My brother Joe and I no longer live in the same state, but I make sure to give Joe a call every Christmas. In fact, I will never forget a Christmas when I was seven and Joe was five. I’ve kept a secret about that Christmas for 20 years. Now hearing Joe’s voice makes me feel guilty (内疚的) about it all over again. I think he probably doesn’t even remember it.
When we were kids, Joe almost drove me “crazy”! If Mom brought home my favorite yogurt, Joe would make sure to eat it before I got a chance. When our parents gave us each our own basketball, Joe insisted on playing with mine instead of his own.
That Christmas when I was seven, I was determined to teach him a lesson. At that time I was old enough that I no longer believed in Santa, but I knew Joe did. I couldn’t stand him thinking Santa had put him on the “nice” list when I knew he’d been naughty (淘气的) all year.
One day before Christmas, I put on my winter jacket and headed over to our neighbor’s backyard. It was filled with rocks. To me they really looked like coal (煤炭). I was sure that they’d look like coal to Joe too. I filled a lot of the rocks into the pockets of my winter jacket, brought them up to my room and hid them under my bed. Then I waited.
That morning, I got up early, went downstairs secretly and put the rocks into the red stocking with Joe’s name on it. I watched Joe take down his heavy stocking, lay it on the living room floor.
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Looking at the gift inside, Joe’s smile disappeared suddenly.
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I said on the phone, “Hey, Joe, do you remember that Christmas morning when you were five …your stocking…”
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2 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
An Unforgettable Thanksgiving
We were living in Jakarta, Indonesia. However, our family of six had to experience a holiday without my wife, Esther, who was in Singapore. This meant that I was in charge of our four children. It was a struggle, putting in part-time at the union mission office, then coming home to manage the children.
Shortly after arriving in Indonesia, I made friends with some of the employees at the United States embassy, where a number of United States marines (海军陆战队) were stationed, and I had great conversations with them. I checked out films from the United States Information Service office on the embassy to show to our children and neighbors.
With Thanksgiving week upon us I thought what we would do to celebrate. Many thoughts ran through my mind. The film about the National Football League game of the week could be checked out for a few days.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving, the quiet of our house was disrupted by the sound of a jeep. We heard it drive up and stop in our driveway. Before we could determine who had come to visit us, a big muscular man was knocking at our door. It was Willie, one marine guard stationed at the United States Embassy. He held a big box in his arms, leaving me instructions: “Pastor Jones, let’s have a real nice Thanksgiving dinner together, OK?” Then out the door he went, “I’ll bring four other marine guards”. I immediately investigated the contents of the box: a frozen turkey and a half-gallon container of Magnolia ice cream — Singapore’s best brand.
The next day I walked from our union mission office to our home. I came across one of my newly-made friends, Tim. He was walking along, depressed and downhearted. I greeted him and asked, “What’s the matter, Tim?”
“Pastor Jones,” he said, “this is our first Thanksgiving away from home, and my wife and I are in the dumps. We went shopping for a turkey for Thanksgiving, and all we could find was a lot of skinny chickens. No turkeys anywhere. Thanksgiving will be no perfect despite my wife’s excellent cooking skills.”
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No turkey? First Thanksgiving away from home? I made a deal with Tim on the spot.
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At the appointed time we heard the jeep from the embassy at the gate of our house.
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The Science of Happiness
Kate is a bright young woman with an intense focus on academics and a long-term goal of becoming a neuroscientist (神经系统科学家). Her path is charted very carefully each day according to schedule. She meets after school with the Brain Club, a group she started that discusses neuroscience and trades academic papers like baseball cards. It’s the kind of group you would never imagine in high school, which is mature beyond their years and led by their own initiative.
It would seem there was no room in Kate’s schedule for fun, let alone helping others. But then she found out about an elementary school hit hard by the pandemic, then inflation, and now a recession (衰退). It sits in the middle of a working-class neighborhood and most of parents were tired out by working physically demanding jobs from dawn to dark. Most families were doing the best but they could just put a few groceries on the table.
Halloween was approaching, and many of the families didn’t participate because they lacked costumes and couldn’t afford to give out candy themselves. So Kate called the headmaster of the elementary school. She was told the families wanted their kids to have fun on Halloween, but they also needed more books in the home.
So Kate went to work. She began with the Brain Club and then branched out to other clubs. They would sponsor a trick-or-treat event featuring games, candy and book giveaways. It was a huge organizational challenge—one that only a very organized person could handle.So Kate put her smarts to use. She arranged for groups of her fellows to decorate their cars and create games. She found a DJ and rounded up boxes of costumes for the kids. She even got the local police to decorate their cruiser (巡逻车). And she went to work getting kids books donated.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At dusk on Halloween,the cars arrived in the parking lot.
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The headmaster said this was the happiest time for the kids.
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It was now December twenty-fourth. So here we were, travelling about 2,000 miles and finally reaching our destination San Diego at last. We’d rented a room in a small, well-worn motel (汽车旅馆) near the beach.
Six-year-old Chat frowned. “There is no Christmas tree, Mommy! But it’s almost Christmas. How can Santa know where to put our presents without a Christmas tree?”
“Yes, a Christmas tree!” echoed (附和) his four-year-old brother Jay. “I want a Christmas tree!”
”Couldn’t we just get a small Christmas tree and set it up in this room somewhere?“ asked Chat. ”That way, Santa Claus will know where to put our presents.”
I sighed, looking around at our squeezed-in beds and bags. “But, honey, the five of us can barely move around in here with all our suitcases and everything. I’m sorry, but we just don’t have the room for something extra like a Christmas tree.”
Our oldest son, seven-year-old Robin, had been listening quietly. Suddenly, he grinned (咧嘴笑). “Yes, we do.”
I stared. “Where?”
He pointed to our motel room’s door. “Right there—on the back of that door. Please, Mommy, if we can’t get a real tree, can’t we make a pretend tree and put it up there? Then Santa will know we love Christmas just as much as he does.”
“And leave us some presents, too!” Chat added.
Make a tree? I looked at the newspaper that I had bought when I was searching for places to rent. If I taped some of those pages together, cut them out into a tree shape, and bought some poster paint and brushes at the store next door…
Now, I was grinning, too. “Okay, boys! Ready to make the very best Christmas tree in the whole wide world?”
“Yes!”
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。
So we bought some paint and then taped and cut and painted.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning, I heard, “Mommy! Daddy! Look! Santa did find us after all!”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was four years old in 1993, when my family emigrated .(移民) from the United Arab Emirates to Toronto. Young enough to be changed by my new home, but old enough to know I was different from everyone around me. I was the only Arab and only Muslim in my junior kindergarten class. Beyond those obvious differences, Canadian life proved to be quite distinct in other ways. And I discovered another surprise that December.
Overnight, everything was suddenly covered in red and green. My classmates talked excitedly about cookies and what gifts they’d asked Santa for that Christmas. At some point, I must have asked myself, “What is Christmas?” There’s nothing quite like it in the Muslim world. The closest comparison might be Eidal-Adha, which translates from Arabic to “Festival of sacrifice”. While both holidays show the same spirit of sharing with the less fortunate and spending time with loved ones, Eid meant new clothes and a family dinner. And that was about it. No tree decorated with ornaments (装饰物), and no gifts covered in wrapping paper.
Christmas was completely foreign to me, but then my parents unexpectedly informed me that Santa would be paying us a visit on Christmas Eve. “But aren’t we Muslim?” I asked.
“Yes, but Santa loves all children equally and gets them all gifts,” my mother replied.
So on that first Christmas Eve in Canada, she hung oversized red and white stockings, each one customized with our names, off our bedposts. I have a distinct memory of the restless expectation that kept me awake long after bedtime and my joy when I got up on Christmas morning to find my stocking filled with gifts.
Still in my pyjamas(睡衣), I ran over to the kitchen to tell my parents that Santa had indeed visited us last night. I asked if they’d seen him, and Mom said, “Of course!” Mom offered Santa a cup of coffee, as is the Arab custom when hosting guests. He needed the energy for the long night ahead, she told me.
When I returned to school after the holidays. I had a story to share with my classmates. Santa had visited me too! I could show off gifts while other kids showed off theirs.
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My parents kept our Christmas tradition going for years, until I was too old to believe in Santa anymore.
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As an adult. I’ve come to realize creating a sense of belonging is joining in traditions.
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They don’t mean it
Our family moved here from China two years ago, and we thought we were pretty well adjusted to American ways. This year my parents decided to give a party on Chinese New Year and invite some of our American friends.
The party went pretty well. Our guests were amazed at the flavor of all the special foods. After the dinner, they thanked us for showing them what a real Chinese New Year dinner was like.
“I loved the dishes. You and the girls must have spent hours doing all the work!” Mrs. O’Meara said to my mother.
“The girls helped with the cutting and I’m sorry they did such a terrible job.” said Mother.
I heard a little gasp(倒吸气) from my friend Kim O’Meara, who stared wide-eyes at Mother. When I asked what the matter was, she told me she just didn’t understand why my mother said so.
I had to laugh. “She doesn’t mean it! It’s just the way she talks.”
Seeing her still confused look, I went on explaining, “In China, parents consider it good manners to deny praises about their children. Otherwise, it would be the same as bragging(自夸).” Kim seemed a little hesitant, but she nodded anyway.
That Easter, the O’Mearas invited our family for dinner. Mrs. O’Meara cooked a huge ham which we enjoyed a lot. As Mrs. O’Meara started cutting up the cake for dessert, Mother said, “I’m not sure if I can eat one more bite. That was the best ham I’ve ever tasted!”
“Aw, that ham was terrible,” said Kim. “I bet you could do a lot better, Mrs. Yang.”
注意:1. 续写短文词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
There was a stunned (震惊的) silence around the table.
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I finally knew how Kim had misunderstood what I had said.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, just a short note inside which says what we have done to celebrate Christmas. It has stuck through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it—the overspending, the anxious running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma—the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to avoid the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so on. I reached for something special just for Mike. The idea came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling (摔跤) at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team supported by an inner-city church. These teenagers, dressed in sport shoes so ragged (破烂的) that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast (对比) to our boys in their stylish blue and gold uniforms and new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. Obviously, the poor team could not afford.
Well, we ended up defeating them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he walked around in his rags with a kind of steet pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, ‘‘I wish just one of them could have won, "he said "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them. ’’
注意∶1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答,
Paragraph 1:
That’s when the idea for his present came.
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For each Christmas, the envelope has become the tradition of our family.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Marcus sat by his window, staring at the lights on other buildings. He thought of his Papa who was visiting Marcus' sick Grandpa in the hospital. "I will try to help Mama while you are gone," Marcus had promised his father.
His little brother, Peter, sat beside him. "When are we getting our Christmas tree, Marcus?" Peter asked. "I can't wait to decorate it with Mama's straw bird." "We're not getting a tree this year, Peter." "Why not?" "Too many bills with Grandpa sick. Mama said we can't afford one."
Someone knocked on their apartment door, and they hurried to see who it was. It was Jack from downstairs. They let him in and he looked around. "No tree yet? I helped put up our artificial tree a week ago. It's up to the ceiling. Just two more days till Christmas! I guess you're not getting a tree." Jack's words left Peter quite unconvinced. "Of course not! We are going to buy a real Christmas tree, a real one!" Jack shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
Marcus walked slowly to his room and gathered his pocket money. It's only seven dollars. He thought that, with school out, he could earn enough money in two days to buy a tree and surprise Mama.
The next day, he stayed busy carrying goods to help shoppers. By the time he left, six more dollars were earned into his pocket. It was his lucky day and he expected that thirteen dollars should buy a small tree.
He whistled all the way to the tree lot（场地）. But even the smallest trees were fifteen dollars or more. Tomorrow would be busy with more shoppers. Marcus had to earn those extra dollars. He asked the seller in the tree lot: "Can you save this tree for me, sir?" "I can't," the man said, "but come back tomorrow. It might still be here." "I will be back." Marcus waved and dashed off.
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 next day, Marcus and Peter came to the tree lot, only to see an even smaller tree.
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They went to a nearby store to buy decorations with the spare dollars.
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In early November, I told the pupils in my class I taught in Delaware about my plan. “I'd like all of you to do extra jobs around the house to cam some money,” I said. “Then we'll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner otherwise.”
I wanted them to understand that religion is more than noble ideas; that people somehow have to make it come alive. I hoped they could experience a sense of their own power to make changes.
Early in Thanksgiving week, the boys and girls arrived in class holding their hard-earned money. They had set tables, washed dishes, cared for younger sisters or brothers. And now they couldn't wait to go shopping.
I supervised (监督) while they moved quickly up and down the supermarket. At last we headed toward the checkout, pushing a cart (购物车) filled with turkey and other pieces of food. Then someone spotted a “necessity” that sent them racing.
“Flowers!” Kristine cried. The group ran toward the holiday plants.
It was more meaningful to use any extra money to buy staples (主食) that could be stretched into meals. After all, I pronounced, “You can't eat flowers.”
“But Mrs. Sherlock, we want flowers." Defeated, 1 looked at the collection of purple chrysanthemums (菊花). “She’ll like this one,” the children agreed, and put the purple plant into the cart gently.
An agency had given us the name and address of a needy grandmother who had lived alone for many years.
Soon we were bouncing along a road to her house. The atmosphere in the car was definitely not spiritual. “You're squishing (压扁) me!” one voice announced. “I think I'm scared of strangers,” said another. Between giggling (咯咯地笑) and punching, and those purple flowers, I wasn't sure that any lesson about giving and receiving was getting through.
注意：
1.续写词数应为100左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
We finally pulled up in front of a small house.
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I was eight years old the first time I felt sympathy (同情) for my sister. It happened on Easter, one of our favorite holidays.
“Michelle,” I whispered on Easter morning. But there was no reply. “Now!” I shouted before putting my hand over my mouth. The last thing I wanted to do was wake up our parents. After a few minutes, my sister finally pulled herself out of bed.
It didn’t take long for me to find my basket. But twenty minutes later my sister was still looking for her basket. At her repeated requests, I decided to help, but don't get the wrong idea. It wasn’t because I felt sorry for her. It was because I’d now been issued a challenge. I had a mission and a case to solve. The Case of the Missing Basket.
By now, our parents were awake. “Looks like the Easter bunny (复活节兔子) came!” Mum said, “You haven’t found your basket, Michelle? Let’s keep looking.” Mom pointed to the hallway closet (壁橱), saying “We haven’t looked in any closets”. Michelle shot across the room, opened the closet door and started searching through the shoes and bags and gloves on the closet floor. Nothing.
“Look up!” I said. “Up above the jackets!” Mission completed.
“My basket !” she shouted. “Mom, can you get it?” Way up on the shelf where we usually kept our soaps was my sister’s Easter basket.
“Here you go, honey” Mom said, as she handed Michelle her basket, too excited to notice anything strange before passing it off. And that’s when it happened. My sister, the tough girl that I, until that day, had never seen break down, started crying.
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1.续写的词数应为120左右；
2.按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My sister’s Easter basket was empty except for the chocolate box ruined by mice.
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But as I read my magazine, I felt something I’d never felt towards my sister before.
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