As I opened the door, my two little girls squeezed past me, and hit the fridge for their after-school snack. A bag full of research papers begging to be graded fell down heavily from my shoulder onto the table. After a tiring day’s work, I still had to face the mess that was bothering me, including my husband’s doing-nothing and my daughters’ constant talking noisily. While scolding them, I reached for a cup of leftover morning coffee. As I turned towards the coffeepot, I noticed that the morning dishes weren’t in the sink and the counter was clear except for an envelope with my name on it. My heart pounded, as my husband hadn’t written me a love letter since we were engaged. Then I replayed the casual comment I had made that morning “Since you’re working evenings this week, it would be nice if you’d do something to help out around the house while you’re home.”
I picked up the letter, expecting an apology. But when I read the first line, my heart sank. “I’m tired of being accused of not helping around the house. I am tired of you scolding children every day. Yesterday, I washed the windows. Did you notice? I also picked up your car from school and took it for an oil change. I bet you didn’t notice that either, did you? Of course nor did you notice our daughters prepared coffees well every morning.”
The letter continued in the same tone—a little anger, a lot of hurt—and I deserved every word. The truth was when he worked evening shift, I envied the solitude (独处) he enjoyed by day. He spent hours alone in a quiet house while I took on the parenting role for both of us at night—dinner, homework, baths, bedtime. Then I graded papers or made lesson plans while losing my temper occasionally before I collapsed into bed. But who had time for clothes washing? For dirty floors? Not me, because my husband did.
注意：1. 写作词数应为150左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I folded the letter and slid it inside the envelope to hide his words and my shame.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hardly had I finished writing the letter when our younger daughter skipped in.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ethan was a young man living in a small town. He was a bright soul with dreams, but he was also trapped by the chains of fear and doubt.
Ethan worked at a small bookshop, yet deep within, he had a strong desire to become a painter. Every evening, as the setting sun painted the sky in orange and pink, Ethan would sit by his window, a blank canvas (油画布) before him. Yet, no stroke (笔画) graced the canvas. The fear of failure and the whispers of doubt prevented him from painting. “What if I’m not good enough?” he often thought.
One cold autumn evening, an unexpected visitor came knocking at Ethan’s door-Mrs. Wilkins, an elderly well-known woman of wisdom. “Ethan,” she began gently, “I’ve noticed the light in your room night after night, and yet, I’ve seen no color grace the world from your hands. Why is that?”
Ethan sighed, the weight of his unspoken dreams heavy on his shoulders. He whispered, “I’m afraid that I’ll never be good enough and that my work will never touch the hearts of others.”
Mrs. Wilkins smiled, a kind, understanding smile. “Ethan,” she said, drawing closer, “let me tell you a story of a young bird, much like yourself, afraid to leave its nest. The little bird was always scared at the thought of flight. Day after day, it watched other birds fly into the sky, while it remained where it was, full of fear. The bird feared the unknown, feared failure, and most of all, feared that its wings were not strong enough to carry it. But then, one day, a storm approached, and the little bird had no choice but to jump into the storm. It was not an easy journey; the winds were very strong, and the rain blinded its eyes. Yet, with each flap (拍打) of its wings, the bird realized that it was able to fly.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 开头已给出。
Ethan felt a sense of warmth and hope wash over him as Mrs. Wilkins spoke.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That night, for the first time in many years, Ethan picked up his brush.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Sarah, a high school student, had a great passion for baking. With her parents’ support, Sarah dreamed of opening her own bakery, a place where she could turn her interest into a business. However, she knew the importance of improving her skills and gaining real-world experience.
Therefore, every Saturday, without fail, she would set up a small but charming table at a local park. The park, filled with families and laughter, was the perfect place for Sarah to sell her creations. Her table, neatly laid out with colorful homemade cookies and cakes, attracted passers-by with the desserts’ smell.
On a particularly bright and sunny afternoon, as Sarah was carefully arranging her chocolate cookies and cakes, her attention was drawn to an elderly woman sitting alone on a bench. The woman, with her silver hair and sad eyes, seemed lost in thought. As the hours went by, Sarah noticed that the woman remained where she was, seemingly forgotten by the world. A sense of concern washed over Sarah. So she decided to act. She poured a cup of warm tea carefully and cut a generous slice of her rich chocolate cake, a crowd favorite, and approached the woman.
“I thought you might like some snacks,” Sarah said with a warm, inviting smile. The woman’s face lit up as she accepted the treat. “Thank you, dear. I haven’t had such a delicious treat since my retirement,” she responded, her voice soft yet filled with gratitude. As she enjoyed the cake, tears rolled down her face.
A little shocked, Sarah asked what had happened. The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Wilson, who had been a baker before she retired. Since losing her husband to cancer a week ago, she had been living alone. Her visits to the park were her escape from the loneliness that filled her quiet home. Sarah listened attentively, her heart touched by the woman’s story.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Sarah decided to help Mrs. Wilson out.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Over time, their unlikely friendship became noticed in the park.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Cynthia was a primary school student. She was curious about everything. She made efforts to get a good grade in every subject. She was a kind-hearted and outgoing girl. At school, she was always ready to help her classmates. At home, she helped her mum do some housework. She was never a concern to her mum, Mrs. Anderson.
However, Mrs. Anderson noticed a change in Cynthia these days. There were more quiet moments. Mrs. Anderson saw Cynthia looking out of the window, lost in thought. She also learned from her teacher that Cynthia wasn’t as focused on school as before. A sense of worry rose in Mrs. Anderson’s heart and she wondered about what was behind Cynthia’s unusual behavior.
Before going to bed, she started talking with Cynthia, asking about her day. However, Cynthia just said that nothing in particular happened. Mrs. Anderson’s concern grew. She decided to keep a closer eye, hoping to uncover the challenges her daughter might be facing.
One day, while cleaning up Cynthia’s bedroom, Mrs. Anderson discovered something unexpected — on her desk lay some books on how to treat injured birds. It was quite surprising. Cynthia had never told her about this. It also amazed Mrs. Anderson. She had a deep love for nature and birds and she could always find inspiration in their freedom and the beauty of their songs. She couldn’t help but wonder what had inspired her daughter’s newfound interest in birds.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.开头已给出。
The next morning, Mrs. Anderson saw Cynthia walking quietly into the backyard with a first aid kit in hand.
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Mrs. Anderson couldn’t help but walk out.
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A Little Boy
A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people rarely visited. The house was very old and shabby and the owner hardly ever came out. When he did come out, he would not say hello to his neighbors or passers-by but simply just glared at them.
The boy knocked on the door and waited, sweating from fear of the old man. The boy’s parents told him to stay away from the house, and a lot of other neighborhood children were told the same thing from their parents.
Dusk found the boy lingering on and hesitating what to do. As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. “What do you want?” the old man said impatiently. The little boy was very afraid but he had a quota (定额) to meet for school with selling the magazines. So he got up the courage and said, “Uh, Sir, I am selling these magazines and, uh, I was wondering if you would like to buy one from me.”
The old man just stared at the boy without a word. The boy could see inside the old man’s house and saw that he had dog figurines (小雕像) on the fireplace mantle. “Do you collect dogs?” The little boy asked. “Yes, I have many collections in my house. They are my family here and they are all I have.” The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul.
“Well, I do have a magazine here for collectors. It is perfect for you. I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much.” The old man was ready to close the door on the boy and said, “No, boy. I don’t need any magazines of any kind, now goodbye.”
The little boy was sad that he was not going to make his quota with the sale. He was also sad for the old man being so alone in the house that he owned. The boy went home and then had an idea. He had a little dog figurine that he got some years ago from an aunt. The figurine did not mean nearly as much to him since he had a real live dog and a large family.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
The little boy headed back down to the old man’s house.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From that day on something changed inside the old man.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“What happened?” asked Mrs. Sharpnack. The red marks covering the test said everything. Without even seeing the grade,I knew I had failed. I felt upset as I realized what would come after this.
My failing score would mean my grades wouldn’t be high enough to be on the Honor Roll that term. In just a few weeks,the names of the Honor Roll students would be read during class. Those on the list would be excused to go watch a movie and have treats. I wasn’t as upset about missing the party as I was about to explain to my friends why I wouldn’t get to go. My friends always got good grades,and usually,so did I.
“I know you can pass this test” said Mrs. Sharpnack. “What if I let you take it again? I’ll give you a week to study.” But I just wanted to go home,forget about the test and never think about math again. Mrs. Sharpnack could have left me behind,but she didn’t. Perhaps a great teacher just can’t be satisfied with students falling short of his or her potential. “I know you can pass this test,” she repeated firmly. She said it with such certainty that it almost felt like a vow (誓言). For a brief moment,I wondered if she could be right.
I had thirty minutes from the time school let out until my bus came. Mrs. Sharpnack asked if I would be willing to use that time to go over the problems I had missed. I agreed. We started right then and made plans to meet each day for one week,after which I would take the test again.
After going over a few problems,my friend Madena came looking for me.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
Before I could say anything,Mrs. Sharpnack turned my test backside up,hiding its contents. “Amanda is helping me with a special project,” she said. By then,it was time for our bus to come. I gathered up my things and left with Madena.
For the next week,I stayed after class with Mrs. Sharpnack. She would go over each problem,carefully explaining their solutions.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
The day when I should take the test again came soon.
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Things were different this time.
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Last week, I was having breakfast at Chick-fil-A and as I was sitting in my truck eating, I noticed a homeless guy sitting on the curb (路边) behind the building with his dog.
He was holding a sign asking for money or food donations to help feed him and his dog. I observed him the entire time I ate my breakfast. He mostly just sat there scratching his dog and holding the sign while people drove past ignoring them. When I finished my breakfast, I decided to make another run through the drive-through and ordered a large chicken biscuit combo. As I was leaving, I pulled up alongside him and handed him the bag of breakfast and a small bag of dog food I had in my truck for my dog.
The bag of Chick-fil-A put a huge smile on his face, but when I handed him the bag of dog food, the guy literally lost it and started bawling (放声痛哭) right there on the side of my truck. After regaining his composure, he exclaimed that it had been so long since somebody had treated him like a human being. I asked him if he would be willing to work hard for a decent day’s pay and he immediately straightened up and exclaimed that he could be the hardest worker I had ever seen. I gave him my business card and a fiver and told him to meet me at that spot the next morning and I would put him to work.
The next day I stopped in and sure enough he was waiting there for me. I took him and his dog to the jobsite. He wasn’t kidding about being a hard worker; this guy carried wood around and fetched tools out of my truck for me all day without complaining once. His dog just followed him the entire time. During the day I learned about his misfortune.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:
At the end of the day I took him to my bank and withdrew his day’s pay which amounted to $80.
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Paragraph 2:
When I left him last night, he looked like a different person from the man I saw hanging his head in shame behind Chick-fil-A.
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In 1989, fresh out of high school, I had the difficult task of choosing a career path before college started in three months. In those days in Pakistan, there were limited choices: becoming a doctor or an engineer, or entering the financial world after getting a business degree. I wasn’t interested in engineering, so that I was left with medicine or business. I couldn’t decide.
My uncle suggested that I do a work placement(实习) to experience it for a month in an international company followed by a month in a hospital. After that, I could make a decision. It seemed like a good idea.
I was accepted for a month’s placement at a foreign bank in Karachi. I got a feel of how the world of finance functioned, made new friends, and generally enjoyed the mostly easygoing work surroundings.
The month passed rapidly, and soon I began working at a leading hospital in Karachi. The experience couldn’t have been more different. The hospital had a stressful environment. The days started early (at 7 am, compared to 9 am at the bank), and were filled with endless duties. And the night calls! This was crazy, working all day, through the night, and again the next day.
I began thinking about my two experiences. The bank had offered a more relaxing atmosphere, better working hours and less stress. The hospital was full of excitement, but studying and training were difficult. It seemed that the business choice was going to win out.
Near the end of my month at the hospital, I was driving home after an especially busy night call. In front of me was a public bus, with college students sitting on the top. As the driver weaved through (穿梭) traffic, I could see the boys shaking from side to side.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2．至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3．续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4．续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1：
Suddenly, a boy fell off the back of the bus.
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Paragraph 2：
The next day, when I went to the hospital to see the boy, all his family got up, with grateful smiles on their faces.
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Mrs. Miller was our next-door neighbor. Her husband died two years ago. She had no children and no relatives that we knew of. She was gentle and kind, and my sister Laurel and I considered her our special friend.
One December, Mrs. Miller was ill in hospital. Laurel and I were busy making Christmas presents, and we wondered what to make for Mrs. Miller. We couldn’t bear seeing her come home before Christmas to an empty house with no holiday decorations. Then we lit upon the idea of decorating a small tree that would greet her with lights and cheer. We were wondering how to carry out our plan when the answer appeared.
I was in Miss Johnson’s sixth grade class that year, and we decorated a small tree with paper-link chains and ornaments (装饰物) we’d made in art class. It was beautiful. Best of all, it had to be removed from the classroom before Christmas vacation.
Miss Johnson said there would be a drawing (抽签) for the tree. We’d each write our name on a piece of paper and put it in the box she had prepared. On the last day of school before vacation, she’d draw a name from the box, and that student could take the tree home.
Great! That was exactly what I was longing for! So I wrote my name “Helen Wheeler” neatly on a piece of paper and folded it carefully. As I put it into the box, I whispered to Miss Johnson that I really hoped I’d win the tree because my sister and I wanted to give it to our neighbor who was sick and lonely. Though there were 30 children in the class and each might win the tree, I was somehow certain that I would get it because our cause was good: We wanted to make Mrs. Miller happy.
The day before vacation finally arrived. Laurel and I usually walked to and from school, but that day I persuaded Mom to pick us up in her car after school in case I really got the 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。
Paragraph 1:
Before school was over, Miss Johnson announced it was time for the drawing.
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Paragraph 2:
The next evening we welcomed Mrs. Miller back at her door.
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When I was young, I lived in a quiet small town with my mom. My mom was beautiful and kind but one day she got a contagious(传染的) disease, which was said to be very serious. I was worried about her , seeing her becoming thinner and paler day by day. Mother’s Day was coming. I decided to buy mom some flowers to make her happy. There was only one flower shop in the town-Mr. Rocco’s.
It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up shop when I hurried into the florist’s (花店). “Now, what is it that you want?” Mr. Rocco turned to me. “I want the most beautiful flower you have.” I replied, still breathing hard. “And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower?” I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and a dime. He nodded, thought for a while and then showed me a plant on the counter. “I can give you this one for 35 cents.” he said. “Aw, no,” I protested, looking desperately at the poor plant “it looks like a weed (野草)!” About 18 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper. “Now trust me, boy — I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower.” said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it. I believed what Mr. Rocco said about the flower and hoped tomorrow morning there would be a nice surprise for my mom.
It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mom was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother’s Day.
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:
The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs.
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Paragraph 2:
My dear Mom died the next night.
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