Harry’s reward
Harry didn’t want to learn to swim. He couldn’t figure out what the use of learning to swim was. But Harry’s parents believed it was a great pity for a healthy boy to be afraid of the wind and the sea.
“Everybody, especially every Englishman and boy, should know how to swim,” Papa had said. “There is never any knowing the use it may be of.”
“Isn’t it very hard to learn?” Harry asked.
“It takes some patience,” his father said. “But in three weeks or so, you should be able to swim fairly well, if you have a lesson every day.”
There was no escaping it, however. Papa, though very kind, was very firm, and once he said a thing, it had to be done. So with a rather white face, poor Harry set off every day for his swimming lesson. He was a quick and clever boy, and a strong boy, and his father knew this. After the initial fear was overcome, it went on better and faster than could have been expected. Two weeks later, Harry had the pleasure of hearing his father say to his mother, “He swims already very nearly as well as I do myself.”
Seacliff, the place at which the family was spending the summer, was not a fashionable watering place but a little village. There were a few gentlemen’s houses in the neighborhood, so that in fine weather merry groups met at the little sheltered bay among the rocks.
One day, Harry, having finished his own morning swim, set off to walk home at his ease. Suddenly a sound disturbed his pleasant thoughts. A carriage was rushing wildly along, coming nearer and nearer. The driver, Ann, stood upright in the carriage (马车), hitting the poor horse as if she were mad, while from time to time she screamed, “Help, help!”
“What is it?” screamed Harry too, as Ann passed. She would not stop, but she threw back some words through the wind. “My sister—Alice—is drowning (淹溺). Go to the village to fetch someone who can swim.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Harry ran back to the bathing place at once.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There were plenty of hands to help carry them to land once they were within a safe distance; however, it was Harry who was the true hero.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was young, a car accident left a scar (伤疤) on my face. I was used to people staring at it. I never understood why people judged others by their physical appearance.
Years later, I went to a new school. On the first day, our teacher introduced me to the whole class. “Please welcome the new student Rina. Let's be friendly and help her fit into our school.”
Our teacher then started the lesson, which was about first aid. She asked if anyone knew anything about it. Silence filled the classroom. As a daughter of two doctors, I had leaned CPR (心肺复苏) before. I slowly stood up and started sharing what I could remember. Before I could finish, a girl started saying to herself “What a way to show off! Scar face! ” The teacher heard it and shouted, “Respect! Ruby. ” Ruby stopped, looking at me like I was her enemy.
Ruby and her friends made trouble for me at every chance they got. One day, when I was walking home from school, someone tripped (绊倒) me from behind and I fell. That gave me a bleeding nose. When I got up, I found Ruby laughing wildly with two of her friends. The anger in me was fighting to get out but some how I got it contained, which made Ruby laugh even louder. All of a sudden, the laughing stopped. I saw her standing there breathing painfully.
“Help! Help…” her friends shouted, “She is having an heart attack!”
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 stood there with mixed feelings.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Ruby came back from the hospital, she came to me after school.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Cry of a Woman’s Heart
The poor children who attended our church-supported Christmas party feasted on Christmas foods, enjoyed wonderful shows and received various gifts from Santa. When all the children had gone, we breathed a sigh of relief with tiredness.
Pointing to the extra gifts left in Santa’s black bag, Jean asked, “What are we going to do with all these toys?” As we were lost in reflection, Bobbie said, “Remember the three sisters who were at the party? Why don’t we deliver the toys to their house on Monday while they are in school to give them a surprise?” Everyone agreed. Since I lived closest to the three little girls, I volunteered to deliver the gifts.
On Monday, I drove to their home, confident their mother would be there. As I got out of my car a small dog appeared. He barked (吠叫) loudly and followed dangerously close to me as I hurried to the front door. With one large bag of toys, I knocked on the door. No one answered. I knocked repeatedly for several minutes. Still no answer.
Disappointed, I said, “Okay, now what am I supposed to do? I can’t carry these presents around all day!”
Managing to stay a few steps ahead of the barking dog. I returned to my car. After I calmed down I remembered hearing one lady at the church mention some needy children, who didn’t attended the party, had no toys. They lived in a wooden house not far from where I sat.
As I approached that location, I saw three shabby (破损的) wooden houses side by side. “Oh, no,” I whispered. “How am I supposed to know which house is the right one?” I pulled into the large dirt yard shared by all three families. As I got out of the car, I thought to myself, “Well, I’ll try the middle one first.” I knocked on the door. As I prepared to knock again, the door opened halfway.
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。
A tired-looking young woman with reddened eyes stood in the doorway.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Knowing that this was just the house I wanted, I was secretly relieved.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jason was a 10-year-old football player who lacked a little speed, yet he made up for it through his good attitude. Jason never missed a practice, even though he was a substitute (替补队员) on my team and had few chances to attend the game. Even so, Jason was never discouraged, and always made a sincere effort.
One day, he didn’t come to practice. When he didn’t show up on the second day, as his coach, I called his home to check on him. One of his out-of-town family members informed me that Jason’s old grandfather had passed away and that the family was making funeral (葬礼) arrangements. When his grandfather was alive, he never could see Jason play; it made Jason feel bad. Now his grandfather had gone; I felt sorry for Jason.
Two weeks later, Jason returned to my team, ready for practice. Only three days of practice remained before our next game. This was an important game because we were against a very strong team. And we only had a one-game lead over them. This was a critical game at a key point in the season.
When the big day rolled around, my top players were ready to rush onto the field. It was a summer evening and the sky was filled with beautiful shiny stars. Before the game, Jason and other players lay on the grass to relax. Jason, who lay beside me, stared at the sky all the time. Suddenly, he whispered to me with excitement, “Coach, look at that shiniest star! My grandpa is on it. He said he would be on the shiniest star in the sky after he was gone.” Touched, I said, “Sure, boy!”
Minutes later, the game started and my top players ran to the field. Jason together with me and a few other substitutes watched on the bench. To my disappointment, my team didn’t perform well.
注意：1.续写词数应为 150 左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
When the other team scored two goals while my team scored none, I was so anxious.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Motivated by Jason, my team played with more enthusiasm.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.
Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.
One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).
After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”
Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”
As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.
Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.
1. Why did people visit Thomas?| A．For advice. | B．For a meeting. |
| C．For a competition. | D．For introductions. |
| A．He ignored them. | B．He listened to each one individually. |
| C．He prioritized the problems himself. | D．He asked them to write down their problems. |
| A．The complexity of their difficulties. | B．The similarity of their situations. |
| C．Their need for more advice. | D．Their living conditions. |
| A．Competition. | B．Sympathy. | C．Prioritization. | D．Self-confidence. |
It was a sunny morning, and I accompanied my elderly mother to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, but I was always nervous. My mother was going to Canada for two days and then accompanied by my niece to Germany to visit my second brother and sister, but I was unable to accompany her because of my work, so my mother, who was in her seventies, had to fly alone.
On the way to the airport, my mother hid her worries and put a smile on her face so that her family would not be worried. But I couldn’t help but think about what my mother was going to do when she got through customs, which exit she was going to take when she arrived in Canada...Not to mention a big suitcase of luggage and a box of souvenirs. A few days ago, my mother cooked some of the children’s favorite foods, store in a refrigerated box and prepared to bring them to her children and grandchildren to taste. Since my sister got married in Canada, she has missed my mother’s cooking. This time, if it weren’t for the fact that my second sister was too busy to get out in Germany, and my mother could visit her son who had settled in Germany for more than 20 years at the same time, I am afraid that she would never have traveled alone.
Originally, I planned for my mother to only carry small luggage, so that she did not have to check it in, and it was easier to enter and exit. But when I packed her bags, I picked up more than two-thirds of my things for my younger brothers and sisters. The mother is like this; she always thinks that she is not enough to think about her children. As long as she sees the children happy, she can be happy for a long time.
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 accompanied my mother to the counter, seeing a couple talking and laughing.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was so moved that I couldn’t stop thanking them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . At Denver, many passengers got on the train which travelled east. In one coach, there sat a very pretty young woman, who was richly and beautifully dressed. Among the newcomers were two men. The younger one was good-looking with a bold, honest face; the other was a sad-faced person, large and dressed in cheap clothes. The two were handcuffed (用手铐铐住) together.
When they reached the coach, the only empty seats were the ones facing the pretty young woman. Here the pair seated themselves. The woman quickly looked at them, and then with a lovely smile, she held out her hand. When she spoke, her voice showed that she was used to speaking and being heard.
“Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I think I must. Don’t you ever say hello to old friends when you meet them in the West?”
The younger man looked surprised to hear her voice. He seemed a little embarrassed, but immediately he held her fingers with his left hand. “It’s Miss Fairchild, he said, with a smile. “I’ll ask you to excuse the other hand. I can’t use it just at present.”
He slightly raised his right hand, which was handcuffed to the left one of his partner. The delightful look in the woman’s eyes slowly changed to doubt and fear. Easton, with a little laugh, was about to speak again when the other cut him short. The sad-faced man had been watching the young woman’s face with his sharp, searching eyes.
“You’ll excuse me for speaking, Miss. But I see you know the marshal (警官) here. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me in prison, he’ll do it. It’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. I’m going to be in prison for seven years.”
“Oh!” she said, with a deep breath and returning color. “So, that is what you are doing out here. A marshal!”
1. Why did the two men sit near the woman?| A．She was attractive. | B．They knew one another. |
| C．She liked to speak to people. | D．There were no other seats. |
| A．He was impolite. | B．He was busy. |
| C．He was doubtful. | D．He was delighted. |
| A．He wanted to be set free. | B．He wanted a better life in prison. |
| C．He wanted her to forgive Mr. Easton. | D．He wanted to make friends with her. |
| A．A friendship had to be ended. | B．Mr. Easton recognized the woman. |
| C．A misunderstanding was cleared up. | D．The woman made fun of Mr. Easton. |
Sometimes difficulties can bring people closer together. The snowstorm was supposed to hit the evening of Monday, Jan. 31. I was working from home, but I had to leave that afternoon and go to my office at First Nations University, so I could sign an emergency financial aid check for a student. I wasn’t worried. I figured I had more than enough time to make it to the office and get back home. I arrived at the office, finished the business successfully and brought the scarves I had prepared for my two daughters to the car. To be safe, I decided to take the country roads back home instead of the highway, which could fast become a skating rink.
However, the snow started earlier than expected-and it was coming down fast! The road soon switched from paved (柏油路) to gravel (碎石路), forcing me to slow down. The windows were fogging up and getting covered with snow. I didn’t have a clue where I was or even which side of the road I was on. What I knew was just that I was among several big farms. I stopped because I was afraid of driving into a farmer’s field. Luckily, I had filled up my car with gas. I kept the car running to stay warm and called 911. The dispatcher (调度员) told me to sit tight and wait things out for the night—nobody was coming to get me until morning, at the earliest.
Getting out to walk in a whiteout with zero visibility, high winds and a temperature around minus 4 degrees—when I didn’t even know where I was—wasn’t an option. It was now about 7 p. m. and dark. Misfortune never came alone. I just realized that my phone has run out of battery. I was at a loss and looked around to find a way to escape from the desperate situation. Suddenly, I saw a tall figure in a yellow raincoat shaking in the dark, carrying a flashlight and other farming tools. I invited him into the car and knew that he was Andy, a farmer living on the other side of the farm with his wife.
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 cold wind outside made him look pale and he was trembling.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After driving in the darkness for a long time, we finally stopped before a farmhouse with lights still on.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . 55-year-old Rob Kenney, who grew up without a father, has been doing his part to make a difference in the lives of kids today.
He created a YouTube channel, called Dad, How Do I, which aims to give youths the valuable lessons a father is meant to give. Launched only two months ago, his channel already has more than two million subscribers (订阅者). Rob teaches children and adults, many of whom are also without a dad, basic skills such as how to tie a tie, how to cook meals, how to repair a lamp and many more.
“I didn’t start this to make money,” Rob told his viewers. “I just thought I was going to help a few people... 30 or 40 subscribers... but it’s turned into a way more than that. And please don’t think I am only aiming this at young men. It is for anybody who feels that they need to learn something.”
Now that his channel has had such huge unexpected success, Rob plans to give his earnings to a number of international charities.
Many viewers have been touched by the warm words Rob shares in his videos. Such simple words, like “I love you”, “You’ve done a good job” and “I’m proud of you,” can have a deep impact on many children, even some adults. He starts each video with an enthusiastic “Hey, kids!” — but Keiha Danaher said that she was a 33-year-old woman, and she answered back crying, saying, “Hi, dad!”
Rob’s childhood story makes him a role for the kids who watch his channel. By the age of 14, his parents had divorced. He had to move in with his elder brother and learn from the tough life experiences without parents in his life. But that didn’t prevent him from being a good father to his children. His experience shows his viewers that there is always opportunity in the face of difficulties.
1. Why did Rob Kenney create the channel Dad, How Do I in the beginning?| A．To cheer up those who feel upset. |
| B．To make some money to support his family. |
| C．To teach children and adults some useful life skills. |
| D．To offer youths advice on how to get on well with others. |
| A．Rob’s videos are only intended for young men. |
| B．Subscribers are mainly made up of poor people. |
| C．The number of subscribers is larger than Rob expected. |
| D．Rob guesses there won’t be more people to subscribe his channel. |
| A．Make his videos more entertaining and instructive. |
| B．Help more children improve their intelligence. |
| C．Let more people have sympathy for him. |
| D．Donate the money he earns to charities. |
| A．They think Rob is just like their real father to take care of them. |
| B．The words in Rob’s videos are warm and encouraging. |
| C．Rob’s experiences remind them of their own. |
| D．Rob’s attitude toward life is always positive. |
“The package is from Uncle Aaron in Scotland,” Rylee told her father. Her uncle travelled a lot on business, so Rylee seldom got to see him. Her father’s only response was to raise an eyebrow (眉毛).
Rylee opened the box. She pulled out a large necklace (项链). One side of the necklace had a symbol of circles. It looked like writing on the other side, but Rylee did not understand what the words meant.
The box also had a letter from her uncle. He explained how he had found the necklace at a curious little shop. He described how the elderly storekeeper had told him that the necklace had special powers and warned him to be careful with it.
Her uncle ended the letter with “BE CAREFUL!!!” in big letters and a “laughing” emoji (表情符号). He did not seem to take the storekeeper’s warnings seriously. “Let me wear it to school today, Dad,” Rylee said. “Maybe it will bring me luck on my history test.” “Good grades come from studying, not from luck,” Dad said. “I did study, but everyone thinks this will be a hard test.” Rylee put her fingers around the necklace she still held, “I wish you’d let me wear it.” “Yes, you can wear it today.” That made Rylee stop to wonder, because her dad had never given in that fast before.
At school, Rylee heard a group of kids talking. Some said her necklace looked ugly, while others thought it silly to believe in good luck necklaces. She wished her classmates thought the necklace was as cool as she did. Without warning, all eyes turned to Rylee and her necklace. Students began to push to get a closer look. Everyone seemed to talk at once, telling her how cool it looked. All Rylee’s friends wanted to borrow her lucky necklace. That made Rylee stop to wonder why everyone changed their minds so fast.
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。
Sitting at her desk, Rylee watched the teacher pass out their tests.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Rylee looked down at her test and found that her score was one hundred percent.
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