In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel man, and so unkind to him that Androclus ran away. He hid himself in a wild wood for many days; but there was no food to be found, and he grew so weak and sick that he thought he would die. So one day he climbed into a cave and lay down to wait for death, and soon he was fast asleep.
After a while, a great noise woke him up. A lion had come into the cave, and was roaring loudly. Androclus was very afraid, for he felt sure that the beast would kill him. Soon, however, he saw the lion was not angry, but that his foot were hurt.
Then Androclus grew so courageous that he started to examine the lion’s paw to see what was the matter. The lion stood quite still, and rubbed his head against the man’s shoulder. He seemed to say, “I know that you will help me.”
Androclus lifted the paw from the ground, and saw that it was a long, sharp thorn that hurt the lion so much. He took the end of the thorn between his fingers; then he gave a strong, quick pull, and out it came. The lion was full of joy. He jumped about like a dog, and licked the hands and feet of his new friend.
The two became such good friends that Androclus found his new life a very happy one. One day some soldiers found Androclus in the cave and took him back to Rome. It was the law at that time that every slave who ran away from his master should fight a hungry lion. For each of these occasions, a fierce lion was locked up for a while without food, and a time was set for the fight.
Paragraph 1When the day came, thousands of people crowded in to see the fight.
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The people, who had expected to see the man killed by the lion, were filled with wonder.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My sister-in-law Carol said she’d already picked out a kitten for me. I agreed to go with her… just to look. I made no promise to take one home. After all, only two months had passed since I lost my beloved calico cat, Mandi. Maybe I needed to be pet-free for a while.
When we got there, three of the four kittens remained in the litter. Carol picked up one and handed it to me. The beautiful face and white fur on the right side of her nose reminded me of a clown-like mask. How could I resist? Then another kitten, with an evenly balanced white face, jumped into my lap and purred.
Driving home in my British sports car proved difficult with two mischievous kittens. One clung to my left arm and shoulder, watching the fast-moving scenery outside. The other paced back and forth from my lap to the passenger’s seat, making it hard for me to shift gears. Both mewed in a loud duet(二重奏) of protest. Of course, I hadn’t brought a cage. I had not planned to take home a kitten — or two.
The clown-like-masked female earned the name Squeakette with her tiny voice squeaking about each new discovery as she explored her new home. The male, lacking only a black tie in his formal clothes, took the name Sebastian for my favorite composer, Johann Sebastian Bach.
A few weeks later, a neighbor helped me carry down my six-foot artificial Christmas tree from the attic(阁楼). I thanked him with a batch of cookies, and then set up the tree in the comer of my living room.
Sebastian and Squeakette knocked it down before I opened the box of decorations. After setting it upright, I straightened the few bent wire branches back into place. As I checked for any other damage, a quick flash of black-and-white fur passed by me. Up they went, branch by branch. The tree danced around as the two kittens took turns climbing it together. Sebastian made it to the top a moment ahead of Squeakette.
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。
Paragraph 1
He lunged at me from the top, paws stretched out like wings.
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Paragraph 2
Sensing their interest, I found a smaller Christmas tree for them.
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One spring, I was hired as groundskeeper at a Country Inn, a famous bed-and-breakfast located in Washington state. The grand house is in a beautiful place. Many famous people have visited and even had their own rooms there. The owners, Philip and Cecelia, have done a perfect job for the house. However, the gardens were very overgrown. Worse yet, there was another problem: a very persistent doe (母鹿).
Every day when I came to work, there was new evidence of the deer’s big appetite. I tried many preventives: spray, human hair, soap, you name it-but none of those things had effect. Often when I was weeding, I’d look over and there she’d be, munching some tasty pieces. Worst of all, she feasted on the roses, in which Cecelia took great pride. I became so frustrated that I named her “Dinner”— and wanted to serve her on plates.
One morning, I was on my hands and knees pulling out vines and bushes when I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. There was Dinner, not five feet away, munching a large leaf and staring at me. I felt a connection with this animal. We did have something in common-we were both mothers. I got the crazy idea of communicating with her and it seemed she wanted the same thing.
What’s up? I asked in my head.
I’m here because I feel safe, was the gentle reply I felt I heard. I have my fawns (幼鹿) bedded down nearby, and there is plenty to eat. When the twins are older after summer, I will move them deeper into the forest.
I understand that, I assured her. People come here too, from far away. I guess they’ll be interested to see you. I promise that nobody will harm you or your children. I don’t mind sharing the vegetation but Cecelia loves roses, too. She is very upset when they are all eaten.
A loud crash broke the magic. Our eyes met again briefly before she leaped off across the driveway, disappearing into the forest. Has I really communicated with the deer?
Paragraph1.
I went into the kitchen where Cecelia was preparing the evening meal.
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Paragraph2.
Every day, I enjoyed watching Dinner with the twins and my presence never bothered them.
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I can count a dozen friends, all in the 1950s, who adopted a puppy. Actually, I did, too. Last year, I was suddenly consumed by the urgent desire to acquire a seven-week-old Australian shepherd. For one thing, this breed is one of the most energetic on the planet, whereas I am bookish, lazy, and middle-aged.
My trouble with dogs is that I never have the remotest clue what they want, and they never seem to have the slightest idea of what I’m saying to them. He was highly alert, yet unable to grasp a single thing. Kevin’s entire communicative gestures — whether he wanted food, exercise, permission to jump on the sofa, a toy, or, who knows, a conversation about the electric bill — consisted of walking up to me and staring. He did this about 50 times a day, just staring brightly without moving a muscle, and after years of living together, I still didn’t know what he wanted. We coexisted in a state of profound mutual (相互的) incomprehension.
“Sometimes I think,” I wrote in my journal, “it doesn’t matter that I don’t know what he wants, because we have nothing in common. Whatever he wants will be something I don’t want. He probably wants me to go outside and chase squirrels. I don’t want to.”
But one afternoon, there was only Kevin and I at home. My husband was on business abroad for several days and my son was also abroad attending college. I enjoyed my favorite book leisurely while Kevin had a rest or stared at me as usual. It suddenly began to thunder aloud and soon rained cats and dogs. I dashed out of the front-door to fetch the vegetables in my parking lot. The wind was so strong that the front-door just slammed loudly, closed, after I made my way out. Worse still, when I came back with the rescued vegetables, I found the keys were not with me. There was also no backup (备份) of the keys outside my house.
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。
At last, I realized the only one who could help out was Kevin.
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Eventually Kevin began to act.
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Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting plant and animal species and their habitats. As part of the world’s ecosystems, wildlife provides balance and stability to nature’s processes. The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure the survival of these species, and to educate people on living sustainably(可持续地) with other species.
The human population has grown significantly over the past 200 years, to more than seven billion people today, and it continues to rapidly grow. This means natural resources are being consumed faster than ever by the billions of people on the planet. This growth endangers the habitats and existence of various types of wildlife around the world, particularly animals and plants that may be displaced for land development, or used for food or other human purposes. Other threats to wildlife include the introduction of invasive(侵入的) species from other parts of the world, climate change, pollution, hunting and fishing.
National and international organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the United Nations work to support global animal and habitat conservation efforts on many different fronts. They work with the government to establish and protect public lands, like national parks and wildlife reserves. They help make laws, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 in the United States, to protect various species. They work with law enforcement to prosecute(起诉) wildlife crimes, like illegal wildlife trade and hunting. They also promote biodiversity to support the growing human population while preserving existing species and habitats.
National Geographic Explorers, like conservation biologists Camille Coudrat and Titus Adhola are working to slow the extinction of global species and to protect global biodiversity and habitats. Environmental filmmakers and photographers, like Thomas P. Peschak, are essential to conservation efforts as well, documenting and bringing attention to endangered wildlife all over the world.
注意：请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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Swim Buddies
I leaned (倚靠) over the side of the beat and stared at the clear blue water. This was my last chance, I thought. “I hope you find a green turtle (乌龟) today, Alexa, and realize your dream of swimming with it.” Dad said, as if reading my thought. “Me, too,” my brother, Jonah, said. “I want to see one, too!”
I lifted my head up, turned toward Jonah, and glared. Why, why, why did he always insist on following me everywhere, doing everything I did? Make your own friends. I wanted to scream at him. Find your own green sea turtle! But I said nothing. Ever since Jonah was a little kid and they discovered he acted so differently because he had autism (自闭症), I had been trained to show understanding for him. Trained to put up with a lot, including his shouts at the top of his lungs.
“We’ll stop here, and if we are lucky enough to see turtles.” Father said, “remember not to get too close, or they will be scared away. Do the ‘dead man’s float’ and wait. If they’re curious enough, they’ll cheek you out.”
Jonah said — too loudly, of course, so everyone on the boat could hear him —“That turtle sounds just like me. It wants to be friends but doesn’t know how, like me. I really, really, really want to see one, Dad.”
Putting the mouthpiece into my mouth, I dived into the water. I swam in a different direction and searched the seafloor. Suddenly, I saw a huge green turtle chewing on the seaweed. Excited as I was, I did the dead man’s float, lying as still as possible. “Come on, buddy (伙伴).” I said to myself, “Come swim with me!”
As I watched than lonely turtle, I couldn’t help bust think of Jonah’s words about friends — Jonah didn’t have friends. He functioned well enough to be in a regular class, but he was still strange enough that the other kids stayed away from him. This turtle might be the only one we could find today. And I knew that Jonah had got his heart set on seeing one, just like I did. Even though Jonah made my life really hard. I understood how he felt. I swam to Jonah.
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。
Together, we swam back toward my turtle.
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Emerging from the water, Jonah shouted, “The turtle is our friend now!”
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The Mystery of the “Unfriendly” Neighbor
Every morning, Mai would pass her neighbor’s fence with Chó, a German shepherd. For her, walking by Mr. Groll’s yard was the best part of their morning walk and also the worst. It was the best part because the roses along the way seemed to greet them through their scents, “Good morning, Chó,” “Hello, Mai!”. Then the worst part — the unfriendly shape nearby: Mr. Groll. Every time, Mai would offer a polite greeting to Mr. Groll, and Chó, being friendly, would thump (拍打) her tail. Typically, there was no response. Still, Mai knew he was there, watching behind his fence. He sounded out of breath, and the gate swung nervously in his hand.
“Why does Mr. Groll ignore me?” It remained a mystery to Mai. Was he afraid of her because she was blind? Disabilities sometimes scared grown-ups. Then Mai remembered: the previous day, she heard him playing with her friend Jimmy, who was in a wheelchair.
Maybe Mr. Groll didn’t like Vietnamese (越南的) neighbors. Some folks were said to dislike people from faraway places. No, that couldn’t be it. Every Saturday Mr. Groll and Mai’s big brother, Lien, helped each other with yard work. They were friends.
Well, then, Mai thought: “Maybe he doesn’t like me because I’m a girl.” Then she remembered her friend Jana. Mr. Groll would respond happily to her greeting. Mai’s heart twisted: “Mr. Groll likes Jimmy. And Lien. And Jana. But not me and Chó...”
“Me and Chó!” An idea brightened Mai’s mystery. Maybe she did know why Mr. Groll didn’t talk to her!
“Down,” Mai ordered, letting go of Chó’s harness (拴狗绳). Surprised, Chó flopped to the ground. Mai attached her harness to a post, and felt her way along the fence cautiously.
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；
3. 参考问题（无需作答）。
① Was Mr. Groll a real unfriendly neighbor? If not, how would he show his friendliness to Mai?
② How can you make your writing agree with the fact that Mai is blind?
Paragraph 1: The gate squeaked (嘎吱作响) open. “Mai! Be careful!”
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Paragraph 2: But being scared of dogs wasn’t funny.
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One day two years ago, my mother came home from work and announced that she had found a pet for the family. My father, little sister, and I eyed her in doubt.
My sister asked what kind of dog it was. My mother said it was a poodle (贵宾犬) named Pepe. I couldn’t believe she wanted a poodle — especially one with such an ordinary name. But she had made up her mind. “Actually, I’m doing a co-worker a favor,” she said. “The woman who owns Pepe says he hates to be alone and needs children to play with him.”
Pepe arrived the next night. His short tail shook happily. I didn’t get very close to him, thinking he should have stayed with his previous owner. My little sister played with him until bedtime, and he would come to me and begged for more attention. I always ignored him. But no matter how I treated him, he’d always like to be with me. He has always been waiting for me at the front door at the end of the day, smiling happily. He seems to know that I will be coming home from school at that time. Every day, he asks me with his eyes to play with him or take him somewhere. At night, he will wait until I fall asleep, leave his bed by the wall heater, walk down the hall and jump onto the end of my bed.
One night, while everyone was sleeping, I was in a half dream state. My throat hurt, my eyes pained, and some animal was crying in my ear. I opened my eyes and saw fog in my room. I wondered who left the window open. Pepe cried and bit my pajama sleeve (睡衣袖). Then I woke up and realized that it wasn’t fog in my room — it was smoke.
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。
Standing up, I couldn’t breathe.
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I turned off the burner with Pepe around me.
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One day in 1964, my mother came home from work and announced that she had found a pet for the family. My sister asked what it was. My mother said it was a poodle dog named Pepe.
I couldn’t believe my sister wanted a poodle dog — especially one with such a strange name. But she had made up her mind.
Pepe arrived the next night, his short tail bobbing (摆动) happily. I remained distant, thinking poodles should have stayed in France. My sister played with him until bedtime, and he begged for more attention. I ignored him.
He was a skilled digger, so our backyard fence wouldn’t hold him. We tied him; he pulled out of his collar (颈圈). We drove stakes (木桩) into the ground; he dug them up. We put a harness on him, staked the ground and tied him to the laundry pole; he was still waiting for me at the front door at the end of the day, smiling happily.
Every day, he asked me with his eyes to play with him or take him somewhere. At night, he would wait until I fell asleep, leave his bed by the wall heater and jump onto the end of my bed.
One night, I was in a half dream state. Suddenly, my throat and my eyes hurt, and some animal was whining (哀鸣) in my ear. I opened my eyes and saw fog in my room. I wondered who left the window open. Pepe whined and nibbled (咬) on my blouse. Then I woke up and realized that it wasn’t fog in my room — it was smoke.
I couldn’t breathe standing up, so I got down on the floor and crawled (爬行) beneath the smoke. Pepe followed my every move, his curly-haired stomach struggling on the ground. If I hadn’t been so scared, I would have laughed.
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。
We finally arrived in the kitchen, where the smoke was very thick.
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I turned off the burner (炉子) and crawled to open the back door.
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For most people, adopting (收养) a pet is one of the best decisions that they can ever make in their lives. In addition to giving an animal a home and a loving family, the owner will find the company of a pet brings more happiness than expected.
For someone like Maria, having a pet was very suitable. She was all alone after moving to a new apartment in Brazil, which made her feel lonely.
So when she found a cute black puppy named Chips, she knew she had to take him home. Maria thought that Chips would be able to fill the emptiness that she had been experiencing from living all alone.
Maria was right. Once she took the puppy home, they immediately bonded. However, as Maria had to work during the day, she was worried about leaving Chips home alone in her apartment. She was also worried that his crying would upset her neighbors.
One night, when she returned home, outside her door was a package with a folded note attached to it. Maria knew that she was in trouble. She hoped that she would not be evicted (驱逐) from her new apartment because of Chips. She loved Chips so much, and she was afraid that she might have to get rid of him because he made too much noise whenever she was away. Maria was frightened and wondered who could have left it at the door because she had little contact with the people in the building except her neighbor, Angelia. In fact, they only said hello few times.
However, when she noticed the names on the folded note, she found that it wasn’t addressed to her but to her dog, Chips, and that it was “written” by another dog named Corote. Maria opened the package first and found a few toys for pets.
注意：续写词数应为150个左右。
Curious, Maria opened the note and started reading it.
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With Chips following her, Maria knocked at Angelia’s door.
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