Rescue in a Bottle
Curtis Whitson had rafted (v.乘筏) down the Arroyo Seco, a river in central California, several times before.
This year, Curtis Whitson knew the water-fall was coming. He figured he would get out of his raft into the shallow water, get down the rocks along ropes on either side of the falls, and continue on his way, as he had on a previous trip.
But this year was different. Heavy snow and spring rains had turned the usually manageable falls into something fierce. And this year, instead of his friends, Whitson’s companions were his girlfriend, Krystal Ramirez, and his 13-year-old son, Hunter. As the three of them approached the falls late in the afternoon of the third day of their camping trip, Whitson could tell from the increasing roar of water in the narrowing canyon(峡谷) that they were in serious trouble. There was no way they’d be able to get down the rocks as planned.
“The water was just roaring through there with tremendous force,” recalls Whitson, 45.
They had no smart phone service, and they hadn’t seen a single person in the past three days. And Whitson knew that they’d be sharing the ground there with rattlesnakes and mountain lions.
As he was thinking what to do, Whitson hit on a bit of luck---he heard voices coming from the other side of the falls. He yelled, but the sound of the rushing water drowned him out.
“We have to get these people a message,” Whitson thought.
He grabbed a stick and pulled out his pocketknife to carve “Help” in it. Then he tied a rope to it so the people would know it wasn’t just any stick. He tried throwing it over the falls, but it floated away in the wrong direction.
“We’ve got to do something!” Whitson yelled to his son. “Have we got anything else?”
Then he spotted his water bottle. Whitson grabbed it and carved “Help!”on it. Ramirez also reminded him that he had a pen and paper in his backpack.
Whitson knew it was a slim hope. But he wrote “6-15 19:00 We are stuck here@ the waterfall. Get help please” and pushed the note into the bottle. This time, his throw over the waterfall was perfect.
“All right, that’s all we can do,” Whitson told Hunter.
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，每段开头语已为你写好；
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It took 30 minutes to get back upstream to the beach where they’d had lunch.
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The next morning, the helicopter returned.
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Bales left the pavement of Base Road and stepped onto snow-covered Jewell Trail. She planned a six-hour hike through New Hampshire’s Mount Washington State Park. She had packed for almost every emergency and intended to walk alone.
She’d checked the weather forecast posted by the Mount Washington Observatory before she left. Based on her experience, Bales knew that her hike was realistic. Besides, she had two emergency plans and extra layers of clothing to better adjust her body temperature as conditions changed.
The hike up the lower part of Jewell Trail was pleasant. Bales felt excited as she walked up into snowy paths. The sun shone through the trees and cast a shadow over her smiling face. Less than an hour later, loads of dark clouds had replaced the sunshine, and snow covered the surrounding trees.
She still smiled. However, the weather was showing its teeth. Bales added even more layers to shelter herself from the cold winds and thick fog. She made her way across the snow-covered ridge (山脊toward Mount Washington and began to think about calling it a day. Suddenly, she noticed something: a single set of footprints in the snow ahead of her, which had been made by a pair of sneakers-typically not the type for hiking.
Meanwhile, Bales was getting colder, even though she was moving fast and generating some body heat. With strong gusts of wind screaming and attacking her back and left side, she decided to abandon her plan. The only thing, however, kept her on the trail was the sneaker tracks in the snow.
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Bales faced a dilemma about whether to follow the tracks or not.
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Her searching now turned into rescuing the man.
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I was lacking in everything needed to start a new friendship.
My parents moved to the town when they decided to look for new jobs but they didn’t realize I was really hurt when I said goodbye to my old friends. It felt awful to be a new student in the school and when my classmates were chatting, what I could do was to be caught up in my thoughts watching the clouds outside the window. I was not good at math or history; nor was I good at drawing or dancing. I was shy and timid. I had a few friends back at my hometown and it seemed that they were the only ones who I could be friends with for my whole life. I felt I had achieved a point of saturation with regard to having friends and I could make no further addition to my friend list. I was ashamed of myself, so I believed I deserved no notice from others until Emily came to my world.
Emily was fearless, outspoken and easy to go. She was everything I was not and I was too shy to come out of my shell. I met Emily in school almost every day and yet I never talked to her. We were in the same class but we were like poles apart. How I wished I could be like her or at least be a friend of hers!
It was another ordinary day.
I wandered to the bus stop in the morning and waited for the school bus. Birds were singing songs with their friends but who could I sing songs with? I got on the bus and went straight to my usual seat, complaining in a low voice about getting up early and going to school like every other day, and about how things were going to be the same all over again. Little did I realize something different would happen that day.
Para. 1:When I got up to get down the bus, my schoolbag was stuck in the armrest. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para. 2:I got noticed by Emily, who brought me courage to start a new friendship!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A tradesman was leading a caravan (商队) to another country to sell his goods. Along the way they came to the edge of a hot-sand desert. They learnt that during the daytime the sun heated up the fine sand until it was as hot as charcoal (木炭), so no one could walk on it — not even camels! Then the caravan leader hired a desert guide, one who could follow the stars, so they could travel only at night when the sand cooled down. The guide sat on the first cart. And they began the dangerous night-time journey across the desert. A couple of nights later, after eating their evening meal and waiting for the sand to cool, they started out again.
Later that night, the desert guide, who was driving the first cart, saw from the stars that they were getting close to the other side of the desert. He had been very tired, so when he relaxed, he fell asleep. Then the camels who, of course, couldn’t tell directions by reading the stars, gradually turned to the side and went in a big wide circle until they ended up at the same place that they started from! By then it was morning, and the people woke up and realized they were back at the same spot where they started. They lost heart and began to cry about their condition. Since the desert crossing was supposed to be over by now, they had no more water, and they were worried about there was nothing to drink, and were extremely afraid they would die of thirst. They even began to blame the caravan leader and the desert guide. However, the leader himself didn’t lose courage. He talked with the desert guide and then they began wandering, trying to work out a plan.
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Suddenly, the leader noticed a small clump (团) of grass.
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A spring (泉源) was found at last.
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While many of us go to sleep before midnight, some teenagers choose to stay up much later. They are not driven by the burning desire to write a better essay or achieve a higher grade. Instead, they are busy playing online games. Known as young Internet addicts (有瘾的人), they have long been a problem in China. A report released (发行) in 2016 by the China Youth Association for Network Development showed that there were over 24 million young Internet addicts among China’s young urban Internet users. The report also said that over 18 million youths had a tendency to develop Internet addiction.
To deal with the problem of Internet addiction among teenagers, the Cyberspace Administration of China has released draft (草案) regulations which carried out a ban on online gaming. If the regulations are adopted under-18s would be banned from playing online games between midnight and 8 am.
As soon as the government’s draft law surfaced, it drew great attention from the public. Some support the law as a way to better protect teenagers, saying that too much overnight gaming is harmful to teenagers’ health and believing the period between midnight and 8 am to be important to human physical functions. However, others wondered whether it would be practical if it came into effect, as teenagers could just borrow their parents’ IDs to register (注册) accounts to play online games. The Guangming Daily suggested that parents should help their teenagers find a balance between the cyber world and the real world.
China is by no means the only one trying to fight against teenager gaming addiction. Germany introduced a regulation in 2002 in an attempt to stop teens from playing online games from 10 pm to 6 am. Meanwhile, the UK, the US and Australia have forced a rating system on computer games to make sure that teenagers cannot access “adult” content such as violence, sex or bad language.
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Once upon a time,in a small village in Turkey,there lived a mother and her son.The son was known by all as Bald Boy because even though he was still quite young he had no hair on his head at all.
Bald Boy and his mother were very poor indeed and so each day Bald Boy would take up his basket and went out into the woods in search of food.
One day,as he was searching the forest floor for mushrooms,Bald Boy was sure that he could hear a young girl crying.When he looked up he noticed a little squirrel(松鼠）sitting on the branch of the tree above his head.The squirrel was crying inconsolably(无法安慰的）and so Bald Boy took the little creature in his arms.He comforted her and told her that everything was going to be okay.
When at last the squirrel stopped crying,the two friends got to talking and the Bald Boy explained how he lived with his mother and how they were very poor.
＂I need to come into this forest each day in search of food because we have no money,"he told the squirrel.
It was then that the little squirrel said,"You have been very kind to me today so I am going to help you in return."
Then the little squirrel jumped out of Bald Boy's hands and said,"Follow me." The young boy followed the squirrel through the forest for many hours until they reached a cliff edge(悬崖边） that could see the green valley below.
＂You must climb down this cliff,"said the squirrel."When you reach the bottom you will find the Forest Queen.
She will ask you three questions and you must answer them all correctly to receive the prize."
Paragraph 1:
The squirrel climbed up onto Bald Boy's shoulder and whispered...
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Paragraph 2:
＂If you do not answer correctly,"she said in her cold voice,"then...
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Jenny was a pretty eight-year-old girl.
One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace, by which she was totally defeated. How eagerly she wanted it! But when she saw the price, her heart sank a little. She gathered up her courage and 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. I can buy you the necklace, but when we get home, we should make up a list of housework that you can do to pay for the necklace.” Jenny agreed immediately, feeling a burst of joy. So her mother bought the pearl necklace for her. Jenny worked on her housework determinedly and earnestly every day. Soon Jenny paid off the pearls.
Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would 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 delightedly, with a broad smile on her face. “Well, then, give me your pearls.” Hearing that, Jenny froze there, an anxious expression twisting her face. “Oh! Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. Okay?” “Oh no, darling, that’s okay.” Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss, gently and calmly. “Good night, little one.”
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, “Do you love me?” “Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you.” the little girl murmured softly, trying to escape from her father’s eyes. “Well, then, give me your pearls.” “Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She is my favorite.” The little girl begged. “No, that’s okay,” her father said, smiling broadly and sweetly and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. “God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams.”
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：
Several days later, when Jenny’s father came in to read her story, Jenny was waiting anxiously for him on the bed.
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Paragraph 2：
Holding the plastic pearl his daughter offered, the father dragged out a blue box.
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There was a rich couple who was throwing a big New Year party at their house. So they went shopping at the market where everything was of high cost and fixed price. They wanted to maintain their level of standard so they didn’t mind paying for it. After purchasing all they needed, they called a porter to carry everything and drop it at their home. The porter who came was of an old age, and looked very unhealthy, and his clothes were torn, and he looked as if he wasn’t even able to meet his daily needs.
They asked the porter about the charges for delivering their goods to their home. The old porter quoted just $20, well below the market price. Yet, the couple argued and bargained with the porter and finally settled for $15. The porter was struggling to make even one time’s meal so he needed anything he could earn.
The couple was very happy thinking how well they bargained with the poor porter and paid him $15 in advance and left after giving the porter their address for delivery. They reached their home and one hour passed, and two hours passed, but the porter still didn’t deliver their stuff.
The wife started to get angry at her husband, “I always tell you not to trust such person, but you never listen to me. I am sure instead of delivering the goods to our home, he must have disappeared with everything. We must immediately go back to the market to inquire and then to the police station to file the complaint against him.”
They both left towards the market. On their way near the market, they saw another porter. They stopped him to inquire about the old porter and noticed that he was carrying their goods in his cart! The angry wife asked him, “Where is that old thief? This is our goods and he was supposed to deliver them. It seems you poor thieves are stealing our goods and going to sell them.”
Paragraph 1:
When the porter heard the angry wife asking.
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Paragraph 2:
Upon hearing this, the husband had tears in his eyes,
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Carl lost his job. He tried to find another one but it wasn’t easy. As a result, the poor fellow couldn’t pay his bills and he couldn’t even find anybody to lend him any.
Carl spent most of his days at home. Sometimes he looked out of the window and watched his neighbor’s house. An old professor lived there alone. Strangely, he hardly talked to his neighbors. Carl could see into the professor’s house because he never drew the curtain. The rooms were full of antique(古董) furniture and vases. Carl thought, “If I got an antique vase, I could sell it for a lot of money.”
Every day Carl saw the professor. He left at 10 o'clock in the morning and came back home at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. He had a dog. Carl often went to the fence and played with it or gave it a piece of meat.
One day Carl thought, “I will go into the professor’s house and steal a vase. I will break the window and climb in. The dog is not a problem.”
There was an old gun in the cellar(地下室). It had been his great grandfather’s favorite thing a long time before. Carl didn’t want to use the gun but he thought, “Anything could happen.”
He wanted to hide the gun under his coat but it was too long so he had to cut the end off with a saw(锯).
The next morning he watched the professor leaving home at 10 o'clock. Carl climbed over the fence. The dog ran to him and Carl gave it a big bone. He threw a piece of stone through the window, which broke. It wasn’t high. He could climb into the house easily.
He looked around inside. There were paintings on the walls, small figures and vases on the shelves and the floor. Carl didn’t know much about arts. He couldn’t choose. He reached his hands towards a big vase when he heard a noise. The front door opened and someone entered the house.
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，每段的开头已为你写好；
Paragraph 1:
It was the professor. He had forgotten to take an important document(文件) with him.
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Paragraph 2:
The professor was scared.
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“I'm going to miss you so much, Poppy, "said the tall, thin teenager. He bent down to hug his old friend goodbye. He stood up, hugged his parents, and smiled, trying not to let his emotions(情绪)get the better of him.
His parents were not quite able to keep theirs under control. They had driven their son several hours out of town to the university where he would soon be living and studying. It was time to say goodbye for now at least. The family hugged and smiled through misty eyes and then laughed.
The boy lifted the last bag onto his shoulder, and flashed a bright smile.” I guess this is it, “he said.” I'll see you back home in a month, okay？"His parents nodded, and they watched as he walked out of sight into the crowds of hundreds of students and parents. The boy's mother turned to the dog, “Okay, Poppy, time to go back home.”
The house seemed quiet as a tomb without the boy living there. All that week, Poppy didn't seem interested in her dinner, her favorite toy, or even in her daily walk. Her owners were sad too, but they knew their son would be back to visit. Poppy didn't.
They offered the dog some of her favorite peanut butter treats. They even let her sit on the sofa, but the old girl just wasn't her usual cheerful self. Her owners started to get worried. "What should we do to cheer Poppy up？"asked Dad. “We've tried everything.”
“I have an idea, but it might be a little crazy, “smiled Mom.” Without anybody left in the house but us, this place could use a bit of fun. Let's get a little dog for Poppy."
It didn't take long before they walked through the front door carrying a big box. Poppy welcomed them home as usual, but when she saw the box, she stopped. She put her nose on it. Her tail began wagging(摆动)ever so slowly, then faster as she caught the smell.
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。
Para 1. Dad opened the box and a sweet little dog appeared.
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Para 2. A few weeks later, the boy arrived home from university.
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