Another school year was beginning. I had thirteen excited first graders eager to learn and ready to fill my classroom with laughs, tears, and everything. I realized that I had a small class size and got excited about the special projects we could do. One project that I had been particularly interested in was finding a doctor in Doctors Without Borders as a pen pal for my students, which could definitely broaden my students’ horizons.
I began by sending out an e-mail to our school district employees asking for names and contact information of any doctor in Doctors Without Borders which they knew of. I sent an e-mail to each one asking if we could communicate with them, but only one reply came: Dr. Denisar, who was in Africa for humanitarian medical work. Since six-year-olds’attention spans were short and many of the students were just learning how to read and write, I thought it would be the best to correspond through e-mail. Dr. Denisar quickly became a reward system. If students practiced and could read a book fluently, I would record it and e-mail it. If they finished a writing assignment, I would scan it and e-mail it. If students were misbehaving, I caught myself saying, “What would Dr. Denisar think about that?”
We also used the information Dr. Denisar included in his e-mails as learning opportunities. As we communicated with him, we learned more about him, as well as his missions from disease outbreaks to malnutrition of the locals. We started to lighten things up by recording songs and jokes, and sending art projects and care packages. He appreciated the communication. After Dr. Denisar returned, we continued to communicate with him, as my students had got quite attached. He promised that he would make a trip to our small town in Illinois to meet my class when he could.
The school year was beginning to wrap up when he contacted me in April about coming up to visit in May. For the first time, we began talking on the phone about his visit.
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。
As the day of his visit approached, the kids began to get nervous.
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__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.汉语里的幽默对外国人来说的难点在什么地方?
2.怎么克服这些难点从而能够听懂相声里的幽默?
注意：
1.写作词数应为 50 个左右；
2.请按照如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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1. When was the first reconstruction(重建)of Tokyo completed?
| A．In 1923. | B．In 1930. | C．In 1945. |
| A．The war. | B．An earthquake. | C．A fire disaster. |
| A．Air pollution. | B．Waste treatment. | C．Housing shortages. |
I came to know this unique individual in a very simple way. One afternoon, in the little town where I then lived, I was walking my dog when he began to behave strangely, rolling wildly on the ground.
While I was wondering what was the matter with him, I became aware that someone was walking by my side—a man of about 30, poorly dressed, collarless and hatless. A beggar, I thought, and was about to put my hand in my pocket. But the stranger smiled peacefully at me as though we were old friends. “He’s got a tick (扁虱), poor guy,” he said, pointing to my dog. “Come along. We’ll have it out.” There was such warm friendliness in his eyes that I took no offense at his familiarity. I followed him to a park bench and sat down beside him.
Strange to say, my Kaspar, who was usually wary (警惕的) of strangers, responded at once, and put his head on the man’s knee. Searching the dog’s coat with long and sensitive fingers, the stranger finally said “Aha!” and released Kaspar. “Here it is,” he laughed, holding something in the air. As the dog ran hurriedly, the stranger rose with a nod and walked on. His departure was so sudden that it did not occur to me until later that I should have thanked him.
At home, still considering the man s strange behaviour, I reported the adventure to our old cook. “Oh, that was Anton,” she remarked. “He’s got an eye for everything.” I asked what he did for a living. “Nothing,” she said, as if astonished by my question.
“Well,” I said. “Everyone has to have something to live on.”
“Not Anton,” she said. “Everyone is glad to give him whatever he wants. He doesn’t care about money. He doesn’t need it, either.” Well, this was strange.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I resolved to learn more about him.
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In later years I have often thought of Anton.
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Jacob sat on the grass outside Grandma’s house. He held a piece of paper. He folded the paper this way and made a point. Then he folded it that way and this way and made wings. Jacob threw his paper airplane high into the air. It twisted (盘旋), turned and fell to the ground.
Grandma looked up from her gardening as Jacob folded another piece of paper. He threw the new plane into the air. It went up, came down and bounced off the ground.
“You know,” said Grandma, “there’s a secret airport just through those trees. Want to see?”
“An airport!” Jacob jumped up. “Near your house?” Jacob took Grandma’s hand, and they followed a path through the trees. They stopped when they reached a wide river.
Tik-tik-tik, tik-tik-tik, noises filled the air.
“The airport sounds busy today,” said Grandma. She pointed through the trees. “Watch carefully.”
Jacob looked across the river. He only saw trees, no airplanes. He looked into the sky. He only saw clouds and sunshine.
Raaaawnk!
A large gray-blue bird with wide wings and long legs swooped (猛冲) down. It landed in a tree, on some sticks and branches. A nest!
Jacob looked at the other trees. There were nests all around! Another large bird swooped out from the trees, just as a new arrival flew in and landed.
“It is an airport,” said Jacob. “A bird airport!” “Those are great blue herons (鹭),” said Grandma. “See the baby chicks?” Jacob saw three little chicks stick their heads out of a nest. They stretched out their necks to receive food from their parent.
“They might be having fish for lunch,” said Grandma. After the meal, the heron spread its wings and flew into the air. It flew slightly downward at first, and then flew away with large and slow beats of its wings.
“Those are huge wings,” said Jacob.
“They help the heron travel a long way to find food,” said Grandma.
Jacob watched a heron fly in, with long legs stretched toward a nest and wings open wide, acting as brakes (刹车) for a gentle touchdown.
“They’re good for landing, too,” said Jacob thoughtfully.
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。
Back at home, Jacob asked Grandma for help to find paper plane designs on the computer.
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“Ready?” Jacob held up his plane.
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When I was in middle school, my social studies teacher asked me to enter a writing contest. I said no without thinking. I did not love writing. My family came from Brazil, so English was only my second language. Writing was so difficult and painful for me that my teacher had allowed me to present my paper on the sinking of the Titanic by acting out a play, where I played all the parts. No one laughed harder than he did.
So, why did he suddenly force me to do something at which I was sure to fail? His reply: “Because I love your stories. If you’re willing to apply yourself, I think you have a good shot at this.” Encouraged by his words, I agreed to give it a try.
I chose Paul Revere’s horse as my subject. Paul Revere was a silversmith (银匠) in Boston who rode a horse at night on April 18, 1775 to Lexington to warn people that British soldiers were coming. My story would come straight from the horse’s mouth. Not a brilliant idea, but funny; and unlikely to be anyone else’s choice.
What did the horse think, as he sped through the night? Did he get tired? Have doubts? Did he want to quit? I sympathized immediately. I got tired. I had doubts. I wanted to quit. But, like Revere’s horse, I kept going. I worked hard. I checked my spelling. I asked my older sister to correct my grammar. I checked out a half dozen books on Paul Revere from the library. I even read a few of them.
When I handed in the essay to my teacher, he read it, laughed out loud, and said, “Great. Now, write it again.” I wrote it again, and again and again. When I finally finished it, the thought of winning had given way to the enjoyment of writing. If I didn’t win, I wouldn’t care.
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。
A few weeks later, when I almost forgot the contest, there came the news.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I went to my teacher’s office after the award presentation.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Every Saturday afternoon, Jimmy and his dad would go to the park to play baseball. They always walked past a homeless man who always sat at the same street corner. Jimmy’s dad always gave the man some money. “Someday, I’ll pay you back, John!” the man said. “Sure, Wayne,” Jimmy’s dad replied.
One day, Jimmy held his dad’s hand, asking, “Dad, how does that man know your name?” John answered, “Oh, when I was in college, I knew Wayne. He was on the brink (边缘) of a big discovery that could bring him a patent. Anyway, things didn’t go well for him. So whenever I see him, I give him some money. And he tells me he’s using it for lab supplies. I don’t think it’s true, but I pretend I do. And when he tells me he’ll share the profits of his discovery, I tell him I believe it, too.”
Jimmy didn’t understand anything his dad was saying, but he felt the compassion(同情) in his voice. So he stopped his dad and gave him a big hug. Jimmy didn’t know it was his last hug. That night, while Jimmy’s dad was out for his evening run, his heart stopped beating.
The only person Jimmy was living with was his grandmother, Wendy. And they ended up living in an old small house. Life got very tough for them. Although Wendy was old, she found a cleaning job. But her health started to fail and Jimmy was very worried about her.
Jimmy became very quiet. To cheer him up, one Saturday, Wendy went to the park and threw the ball around with Jimmy. After that, they came out. And there at the corner, Jimmy saw his dad’s homeless friend, Wayne.
“Wait, Grandma!” Jimmy cried. “There’s something I have to do!” Jimmy walked up to Wayne and turned his pockets inside out. He said to Wayne, “Sorry, but I only have twenty cents.” “That’s okay. Every cent helps!” Wayne said. “How’s your dad? I haven’t seen him for a while.”
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。
“He’s dead!” Jimmy cried.
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On year later, Wayne drove to Jimmy’s house in a pretty car with a check for $5 million.
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1. When did Mozart begin to compose music?
| A．At the age of four. | B．At the age of five. | C．In his early teens. |
| A．In Milan. | B．In Vienna. | C．In Salzburg. |
| A．He did business. | B．He taught for a living. | C．He composed music. |
Grandma called me in from the yard. “Would you please go to the store for me? I’m ready to bake rolls, and there isn’t enough yeast(酵母). Take a quarter from my little change purse.”
I found Grandma’s purse and put the quarter in my pocket. I was soon in the little general store that served our farming community.
“Mr.Jenkins,”I said,“Grandma needs some yeast.”
Mr.Jenkins set three cakes of yeast on the counter(柜台). His eyes twinkled(眨眼), and he smiled at me. “And what do you need?”
Í knew what he meant. I was always allowed to pick a cent’s candy when I came to the store with Grandma.But Grandma wasn’t here, and she hadn’t said anything about spending a penny.
“How much change do I have from a quarter?” I asked.
“Four cents,” Mr. Jenkins replied. “The yeast is seven cents a cake.”
I thought that over quickly. I would have four cents back. I was sure Grandma wouldn’t care if l spent one cent, and if she were here, she might even say I could have them all. The longer I looked at the candy, the more certain I became that I needed one cent’s worth as a reward for coming to the store alone.
As Mr.Jenkins handed me the candy and three cents, a voice inside me said this was not a really honest thing to do. That wasn’t my money, and I hadn’t asked if I might spend it.However, I put the cents in my pocket and started home, running past Uncle Roy, who was heading in the direction of my home.
“Thank you,” Grandma said when I laid the yeast on the table. “Did you put the change back in my purse?”
“Yes, Grandma,” I replied, hurrying out to the passage(走廊), I hadn’t really lied to Grandma.I argued with myself. I did put back all the change I had.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右：
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I knew I had cheated Grandma, and I was nervous.
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I watched Uncle Roy make his way home, his words repeating in my mind.
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As a mother, I had two little kids. I had no family to help me where I lived, so I did what any mother would do. Sometimes, I worked over sixty hours a week. I had as many as three jobs at a time. I had no time to take care of myself or accompany (陪伴) my kids and even sometimes had no time to have meals. It wasn’t easy, but I never missed a bill or never had a late payment. The only problem was that I was working myself to death.
One Easter weekend, I worked thirty hours from Friday to Sunday, with little sleep. On Sunday night, I fell into bed tired. My next memory was waking up in an ambulance (救护车) with two nurses beside me. I had no memory of how I got there, and I had a serious headache. They kept asking me what kind of things had happened. There was nothing in my mind. All I remember was being angry and helpless.
They took me to the hospital, and during the days there, they thought that I had been ill because of being too tired. Yet, I kept telling the nurses to call another worker who worked with me in the same place to open the business because I couldn’t get there. When I left the hospital, I began to rethink everything. I had to go on supporting my family, but I was going to find a better way to do it. I needed to be home more for my kids, work fewer hours, and still make ends meet. The only way was to find a better-paying job. Luckily, I did find a better job.
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。
After that, I began to plan my daily life in a new way.
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Every two weeks, my two kids and I would go out to dinner.
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