Spreading Joy
This past Christmas season began for me as usual on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday. My mom, sister, and I had gotten up early to go shopping. As we were driving out of a store parking lot, we caught sight of a dreadfully thin woman sitting on a walker. She was clearly homeless, with bird feathers stuck into her gray hair, and a dirty yellow raincoat.
That homeless woman got us thinking about what Christmas would be like for some one who has no place to call home. With no family to turn to and certainly no presents to open on Christmas morning, these people have nothing to look forward to but the cold and lonely place where they choose to camp. Even though we live in sunny California, the temperature can still fall below freezing on winter nights. Where would this woman sleep when the sun went down?
Sadly, homeless people are a common sight in our town. On our way home, we passed countless people pushing shopping carts overflowing with their belongings and people standing in the center dividers of roads holding cardboard signs with “Just Hungry” written on them.
The next day, my mom had a great idea. While we were out Christmas shopping, we purchased some blue tins (罐) of sugar cookies and a few boxes of candy canes. When we got home, I helped my mom carefully ti e each tin with a red ribbon and tape a candy cane on top. Next, we wrote “Call 211 for Help” on notes and taped them to the bottoms of the tins. “Not only will we be spreading Christmas cheer, but now the homeless people will have a number to call and get the help they need,” my mom explained as we worked.
We put all the tins in the car and, whenever we went for a drive, we searched the streets for individuals down on their luck. Usually, the streets are crowded with people carrying sleeping bags, but somehow when you are looking for something, it always seems to disappear.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Eventually, we found a young man sleeping in the Lowe’s parking lot.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The day before Christmas, we drove around the streets again with our final tin.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My husband had taken the car to see about a job and I stayed at the rest area with our six children. I kept them busy playing games and reading books. I prayed as hard as I could that my husband would get the job and this madness would all come to an end. When he came back and hard closed the car door, I knew the news was not good.
That night, one of the churches in Portland had a free dinner, so we hurried and had the children wash up in the bathrooms. We all loaded up in our run-down car. No one would get thrilled about a hot meal, but being homeless, we all knew what a treat this would be.
In the morning, we were all just as tired as when we went to bed. It’s not easy at all to sleep eight people in one car. It’s hard to stay warm with only the few blankets we had to share among us. We got in the car and left to make a garbage dump run.
As my husband looked for work every day, my children and I would walk around the city picking up cans and bottles to return for the deposit (押金). When nothing else worked, my husband and I would stand with a sign that read, “will work for food.” It was an embarrassment and we felt so ashamed. I never looked up at anyone, pretending that I was elsewhere and this was not happening. But we had to survive, and for the sake of our kids we would do whatever it took to get them food to eat.
Thanksgiving Day was drawing near and it was turning colder and colder. My husband had not found work and we were at a loss as how to gather up enough money for a house rent. It looked so hopeless.
On the evening before Thanksgiving, we went to the only church having Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless. Unluckily, our car broke down. My husband worked on it, but in vain.
注意：1. 续写词数为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A truck driver just came over to help.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________People stopped by with food and blankets as well as some clothes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . Jameson Lobb and his friend Raphael Jafri were squeezing in a lunchtime workout on Pier (码头) 15, overlooking the East River, when Lobb
On the pier, a crowd had gathered. From somewhere, the onlookers produced a rope and a life preserver, which they
Both men, thoroughly
| A．waved | B．sighed | C．froze | D．cheered |
| A．rested on | B．slid down | C．ran along | D．climbed over |
| A．alarmed | B．confused | C．annoyed | D．surprised |
| A．Recognizing | B．Approaching | C．Passing | D．Examining |
| A．rescuer | B．survivor | C．victim | D．onlooker |
| A．returned | B．recovered | C．retreated | D．resurfaced |
| A．relaxed | B．burned | C．tightened | D．strengthened |
| A．figure | B．rock | C．barrier | D．boat |
| A．tied | B．handed | C．threw | D．carried |
| A．through | B．beyond | C．across | D．along |
| A．fisherman | B．crowd | C．couple | D．nurse |
| A．strong | B．gentle | C．helping | D．accepting |
| A．worn out | B．stressed out | C．light-hearted | D．hard-headed |
| A．push | B．dragged | C．stuffed | D．loaded |
| A．preference | B．lesson | C．responsibility | D．choice |
Laughter is said to be the best medicine in our life. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Laughter lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you more focused on the positive. I like to laugh and be happy whenever there is a reason for it. Cracking jokes usually makes us happy and light-hearted after a day of hard work, and so do many funny incidents which we may sometimes experience in our daily life.
However, today, I would like to talk about a funny incident that happened to me a few years ago, when I was still a student at primary school. That very incident took place at a birthday party held at my aunt’s house. In fact, it was a birthday party held for one of my little cousins.
On that special occasion, everybody, including all of my family members, close relatives and some of the little friends of my cousin’s, was invited to the party on a lovely summer evening in order to enjoy the party. By the way, the party was supposed to be concluded as early as possible, because all the little guests, friends of my cousin’s, needed to return to their homes safely before it was getting too late at night. So, after several hours of busy preparations, the party formally started at around 8 pm. The adults and the kids all came up to the table and gently opened up the various colorful gift boxes one by one with a formal ceremony. Once we were done with opening the gift boxes, the time came for us to sing the “Happy Birthday to You” song in chorus, and we all sang the song in order to wish a very happy birthday to my little cousin. Finally came the moment we all had been waiting for eagerly. And we were ready to open the cake box and cut the birthday cake.
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。
To our surprise, the cake had already been cut!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hearing what my aunt said, we expressed our willingness to give our share to the homeless.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Protecting and serving is more than checking for imminent (紧急的) danger. One officer in South Hill, Virginia, makes it his mission to make people of all ages feel safe after giving the all-clear, starting with the younger generations.
And because of his kindness, many parents and their children look on C. B. Fleming as something of a superhero. 28-year-old Mom, Lesha Roper-Boswell said that the neighborhood kids need someone “larger than life” they can depend on to protect them and their town, and Fleming fits the role beautifully. “He’s awesome. That’s the only word you can really use to describe C. B.,” she told reporters. “It’s just amazing — the bond he has with the children.”
Recently, residents in an apartment complex had a scare when emergency crews came to investigate a gas leak. Though he could have just left the scene after making sure the leak wasn’t harmful, Officer Fleming made sure everyone in the building felt safer.
Seeing some kids play outside with dolls, he sat down and joined them, reassuring them that everything was going to be okay. The kids were happy to have another playmate, regardless of his uniform. Impressed and grateful, Roper-Boswell took a video of the kind act and posted it on Facebook, where it’s gained thousands of views from people living all over the country.
Fleming, who is celebrating his 15th year on the force, said he’s always desired to do more than fine people for violating (违反) parking rules. “It’s something I’ve always tried to do,” he said about also looking out for the children. “When I got into this job, I knew there was something different, other than just writing tickets and being the ‘bad’ person all the time. I figured if I could be that bright spot in someone’s day, then that was all that mattered.”
1. What kind of role did C. B. Fleming play according to Roper-Boswell?| A．A risk-taker. | B．A superhero. | C．A decision-maker. | D．A teacher. |
| A．His devotion to work. | B．His professional skills. |
| C．His striking uniform. | D．His connection with kids. |
| A．Bringing joy to people. | B．Performing his duties. |
| C．Looking after the kids. | D．Raising people’s awareness. |
| A．Neighborhood Spared from Fire Thanks to Crews |
| B．Police Officer’s Kindness Rewarded by Residents |
| C．Police Officer Becomes Hero to Neighborhood Kids |
| D．Police Officer Aims to Reduce Residents’ Violations |
1. What does the woman plan to work as this summer?
| A．A volunteer. | B．A nurse. | C．A doctor. |
| A．The elderly over 55. | B．The adults over 30. | C．The children under 5. |
| A．Everyone has to be always polite. |
| B．Everyone has to arrive early. |
| C．None has much time to rest. |
| A．Comfortable shoes. | B．Light clothes. | C．Loose trousers. |
A deliveryman who jumped off a bridge to save a drowning woman in June in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province,
The honor is the
Peng Qinglin, a 31-year-old from Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province,
A video capturing (拍摄) Peng’s heroics went popular
“There are plenty of unsung
For his
Peng’s courageousness is quite touching and more people will learn from him and extend a helping hand when others need it.
It was a perfect day for the beach. My brother and I were meeting our friends on the northeast side of the island, a beach we seldom visited due to the strong currents.
Dad dropped us off an hour before everyone was to arrive. I watched my brother take off into the blue ocean. He was a body surfing enthusiast. I decided not to wait for our friends either because the water began to rise, forming a perfect wave.
I held my breath and dove through the wave. I was under the surf, with my eyes wide open, the water like silk flowing over my body. It was cold, like liquid ice waking up my senses. I pulled my body to the surface, allowing fresh air to fill my lungs, and then went back under. I pretended to be a fish, a dolphin, anything that lived under the sea.
After a while, I thought it might be a good idea to head back in and see if our friends had arrived. I looked toward the beach and realized I had gone farther out than I should have. I was the only one this far out.
I was not too worried though. I was a pretty good swimmer. But, as I tried to swim in, I realized I was making no progress. After what felt like a long while, my body began to feel heavy, and my arms grew tired. However hard I tried to swim, I was not moving any closer to the beach. Worn out, terrified and desperate, I cried for help loudly.
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。
I began to think I might drown out there.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A moment later, I regained my consciousness.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . As Gonzales was
Gonzales slowed down. So did the man being chased—o avoid
But for Gonzales, the ride was just beginning. Ortiz
| A．jogging | B．walking | C．driving | D．cycling |
| A．muscular | B．ambitious | C．humorous | D．aggressive |
| A．worn | B．absorbed | C．dressed | D．buried |
| A．assistance | B．emergency | C．solution | D．action |
| A．send | B．lend | C．shake | D．hold |
| A．coming across | B．holding up | C．breaking down | D．running into |
| A．accusation | B．hesitation | C．adaptation | D．communication |
| A．consciousness | B．knowledge | C．control | D．advantage |
| A．tip | B．fight | C．fall | D．hand |
| A．abandoned | B．dragged | C．pulled | D．threw |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Meanwhile | D．Instead |
| A．downloaded | B．edited | C．saw | D．posted |
| A．customers | B．views | C．cheers | D．researches |
| A．instructor | B．conductor | C．operator | D．inventor |
| A．heroic | B．moving | C．understandable | D．legendary |
A warm, sunny day in early November, especially in the Sierras, was a nice surprise. One look at the cloudless blue sky was all it took to convince me to drive twenty miles into the valley to do early Christmas shopping.
Temperatures in the valley are between eight and ten degrees higher than those in the foothills where we live, so I enjoyed the warmth and sunshine as I walked from store to store. Around sunset, I searched through my purse for my cellphone, only to discover it wasn’t there. After a frustrating search I finally found it under the car seat and sighed with relief.
I called my husband and heard the panic in his voice. ”I’ve been trying to call you. It started snowing up here half an hour ago, “he shouted into the phone.
“Well. I’ll stop and put the chains on when I get up there so I can make it home,” I sighed. My husband coughed nervously and cleared his throat. “Uh, I forgot to put the chains back in the trunk when I cleaned the car out yesterday,” he said. I resisted the urge to scream. “I think you can make it home if you leave now and drive slowly following the tire tracks in the road when you get to the snow,” my husband said before I hung up.
I drove slowly toward the 2600-foot elevation(高地) where we lived. My biggest challenge would be to get over the bridge, then up the hill on the other side. The snow was falling harder when I reached the bridge. I blinked back tears.
A truck was driving across the bridge ahead of me. My hopes soared. Those big tires would make a good path through the snow. The path from the truck tires helped until I reached the end of the bridge and started up the hill. The tires started spinning and the car started to slide back down the hill.
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 my car finally stopped, I heard someone rapping on the window.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I started walking home, hoping to get to a place where I could use my phone on the way.
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