I sat in the breakfast corner with my four-year-old son, Matthew, trying to ignore the ache in my stomach. I was still recovering from a surgery. I hoped for strength and happiness. But the future seemed so hopeless.
Matthew jumped up from his spot on the kitchen floor. “Bird!” he shouted, rushing to the sliding door. Sure enough, there was a white dove seated on a rubber tree. It sat there a few moments, and then flew away. I’d never seen one in our neighborhood before.
When I dragged myself to the kitchen the next morning, the dove was back. This time it was with a mate carrying twigs (嫩枝), “Look, Matthew,” I said, pointing to the tree. “They’re going to make a nest.” The doves flew in and out of the courtyard all week, building on the top of the rubber tree. Matthew could hardly contain his excitement. Every morning, he’d run into the kitchen and take his spot by the sliding glass door, talking to the birds while they worked. As much as I was grieving (感到悲伤), I couldn’t help but look forward to the doves’ visits too. We watched their progress as if it were a real-life soap opera unfolding before us. Gradually, my pain disappeared, replaced by joy.
Then it all went wrong. The courtyard was a safe enough spot for a nest, but the rubber tree’s broad, thin leaves were far from stable. One night, a strong wind blew through, throwing the doves’ nest to the ground. I heard the twigs break apart. Nothing good ever lasts. I wouldn’t blame the doves if they never came back. But they returned. And they paid no attention to the pi le of sticks that had once been their nest. They started again from scratch, though the wind destroyed all their hard work. The next day, and the next, they renewed their efforts, as if nothing had happened.
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右：
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: I knew I had to do something for the poor creatures.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:“The birds were back!” Matthew announced.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My Best Teaching Experience
Tyler was only in my senior class for a semester. He had been suspended (使停学) many times in previous years because of his anger issues. When he entered my class, I thought the worst.
Tyler sat in the back row. Every time I talked to the class, I would ask students questions, calling them by name. Unfortunately, every time I called on Tyler, he would respond with a joke. If he got an answer wrong, he would become angry.
About a month into the year, I was still trying to connect with Tyler. I can usually get students involved in class discussions or at least have them sit quietly and attentively (专心地). By contrast, Tyler was often loud and sometimes rude.
He had been in so much trouble over the years. He expected his teachers to know about his past; about how many times he had been sent to the office or suspended from school. I had found that these sorts of referrals (移交) were not very effective and that students would return from the office behaving worse than before.
One day, Tyler was talking over me while I was teaching. I stopped my lesson and said, “Tyler, why don’t you join in our discussion instead of having one of your own?” With that, he got up from his chair, pushed it over and yelled something. I can’t remember what he said other than that he included some impolite words. I sent Tyler straight to the office, and he received a week’s suspension.
To this point, this was one of my worst teaching experiences. Tyler’s anger was almost too much for me. The week Tyler was suspended from school was a wonderful time, and we got a lot accomplished as a class. However, the suspension week would soon come to an end, and I was fearful of his return.
续写要求：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。
On the day of Tyler’s return, I stood at the door awaiting him.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A spark of surprise flashed across his face.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I am a proud mother of three children, my last little one being delivered in the middle of this pandemic (疫情). She was born in August and her name is Aida.
Shortly after having Aida, my mother-in-law Ann showed me something she learned from her friend’s mother in an art class she attended weekly, She had showed me how to knit (编织) a scarf.
I spent a lot of time breastfeeding my sweet little girl, so I had some extra time to do something with my hands throughout the day. I enjoyed making the scarf so I purchased tons of yarn (线) since it was winter. I wanted to make scarves for my three children as Christmas gifts.
There was a new family that moved in down the street. The only daughter of the family was Jane, a shy girl, aged 14, the same age of my oldest son David. It seemed that she came from a financially disadvantaged family, for she always wore old clothes. Worse still, in such cold days, she had no more clothes to wear and trembled with cold.
Due to the pandemic, society was thrown into crisis mode. Schools were closed, food supplies and deliveries were suspended and children were stuck at home. In such discouraging time, however, they became good companions, talking and playing at home or around the houses.
It was dreadfully cold this winter. Every time David came back from outside, with red face, he always cried, “Mum, it is freezing outside!” Then, he came over to see whether I finished the scarf. I could tell how impatient he was to wear my scarf sooner! I had to speed the project to satisfy his expectation. But David comforted me by saying he could wait a few days. What a kind and considerate boy he was! Then my great art project finally was accomplished on the morning ahead of Christmas.
注意：1.续写词数应为150词左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语己为你写好。
Paragraph 1: I wrapped the scarf around David’s neck.
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Paragraph 2: Later that day David came back saying Jane also deserved a scarf.
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For years, putting up Christmas lights had been a family tradition for the Patrick’s household. It was an occasion when they would busily prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
Their Christmas light display was always a highlight of the neighborhood and brought much delight to the whole community. Typically, Anthony would invite the neighbors over as they decorated the Christmas tree in the front yard. Emily, who lived next door and had known Sara’s family for long, often came to admire their wonderland of Christmas lights.
In early December, Anthony would string colorful lights all around their roof until it looked dazzling. On the front lawn, he would blow up a large white Frosty the Snowman and a Rudolph with a glowing red nose. Sara always joined in, along with their warm-hearted neighbors, hanging gifts on the tree and playing “White Christmas” over and over to keep everyone in the spirit.
Yet the bad news came in the midst of the festive mood, before they could finish the Christmas decoration. Anthony fell desperately ill. The symptoms suggested acute heart failure and he was soon admitted to hospital. Sara spent days and nights in the ward, attending to Anthony and praying for his recovery, though the hope was slim. On Christmas Eve, Anthony passed away.
It came as a huge blow to Sara. In the following days, she had to manage the funeral while struggling to figure out a way to cover housing and household expenses, and tackling a seemingly endless list of difficult to-dos. Perhaps hardest of all, she had to persuade herself into accepting the loss of her father. It was too much to take.
When she pulled up to the house after a long day on the go, the only thing that could comfort her were the twinkling Christmas lights, which brought her a spark of hope-it felt as if the brightness of the lights could cancel out some of the darkness of the past days’ misfortune.
Wanting to help, Emily shared their story on a community website.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Touched by their kindness, Sara decided to fulfill the lighting decorations, though Christmas was gone.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jenny was the only child in her family. She had a quarrel (吵架) with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily. She couldn’t help weeping sorrowfully when she thought of the scolding from her mother. Having wandered aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat. She stood beside a stand (货摊) for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she gave a sigh and had to leave.
The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?”
“Oh, yes, but I don’t have money on me.” she replied.
“That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man, “Come in.”
The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently.
“What is it?” asked the man kindly.
“Nothing. Actually, I was just touched by your kindness!” said Jenny as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so merciless compared to a stranger!”
Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. Can you remember the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your gratitude to her?”
Jenny sat there, speechless and numb with shock: she remembered her mother’s familiar face and weathered hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful. Why haven’t I thanked my mum for what she has done for me?”
On the way home. Jenny made up her mind to make an apology to her mother for her rudeness as soon as she arrived home.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Nearing the doorway, Jenny took a deep breath.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At that time, her mother came back and touched her hair gently, which called her mind back.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Brian sat on his front doorstep. He really wanted a new bike. Joe had just gotten one for his birthday, and Tyler’s was only about a year old. Brian had had his for five years. The seat was up as high as it could go, and his legs were still too long for his bike. Brian wanted a bike just like Joe’s and Tyler’s. Their bikes were perfect for popping wheels and cruising over bumps. If only he had 110 dollars. All he could come up with was 33.67 dollars. Where could he get the rest of the money he needed?
Brian thought and thought. His birthday was still five months away, and he was too young to mow lawns. What could he do to get the money? Maybe his dad would advance his allowance for the next few months. He got three dollars every Friday if he did all of his chores. His dad had agreed to do this once before, when Brian needed an extra six dollars. Maybe his sister would loan him the money. She had a lot of money saved up from baby-sitting. Baby-sitting! That was it! Brian could baby-sit. Oops! Wait a minute. No one would hi re Brian to baby-sit. He still was not allowed to stay home by himself yet. What could he do to get the money? Brian sat and thought.
注意：1.续写词数应为150 词左右；
2.请按如下格式答题。
Paragraph 1:
Just then, the phone rang.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
After chasing Fifi through three different yards, Brian finally got Mrs. Timmons’ dog.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The skies were clear, not a cloud in sight. Although the calmness of the atmosphere should seem to ease my state of mind, my fear of heights overpowered any positive thoughts about the coming dive. Although I was terrified, I grew the courage to take a glance and was shocked by the breathtaking view that my eyes laid upon. The tops of the cloud gave forth a gold lining around them. “Oh, how beautiful!” I said to myself.
It was time to start preparing for my first dive. We rode into town and purchased some equipment such as a vest, a regulator and a tank. Everything seemed to be in good condition to dive with. All of my equipment was ready to see the waters.
We then ventured across the island to the spot where we were to begin our dive. Getting out of the car, I noticed that the air was quiet and misty. The wind was curiously strong and carried a cold chill(寒意)with it. “This is where we will get in,” the diving instructor said.
I was told that, in order to access the water, I had to jump. Now, this was not a simple “jump”. “There is little chance that I can do that. Do you even realize how high up we are?” I said to my mother. “Yes, you can! Just trust yourself. Just think of it as your chance to feel like you are flying,” my mother encouraged me.
My mother just could not seem to understand how fearful I was. My heart was beating violently. I was almost certain that the fish could even hear my heartbeat. Terrified and shaking uncontrollably, I could not make myself jump. The sound of the waves made me terrified. The waves were rhythmically pounding into the side of the bank, so violently that the water reached the same height that I stood.
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。
Although terrified, I gathered courage and told myself that I could do it.
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Once in the water, I opened my eyes to a whole new world.
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Callie was a high school student. Because of her parents’ business, her family moved from London to Los Angeles, where she grew up.
Living in a quiet and warm community with her parents, Callie was very interested in various volunteer activities in the community, and almost no one in the community didn’t know her.
On a sunny afternoon, Callie was reading a poem when she heard a soft knock. She stood up at once and opened the door. Her favourite neighbor, Mrs. Baker, stood outside the door.
“I need your help, Callie,” Mrs. Baker said, “and do you know the empty lot (场地) down the street?” Callie nodded, smiling. “The place is a mess, covered with trash. The city is letting us use the lot as a community garden,” she explained. “We need help to clean up the lot on Saturday.” “Sure, Mrs. Baker!” Callie said cheerfully. “I just have nothing to do this Saturday. I will be happy to help you!” Mrs. Baker looked pleased and said, “Thanks, Callie. We want to get the garden planted before summer. By then, adults and children in our community will have had a good place to go.”
At school the next morning, Callie’s close friend Tamara was waiting for her by their classroom, who had a surprise for her. Tamara said, “My mom bought tickets to Fun World this Saturday. She has an extra one for you!” The girls had been waiting for months for the amusement park to reopen.
Callie sighed and worried over how to choose for the rest of the day. Her mother noticed her mood when she arrived home. “Did something go wrong at school?” her mother asked. Callie explained her problem. “What should I do, Mom?” Callie asked. “I know you want to go with Tamara and also want to help Mrs. Baker. Think carefully about your choice, and you need to make your own decision. But I know you will do what is best,” her mother answered.
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。
Callie spent the rest of the evening thinking about her decision.
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On Sunday, Callie met Mrs. Baker at the empty lot.
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On a Saturday afternoon, my friend’s eleven-year-old daughter Jenny and I wound our way through the crowd at the State Fair of Texas. Her dad, along with my husband, followed behind. Seconds later, we arrived at the section of the fair that I dreaded（畏惧）more than searching for a place to park: the midway rides. As the loudspeakers shouted “I Will Survive”, potential victims passed us like a tornado.
Jenny looked up at the windsurf ride with her eyes wide open. I was confident that she, like my children when they were her age, would bypass the twisting, terrifying, multi-story mechanical arms and continue walking elsewhere.
I was wrong.
“Will you go on this ride with me?” she asked.
“Um, sure,” I answered while glancing up at the people who were suspended upside down.
“How bad could it be?” I asked.
“Not bad if rides don’t make you sick,” Jenny said.
I could have made up an excuse for not to risk my life. Or I could have admitted my possibility of motion sickness. But, earlier that morning, I had challenged myself to try something new each week. I was ready to push myself out of my comfort zone. Jenny stared at the ride, eager to experience the same thrill as the brave group of riders in front of us, I couldn’t say no.
We bought two tickets. After climbing into our seats, an attendant reached up, pulled down the bar, and locked it in place. The ride lifted us slowly and then turned us over like the blueberry pancakes. Staring at the ground directly below us, I wondered why I had decided to wear flip-flops（人字拖）. I wondered when my new health insurance would kick in. My stomach upset. The ride touched down finally. Her dad and my husband were waiting for us at the exit. “How was it?” they asked.
“Fine. No big deal,” I said, even though my head was dizzy. Jenny walked ahead of us and convinced me to keep taking chances and sample more rides.
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。
“Oh, look at the pirate ship!” she said.
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On the way to the car, I sent my son a video of me on the first ride filmed by my husband.
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One day many years ago, 60-year-old Gladys Hankerson picked up the phone to give her sister, who lives in Maryland, a call. But she accidentally called the wrong number, dialing a 401 area code instead of 410. Mike Moffitt, in his 20s, was the one who received Gladys’ call. He politely let the sweet lady from Florida know she’d called the wrong number. “I’m so sorry, child!” she exclaimed and quickly hung up.
But then, sometime later, Gladys misdialed Mike again. It happened several times more, with Gladys apologizing each time for calling the wrong number. Mike didn’t mind a bit. And he eventually stopped Gladys from hanging up to ask who she was and where she lived.
It turned out that Gladys’ 30-year-old son had just died. And she was also going through a divorce. And though she’d called the wrong number, the kindness from this absolute stranger was just what she needed. The time this young man took out of his day to chat with Gladys meant the world to the woman. And she eventually told Mike about the struggles she was facing in her personal life. After that, this sweet woman was calling specifically to chat with her new friend. It wasn’t just Gladys who felt the special connection. Mike enjoyed the chats, too.
For Gladys, Mike was no longer a wrong number. Instead, she began intentionally dialing him every couple of weeks to check in on him. And these two people who started out as absolute strangers, separated by age and many miles, grew to become friends.
“When I’m talking to him, I can feel the love,” Gladys explained. And for Mike, the wrong number put another motherly figure in his life. He pointed out Gladys would sometimes call when Rhode Island got snow. “She would watch my weather, almost like my mom does,” Mike said.
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。
For over 20 years, the two had only ever spoken on the phone.
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So a week later, Mike turned up unexpectedly at Gladys’ house.
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