“Look!” I said to my husband, Roger, pointing to the branches. “The doves (鸽子) have built a nest.
On a chilly April day, we watched with horror as a hawk dived down and took one of the doves. By the next morning the other parent was gone too. Roger climbed up a ladder to take a look into the nest. Was it possible the hawk had spared the young? Yes, there sat a newly hatched baby dove! We brought him inside and set up the nesting box with the heat lamps we had used for raising chickens. Then we rushed to the pet shop to buy the formula (配方奶) which needed to look like the mother’s milk. But even with our care and prayers, we knew that the dove’s chances were slim. We were especially worried that our little bird, whom we’d named Hawkeye, hardly cooed (咕咕地叫) at all. That had to be a bad sign.
But to our surprise, Hawkeye not only survived but also thrived. Within a month, he was able to stand on the edge of a bowl and eat out of a baby spoon. And before we knew it, he was eating the seeds we gave him. Having the opportunity to nurture this new life brought me a greater measure of peace with each passing day.
As Hawkeye grew, we noticed that unlike all the other doves in our yard, he had a double breast with a line dividing it. When I did some research on the doves, I found out that females don’t often coo.
“We got it all wrong,” I told Roger. “Hawkeye is a girl!”
We realized that we’d have to teach her to fly. First, we urged her to fly from a finger to the bottom rung (梯子的横档) of a six-foot ladder, and in no time she was moving quickly to the top. She lit out (逃走，溜掉) for the kitchen whenever she heard the click of the spoon on her bowl. By mid-June she’d gained full confidence in her wings.
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: At that time, we knew it was time to set our Hawkeye free.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: But one May morning, Hawkeye and the other dove landed on the rooftop.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In my childhood, under the influence of my el der brother and my peers in the neighborhood, I tried a number of outdoor activities. Of course, I was not so taken by all of them. whether I was doing them for the first time or continuously. However, fate had its own plans in store. You never know when an outdoor activity will change my life.
The name of this activity is “fishing”. About ten years ago, I didn't really like the idea of sitting on the bank of a lake or river, spending long hours under the sun's ultraviolet rays, which can cause sunburns and skin damage, and anxiously anticipating some fish to be kind to take my bait(诱饵). In fact, I used to think of this outdoor activity as some kind of “hide-and-seek-game” that is popular with most young kids, except that it was much harder because I could see my “prey (猎物)” only after catching it.
However, all that changed when I paid a visit to my aunt in the countryside during a summer holiday. I was finally convinced by one of my cousins to accompany him to a nearby lake in order to do some fishing practice with him. In fact, he even assured me that fish would eat my baits. So I agreed and went to the lake expecting to catch some fish. Before throwing my fishing line into the water, my cousin did some tricks attaching some sort of food to my fishing pole.
Learning to fish in a river or lake can be challenging for the beginners like me. The act of dropping a line is easy, but being a successful fisher is hard. That's why they call it fishing but not catching But with practice and patience, it can become easier over time. Patience is essential in lake fishing. It may take some time to find the right spot or lure (鱼饵) that will attract fish.
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。
My cousin had to repeatedly remind me to keep patient.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When we finally left the lake, I had caught three fish!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day five-year-old Beth received a piano as a gift from her neighbor Mr. Laurence, which had belonged to his late granddaughter. When Beth saw that piano for the first time, she was playing with her friends. The beautiful sound flowing from the large pink piano immediately caught their attention. Turning around and seeing the charming piano decorated with golden birds, flowers, and trees that shone like stars, Beth was overwhelmed (充溢) with emotion.
After knowing it was from her neighbor Mr. Laurence, who had just lost her little granddaughter, Beth resolved to express her gratitude in spite of her shyness and worry. Mr. Laurence had always been seen as a “scary man” by the children for he is so tall with beard on the face and a deep voice, seemingly unapproachable.
“You’ll have to go and thank him,” said her sister Hannah by way of a joke, for the idea of the child’s really going never entered her head. “Yes, I mean to. I guess I’ll go now, before I get frightened thinking about it.”
And, to the amazement of everyone present, Beth walked down the garden, through the fence, and in Laurence’s through the door. “Well, it is the strangest thing I ever see!” cried Hannah, staring after her, while the other children were made quite speechless by her unexpected act.
They would have been still more amazed if they had seen what Beth did afterward. She went and knocked at the study door before she gave herself time to think. When a deep voice called out “Come in”, she entered, right up to Mr. Laurence, who looked quite surprised, and held out her hand, saying, with only a small quake in her voice, “I came to thank you, sir, for the piano...” But she didn’t finish, for he looked so sad and friendly that she forgot what she intended to say and, only remembering that he had lost the little girl he loved, she put both arms round him and hugged him.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Mr. Laurence was so touched and pleased.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The children were so surprised to see Mr. Laurence walk Beth home.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a part of western Toronto, people were really happy when they had a community garden. The newly built garden was in Tom Riley Park, which everyone in the area loved, especially the older people. The park was a center for weekend picnics, early morning jogs, and leisurely walks at sunset. It was a place that held memories for many, and the addition of a garden promised a new chapter of bonding. But there was a big problem—there weren’t any stairs to get down to the garden, only a steep (陡峭的) and uneven dirt path. This made it really hard and unsafe for the older folks to reach it, and even the younger ones found it challenging.
This beautiful garden held a special place in the hearts of the entire community, especially the elderly residents residing nearby. But people who wanted to go there fell down. One person even broke his hand. A local student named Adi Astle knew something had to be done when he saw his grandparents struggling. He was good at building things, so he decided to make the stairs himself. He bought the wood, borrowed some extra equipment, and got to work. He spent $550 and worked for 14 hours, and then he had a brand-new set of stairs ready. The whole neighborhood was overjoyed and grateful to Adi for his selfless act.
Unfortunately, not long after the stairs were built, the city brought some upsetting news — the stairs didn’t meet the required standards and had to be taken down. Officials cited concerns over the steps’ stability and lack of handrails (扶手) . This left the previously satisfied neighborhood feeling down once again.“At the end of the day, the city has a responsibility issue. We have to make sure that constructions in our public spaces are to meet certain safety standards,” a city leader explained. “The stairs that Adi built were well-intentioned. They worked well. They would work well for the short term, but they wouldn’t work for the long term due to potential safety risks.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
After the stairs were removed, Adi received a call from the city leader.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The garden was now truly for everyone with the newly built stairs.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was a kid, my parents and I lived near the forest. They often told me that our family was a team that needed to work together for the household to function smoothly. There was always an abundance of work to do — cooking, cleaning, and walking dogs. I volunteered to walk our dog, Max, who had been adopted one month before. I never dared let this giant dog off the lead (牵狗绳), just in case he took off.
One morning, we were walking along in the forest when Max started pulling on the lead. At first, I was able to hold on despite the wet ground from a recent shower. But the more I tried to stop him pulling, the more it turned into a tug of war. And thanks to the slippery ground, I lost.
Pulling his lead, Max shot off like a bullet, leaving me screaming behind. I chased him but lost my footing and fell face-first into some mud. I stumbled (踉跄) to my feet, but looking ahead, I found him running back towards me. I thought he was going to stop and give me his “Sorry” look. But instead, the dog shot past me and returned after a while.
As soon as we got home, my mother immediately attended to Max with a warm towel and a doggy treat. I thought seeing me stumbling and covered in mud, I would also get a warm cup of tea and a motherly kiss. Instead, I got a very loud lecture about letting the dog loose in the forest.
I felt frustrated. It wasn’t fair that she didn’t understand how difficult it was to control Max. I fought back, “Stop lecturing me! Why is everything my fault?” With these words, I stormed into my bedroom and slammed the door shut.
In the evening, I heard my mother call Max and take him out. It wasn’t long before I heard my mother screaming and the door opening again.
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。
I walked out of my room.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dad stepped in, suggesting that we work together to train Max.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My four-year-old son Jack had a vast collection of toy cars, his prized possessions. One day, I jokingly suggested, “Jack, how about giving away some of your toy cars to the children who don’t have any?” “No, these are mine,” he said angrily, holding on to his toy cars tightly. At that moment, I knew he didn’t grasp the importance of sharing. Therefore, I decided it was time for me to teach him a valuable lesson.
The next day, I planned a special day out with him with the aim of gently getting him to open his heart. Our special day began with a visit to the local park, a place where Jack always feels pleased. We found a tree coming into flower, bathed in the warm sunlight. Nearby, a group of children were playing together. “Look, Jack,” I pointed out. “See how they’re sharing their toys? Notice the smiles on their faces?” Those children attracted Jack’s attention. He watched carefully as one child passed a bright red toy truck to another, and he noticed how their faces lit up in a shared moment of happiness. It made him feel curious. I continued, “Sharing doesn’t just make others happy, it can make you feel good too.” Jack kept silent with his expression becoming thoughtful and a bit doubtful.
On the way home, we stopped by a small community center which was hosting a charity event. Volunteers, cheerful and warm, were collecting toys for the poor children. Tables in front of them were decorated with various kinds of toys. Jack observed some children of his age eagerly contributing toys, their faces shining with pride and happiness. “See, Jack,” I whispered. “A small act of kindness can bring great joy to you and others.” Jack made no reply but from his hesitant look I could see he was struggling with an internal conflict.
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: As we were about to leave, a little girl arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Moved by the little girl, Jack urged me to take him home.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mama’s Soup Pot
There are too many treasures in life we take for granted, the worth of which we don’t fully realize until they’re pointed out to us in some unexpected way. So it was with Mama’s soup pot.
Mama’s soup was special because there was no recipe for it. It had been so since her girlhood in Italy, where she learned its secret from her grandma, who had inherited (继承) it from generation to generation. Also, it was a symbol of security. For our large immigrant family, Mama’s soup guaranteed we would never go hungry. And we could judge our economic conditions by its contents.
At one time, however, Mama’s soup pot became a source of embarrassment to me, for I feared it would cost me a new friend I had made at school. Sol was an unusual pal for me because his father was a doctor and they lived in the best part of our town. Often Sol invited me to his home for dinner, where I found the food was good but tasteless, lacking the heartiness of the one served from my mom’s flame-blackened pots. Moreover, the atmosphere matched the food and everything was so formal. Sol’s mother and father were polite, but the conversation around the table was not natural, which made me a little depressed. And no one hugged!
In my family, warm hugs were a constant-men, women, boys and girls-and if you didn’t kiss your mother, she demanded: “What’s the matter? You sick?” But at that time in my life, all this was an embarrassment.
I had known Sol would like to eat dinner at my house, but that was the last thing I wanted. My family was so different. No other kids had such pots on their stoves, nor did they have a mama whose first action upon seeing you enter the house was to sit you down with a spoon and bowl.
One day, Sol pointedly asked if he could come to my house. I had to say yes.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
The day Sol came over I was nervous.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But Sol quickly finished his bowl and asked for one more.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________George, owner of a popular restaurant, was known for his excellent food, which was much loved by his customers. Even though he was talented, successful, and wealthy, his employees feared him for his strictness.
Debbie, a new waitress at George’s restaurant, was hardworking, always serving customers with a smile. George was satisfied with her work. After about two months, George asked the night manager about Debbie, and the man had only good things to say about her. “She’s smart, quick, and efficient, and she deals with customers better than anyone! We are searching for an assistant manager, and she seems like a good candidate. She’s got great potential!”
However, one night, George caught Debbie in the act of stealing. Walking into the kitchen, he saw her putting a box carefully into her bag. “Debbie!” he called out. “Come to my office now!” He was seated behind his desk with a serious look as she entered. “Open your bag,” George ordered. Debbie’s face tuned red, and she opened her bag to take out two plastic boxes, shaking as she placed them on the desk. George opened them to find some leftover food and a piece of cake. “You’re fired,” he screamed out in anger. “Right now!”
“Please,” Debbie begged. “Please don’t! The food was just going to be thrown away…”
“It’s against the rules here,” George replied firmly.
“Please,” Debbie continued. “There’s something you don’t know…”
She said softly, “My son has leukemia (白血病) , and the treatments are more than I can afford. I’ve been taking the leftover food home to save money for his care.”
“Your son has leukemia…” George repeated. “Is this true?” Debbie showed him a photo of a young boy in a hospital bed, smiling bravely. George took a deep breath and looked at Debbie, and said more kindly, “The rules say you should be fired. I’ll talk it over with the night manager. Let’s discuss this tomorrow.”
1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式作答。
Debbie was very worried, but she had no choice.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________George said he made a decision after careful consideration.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We had moved to a new town for my husband’s work. After living here for just a couple of weeks, I was more than ready to pick up my luggage and move back home. I was lonely for a friend. My boy Samuel was lonely. My husband, Lonny, adapted just fine, but he was occupied with work most of the time.
I missed our old neighborhood. It had been like a closely knitted community where neighbors chatted over fences. Newcomers were welcomed with chocolate brownies (巧克力蛋糕) and carrot bread. It had been easy to find friends there.
Our new community was different. It seemed that family roots grew deep. Deep as the Mississippi River that flowed past this tiny river town. Breaking in was tough.
“I’m so alone here,” I said to Lonny one evening. Lonny is a good listener, and a problem solver. “What have you done to meet people?” he asked. “I go to the park every day. I even dropped by a book salon (读书沙龙) at the library the other day and came across a nice lady with a boy.”
“Sounds not bad,” he said. “Did you talk to her?” The answer was no. It wasn’t that people here were unkind. I just didn’t feel like initiating conversations, and I preferred minding my own business in a new environment.
A few more months passed and winter settled in. It was harder than ever to meet people. I began to feel bitter. I was tired of trying to fit in a place where we didn’t belong.
Lonny noticed my low spirits. “Amy, you look unapproachable, with your arms crossed and everything,” he whispered in my ear one afternoon. He and I were sitting in the yard. Samuel, our five-year-old was playing baseball next to us.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to have friends here.” Just then Samuel looked up. He must’ve heard our whispers. “Mom’s right, Dad. We’ll never ever have friends here. And we just want to go back to our old home.” I sat there and looked at my tiny innocent son. His words mirrored my attitude. And I didn’t like the disturbing reflection.
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’s when I knew that I needed an adjustment.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One afternoon, Samuel and I ran into the lady with her boy again at the library.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. 展现家乡魅力（美食、历史、风景等）；
2. 邀请前来参观。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
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