Beyond the Horizon
Oshima was sitting at the sea side but the beautiful site did not make her feel good. Her face was dull and gloomy. She was staring at the setting sun without an expression on her face.
But she was not an unhappy child like this always. Six months before, Oshima was a happy child who loved playing at the beach with her brother and sister. Her brother Mittsu used to make sandcastle and Oshima and her sister Osheen collected the sea shells. Her father always shouted, “Come home, it's late”, but they would not listen. The seaside was like their second home. At house also, they were a happy family who always laughed and played and had no problems to bother for.
One day all of a sudden something terrible happened. A violent tsunami came and took the entire country in its grip. It was a huge natural disaster. Most of the houses were washed away. The cities and towns were flooded with water. Oshima’s town was near the sea and so the tsunami flooded her town as well. Her house was washed and they lost all their belongings.
Her grandmother Midori cried and cried and was totally shocked. She has not seen such destruction in her whole life. They were homeless. Oshima wept and wept and complained that why a violent tsunami hit her city. She was very angry.
The government shifted them to a refugee (难民) camp where many families shared the living space. Helicopters dropped food packets and they had to stand in long queues even for drinking water. Their life had turned upside down. Oshima could see the sadness visible in her parents' eyes. Now she did not like the sea at all and always felt that the sea had broken her trust and was very disappointed with the waves. For her the sea was very cruel who had taken her beautiful house away.
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。
One day Oshima saw two little children playing in the camp without any trace of sadness on their face.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A new ray of hope filled her spirits, making her cheer up.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________David’s parents left him forever in a car accident. He was brought up by his dear grandma, who was now in her eighties and in poor health. David was so excellent at his studies that he was admitted into his ideal college. He developed friendship with Christ when they were seated next to each other on the first college day. They were like brothers.
Whenever Christ was challenged with those difficult courses, David was always there to help Christ. Christ showed his thanks to David from the bottom of his heart, saying, “Without your help, I couldn’t get on well with my studies. I really don’t know how to repay your help.” David responded, “We are good friends. It’s natural for us to help each other.”
It was the early morning of Saturday. David had a fever and couldn’t get out of bed. Christ took good care of him. He cooked David some soup and then gave him some medicine. He thought a sound sleep would help David get better. David felt comforted with the care of his friend. Then he fell asleep.
David didn’t know how long it had been before he woke up. He saw some food which was newly cooked on the table and there was also a note, which read, “Take the food and you will get better. I need to be away for several days. Take good care of yourself. Christ.” He didn’t detail David about what he was going to do. Later someone told David that Christ bought a bus ticket to David’s hometown. David felt confused. But he thought that maybe Christ had something personal to attend to and it was not suitable to tell him.
On Monday, David got better and went to classes. Obviously, Christ was not there. He missed the classes.
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。
In the evening, Christ came back and meanwhile David received a call from his grandma, requesting whether Christ had returned to the college safely.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On learning about this, David suddenly realized the truth.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In class, I am sitting next to Mareena. We both have a good laugh. And when we laugh, it’s not small laughs. It’s more like big hair, we twist (扭曲) in laughter on our chairs and we end up under the table so much we are folded (折叠) in two. Sometimes, too, she annoys me a bit, especially when she uses my eraser or my pink pen that writes magic words. But best friends always fight a bit, that’s normal, Mum often tells me.
One morning, I found myself alone at my table. Mareena was ill. I found the day long, but I still laughed a bit. Because when Baptiste meant to say Madagascar (马达加斯加岛), he mistakenly said Madame Gaskal.
The next day, when I saw that Mareena was still away, I asked Mum if I could go to see her at her place. I wanted to bring her homework, but also make her laugh a little, so that she would feel better. Mum made a funny face and told me it was better to wait a few days. I thought maybe Mareena had a contagious (传染性的) disease. But still, it bothered me not to see my best friend. So I asked again. This time mum sat down with me on my bed and held my hands very tight. I realized that something was wrong.
Mum explained to me that Mareena was going to have to stay in the hospital for a while, because of an illness that I didn’t understand. Well, yes, what I understood was that my best friend wasn’t going to be back to school for a long time, and that we wouldn’t be laughing like whales anytime soon because of stupid things.
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 still asked to go to see Mareena once at the hospital.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mareena eventually recovered.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As I approached my fortieth birthday, I realized that my life was quite meaningless in the larger scheme of things. I had friends and a loving husband and yet something was missing. With no children, I felt that I hadn’t done anything that would help mankind or change the world. I would have no legacy to leave.
One day I was watching TV and I thought of my desire. It was to be someone who mattered. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people and in the lives of animals. After all, dogs had always been a large part of my life, from the time when I was a little girl growing up in central Oklahoma. I thought that my “purpose” would somehow include my love of singing, writing, travel, and of course, working with animals.
Then, something happened that shook my entire core. The “love of my life” dog, my Nicholas, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He died thirteen months later. I became quite concerned for Bear, our remaining dog, who was six years old. Bear had been Nicholas’s shadow and now that Nicholas was gone, Bear wouldn’t even eat. Our vet suggested that we get another dog to see if that would encourage Bear to eat.
I found an online advertisement for a Bichon Frise （卷毛比熊犬） and when we arrived at the place, it was a nightmare, like one of those puppy mills （工厂） you read about or see on the television news. I decided to delay my search for my “purpose” as I needed to tell the world about the horror I had discovered right in my own backyard.
I had even a bigger fight ahead of me than Nicholas’s cancer. This was a fight that would take years. I did research and then I spread the word on the Internet. People began to listen and we formed a small group of Bichon Frise lovers called Small Paws Rescue.
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 started out sending the latest news on our rescue efforts to about twenty-five people.\
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My achievement made me reflect on the past.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A disability only becomes a disability when you allow it to stop you from being genuinely happy and spreading happiness to others.
In a high school in Missouri, there is a remarkable student named Ryheem Lumpkins. At the age of 16, Ryheem displayed a tough spirit that challenged physical limitations. While his arms and hands hadn’t fully developed, he still managed to land a part-time job as a cashier at a local pizza restaurant.
Although he had only been employed for a month, Ryheem’s work ethic shone exceptionally bright. When it’s not so busy at the counter, he would grab a broom to sweep the floors or carefully clean the buffet. Despite his disability, he had such enthusiasm for life that he even got his driver’s license and worked hard to save money to buy his first car.
As a naturally shy individual, this new job unexpectedly revealed his hidden positive character. Interacting with new people, engaging in conversations, and delivering services became a source of excitement for him.
One fateful day, a customer named Robert Samay recognized the exceptional personality of young Ryheem. The young cashier left a lasting impression on Mr. Samay, leading him to commit an act of kindness that would astonish Ryheem and warm the hearts of those who witnessed it.
Impressed by Ryheem’s personality, Mr. Samay decided to express his appreciation. He slipped a five-dollar bill into Ryheem’s hands and spoke words that sympathized deeply within the teenager’s soul. “I appreciate your infectious smile and your exceptional attitude,” Mr. Samay said warmly. “Such qualities are rare these days, especially among young individuals.”
Ryheem’s eyes gleaned with gratitude as he thanked Mr. Samay, his voice earnest and sincere. He carefully folded the five-dollar bill, tucking it into his pocket with a smile that could light up a room. The warmth of the kind gesture infused Ryheem with a sense of validation and empowerment, reminding him that his disabilities did not define him. The sight of joy that lightened Ryheem’s face as he received the modest tip remained impressive in Mr. Samay’s memory.
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。
It fueled an urge for Mr. Samay to reward the young man’s happiness even more.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After the video was posted online by the shop owner, it swiftly spread across various platforms.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was an average student in my early elementary years. I came home with a steady flow of B’s, C’s and the occasional F’s in second language subjects. I was told that I wasn’t applying myself and, as every report card I ever brought home clearly stated, I talked too much.
I didn’t write when I was supposed to write. I talked to others while the teacher was giving instructions. That I could recite what she had said to the class while I was talking was not helpful because I had a negative effect on my classmates’ learning. So I regularly brought home disappointing report cards.
My parents and my teachers didn’t know what to do with me. Punishments didn’t seem to work. Rewards didn’t seem to either. And, frankly, I don’t think I knew what I could do to “apply myself”. And I certainly didn’t know how to not enjoy talking with my classmates! What I knew was that I talked too much. Until grade 5.
That autumn, we had a sudden change in teachers as our elderly teacher took a medical leave. In his place, a young substitute (代课老师) arrived — Mrs Royal. She looked like she was freshly out of university and seemed too young to be cast in the role of being responsible for a class of tween, but there she was, charged with a lively group, and me.
I don’t remember many details of that year except the afternoon when I got my first report card from her. She handed out the report cards right after the afternoon break and invited us to look them over. Then she let us know that we could all talk quietly amongst ourselves while she called each student up one at a time, in alphabetical order (按字母顺序), to discuss our report cards with her.
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 looked over my report card, expecting the usual result.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then it was my turn to talk with her.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Due to my unhealthy eating habits, I became fatter and fatter after college. My good friend Anoush was a running enthusiast. So he advised me to lose weight by running. I didn’t agree at first until he promised to accompany me to run although he was busy with his work.
Seven years later, I got more serious about running. And I dreamed to participate in Boston Marathon. Anoush encouraged me to realize my dream. He also said he enjoyed running too and wanted to attend the same marathon with me. Every day we spared our time to practise hard and did about 2 marathons a year, during which time Anoush gave me much professional guidance and encouragement. And then one day, both of us qualified for the 2017 Boston Marathon. We were excited but unfortunately, several weeks before the marathon, we had a serious quarrel. Even I swore never to talk with him in the future.
The day came. Anoush and I stood at the starting line. He said, “Good luck! You will certainly finish the marathon.” Hearing his words, I looked at him, saying, “It’s none of your business.”
Then we started running. I had strong mental confidence by using positive self-talk when running distances, which has helped me finish 18 marathons. Soon, I passed Anoush.
But I struggled in the heat starting at mile 16. I felt most of my oxygen went to the muscle in my legs and less in my brain, which made me feel a bit lightheaded and fuzzy (迷迷糊糊的). I continually encouraged myself. “Just get to the finish, run bold, and you will win,” all phrases that I say to myself didn’t work any more.
Gradually I felt out of breath and had to slow down my pace. As I ran down the famous last stretch of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street, I fell down on the ground with my legs moving like jello (果冻).
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。
Just then, I felt that someone picked me up.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Anoush and I crossed the finish line, the audience at present applauded.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I am not a gamer. I’ll be honest: video games and I don’t really see eye to eye, and I have no ambitions to become better. I never have the experience playing against my kids and winning. And that’s okay. Board games, on the other hand, are a different story. At least there, I stand a chance of victory.
One day, my 12-year-old son begged me to play a game with him. He held out a game controller and begged, “Just one game with me? You can use it to control the game through your movements.” His eyes were full of anticipation and I could see the excitement welling up within him. How could I possibly resist such a sincere and heartfelt request? “Just one game.” My son’s face lit up. In a matter of minutes, we were standing in our living room, virtually bowling away.
My son’s amusement at my lack of gaming skills was evident. I could see the struggle on his face as he fought to hold back his laughter. The game controller felt awkward and unfamiliar in my hand, but I did my best to copy my son’s movements and follow his lead. At one point, my son said, “No, Mom. You really have to put some force into it. Like this.” With that, he threw his arm back, stepped forward, and with plenty of force extended out his arm that was holding the controller. Instead of sending the virtual bowling ball flying, the controller went off his hand and broke the TV screen. The impact was immediate and destructive. The screen cracked, sending a crazy mosaic (马赛克) of colors dancing across its surface. It looked like something straight out of a dream.
The air stood still at that moment. The look on my son’s face was a funny mixture of horror, disbelief and guilt. He stayed absolutely frozen for a long moment. Then, slowly, he turned to me. “Mom...” with a weak smile, “Did I just... break the TV?”
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
Surprisingly, I wasn’t angry at all.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But my son insisted on keeping the broken TV.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Be Like Dad
Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.
I was in my study on a cold Sunday in May 2020 when I glanced out the window and saw my dad’s car parked in our driveway. He was walking from my front door to his car, about to leave. Why would he drive all the way to my house, only to turn around and leave? Had the doorbell stopped working? I raced downstairs, opened the door and yelled “Dad! What are you doing?” I shouted.
My dad lives forty minutes away, and I hadn’t seen him since COVID-19 because we were following the health-department guidelines to self-isolate and not leave the house, so it’s strange that he would show up.
He smiled and pointed beside the door, where I could see a bright yellow begonia (秋海棠) plant.
“I know it is Mother’s Day, but... I’m not a mother,” I was puzzled.
My dad smiled. “But I think you should get flowers, too, my dear son.” With that, he winked and drove off.
That evening, I called to thank him and told him how touched I was that he had driven such a long round trip just to leave begonias on my doorstep.
That’s when he let me in on his little secret. It turns out I wasn’t the only receiver of an act of kindness from him. To keep away from the loneliness during epidemic he decided to do acts of kindness to remove the social isolation (隔离，孤立), and it made him so happy to see the smiles on people’s faces.
“But why?” I continued.
It just had started a couple of weeks before, when a friend of his was having a tough day and called him to talk about it. He knew she loved ice cream, so after ringing off, he went straight to the grocery store, bought a huge ice cream, drove to her house and left it on her doorstep. Then he called from the driveway to tell her to look outside.
“She just beamed when she saw it. I don’t think leaving her a million dollars would have made her happier.”
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数为100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
After listening to story after story like this, I was inspired.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One morning during the summer vacation, a teenage boy named Alex was sorting out his snacks when the wildfires not far from the place where he lived started.
Alex’s parents got the bad news from the Internet. His mother. Sofia, came up to him and showed a video of the horrible scene to him. When Alex saw the condition of the victims, his heart sank. Some had minor or serious injuries. Others lost homes and had to live in shelters temporarily. Although the government was providing relief, food couldn’t reach all the victims for a short time.
“Turn it off, Mom. The video makes me too sad,” Alex said. Sofia realized that her son, sympathetic and caring, was really concerned. They needed tq reach out. But what could they do? She felt lost,
“Why not put up a lemonade stand (柠檬水摊)?”Alex suggested. He told his parents that he wanted to have one stand, supplying lemonade and other food for free. His parents thought it was time to teach him how to help others and a good chance to provide some support for the place they loved.
Finally, Alex put up the lemonade stand with the help of his family in the disaster area. The family offered a range of items, including rice, fruit, candies, sandwiches, lemonade, fresh water and even Alex’s snacks to the stand, which the victims could help themselves to.
The great support quickly went beyond the physical lemonade stand. Alex’s good behavior soon attracted the attention of others. Neighbors first rushed to donate to the stand, making sure that there was always enough food and drink for everyone in need. The stand soon turned into a center of charitable activities and a symbol of teamwork and hope,with donations pouring in from all directions. People from all walks of life came together, united by a common goal: to help those affected by the wildfires and bring hope to their lives. Most amazingly, as word about Alex’s selfless actions further spread, more and more children were inspired to join and support the cause (事业), including his friends and their parents.
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。
Alex’s friends admired him very much and tried their best to help.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later, the children’s parents also joined the cause.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
