A few years ago, I was working in a grocery store(食品杂货店). As there were too many customers during the Christmas holidays, I was not used to the management nor the customers there. As I was checking groceries that morning, an elderly man in a wheelchair came through my check stand with a basket filled with candies, soft drinks and other small things. As I finished ringing up his goods, I told the man how much he should pay. He presented an out-of-state cheque(支票) from his son. He explained to me that his son had sent him the cheque for his Christmas present and he wanted to use it to buy gifts for the friends and wonderful workers at the nursing home where he lived, which was a few blocks behind the store. When he talked about them, he appeared very happy.
Since this was not my “home” store, I needed to check the cheque before accepting it. When the manager came over, she looked annoyed and told the gentleman that it was out of the question, in a very impolite manner. She told the gentleman he would just have to go to a bank to cash the cheque. The elderly gentleman started to softly cry as he looked up at me. He was sorry for being unable to pay his bill. He had no choice but to leave with nothing to take.
Seeing his lonely figure(人影), I felt my heart stopped. I could only think this man could be my grandfather. I was sure he must have been a wonderful functioning member of our society before he went to the nursing home because of illness and old age. I was influenced by his kindness and gentleness on his face, and couldn’t believe the impolite way the young manager had refused the gentleman’s request. I felt sad while trying to check out for the next few customers.
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。
That night when I got home, I still cared about that gentleman and I thought I could do something for him.
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As I gently touched the man’s hand, he woke and looked at me in surprise.
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My teenage son, Jordan, always complained about having to be home earlier than all his friends. He would tell me that he was already seventeen, but still had a curfew (宵禁). He believed he was practically an adult. I pointed out that he was not an adult as he was still in high school.
“You don’t trust me!” he yelled. Before I continued, he rolled his eyes, slammed the door and walked away. I sighed. How could I make Jordan see that I only wanted to keep him safe?
I decided to go for a walk, hoping the December air would clear my head. I opened the front door and nearly stepped on her: a small black cat, just like a meatball. “Hi, Meatball,” I said, bringing her into my arms. I walked back in, touching her neck gently. Meatball seemed happy enough to come in the house, but after an hour or two, she sat by the door, meowing to go back outside.
“Why won’t she just stay in with us all the time?” Nathan, my youngest son asked.
I explained to him that she was happy here but she liked being able to come and go as she pleased.
“That must be nice,” Jordan muttered from the other room, complaining why the cat, not him, could come and go. He even asked me to give Meatball a curfew.
Meatball became a regular.
One night, temperatures were unusually low. Meatball stood at the door, meowing to go outside.
I shook my head at her, afraid that she might freeze to death. She stared at me and meowed again. I patted her head, “I know you’re not happy, but it’s for your own good.”
“Mom’s not being mean to you,” Nathan told the cat. “She’s just trying to keep you from turning into a frozen meatball.” We both laughed at his joke.
The next morning, I couldn’t find Meatball. I asked the kids if anyone had seen her.
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。
Jordan nodded, “I let her out last night.”
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Grandpa’s Old Chair
It was the annual cleaning day for the family. John and his mom were busy cleaning the house. They cleaned upstairs, downstairs, inside and outside until everything was spotless. Exhausted, they sank into the couch. Just then, John’s mom noticed an old chair that was faded and worn. That chair was for John’s grandpa, who had lived with them since John’s grandma had died.
“John, come and help me.” John’s mom sprang to her feet. “We’ll take the chair to the curb (路边). The garbage truck is picking up on our block tomorrow.”
As they attempted to move the chair, John’s grandpa made his way through the door. Seeing what was happening, he quickly tried to stop them. “No!” he protested. “You can’t take my chair.”
“But it’s so old...” John’s mom argued. “We’ll buy you a new one.”
“No,” he persisted, trying to push his chair back into place.
John’s mom finally let go of the chair and left the room. With a sigh of relief, the old man sank into his chair and closed his eyes.
“Grandpa, why won’t you let us get rid of the chair?” John asked.
“You don’t understand, John.” His grandpa shook his head and said, “I sat in this chair with your grandma right here when I asked her to marry me. And I sat in this chair the night your father was born. Many years later,” Grandpa’s voice broke, “I sat in this chair when the doctor called and told me that your grandma was ill. I was lost without her, but the chair gave me comfort and warmth.” The old man’s sadness seemed to grow as he recalled that fateful day.
“I understand now.” John looked at his grandpa and said, “This is not just any old chair. It is more like a friend.”
“Yes,” he nodded. “We’ve gone through a lot together.”
However, that night, when John and his grandpa were asleep, John’s mom and dad carried the chair outside. It was a starless night. Snow fell silently from the black sky and covered Grandpa’s chair in a blanket of white.
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。
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The next morning, John was woken by the garbage truck pulling up to the house.
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Hearing this, John’s mom looked at his grandpa and slowly walked towards him.
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When she looked around her house, Betty Margaret saw lots of electronics. Along with the usual things like her laptop and smart phone, there were all of her kids’ electronic devices: cell phones, video game devices and more! There seemed to be more than enough ways for her and her three children to be online all day, every day.
Ms Margaret worried that her kids were becoming too dependent on the Internet and electronics. Then she began to reread one of her favorite books, Henry Thoreau’s Walden, which gave Ms Margaret an idea. Thoreau spent 2 years in a simple cabin without running such luxuries as computers and electronic devices for a while.
Ms Margaret talked with her kids and explained that she wanted the family to try living for 6 months without Internet, cell phones, TV, and video games. Ms Margaret writes articles for a newspaper in Australia, and had written several books as well. She told her children that if they agreed, she would write a book about their experience and they could go on a trip abroad with the money from sales of the book. Her three children agreed, and “the experiment” as Ms Margaret called, began.
Over the course of the experiment, the Margaret’s children had different reactions to life without electronics. Before the experiment began, Anni, the eldest of the children, read books more than her younger brother and sister. She therefore had a relatively easy adjustment to the family’s new lifestyle. Anni could also use the library’s computer for her homework. Bill, who loved to play video games before the experiment began, had to find a way to spend all of his new free time. He started to spend more time practicing his saxophone (萨克斯管). Susan, the youngest child in the family, had the hardest time adjusting to life without electronics. She felt restless for the first weeks and later, influenced by her elder sister, gradually began to find interest in the novel experiences brought by various books.
注意: 续写词数应为150左右。
Upon having their daily family gathering after dinner, Ms Margaret, wearing a mysterious smiles, announced the big news that they had come to the end of “the experiment”.
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The vivid description of their true and funny experience toward the new lifestyle undeniably contributed to the hit of the book.
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As a single mother, I’ve never doubted my daughter Jane’s dream to be a singer on the stage. At an early age, she was crazy about singing. Whenever she had a chance, she would sing to her heart’s content. Her sweet and charming voice tended to get people around attracted to her songs.
Living in a small city, I took several odd jobs, determined to do everything in my power to support her. Soon after Jane attended school, her music teacher Mary noticed her talent by chance and volunteered to give her some guidance on how to sing. Jane practiced so hard that before long she made great progress in singing.
Unfortunately, one noon a year later, Jane was crossing the street when a careless driver knocked her down. She was rushed to hospital. When I hurried there, the doctor told me that my daughter would probably not stand on her own feet. I froze with shock, feeling as if I had been thrown into a dark world. Weak and dizzy, I was about to fall to the ground when someone took hold of me.
It was Mary, who got the news and raced here. She comforted me, saying firmly, “Grace, Jane needs you. You must stay calm and strong.” I nodded. Having calmed down, I entered the ward with Mary.
That night, Jane recovered her consciousness (知觉) and opened her eyes. Holding her hand, I said, “My dear, everything would be fine.” Mary comforted her gently, “I know you are a strong girl, Jane. Don’t worry. We’ll be standing by you.” I was heartbroken to see tears streaming down Jane’s cheeks.
After two months, we returned home from hospital. Her teachers and friends frequently visited her. Jane eventually accepted the fact that she would have to get around in a wheelchair. Never did she refer to the subject of singing again. I knew she was a nice and understanding girl, who was afraid that talking about her original dream would upset the two of us.
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。
One day, however, Mary came with good news.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the host announced it was Jane’s turn, she was wheeled onto the stage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is this?” The son replied, “This is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?” The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’s a crow.”
After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for third time, “What is this?” This time, the son was irritated (生气) and said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow.”
After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?” This time his son shouted in his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘It’s a crow’. Are you not able to understand this?”
A minute later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered(破旧的) diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the read it, the following words were written in the diary:
“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t at all feel annoyed, but instead felt a deep affection for my innocent son.”
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;
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After reading the diary,the son was in tears and began to reflect on the days when he used to sit together with his father.
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Feeling ashamed, the son got down on his knees before his father.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, just a short note inside which says what we have done to celebrate Christmas. It has stuck through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it—the overspending, the anxious running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma—the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to avoid the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so on. I reached for something special just for Mike. The idea came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling (摔跤) at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team supported by an inner-city church. These teenagers, dressed in sport shoes so ragged (破烂的) that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast (对比) to our boys in their stylish blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. Obviously, the poor team could not afford.
Well, we ended up defeating them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he walked around in his rags with a kind of steet pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, ‘‘I wish just one of them could have won, "he said "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them. ’’
注意∶1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答,
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That’s when the idea for his present came.
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For each Christmas, the envelope has become the tradition of our family.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
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Quietly, he began following the footprints.
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That was when he saw her—his sister, Julie.
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