A pleasant surprise
For a long time, I had been looking for a piano of my own to practise on. There was a piano shop on the street along which I walked every day to school. Whenever I passed the shop, I would stop, looking at the beautiful piano standing in the comer of the shop window. How I had been dreaming, day and night to possess a piano like that!
Unfortunately, my father was just a clerk. Times were tough during the Depression, and there were five mouths to feed, besides buying coal and wood for the stove. In order to save money, even on cold winter days, my father would walk the seven miles every day to get to work. No he could never afford to buy me an expensive piano. Though he knew I wanted to play that piano so much» buying it was an extravagance (奢侈品) well beyond our family’s income.
One day after school, I went as usual to the shop window to look at the piano. However, to my surprise and disappointment, the piano had gone. I should not have been surprised as others had the right to buy it, if they could afford to. Tears filled my eyes when I thought of not being able to sec that piano any more.
Disappointed, helpless and sad, I wandered aimlessly up and down the street. After about an hour. I returned home. I had just entered into our house, when I heard my mother calling me. I brushed away my tears and followed the sound of her voice into the dining-room.
Paragraph 1:I could not believe my eyes.
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As soon as my father appeared, I hugged him tightly.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Early one weekend morning, I was sleeping like a log when the telephone rang. When I answered I heard my Grandma’s voice “Hey, sweetheart. I have missed you so much lately. Why don’t you come to the countryside and enjoy some fine views?” she asked. “Dad, Grandma is inviting us to her home,” I shouted to my father who was busy in the kitchen. “Fine with me,” he responded in a casual tone. After a quick breakfast, we drove to Grandma’s.
Once we arrived, we were both thrilled by the breathtaking landscape. The plum trees in the backyard were ripe with fruit, while millions of wildflowers colored the valley. Grandma prepared delicious lunch including her special homemade apple jam, which was my favorite. Seeing my greedy eyes, grandma said “Take some when you leave, and I’ve got plenty stored in the cellar (地窖) .” Talking and laughing, we didn’t even notice that it was late in the afternoon, though somewhat cooler than it had been that morning. Grandma suggested that we take her homemade wooden boat for a tour along the nearby river.
Seated in the boat, looking up at the sky, I felt like the clouds were greeting us cheerfully from above. In the vast fields, the golden trees were like brides in the sun. The breeze skimmed over the surface of the field, carrying the sweet smell of the flowers. It was like a picture painted by one of the Dutch masters. “It is so nice to spend some quality time with family,” Dad murmured. “It feels like we’re on an adventure,” I added. “It’s been so much fun!”
While we were admiring the splendid setting around us, the weather started getting hot and humid again. At first, we ignored this change, but when dad looked up at the sky, he saw dark, low clouds were approaching us. Then a fierce gale (大风) sprang up. Lightning flashed within the black clouds, followed by a roar of thunder. “Row!” Dad shouted, trembling, “A tornado (龙卷风) is coming!”
There was no time to think. We rowed as fast as we could.
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Grandma opened the door for us.
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During this past year, I’ve had three instances of car trouble. Each time these things happened, I was sick of the way most people hadn’t bothered to help. One of those times, I was on the side of the road for close to three hours with my big Jeep. I put signs in the windows, big signs that said NEED A JACK (千斤顶), and offered money. Nothing. Right as I was about to give up, a Mexican family in a small truck pulled over, and the father bounded out.
He sized up the situation and called for his daughter, who spoke English. He conveyed through her that he had a jack but that it was too small for the Jeep, so we would need something to support it. Then he got a saw (锯子) from the truck and cut a section out of a big log on the side of the road. We rolled it over and put his jack on top, and we were in business.
I started taking the wheel off, and then, if you can believe it, I broke his tire iron. No worries: He handed it to his wife, and she was gone in a flash down the road to buy a new tire iron. She was back in 15 minutes. We finished the job, and I was a very happy man.
The two of us were dirty and sweaty. His wife prepared a pot of water for us to wash our hands. I tried to put a $20 bill in the man’s hand, but he wouldn’t take it, so instead I went up to the truck and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I asked the little girl where they lived. Mexico, she said. They were in Oregon so Mommy and Daddy could work on a fruit farm for the next few weeks. Then they would go home.
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。
When I was about to say goodbye, the girl asked if I’d had lunch.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After they left, I got into my Jeep and opened the paper bag.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Surprise!” was the first thing I heard when I opened the door. My family and friends were all smiling at me. There were colorful balloons all over the house, a big poster saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY'', and of course a cake with 12 candles. It was a wonderful feeling. I knew that I had finally turned twelve and I might possibly get the thing I wanted most.
I saw my mom and dad coming towards me with a small box which seemed to be a birthday present. When I opened the box, I couldn't believe my eyes. I had really gotten a mobile phone! Throwing myself into their arms, I let out a cry of joy, “Thank you! I love you guys!”
“You're welcome. We knew this was going to make you happy but we didn't only get you this because you turned twelve, but also because you are doing well in school. We expect you to keep getting good grades."
“Of course I will." I said confidently.
As soon as I got to school the next morning, I was showing off my phone and asking everyone for their number. It was cool how I got so many contacts on the first day.
It felt like I didn't even exist in that class anymore. I wouldn't pay much attention to the teachers because I was too busy on my phone. However, I didn't get caught using it.
I am pretty sure that the teacher did notice that I stopped paying attention to her because a week later we took a test and I failed. What was worse, my mom had to sign the test.
It was hard to show my mom the test. She was used to seeing A's and B's on my tests. Finally, I showed it to her, and she couldn't believe it. She was angry but most of all, she was disappointed.
注意：1.续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2,续写部分分为两段，每段的开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:
Realizing the reason for my failure, my parents started to dislike the fact that I had a phone.
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Then I started to wonder if I was wrong.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________John was crazy about playing basketball. Every day after school, he would spend much time practicing basketball skills. Sometimes, he didn't go back home until sunset, which made his mother extremely angry. One day. as he was given a chance to watch a basketball game, he dreamed about being a member of the college basketball team the next year. On the way, he was delighted secretly. He thought no one in the world was luckier than him. Suddenly. a car hit him. What a terrible experience! It seemed like a bad dream.
John woke up in a hospital room. He was frightened to death. He realized that he couldn't move both of his legs. At that time, the doctor came in. When the doctor told him that both his legs were broken and he had to sit in the wheelchair for the time being, he knew his college basketball dream was over. He was really depressed. John followed what the doc tors had told him. but it did not work entirely. When he left hospital# John was sent to a health recovery center. He never heard of this center before, but it was not far away from his house. Although he felt unwilling to go there, he had no choice but to accept the fact.
A week later, he arrived there unhappily. The first person he met was Sunny Chen, who was so kind and friendly that he warmly welcome John to go there. Sunny's legs were badly hurt in a skating accident. He told John that he would help him recover soon. Though Sunny couldn't move his legs, he became the coach of a basketball team called the Suns. After a period of recovery training. John felt his legs were all right. So Sunny invited him to join the game Sunny guided the team on his wheelchair. John played badly, but for the first time since the accident, he stopped feeling sorry for himself.
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.
John was glad that his dream of being a member of the basketball team came true.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________Sunny saw all John did. lost in thought.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________“Want to go to the pool tomorrow?” Rosa asked Stephanie during recess. The pool at the YMCA was one of their favorite places, where they learnt and practiced swimming.
Rosa and Stephanie did everything together. They rode the school bus together. They sat together during lunch. They took dance lessons together and they even went to the same summer camp. Their classmates called them “twins”. They were best friends. Most of the time.
Sometimes, though, when Stephanie was with other friends, she ignored Rosa or treated her like a little kid, even though they were the same age. Rosa and Stephanie had played together since they were babies, but sometimes Stephanie didn't act like a friend.
Today was one of those times.
“Sorry. I’m already going to the pool,” Stephanie said. “Toni and Vanessa and I are going.” She gave a broad smile, but in Rosa’s eyes, it wasn’t her nice smile. Saying nothing more, she walked straight away to join Toni and Vanessa, and Rosa was left standing alone, with her face burned and an angry tension coming into her limbs.
After school, at dance class, Stephanie talked and giggled with the other dancers as they stretched in front of the mirror. When Rosa came in, Stephanie didn’t say hello to her, but just another smile. Rosa hesitated for a while about whether she should join them, but she still felt too upset.
Then she noticed Kiara, the new girl. Rosa joined her and began stretching, too. Kiara smiled and Rosa smiled back. The two girls began to talk. Rosa discovered that Kiara was not the quiet girl she had thought she was. Kiara talked a lot — about her little brother, about the tree house her uncle had built and even about swimming. “I love swimming,” Kiara said. “I will hold a pool party at the YMCA. Would you like to come?” “Yes. It’s awesome.” Rosa responded. She tried not to check the mirror to see if Stephanie had noticed. She hoped Stephanie felt left out.
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。
After the dance class, when Rosa boarded the bus, Stephanie was waiting in their usual seat.
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When Rosa saw Stephanie in low spirits, her heart sank.
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7 . It was 1939, and the Great Depression had made all our lives much harder. But we didn’t know how poor we were until our father sat my brother and me down on the couch in our living room to have a talk.
I will always remember the sad look in Father’s eyes as he stared down at his hands, rubbing them back and forth, while he searched for the words to tell us that our family wasn’t going to be celebrating Christmas this year.
A month later, on Christmas Eve, I lay awake in bed late into the night, trying to talk myself out of sneaking into our living room to see if Santa had come. I gathered my courage, then tiptoed down the hallway, hoping I would see the bright sparkling lights of our Christmas tree standing proudly in the corner of our living room, like it did every year.
Instead, I was greeted by my seventeen-year-old brother, Frank, who slept on our living room couch. “Hey, little one, what are you doing up?” he whispered.
I started to cry. “There’s no Christmas tree.”
There would be no presents, no singing, no Christmas dinner. It felt like we were the saddest family in the world. My disappointment overwhelmed me. I looked forward to Christmas each year. It wasn’t only the presents. It was that special feeling I got from seeing my family happy. We hadn’t been happy in such a long time.
On Christmas morning, the sun shone into our chilly bedroom, waking me up. “Maybe Santa came! Maybe he came!” I suddenly insisted. My eyes searched the living room, but there was no Christmas tree. I broke into uncontrollable tears.
I ran to Father in tears and threw my arms around him. “ We aren’t going to have Christmas this year.”
“Now, now, now, calm down. Go on in and see your mother. She will comfort you.” Dad slowly pushed the bedroom door open, leading me into the room.
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。
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something different in the bedroom.
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With my question answered, everything dawned on me.
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Jenny was a brighteyed，pretty fiveyearold girl. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store，Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2. 50. How she wanted that necklace，and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her，her mother said，“Well，it is a pretty necklace，but it costs an awful lot of money. After all，I’ll buy you the necklace，and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don’t forget that for your birthday，Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill，too. Okay？” Jenny agreed，and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.
Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day，and sure enough，her grandma gave her a brandnew dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls！She wore them everywhere to kindergarten，bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands (差事)．The only time she didn’t wear them was in the shower. Her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!
Jenny had a very loving Daddy. When Jenny went to bed，he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story.
One night when he finished the story，he said，“Jenny，do you love me？”
“Oh yes，Daddy，you know I love you，” the little girl said.
“Well，then，give me your pearls. ”
“Oh！Daddy，not my pearls！” Jenny refused. “But you can have Rosy，my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit，too. Okay？”
“Oh no，darling，that’s okay. ” Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Good night，little one. ”
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。
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A week later，her father once again asked Jenny after her story.
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Several days later，when Jenny’s father came in to read her a story as usual，he was surprised to find
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Christmas Day was coming. I was just a kid then, and my big sister told me there was no Santa Claus. I fled to my Grandma because she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told me the truth, Grandma was home, and I told her everything. She was ready for me."No Santa Claus!” She shouted. “Ridiculous! Don’t believe it.” That rumor has been going around for years,and it makes me mad, plain mad.
“Now, put on your coat, and let's go.”
“Go where, Grandma?” I asked. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's
I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people. competing to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, holding that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy and who to buy it for. I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker, who was a kid with bad breath and messy hair. He sat right behind me in Mrs Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess (休息) during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red one, which looked really warm, and he would like that.
“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. " Yes,”
The nice lady smiled at me, put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.应使用5个以上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。
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That evening Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper.
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Grandma and I waited breathlessly for Bobby Decker’s front door to open and finally it
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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.
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After the competition, “Michael” ran to me, holding a violin box.
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