I woke up to the sound of rumbling (隆隆声). At first, I thought it was thunder, but then I felt the ground shake beneath me. I sat up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest. It took a few moments for me to realize what was happening — an earthquake. I had always heard stories about earthquakes, but I had never experienced one myself. I knew that I needed to act fast to ensure my survival.
The room was shaking violently, and I struggled to keep my balance. I quickly got out of bed and tried to make my way to the door. I stumbled and fell a few times, but I managed to make it to the door and open it.
As I stepped outside, I met with chaos. The ground was still shaking, and I could hear the sound of buildings collapsing in the distance. People were running in all directions, screaming and crying. I knew that I needed to find a safe place to take cover.
I remembered reading that doorways were one of the safest places during an earthquake, so I made my way to the nearest doorway and waited there. The ground continued to shake, and I had never felt so scared in my life.
After what seemed like an eternity (永恒), the shaking finally stopped. I cautiously stepped out of the doorway, looking around at the destruction that the earthquake had caused.Buildings had crumbled to the ground, and fires were burning in the distance. I remembered that I had a survival kit in my car, so I made my way to the parking lot.
When I got there, I saw that my car had been crushed by debris (碎片) from a nearby building. I realized that I was on my own. I knew that I needed to stay calm and think rationally. I looked around and saw a group of people huddled together across the street. I made my way over to them, and they welcomed me into their group.
注意：
1．续写词数应为150个左右；
2．请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Together, we worked to find a safe place to take shelter.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Eventually, after a few days, help arrived, and we were brought to safety.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sticking together was always important to my family — especially after my dad left us. I didn’t always talk to my mom about my feelings, because she was busy tending our farm. I talked to my sister, Alana, and I talked to Sister Belle — that’s what we called our cow. She was definitely part of my family, and we loved her very much.
Later on, as we needed to move, we had to sell our farm and all the animals, including Sister Belle. We wanted her to go to someone who would love her like we did, and we thought it was an answer to our hope when a man called. He told he could only pay 300 dollars, but that he had lots of pasture (牧场) and a large barn (畜棚). That afternoon, we went to his place. It looked really nice, and we were happy that we had found the right home for Sister Belle.
The next day we delivered Sister Belle to her new owner. I could feel tears stinging my eyes, but I convinced myself that Sister Belle would be better off in her new home.
A week later, while we were having our moving sale, a neighbor came up telling us she had seen our cow before the cow went to auction (拍卖会). My mom couldn’t believe it and asked who was sell ng the cow. When knowing who it was, I felt sick. We had trusted him, and just a week later he was selling Sister Belle away to make a profit!
We drove to his house. When he answered the door, mom told him what the neighbor had said and he shut the door right in our faces. Alana was crying, and my mom was begging him to sell Sister Belle back to us. But he wouldn’t open the door.
Back home, my mother started calling a lot of auctions and finally found one that had a record of our cow, and told us the cow would be auctioned off the next morning.
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 we arrived at the auction early.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Therefore, we decided to join in the auction.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For nearly four months, the little dog, Indiana, fortunately survived in the woods with a wounded shoulder. She'd been mistaken for a wolf and shot while running wild with her mother, Dakota. An animal control officers said they were the most strongly bonded pair he'd even seen and the two dogs refused to leave each other's side, even while trying to escape being caught.
As a result of the gunshot, Indiana lost both her leg and her mother, for the two were sent to different adoption groups. While Indiana was learning to walk on three legs down south, Dakota was 1,000 miles north in New England. The first adoption family returned her two days later. They said the dog couldn't bond with humans, kept them up all night and wasn't suitable to live in a home. Eventually, Dakota found her forever home with me on Long Island. I have experience with such dogs, and Dakota, a husky (哈士奇犬), just needed attention and someone who understood how to approach her. I always let her come up to me. I gave her the time and space to explore and feel comfortable. She soon let me put a belt on her and would lie on the sofa with me quietly.
When I, accidentally, read the post of Dakota's first adopter, it mentioned that the little dog Dakota had been running with was shot, and, I thought, killed. I'm a broadcast news journalist, so I always did some survey and, by chance, heard a story from a South Carolina TV news outlet about a dog that recently had her front leg cut off because of an old gunshot wound. And anyone who wanted to adopt Indiana was required to have a six-foot fence because she kept jumping over the one at the care shelter in South Carolina. There was no mistaking it—she looked exactly like Dakota. Indiana wasn't killed by the gunshot, just badly injured.
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
While Dakota loved me and her new home, she still missed her kid.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I decided to bring three-legged Indiana to my home.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Life On Venus?
Cats Make for Ideal Human Companions
Cats have a reputation for being colder and less cuddly (令人想拥抱的) than their counterparts—dogs. In reality, they form close bonds with their owners and provide a sense of companionship, particularly for women. In fact, the findings of one Austrian study show that owning a cat is the emotional equivalent of being in a romantic relationship.
Some people feel silly talking to their pets, since, of course, they can’t respond. But interacting with your feline (猫科的) companions has proven health benefits. Not only does talking to your cat improve your bond, but it’s also said to be beneficial to your mental health by helping to improve your mood, lower your stress levels, and reduce our feelings of loneliness.
Cats are experts at sleeping, so it’s perhaps no surprise that they can help improve your sleep, too. A Mayo Clinic study found that people who slept with their pets in the same room were almost twice as likely to get a good night’s rest, with only 20 percent saying that they found their pets’ presence destructive.
Cats may not be able to help with the housekeeping, but they can assist in keeping your house free of mice. It turns out there’s some truth behind the cartoon cat-and-mouse chase. When mice smell certain proteins in cat saliva (唾液), they become tearful and therefore avoid the area.
It’s important for children to learn to care for and look after a living thing, just as their parents take care of them. Cats can help children develop social skills as they learn to approach the feline carefully and gently. Looking after a cat also encourages a sense of responsibility.
In addition to filling your heart with love, cats can contribute to keeping your heart healthy. Numerous studies have shown that owning a cat can help reduce your blood pressure and heart rate, as well as lowering your triglyceride (甘油三酸酯) and cholesterol levels, thereby reducing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You still need a better reason to plant a tree?
Police aren’t cheap and neither are lawyers, judges, and all the other layers that make up the justice system. But trees and some grass, in comparison, are a real bargain, and they prove to be effective in lighting crimes.
Many cities used to launch programs to plant vegetation along roadways to help absorb rainwater. After tracking 14 types of crime in nearby areas, Michelle Kondo, a social scientist found that a variety of crimes including property crimes such as theft and burglary, and violent crimes such as armed fights and mayhem in those areas decreased to 27 percent, a stunning 18 percent fall. Kondo believed the appearance of city trucks and vans in the landscaped areas— for planting and maintenance— was enough to scare away potential criminals.
Kondo’s study also worked on the link between grassland care and decrease of the crime in downtown areas. It’s tempting to use income as the connection. After all, if you have the crime and money to water your lawn, you probably live in a neighborhood that sees less crime. But actually, people are less likely to hang in those areas where the streets are maintained or cleaned. “You will see less kids hanging on the corners.’’ Kondo said. He argued that caution of the local people implied by the organized greenery helped to frighten away ill-intentioned guys, by announcing to would-be criminals that there are “eyes on the street’’ that care for their neighborhood and would be more likely to report a crime.
We already know greenery is beautiful to look at and can help improve mood and health while reducing pollution. Now we can add crime-fighting to the list of vegetation’s many benefits. Therefore, are you ready to plant a tree?
Are People Unique?
It is human beings' pride that we are the only species on the Planet that can speak and think. However, recent research casts doubt on that common belief.
Zuberbuhler, a psychologist at St Andrews University, and his colleagues recorded thousands of calls made by Diana monkeys and noticed that the monkeys adapted their calls to change the meaning to warn one another about different situations. For example,they made a "krack" alarm call at the sight of a tiger. However,when they merely repeated calls made by other monkeys they added an "oo".
The researchers found that the same calls would be recognized by other species, like Campbell's monkeys. So they are communicating across species."And since then we have found that hornbill birds can understand these calls and they too can understand all the different meanings, said Zuberbuhler. What is also surprising is that signs of intelligence have been found in birds whose small brains were long assumed to be a complete barrier to intelligence. However, all that is changing fast. A few years ago, Irene Pepperberg of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology taught a parrot to recognize and count up to six objects, which couldn't have been achieved if birds were unable to memorize.
Last year that was topped by Alex Kacelnik, a professor of behavioral ecology at Oxford, who discovered that crows (乌鸦) are capable of using tools in complex orders, the first time such behavior had been observed in non-humans. In an experiment seven crows successfully grabbed a piece of food placed out of reach using three different lengths of stick. Crucially, they were able to complete the task without any special training, suggesting the birds were capable of a level of abstract reasoning normally associated only with humans.
All this is powerful evidence against the idea that people are unique.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was a chilly, brisk morning, and Jason and his friends hiked quickly through the woods. Jason watched the river flow alongside him, fascinated by the rapid water. He had a keen interest in anything fast-race cars, horses, or rivers.
Jason turned to Tanya. “The river is fast,” he said, “but I can go even faster.” Then Jason took off to race the river along the shore. Suddenly, he tripped over a tree log, tumbled (滚落), and rolled into the river.
Tanya screamed in terror as Jason fell. When Jason cried out for help, waving his arms wildly, Tanya realized Jason was in serious trouble. Mr. Green, the group leader, had also seen what had happened and came running. Quickly, Mr. Green and the rest of the group ran alongside the river. Though they tried to catch up with Jason, he was always just out of their reach.
Jason kept his head above water as he floated downstream. Fortunately, he was a strong swimmer and managed to move easily with the water current. At one point, the river curved, and the water flow slowed down a bit. When he caught sight of a large rock ahead of him, he held out his arms and waited to grab it. It worked, and Jason’s movement down the river stopped!
Jason observed his surroundings and realized he was not far from shore. He felt he could swim there easily. He took a deep breath and got ready to push off until something appeared from behind a tee. It was a big bear.
Jason was both surprised and scared. He knew it wasn’t safe to swim to shore now, and he didn’t wish to make the bear’s acquaintance. If they met, he would be no match for the powerful creature. He shivered and held on more tightly to the rock.
Jason watched the bear and it seemed to be staring right back at him. Suddenly, it began to walk to the edge of the river, and Jason grew scared. Jason looked around and noticed tall reds (芦苇), which looked like giant straws, growing in the water.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中划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。
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, Jason had another idea.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
After what seemed like ages, he raised his head above the water slowly.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rock Climbing — conservationists’ new concern
Now, with its first appearance at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, the once minority sport is set to reach new heights. Yet the popularity of rock climbing and its sister sport, bouldering (where climbers scramble up large rocks without the use of ropes or safety belts), is raising questions about the damaging environmental effects of climbing chalk — a common and essential climbing tool.
Made from magnesium carbonate (碳酸镁), climbing chalk is the same substance that gymnasts and weightlifters use to improve their grasp on bars and weights. In fact, it was first introduced to rock climbing in the 1950s by John Gill. Since then, amateur and professional climbers alike have come to depend on the chalk’s properties of removing water and increasing friction (摩擦力) — and have been leaving long stripes of the stuff on rock faces around the world.
The resulting “chalk graffiti” has become so bad in the United States that parks are beginning to restrict its use. Utah’s Arches National Park allows only colored chalk that mostly matches rocks, while Colorado’s Garden of the Gods National Natural Landmark banned all chalk and chalk substitutes.
Beyond the visual pollution, new research suggests chalk may be harming the plants that grow on rocks. The latest study on the effects of climbing chalk, released October 2020, found that it negatively impacted both the growing and survival of four species of ferns and mosses (蕨类和苔藓) inhabiting rocks in laboratory settings.
That matters because some climbing spots, such as erratic boulders (the study’s focus), host unique ecosystems. These unpredictable boulders — rocks scattered across the globe by large masses of slowly flowing ice at the end of the Ice Age — are islands of vegetation, different from the land they sit on.
It’s not even clear whether chalk improves climbing performance at all. Some papers found no additional grip benefits, while others found the opposite. Some climbers may find it helpful, says Daniel Hepenstrick, a co-author of the 2020 study and a doctoral candidate at ETH Zürich.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Can Birdsong Make You Happier?
If you are able to step outside and hear many types of birds, you might also have a greater feeling of well-being. Two studies show that hearing diverse birdsongs may help increase our happiness.
One study was done by the researchers at California Polytechnic State University. The team studied the effects of birdsong on people walking through a park in the U.S. state of Colorado. Danielle Ferraro, who led the Cal Poly study, says that there could be an evolutionary reason why we like birdsong. The idea is that when we hear birdsong it could signal safety to us. There could be many other reasons too Ferraro states that in some areas around the world birdsong can also signal the arrival of spring and nice weather. Bird diversity, she adds, can also mean a healthy environment.
Similarly, scientists in Germany examined for the first time whether a diverse nature also increases human well-being across Europe. The researchers looked at the European Quality of Life Survey to study the connection between the different kinds of birds in their surroundings and life satisfaction. They looked at more than 26,000 adults from 26 European countries. “Europeans are particularly satisfied with their lives if their surroundings have a high species diversity,” explains the study’s lead author, Joel Methorst, a researcher at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. He and his team found that the happiest Europeans are those who can experience many different kinds of birds in their daily life, or who live in near-natural surroundings that are home to many species.
So, if birdsong is good for our mental health, how can we increase the different types of birdsongs we hear? Scientists also mentioned, “We would recommend planting native trees and flowers because we have a lot of pretty decorative plants in our cities. And they might look nice to us, but birds can’t necessarily use them. So, we think it important to have species that are native to the area to increase bird diversity.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The wilderness was green and large, and it was a dangerous place. The temperature could reach nearly 0°C at night, and there were wolves and bears in the forests. So when 4-year-old Karina Chikitova went missing from her remote village, Olom, and after nine days no one had found her, everyone was worried.
Karina had run after her parents that morning, who had set out for another village where there had been working for many years. The family depended on their wages, so after a week's rest at home, they had to go back to work. Afraid of her parents’ scolding, she did not dare to follow them too closely, with the result that her parents did not notice that their little daughter was following them. Her grandmother thought Karina was with her father; her father thought Karina was with her grandmother!
In fact, after following her parents for more than one hour, Karina failed to see them no longer. She wandered aimlessly kilometres into the wilderness. Fortunately, Karina had left Olom with her dog, Naida, so Karina didn’t panic. Instead of going into the centre of the forest, she walked along the river. However, she had no idea how to get home, When night fell, she curled up with Naida for warmth though there were a lot of wet mud on his paws(爪子).
The villages in the wilderness didn’t have the Internet and they often didn't have phones, so it was four days before Karina's family and the villagers realized Karina and Naida were missing. They started searching for them everywhere. Helicopters were even used in the emergency rescue. But a small girl and her dog in that landscape were hard to find. Five more days passed. Little Karina was terrified by now, but at least Naida was with her to keep her warm in the cold nights. One day, though, she woke up and found that Naida wasn't there. Karina couldn’t believe that her dog had left her alone.
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。
But Naida hadn’t abandoned her.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fortunately, Naida had left paw prints on the mud.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
