At noon that day, I drove back to my house after the performance. Just as I entered the living room, I heard a gentle sound coming from the bedroom upstairs—it was the sound of my favorite violin.
“Thief!”
I dashed upstairs. Sure enough, as expected, a boy of about 12 years old was petting my violin. The boy had messy hair and a thin face, his oversized coat seemingly filled with something. At first glance, I found a new pair of shoes missing. It seemed that he was surely a thief.
Then, I saw his eyes full of fear and despair. My anger was immediately replaced by a smile, I asked, “Are you Mr. Ram’s nephew, Michael? I’m his housekeeper. Two days ago, I heard his nephew living in the countryside will come. It must be you. You’re really like him!”
On hearing my words, the boy was first astonished, but then quickly said, “Has my uncle gone out? I think I’d better first go out for a walk and visit him again in a while.”
I nodded and asked the boy who was preparing to put down the violin, “Do you like to play the violin so much?”
“Yes, but I’m so poor that I can’t afford it,” the boy replied.
“Then, I give this violin to you.” The boy looked at me questioningly, but he picked up the violin. Going out to the living room, he suddenly saw on the wall my huge color photo I performed in the Sydney Opera House. He involuntarily trembled for a moment and ran out without looking back.
I was sure that the boy had understood what happened because no one would decorate the living room with the housekeeper’s photo.
Paragraph 1:A few years later, I was invited to be a judge at a music competition of senior high school students.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
After the competition, “Michael” ran to me, holding a violin box.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Friday evening, Emmett and I went to a movie as scheduled. After purchasing the tickets and drinks, we entered the cinema with delight beforehand, waiting for the beginning of the movie.
When I got up in the middle of the movie, Emmett whispered, “Carter, where are you going?” “I forgot to call my mom to tell her what time to pick us up.” I whispered back, leaving my jacket on the seat.
I squeezed past the people in my row, trying not to step on any feet while still watching the screen. I didn’t want to miss a thing. Balfour, the good guy in the movie, was trapped in an underground cave.
When I came back, Balfour’s flashlight almost went out. An enormous snake was moving toward him, twisting its body. Balfour struggled to loosen the chains around his hands and feet to reach his magic cape. With the cape around him, he could completely disappear.
I crawled back across eight people (I counted on the way out), never taking my eyes off the screen. I sat down in my seat slowly, then picked up my drink, and swallowed it quickly. But suddenly my brain said, “That’s not coke. That’s lemonade.” I looked down at the cup, just as the girl next to me shouted, “He drank my lemonade!”
“ Shhhh!” the people around us said, making quiet complaints.
“ Where’s Emmett?” I asked, as if the girl had hidden him under her seat.
“ Carter, down here,” Emmett answered in a low voice. He was two rows ahead of me. I was in the wrong row! Everyone was turning around to look at me.
“ Here,” I said, handing the girl her drink.
“Eww,” she said. “You have had a drink of it, so you owe me a lemonade.”
“Shhhh!” everyone said again.
“OK, OK,” I said, starting my crawl across eight sets of feet again. Everybody were complaining as I inched out.
“Don’t come back,” the boy on the end said.
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:
But the problem was that I had to come back to bring this girl a new lemonade.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
I thought about crawling out of this row and back into Emmett’s row, but I couldn’t.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Afternoon was Mrs. Green's favorite time of day. After a hard day at work, her eyes were tired and her feet hurt. She usually enjoyed the nice long sleep when she was on the bus. Mrs. Green had made friends with the bus driver, Mr. Smith. He always woke her up before her stop. She usually felt fresh again when she got off the bus. But today was different. Mr. Smith wasn't driving. A small man sat in the driver’s seat. "Where's Mr. Smith?" asked Mrs. Green, dropping her money into the box. "I don’t know. Sick, I guess. I just work here, lady." Mrs. Green hoped that Mr. Smith was all right. She didn't like this new driver. She decided not to sleep on the way home today. She didn't want to ask this driver to wake her.
Mrs. Green looked out of the window. It was a warm afternoon. Though she tried hard to stay awake, the gentle rocking of the bus made her fall asleep soon.
Then Mrs. Green felt someone shaking her. "Wake up, lady. We’ve come to the end of the line." Mrs. Green slowly opened her eyes. The bus driver looked down at her, "I said, this is the end of the line, lady. It's time to get off."
Mrs. Green looked out of the window. "Where am I?" she asked. "I was supposed to get off at Brighten Avenue."
"You are at the last stop, lady. Come on, get off the bus."
Mrs. Green had trouble waking up. When the bus driver took her arm and helped her step off the bus, she felt a sense of panic. "Wait a minute," she screamed. "This isn't Brighten Avenue. Where am I? How can I get home?"
"Cool off, lady. You are at the end of the line. You have to get off here." But why can't I ride back with you?" she begged."I have the fare!"
"Sorry, lady," he said as he closed the door. It's against the rules. You have missed the stop, and I can't take you back again."
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。
Mrs. Green watched the bus disappear down the road.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Suddenly the afternoon sun seemed surprisingly bright.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost destroyed America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of utter devastation (破坏) and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake.
After the unforgettably initial shock; he remembered the promise he had made to his son: “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.
He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son’s classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the ruins.
As he was digging,other helpless parents arrived, heartbroken, saying: “My, son!” “My daughter!” Other well-meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: “It’s too late! They’re all dead! You can’t help! Go home! Come on, face reality, there’s nothing you can do!”
To each parent he responded with one line: “Are you going to help me now?” And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone.The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school’s ruins saying, “Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You’re in danger. We’ll take care of it. Go home.” To which this loving, caring American father asked, “Are you going to help me now?”
The police came and said, “You’re angry, anxious and it’s over. You’re endangering others. Go home. We’ll handle it!” To which he replied, “Are you going to help me now?” No one helped.
【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。
Courageously he went on alone because he.needed to know for himself: “Is my boy alive or is he dead?”______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________
“There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad,” Armand replied,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The family had just moved to Rhode Island, and the young woman was feeling a little sad on that Sunday in May. After all, it was Mother's Day-and 800 miles separated her from her parents in Ohio.
She had called her mother that morning to wish her a happy Mother's Day, and her mother had mentioned how colorful the yard was now that spring had arrived. As they talked, the younger woman could almost smell the fragrance(香味）of purple lilacs(紫丁香） hanging on the big bush outside her parents' back door. Later,when she mentioned to her husband how she missed those lilacs, he popped up from his chair. “I know where we can find all you want," he said.
So off they went, driving the country roads of northern Rhode Island on the kind of day only mid-may can produce: warm sunshine, unclouded blue skies and vibrant(充满生机的） newness of the green and growing all around.
Before they got halfway up the hill, the fragrance of the lilacs drifted down to them, and the kids started running. Soon, the mother began running, too, until she reached the top. With a smile, the young woman rushed up to the nearest bush and buried her face in the flowers, drinking in the fragrance and the memories it brought back. Carefully, she chose a sprig(小枝） here, another one there. Finally, though, they returned their car for the trip home.While the kids chattered and the man drove, the woman sat smiling, surrounded by her flowers, a faraway look in her eyes.
When they were within three miles for home, she suddenly shouted to her husband, “Stop the car. Stop right here!" The man slammed on the brakes(刹车）. Before he could ask her why she wanted to stop. the woman was out of the car and hurrying up a nearby grassy slope (斜坡） with the lilacs still in her arms.
At the top of the hill was a nursing home and, because it was such a beautiful spring day, the patients were outdoors strolling with relatives or sitting on the porch. Among them was an elderly lady, sitting in her wheelchair alone, head bowed, her back to most of the others.
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。
The young woman went directly to her, holding the flowers tightly..
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Mom, who was that lady?" the kids asked as the car pulled away..
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lily was cleaning windows, and it was what she must do for her family's new Chinese restaurant. Everything had to be absolutely perfect: unique decorations, skillful employees, and delicious traditional food. Then customers would love the place, making the business a success.
Lily's family had just moved here from San Francisco, having bought a small restaurant, which was opened yesterday. She was new in the neighbor and had few friends. The first few days at her new school hadn't been easy, either. She found it hard to talk to people she didn't know and it seemed like the students hadn't even noticed her. She was eager for a friendship, though.
Lily shifted her vision to look outside the restaurant as a girl about her age, with abundant red hair, walked up the street. The girl paused to study the sign announcing their opening and then looked directly at Lily with a friendly smile. Lily smiled back shyly and lifted a hand, accidentally waving with the cleaning cloth. The girl smiled at her amusement and waved back happily.
Lily hesitated, not accustomed to starting friendship, but she felt courageous, so she opened the door. "Hello," she said, adding the first thing that entered her head, “do you like Chinese food?”
“I don't know, but I like to try new things," the girl remarked, and then she introduced herself as Gabriela.
Lily could not think of additional conversation until she had a sudden idea.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The following day, Lily was doing her restaurant routine when she heard an unexpected knock.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lungs nearly bursting, I struggled to lift my head out of the water. Inch by inch, my tired body reached for the end of the pool.
The extent of my swimming career was purely recreational, while the competitive swimmers nearby thought nothing of the seemingly simple task of a 500-meter swim test. Pushing myself to finish what I had started, I could only think: why not take the easy way out?
Earlier that week, I had turned in my first job application at a local pool. Overqualified, I was hired on the spot. However, the tasks were boring: helping confused visitors and measuring the height of children before they went down the slide, those sorts of things. I was capable of more.
So a swim test was required, establishing the mere fact that I was not completely helpless in a pool. Midway through, the manager administering the test remarked, “This looks really easy for you. Why aren't you applying to become a guard?"
“The thought hadn't crossed my mind."
“Well, lifeguarding demands more responsibility, strength and respect. Thus the position pays $2 more per hour. Your swimming skills are strong enough. All you need to do is complete a certification class.”
Inside I was unsure of myself, but his words inspired me-You never know what you are capable of until you force yourself to do it.
Soon I passed the swim test. All left was to practice and learn first aid, CPR(心肺复苏), and procedures for different land and water-based emergencies.
Work started soon. A well- intentioned yet anxious feeling in me soon passed. Days, weeks, and months went by without incident; emergencies were rare. The skills and training I had so carefully studied and acquired seemed unnecessary.
Today appeared to be another uneventful day. However, shortly after the other guards signaled to the children to exit the pool, I noticed one boy was still in the middle while the others had climbed up.
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。
“Something must have gone wrong with him,” I thought to myself.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having the boy on the floor, I put my ear to his mouth and my fingers at his neck.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On a cold, stormy winter day, an old friend invited me out for a cup of coffee. We met by his house, and as we walked down the street, we passed by a small cafe with a sign hanging on the door that read: “You're welcome in. We have suspended coffee.”
“Suspended coffee?” I asked my friend. “What does that mean?” “You've never heard of it?” my friend asked, and I shook my head. “Follow me,” he told me, and we joined the line of people standing in front of the cash register.
“What can I offer you today?” The cashier asked a couple of young lawyers who were looking at the menu. “I think we'll take three cups of coffee,” one of them said. “2 now, and 1 suspended.” The cashier nodded, as if it were an ordinary order, took payment and placed two cups of hot coffee on the counter. The two thanked him, took the two cups and left without waiting for the third. The next in line was an older couple. “Same order as always?” The cashier smiled at them. “Yes, thank you,” replied the woman. “But please add two suspended coffees, we haven't purchased any of those for quite a while.”
A few minutes later the couple received their order, and our turn to order arrived. “Good morning!” said the cashier. “How can I help you?” “I think we'd like two cups of coffee,” my friend said. “We'll drink them here.” When our order was ready, we took our cups and sat down to drink them together. “Will you tell me what this is about?” I asked my friend, but he just said: “Wait and see.”
Our conversation flowed, and before we noticed it, nearly two hours passed. The cafe was almost empty of people when the door suddenly opened and a man in old shabby clothes and a tired look came in and stood quietly in front of the cash register.
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。
He thought for a moment and then asked quietly: “Do you have a suspended coffee?”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When he saw my expression, my friend began to explain it to me.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Christmas Eve, seventy-three-year-old George selected his food carefully. Skim milk was $2.99, white bread 89 cents with a 10-cent discount. Leaving the cashier, he calculated that he had saved 80 cents today.
At the exit, the wind reminded him of his gloves. “Where are they?” Not in the coat pockets. Not in the grocery bag either. He was sure he was wearing them when he entered the store. He clearly remembered putting them into the pocket of this coat. George made a second thorough search of all his pockets, again including the grocery bag. Now he was sure they must have been dropped somewhere inside the store.
Old George had bought the black leather gloves at a 25% discount, for just $35.00 ten years ago. They were soft and warn and very durable. He had taken care not to let a drop of water or rain touch his expensive gloves, so they looked like new. Losing this favorite possession was almost like losing a child to him.
George, calm on the outside but nervous inside, re-entered the store. He followed the same route he had walked before, starting at the bread counter, to the milk section, the corner where salt and sugar were placed, then the rest of the store. Several minutes of anxious searching turned out to be in vain. He asked the customers whether they saw a pair of black leather gloves, but they said no. Then he went over to the cashier without hesitation.to ask if she had received any lost gloves, but only received the same answer. His heart grew heavier.
“Society has changed, people have changed,” he murmured to himself. “Years ago, if somebody picked up something lost, they would give it back. Now a good action is lost.”
Yet he did not give up hope. He started to stare at anybody wearing black gloves to see if they looked like his. The first two persons he saw did wear gloves, but one was women's and the other not black.
Paragraph 1
Suddenly, he found a man looking like a lawyer, wearing black leather gloves.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2
During the whole holiday, he was always thinking whether to buy a new pair.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Human beings are smart. However, it seems that people are gradually losing their smartness as smartphones become more and more important assistants in their lives, reported news website Record Japan on Oct. 22. As we rely too much on technology instead of our brains, many people have lost three basic abilities, said the website.
The first skill many people have lost is remembering phone numbers. Because phone numbers are stored in smart phone contacts, there's no need to dial a number or look at it again.
And some people may also have lost their sense of direction because navigation apps can guide people anywhere they want to go. These apps can even find shortest routes for you and avoid traffic jams. But the worst lost skills may be social ones, meaning that some people are becoming socially inept(无能的）. People often bury themselves in their smart phones. As we're too addicted to what's happening in the virtual world, some of us have lost conversational skills and sometimes can't even tell whether a person is happy or not.In August, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, studied 51 students aged 11 and 12 who had over five hours' screen time every day. Their task was to tell the emotions of 48 pictures of faces that were happy, sad, angry or scared. The children made an average of 14.02 mistakes at the beginning. But after a five-day camp without electronic (电子的) products, they made only 9.41 mistakes on average. “If you’re not practicing face-to-face communication, you could be losing important social skills,” concluded professor Yalda Uhls from the research.
Luckily, people still have a chance to get these abilities back. You should try to keep your parents' numbers in mind for emergencies. You should also pay more attention to street signs and stores, which will help you to draw a mind map and stop you from getting lost. And the easiest solution to social skill loss is to take a break from electronic devices because we are social creatures. We need device-free time.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
