiking to climb nearby mountains. As they got near to the top, the path was rocky and less-traveled. After an hour, they reached the top, touched by the beautiful view there. Lost in the breathtaking scenery, Robert felt refreshed. When he looked at the loyal friend beside him, the memory of meeting Lucky for the first time flooded into his mind.

It had been about two years since Robert got Lucky. She was small and a ball of energy. “The day when my mother let me choose a dog from the doghouse, she was playfully jumping around and licking (舔) me, barking (犬吠) loudly to show how much she wanted to be my family,” thought Robert. “She looked quite small, but from the moment I threw my eyes on her, I knew she was the perfect dog for me. And, for some reasons, that active energy was something that I needed in my life,” Robert kept thinking.

Time flew, dark night drawing near. Having got enough rest, Robert decided it was time to go home. Suddenly, Robert lost his balance, rolled down a rocky hill, hit his head really hard, and finally stopped upside down.

One of his leg was in between two rocks, so he couldn’t move. But that was the least of his worries. What Robert was really scared of was that he was going to sleep with a serious head injury. He tried to cry for help, but he was so weak that he was going to become unconscious (昏迷的). “If only there had been someone else,” Robert thought, sad and hopeless. As darkness fell further, the weather turned cold and windy and he was about to lose consciousness. What’s worse, Robert noticed something like a snake approaching him before he finally fell unconscious.

Fortunately, Lucky was there all the time and never stopped barking for help.

After seeing unconscious Robert, the two strangers managed to wake him up.

For as long as I can remember, my parents raised me with dogs, cats, birds and fish in the house, and I felt the most comfort with these pets in my surroundings. As an only child, I grew up talking to these animals since I never had a partner to play with at home.

I created characters for each of the pets and I included them in my imaginary adventures, tying capes onto the dogs, who were changed into superheroes, and giving headwear to the cats, who became girls. Even after I began attending pre-school, I’d eagerly await my return from school so that I could relay all the exciting details to my pets who would listen and pretend to be slightly interested in my wandering. In fact, I probably communicated with my pets more than I did with my friends, since these animals offered a sense of safety which no individual could provide. It never felt strange for me to talk with members of different species and I always felt satisfied after I spoke with them.

Imagine the shock I faced when I realized that certain cruel persons badly treated their pets. Over the spring break of third grade when I visited Aunt Judy and my cousins in Philadelphia, I met her one-eyed cat, Gordon. A cold, skinny creature, I firstly avoided directing my attention towards the cat. Aunt Judy must have noticed my strange behavior, so she took me aside and explained that the Gordon’s owner had deserted him. The cat was extremely unhealthy and injured when Aunt Judy discovered him.

After she had found medical treatments for the cat, my aunt decided to keep him because Aunt Judy said, “The unwanted animals are the ones most in need of someone to love them wholeheartedly.” After my aunt’s advice, I spent additional time to know Gordon and as days passed, he grew less afraid of me and I became more willing to love him.

Para 1: It broke my heart to see his sad eyes.

Para 2: No creature loves such a lonely end to their life.

Julie glanced across at her cousin, Mira. She was showing off a bright pink prom (舞会) dress to Aunt Clara, who examined the dress with a smile. “Aunt Clara? Will you look at the dress I’d like to get?” Julie asked. “Unfortunately, I can’t afford to buy two expensive dresses, Julie,” Aunt Clara turned. Julie hung her dream dress back and followed her aunt and cousin to the cashier.

Back home, Julie ran downstairs to the basement (地下室). She didn’t have a room of her own, but rather a corner of the basement. She opened her cookie box and smiled sadly as she looked at a photo of her dad and mom, then removed the stack (堆) of birthday and Christmas cards from her grandma. Her grandma didn’t have much, but she’d send Mira and Julie a card and some cash every year. Once she’d gathered the notes, she counted just over a thousand dollars! “More than enough for my dream dress!” Julie whispered.

Julie ran upstairs. Mira was parading her dress in the sitting room while Aunt Clara looked on proudly. Julie watched them for a moment, and her heart ached. If only her mom were still alive, Julie turned away from the happy scene and walked out the front door. Once she had her dream dress, she could join the prom. A few hours later, Julie returned home with her shopping.

Julie sat up in shock when she woke the following morning. Her new dress was gone! She was about to head upstairs to search for it when she spotted something moving in the yard that caught her attention. As she ran out, she found Jewel was tearing up the dress. Julie shouted in frustration and anger. It didn’t matter if she got the dress back from the dog now because it was already ruined (毁坏). Her dream dress was gone, and she couldn’t afford to replace it.

Tears stung (使……感觉刺痛) Julie’s eyes. Julie grabbed her dress and jumped on a bus. At the third stop, she jumped off and ran down the block.

Julie knocked on a familiar door and waited.

On the day of the prom, Julie wore a new dress made by her grandma.

2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答；

Blake came home from the hospital in a wheelchair, to a big celebration organized by the neighbors and his two sons, Ryle and Max. Tears rose in his eyes on seeing the smile on all the people gathered there, including his sons.

“Dad! Welcome home!” Max shouted.

“Kids ...” Blake said, teary-eyed. “Your mom ... she is not coming back. She's with the angels (天使) now, and we only have each other ...”

“We know, Dad ...” Ryle said sadly. “When you were in the hospital, the neighbors visited you. They also looked after us when you were not home. I know I'm older than Max, and I was supposed to look after him, but I couldn't have done everything without the help of our neighbors ...”

After Blake met with the accident, he was unconscious (不省人事的) for weeks in the hospital. He had no idea his neighbors had been his rock in difficult times and looked after his two sons. Blake cried, but he was so proud of his two sons for being so strong in the face of the family tragedy (悲剧). And he was grateful to his neighbors for helping him and his family.

The next morning, Blake woke up late. Ryle assisted him in getting into the wheelchair, and as they exited the room, Blake was surprised to see the dinner table set for breakfast. He then entered the kitchen and noticed his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Sebastian, preparing more food.

Not just that, Mrs. Sebastian also assisted Max and Ryle in getting ready for school every morning. When Blake asked why she was helping them, she simply said, “Deary, my grandkids rarely visit me. I miss them, and your boys are like my grandchildren.”

Blake was moved by his neighbors' kindness, which gave him the confidence to look on the bright side of life. He didn't want to sit in a wheelchair for hours in vain (徒劳无益地), so he decided to push himself and learn new things. He enrolled in (报名参加) an online marketing and programming course.