Tawny Nelson is a single mother of four sweet little girls aged 9, 5, 2, and one year old. It’s not easy to take care of the girls all on her own. Recently, she shared a story with Frank Somerville, a news anchor for KTVU News in California. He was so moved by her story that he shared it on his Facebook page.
Tawny’s story opened with her visiting the grocery store. It was a rainy and miserable day and by the time she got all the girls loaded in the truck and ready to head home, it was dark and pouring down. When she tried to start her truck, it wouldn’t start. With no one to call, Tawny turned to ask strangers for help to charge her truck. Hours passed and so did at least twenty people. They all ignored her. Tired and hungry, her daughters began to act out. Tawny was filled with tears when someone knocked on her passenger window.
Somerville writes, “I swear I got chills when I read what happened next.” And you will do the same when you read Tawny’s story：
I am the single mother of four absolutely beautiful little girls. They are 9, 5, 2, and one year old. And things have been particularly rough since my ex left. Our truck had a flat tire and I had to inflate it constantly. The driver side window motor died. And I needed a new belt. The truck was a mess. And we didn’t drive anywhere unless we had to. Well, the other day we desperately needed to go to the store. So we loaded up and drove to the Winn Dixie about 9 blocks away. When we got out of the store it was far after dark. And it was raining heavily. I loaded my kids and groceries into the truck.
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My battery was dead.
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I was crying when a gentleman stopped and offered to help me.
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For as long as her parents can remember, 11-year-old Breana Carsey has had this crazy dream. She has always wanted a mommy horse who would give birth to a baby horse, who would then grow up to become a racing champion.
“Absolutely, this was a fairy tale for her from day one. We put it off for five years because we don’t have a farm,” said her father, Brian Carsey, who explained that his daughter has “me wrapped around her finger”．
Her horse was born in the spring of 2013. Breana named it MJB Got Faith for the faith she instantly had in him.
“I really loved him. He’s super soft too,” she said.
But that quick bond posed a real problem for this Dad. See, for whatever reason, Brian thought once he explained to his daughter that her horse could never run in a race—that it was a runt from poor breeding stock—she would just agree to sell it.
“She thought her horse was priceless,” he said. “So I had a chat with my wife and we really got ourselves in a mess here. And I didn’t know how we were going to get out of this. So we took him to the races, the horse that I thought we should have got rid of already.”
Brian was stuck, committed to boarding and training this long shot to end all long shots. And this is not a wealthy family. Brian runs a small company. And Ohio racing, which is harness style racing, is a $900 millionayear industry.
MJB Got Faith was so slow that it was barely even qualified to compete but then somehow won his first race, then his second, third and fourth qualifying him for the state championship held in Columbus, Ohio.
“And I said to my daughter, ‘If you finish third, you should be so thankful,’” Brian remembered. “She said, ‘Daddy, if he finishes last, I’m going to be thankful. But he’s going to win.’”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2．请按如下格式作答。
This little horse won an important match.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Her dad now has a racehorse whose name is Steve Hartman.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Last summer, Hilda worked as a volunteer with dolphin trainers at a sea life park. Her job was to make sure the tanks were free of any items so that the trainers could train the dolphins to fetch specific items. However, one day after cleaning, one of the dolphins, Maya, presented Hilda with a candy wrapper from the tank. When Katherine, the trainer, saw this, she blamed Hilda for her carelessness. Upset but not discouraged by this event, Hilda decided to do some spying on Maya.
The next morning, Hilda arrived at the park early. She put on her scuba gear (水下呼吸器) and jumped into the tank for her usual, underwater sweep. Finding nothing in the tank, she climbed out of the water just in time to see Katherine jumping in on the other side. After what happened yesterday, Hilda knew what she was doing. She watched as Katherine performed her underwater search, but Hilda wasn’t surprised when she surfaced empty-handed.
During the tank sweeps, Maya had been swimming playfully, but now the dolphin stopped suddenly and swam to the back part of the tank where the filter (过滤) box was located. She stuck her nose down behind the box and then swam away. What was Maya doing back there? Hilda wondered. She jumped back into the water and swam over to take a look behind the box, and her question was answered. Hilda then swam across the tank following Maya’s path and emerged from the water to find Katherine removing her scuba gear. As Katherine turned around, her mouth dropped open. There was Maya at the edge of the tank with a comb (梳子) in her mouth waiting for her treat.
“Maya! Where did you get that?” demanded Katherine, taking the comb and throwing her a fish. “I know where she got it,” declared Hilda climbing out of the tank with a handful of items still wet from their watery, resting place. “What’s all this?” Katherine asked, obviously confused.
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。
“This is Maya’s secret,” Hilda said with a big smile.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now Katherine realized what had been going on.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“You’ll have to be quicker off the line to beat Kendall on Friday,” Coach Dugan said. Kendall this, Kendall that. For weeks, I’d been hearing about how fast this kid was — Kerry Kendall from Wilson Middle School. I was tired of it.
Eric came close to me. “I heard that Kerry Kendall trains at a camp with Olympic coaches. Not only that — I heard he cheats. I heard he’ll do whatever it takes to win,” he said. That doesn’t mean he cheats, does it? I wondered.
“Let’s go, boys,” Coach said. When I heard his whistle (哨声), I ran rather hard toward the finish line. I crossed two full steps ahead of everyone else. That should satisfy him. Coach Dugan looked at his stop-watch and nodded. “Better, Alex. But let’s do it again.” And again and again. I couldn’t get any faster. Besides, Kendall trains with Olympic coaches! And he cheats. Why bother?
Practice was never easy, but lately Coach Dugan had been pushing us extra hard. He told us to work harder, because the extra effort marked the difference between a winner and a runner-up.
A gentle wind greeted me as I got out of Dad’s car and headed toward the track. My legs felt strong and ready. Ready? Coach had me more than ready.
Kids from every middle school crowded the infield. I was searching for Kendall. But I couldn’t see anyone extra tall, so I sat on the grass to stretch. “Are you Alex?” a voice asked. I looked up over my shoulder. A tall kid. Kerry Kendall. I nodded. Kendall then sat down next to me, starting to stretch, too. Was he trying to psych me out ( 震 慑 我) by warming up so close? I wouldn’t let that happen. I kept quiet and continued stretching. “Heard you’re fast,” he said. His leg muscles bulged (隆起) like he worked out plenty. “Save it for the race,” I said.
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。
After a minute, he asked, “Is it true you have a private trainer?”
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When Kendall turned back, I saw the truth in his eyes.
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I was washing dishes one day last May when my youngest, 11-year-old Nathan, came running into the house. "Mom, you won't believe what I found in the mud puddle（水坑）. Come see! ”I dried my hands and followed him to a large puddle in our driveway. “They're tadpoles（蝌蚪）!” he said. I bent down for a closer look. There were hundreds of tadpoles swimming around.
The next few days, Nathan kept his eye on the tadpoles. One afternoon he asked if he could use my phone to check the weather. “The puddle is drying up, and it's not supposed to rain this week,” he said. “We have to do something or the tadpoles will die.”
“What can we do?” I asked, hesitant about where this might lead.
“I'm going to move them into the pond where they'll be safe. But there are so many tadpoles. Can you help?”
“I have things to do…” I started to say, but the look on Nathan's face stopped me. This was important to him. I grabbed one cup and followed him. After just a few trips, the puddle was almost out of water but still very full of tadpoles.
“What are we going to do, Mom? We have to get them all out!”
I went back inside and grabbed two plastic spoons. We sat next to the puddle, caught the tadpoles with the spoons and put them in the plastic cups. When the cups were full, we transferred the tadpoles into the pond.
After two hours, there were still dozens of tadpoles to be rescued. I was hot and tired.
Then a fish in the pond swallowed several of the tadpoles. I closed my mouth, hoping Nathan hadn't noticed. Too late. “I thought they'd be safe here,” he said, fighting tears. I tried to explain that things like that happen in nature, but he wouldn't listen.
注意：1．续写词数为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
He ran back into the house and grabbed an old fishbowl.
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“The tadpoles have legs!” Nathan burst into my bedroom, shouting three weeks later.
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My husband camped every summer as he was a child. He was feeling homesick for camping, so after we got married, he invited me to join him. Since then, we have had wonderful camping experiences.
With a tent, we set off for California’s Big Sur Coast. On the first night, I stayed awake, worrying that a gang of naughty little creature would break into our tent and dive into our snacks. By the second night, my imagination calmed down and I started to get the hang of it. And by the third day, I was hooked. It was refreshing and relaxing to stay close to nature. We’ve been camping ever since. Of course, later, with our children.
We made wonderful family camping memories for the past years: Songs and talent shows by the campfire under the stars. Meals beneath a canopy of trees. Hikes to lakes and waterfalls. Some of our memories are funny, while some are a little adventurous, especially when our children were little.
Once, when we camped along Chalk Creek, I was fascinated by the stunning beauty that surrounded us. But, I was worried that our 15-month-old boy would fall into the creek (小溪). Though its maximum depth was about two inches, I wasn’t about to take chances. I tied a rope around his waist to keep him near to our spot. That lasted about ten minutes. He was uncomfortable, his crying letting the whole campground know it. So instead of tying him up, I just kept a close eye on him. It worked — he didn’t end up in the creek.
Another time, we rented a boat in Vallecito Lake. The sky was clear when we headed off, but storms moved in fast in the mountains, quickly interrupting our peaceful morning trip. The wind picked up and thunder rolled. My husband stopped fishing to start the motor. Nothing. He tried again. No luck.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
The storm grew at an alarming speed.
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For 10-year anniversary, we bought a camper for the summer camping.
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I never grasped the importance of conserving and protecting nature and wildlife, but five months was all it took to turn my indifference into a passion that has changed the track of my life.
Early last year, I was lost and troubled by an anxiety that crippled (削弱) my ability to do anything, even those I loved. I felt like a storm cloud hung over me. For almost a year I struggled on, constantly staring at this wall that faced me. My pursuit of perfection was the main root of this: I wanted to be the best at whatever I did, which obviously in life is not possible. My perfectionism has always been with me. My time in a small junior school made it easy for me to rise to the top. Upon entering a bigger senior school, though, my pursuit of perfection was far from accessible. Perfectionism in small amounts is brilliant, however in overwhelming doses it can be damaging.
One day, I attended a presentation by wildlife conservationist Grant Brown at my school. His presentation not only awed and inspired me, but also helped emerge an inner desire to make a difference in the world. Luckily, as a member of the Environmental Society, I was invited to join a pre-presentation dinner with him and that smaller setting allowed me to slowly build up my courage to speak one-on-one with him—an idea that had seemed completely impossible. This first contact was where my story began.
First, an application to join the Youth For Our Planet and UK Youth For Nature groups was sent around through my high school. I decided to submit my application, and soon I found myself a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature and creating climate solutions. Later, Brown invited me to attend the World Youth Wildlife Conference.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。Five months later, I found myself a group leader in the conference.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Each of these steps continued to grow my confidence.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I eventually managed to persuade my parents to buy me a new football shirt for school matches. I was so excited. So I decided to wear it today for the first time during a match. As soon as we had been playing for ten minutes, a shirt sleeve was torn (撕破) when I made a quick turn.
I couldn’t tell my parents that my new football shirt was ruined. I needed a tailor. As I walked home, I suddenly came across a shop sign: “All kinds of repairs!”
I went inside directly. I looked around the shop and I saw broken toys.
“I guess this is the wrong place. What I really need is a tailor,” I said, putting my fingers through the tear in the shirt.
“This tear needs repairing,” I said.
“Don’t worry. This is just the right place, son. Since I opened this shop, I have repaired many things, but never a football shirt,” a man with white hair said.
“Is this the first time you’re going to repair a football shirt? I hope you aren’t going to make it worse. It’s new.”
“It’s OK. I’ve been waiting a long time to repair a football shirt.”
Then the man took the shirt from me, pulling it out of my hand.
“Are you a striker?” he asked.
Before I could reply, “Yes, how did you know?” he said, “We may see you play for a professional team one day.”
“Impossible! My dad doesn’t see football as a profession. He thinks I should be an engineer or a doctor.”
“Not at all... People who choose a career they really desire become successful and happy.”
“Yes, you’re right! I know what I want to be! I’m not shy when I play football. I want to play just like Ridvan does! Even my father likes him!”
The man was repairing the tear with thread.
“Great! The tear hardly shows now.”
He smiled at me. I noticed a photo on the wall. It was a photo of a football team. I couldn’t make out which team it was from where I was sitting.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
I asked him if he liked football.
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He patted me on the back and asked, “Do you understand now?”
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Passing Kindness On
Mrs. Brown was in the store with her little boy Jack, having just come from Urgent Care Center to get him some medicine for a virus. While Jack looked around in the store, she couldn’t wait to get him home to warm soup and a warm bed.
“Mommy, look!” Jack said when they got close to the register. He pointed at a row of toy cars for sale. “Can I have one? Please?”
“No, Jack. You have plenty of cars,” said Mrs. Brown. “Besides, it’s very close to Christmas. Who knows what Santa will bring you?” Jack accepted his mother’s decision, but it didn’t help his mood. Now he was tired and disappointed.
When they got up to the counter, the lady at the register handed Jack one of the toy cars. “The woman in front of you in line bought this for you,” she said. “I chose the yellow one, but you can have any one you want.”
Jack looked so happy because it was the very thing he wanted. Mrs. Brown looked around for the mysterious (神秘的) benefactor, but she was long gone. “That was very nice of that lady,” she said. “Maybe we can also give an anonymous (匿名的) gift to someone else today.”
“Yes, we should!” Jack agreed. The unexpected kindness made him feel better than any medicine could. Immediately he thought of the little girl who was badly ill in Urgent Care Center. “Mommy, why not give the girl we saw in Urgent Care Center something nice to comfort her?” he suggested.
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。
“That sounds like a good idea,” said Mrs. Brown.
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When she woke up, the girl found the doll(玩具娃娃) beside her.
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The annual Halloween arrived, during which kids dressed in traditional clothes went to neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.
Allison lived in a small town. That day after dinner, Allison put on her dress her father had just bought for her. The dress was cheap and second-hand because her family was poor. But Allison still thanked her dad and said, “Everyone will love my dress!” Then, she left for neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.
On the way, she came across Anna and her friends and wanted to join them. “No! Look at your dress! It’s ugly!” Anna said. Her friends also laughed. “Look at our dresses, especially mine! It’s new and beautiful,” Anna added. Her friends nodded, and in some way they were right. Anna’s dress was shiny and looked expensive. She always had the best clothes because her parents were rich.
Allison was shocked and sad. The kids not only disliked her dress but made fun of it. “You can’t come with us!” Anna stressed. “We would never hang out with you!” The other kids agreed and laughed. They all left to start collecting candy for the night while Allison was left alone, embarrassed in the middle of the street.
Anyway, she knew all the neighbors. She often helped around carrying their groceries and helping them with their gardens. People around there knew her. She didn’t need to hangout with Anna or her friends. “I’ll go just alone,” the little girl said to herself and started walking.
She as well as Anna and her friends walked in the same direction: towards their first neighbor Mrs Vaughan’s house. But Allison walked behind and kept her distance from them. And she stopped when Anna and her friends were near Mrs Vaughan’s house.
Just then, Mrs Vaughan looked out of her window. She noticed that Allison was being excluded by Anna and her friends. She knew it was probably because of Allison’s poor dress. She immediately felt pity for Allison, who often helped her and other neighbors. She decided to give Allison much more candy as a reward and teach Anna and her friends a lesson.
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。
When Anna and her friends knocked on her door, Mrs Vaughan opened it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Anna looked up and said, “Our clothes are more beautiful! But you gave Allison more candy! Why?”
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