Thoughts don’t have to be “real” or “true” to create failure or success in our lives. They just have to be believed.
Tim had always been weak in math. In high school, he had failed algebra (代数) three times before he eventually passed. Gradually, he began to accept it as an unchangeable fact. Then in college, the biggest problem that stood between him and his degree came in junior year— he had to take statistics, about which all the horror stories were circulating.
One day he was called into his professor’s office. Professor Fine, a short, stout man with thinning hair and a forever smile, sat on the front of his desk reading Tim’s record. “My son, this is your lucky day.” he looked up and repeated, “This is indeed your lucky day. You’re going to be great in stats (统计数据).” He had a huge smile on his face.
“How’s that, Doc?” Tim asked.
The professor shrugged. “You have the second kind of mind. Listen. First kind of minds are the kids who do well in algebra but don’t get stats. But second kind of mind is like yours. Kids who don’t get algebra understand statistics with no problem. They are different kinds of math that take different kinds of mind. Since you failed algebra three times, I’d guess you’d get an A in stats.” He raised his hands over his head.
“Really?” Tim asked, confused.
Professor Fine jumped to the floor and looked square (诚实的) in his eyes. “Really, and I’m happy for you. You never gave up, and now it’s going to pay off.” Then he shook Tim’s hand and slapped his back with great enthusiasm.
Tim was wild with joy at the news.
After that day, each time they met, there was a smile of approval on Professor Fine’s face and an enthusiastic handshake. Eventually, Tim began to tell his friends how well he expected to do in statistics.
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。
This unusual change in attitude affected all Tim’s grades.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After the graduation ceremony, Tim went to professor Fine’s office.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My brother Matthew was becoming a teenager. Now everything was changing. He spent most of his time indoors talking on the phone. He refused to dive after the football for fear of getting his jeans dirty when we played catch. Yet I kept expecting to return to the past when I was his hero, his big brother and his best friend. It was tough facing the fact that I was no longer the center of my brother’s universe, and I worried about where I fit in his new life.
I discovered the answer during Matthew’s seventh-grade year, when he attended a summer camp and I served as a volunteer.
He was usually the center of attention, blowing straw wrappers at all of his friends and showing off football skills. He was the kid everybody knew and loved. It was happy for him, but I barely saw my brother the whole week. I felt being cast aside like an old shoe. I was the one who had taught Matthew how to blow the wrappers of straws off and play football. I had been with him for every major moment in his life until now, and suddenly it was as if none of that mattered.
Then, on the last evening, Matthew called me as I was leaving. “Chris! We’re gonnia play football. You have to come!” I blinked in surprise. “Are you sure? Won’t embarrass you?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter. Just play.” he replied, smiling.
I followed Matthew to the football field. When his cool new friends saw me, they laughed, “I thought you were getting a real player!” one of the guys shouted, eyes widening with disbelief.
“He’s my brother,” was Marthew’s reply. “And he’s really good!”
I wound up on the opposite team from Matthew. Still, I wanted to score a hundred touchdowns to prove to my brother that his faith in me wasn’t misplaced. Unfortunately, I never got that chance. The guys on my team simply refused to pass the ball to an older man. Exactly they wouldn’t let me anywhere near it.
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。
That football game might have been the most frustrating one I’d ever played.
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“He’s my brother! ” Matthew said proudly to all his friends.
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My little brother Peter and I got permission from our parents to camp in a field close to our farm. But, being adventurous boys, we knew it would be more exciting to camp in the woods that lay beyond the river. Excited, we went away with our tent and food.
Carrying our heavy load, we walked along the riverbank, hardly noticing the distance or the burning sun. We were eager to reach our destination before lunchtime. Along the way, we saw some birds searching for food around a fallen tree trunk. As we entered the cool, shadowy woods, we began to search for a suitable camping spot. Peter wanted to stay close to the river at the edge of woods, but I insisted that we camp further away. Unwillingly, Peter followed me deeper into the woods. “This is really a wonderful setting! ” I said in excitement. We put up our tent, and settled down to eat the sandwiches we had made. About an hour later, we decided to find our way
back to the river to catch some fish.注意：1. 续写词数应为100个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Are you sure that this is the right way? ” Peter asked.
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Returning home, we couldn’t wait to tell the anxious parents about our adventure story.
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What Goes Around Comes Around
One day a man saw an old lady on the side of the road. Noticing she might need help, he pulled up, got out and found that she had a flat tire(瘪胎).The lady was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. He could see that she was so afraid, standing out there in the cold. He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, I am Bryan Anderson."
As he was changing her tire, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.
When the work was finished, the lady asked how much she owed him, wiling to accept any amount. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance he or she needed, and Bryan added," And think of me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the darkness.
A few miles down the road the lady went into a small café. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She still had a sweet smile even though she mentioned that her husband died and she had to make a living by herself. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let her condition change her positive attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so caring to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan and decided to do something.
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 the lady finished her meal, the waitress came to collect the bill.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The waitress posted the touching story online, accompanied by words "Thank you! Kind lady!"
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________During winter, Leo noticed that of all the houses on the block, there was one with a messy, dirty yard that looked unattended. One day, after all the snow had melted and the trees were starting to bloom (开花) just in time for spring, Leo couldn’t help but stare at his neighbor’s messy yard a little longer. The melted snow showed all the buried leaves and other trash.
He went back home and brought the tools he needed. It took Leo the entire afternoon to clear the yard. He moved the melting snow out of the pathway and swept the leaves from the ground. He also trimmed (修剪) the bushes and left them as neat as he could.
The following morning, the old woman, Abigail, opened her door with joy. She had quietly watched the young man clean up the yard the day before, much to her relief.
Abigail had not left her house in months. She relied totally on her caregiver for her basic needs and was eager to get fresh air. After sitting in her wheelchair in her front yard for a couple of minutes, her neighbors started to notice her. They walked toward her to say hi, and soon, the crowd grew.
“It’s so lovely to see you outdoors, Abigail! How have you been?” one of them asked.
“I’m so happy to be breathing some fresh air for a change. I couldn’t leave the house for months because of the snow. It was too deep, and I couldn’t afford to hi re someone to help me with it,” Abigail admitted.
“But yesterday, I saw a kind young man cleaning my yard the entire afternoon. I wanted to thank him, but I had no food to offer him because my caregiver had not arrived yet,” she shared. “He is such a blessing. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him!”
When Abigail praised the “kind young man” who helped her, they immediately knew it was Leo. The neighbors looked at each other, with guilty all over their faces. They realized they had been so blind to Abigail’s problems that no one thought to help her by cleaning her yard.
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。
They decided to thank Leo by visiting his house.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When he opened his front door, Leo was surprised to see his neighbors bearing gifts.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My story began in one autumn morning, as I rounded a bend on the path to school. I was 13 years old, and was on the way to school. It was the first time I had caught sight of a fox. Fascinated to the point that I forgot all fear, I dared to go up to it. I had never come so close to a wild animal. There was nobody else around, only me and the fox.
“Hey, fox!” I tried to greet it, though my voice was so weak it felt like I was saying hello to myself. It didn’t hear me. It stayed there and I watched it. My heart was beating fast. It was so cute. For a moment, I thought I might be able to touch it.
Throughout the day at school, I could only think of the fox at the big tree. At my return to the place where we met, I was sure I’d find it there.
And I did. This time I gathered a little bit more courage and called out to it,“Fox!”Of course it escaped. But that only made me long to meet it again. I decided that if I could find its cave (洞) and catch it, I would try to tame (驯服) it, making it my friend.
Thus, I spent most of my free time in the forests trying to find the fox during the following months. But I never saw it again before winter came. During the winter, I followed its footprints far across the fields. Suddenly I was alarmed by the calling of wolves near me. I ran away frighteningly, stumbled and hurt my ankle. It recovered very slowly, so that I had to stay at home during the winter, reading a book about animals of the forest and foxes.
When spring arrived, I was free again. I looked for fox caves and waited for my fox. To my amazement, it had got young ones but kept moving because of my observations; therefore I decided to observe the fox from a longer distance.
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。
One day, as I sat quietly at the door, the fox cautiously approached.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But to my surprise, the day after I brought it home, it escaped.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The letter from the principal couldn’t have been clearer: “The bus will pick up your kids at the bus stop. Parents are not to ride with children on the bus, and not allowed to come to the school, whether to drop off their children or to take pictures. Parking is tight(有限的), even for teachers. And additional cars are strictly forbidden(禁止) at the beginning or end of the school day.”
That was all understandable but they didn’t know my five-year-old twins. Shy and sensitive, they hid whenever the doorbell rang. They couldn’t walk out of their hiding places with ice cream, candy or new toys. Their paternal grandparents could hardly get a good look at them. They clung to(依恋) me whenever we went out in public—one girl per leg. My fear on that first day of school was that my girls would hide under a bus seat, or somehow get lost.
The day came, and it was sunny and beautiful. The girls were lovely in their new dresses. The bus was late, and they were nervous, but they smiled for the camera. I stood near the bus stop for a minute, and their father finally took his eye off the camera lens and took in what I was wearing. “Oh, no, you’re not,” he said.
I wore my gym clothes and favorite long-distance running shoes. The school was a few miles away. “I am going to run to the school, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I said.
Our conversation was cut short when the bus approached. I watched Morgan and Chloe get on, turn and wave on the top step, and then... OK, then I ran before the bus, so I wasn’t lying to my husband.
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。
I took a short cut and reached the school earlier.
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My face didn’t light up until the last bus was coming.
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Peter sat at the kitchen table, having breakfast. It had been another bad night for his baby sister, Lily, and his parents were arguing in the sitting room. He heard his mother mention Tom, an old man who lived in the forest. Peter often explored the forest and knew Mr. Tom was a kind herbalist (草药医生). Was it true that he could help Lily? Peter wouldn’t rest until he found it out.
After breakfast, Peter immediately set off. It was a short walk from his home to the forest’s edge. Peter was so focused on his thoughts of his sister that he didn’t notice the strange crying sounds in the distance until he got close enough. He followed the sounds until they led him to a cave.
A flashlight lit up suddenly in the cave, and Peter saw a little boy lying on the dirt-covered stone. Peter learned that the boy called Cliff came to this forest with his mother but ran off by himself. Cliff was injured and didn’t see his mother. Peter decided to take Cliff to Mr. Tom. When they saw Mr. Tom and told him everything, Mr. Tom treated the injury with a bandage (绷带) and helped contact Cliff’s mother over the radio.
Peter moved closer to look at Cliff’s bandaged ankle and felt a sense of relief. Then Peter turned to Mr. Tom and said, “Mr. Tom, my baby sister is very sick. I overheard Mom mention you, so I came out here today to ask you for help...” Before Peter finished his words, Mr. Tom said, “I had tried to help, but your sister needed to be sent to a big hospital and a lot of money...” Peter realized his parents had argued because they couldn’t afford Lily’s treatment.
Mr. Tom was trying to comfort Peter when someone knocked on the door. Mr. Tom opened it and saw a lady, who claimed herself as Cliff’s mother.
“It’s you!” Mr. Tom shouted excitedly.
“You’re a fan?” the lady said. “I came to this area to spend a holiday with my son. Thankfully, you have saved him. Where is he?”
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。
Mr. Tom nodded and led the lady to her son.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning, in his bedroom, Peter was woken up by a joyful scream.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was a single parent of four small children, working at a minimum-wage job. Money was always tight. It was Christmas time, and the big excitement for the kids was the fun of Christmas shopping at the mall. I had saved $120 for presents to be shared by all five of us.
The big day arrived and we started out early. I gave each of the four kids a twenty-dollar bill and reminded them to look for gifts about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered. We had two hours to shop; then we would meet back at the “Santa’s workshop” display.
Back in the car driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, laughing and teasing each other with clues about what they had bought. My younger daughter, Ginger, who was about eight years old, was unusually quiet. I noted she had only one small, flat bag with her after her shopping. I could see enough through the plastic bag to tell that she had bought candy bars—fifty-cent candy bars! I was so angry. What did you do with that twenty dollar bill I gave you? I wanted to yell at her, but I didn’t say anything until we got home. I called her into my bedroom and asked her what she had done with the money. This is what she told me:
“I was looking around, thinking of what to buy, and I stopped to read the little cards on one of the Salvation Army’s ‘Giving Trees’. One of the cards was for a little girl four years old, and all she wanted for Christmas was a doll with clothes and a hairbrush. So, I took the card off the tree and bought the doll and the hairbrush for her and took it to the Salvation Ar-my booth.”
“I only had enough money left to buy candy bars for us,” Ginger continued. “But we have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
Paragraph 1:I was deeply moved by Ginger’s unexpected act of kindness.
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We determined to fulfill the wishes of the little girl on the Salvation Army’s “Giving Tree”.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Maya and her older brother Marcus lived with their grandma. Their parents, busy with work in another city, could only return home during the winter holiday. Grandma was good at paper-cutting, and she decorated the whole room with pretty shapes of animals and flowers, devoting herself to keeping Maya and Marcus happy. However, despite her grandmother’s love, Maya often felt deep frustration, complaining why she couldn’t stay with her parents.
As the days grew shorter and colder, Maya’s excitement came back. She knew that with the arrival of snow, the winter holiday would come, as well as the return of her parents. One day, the weather forecast predicted snow during daytime, so Maya eagerly rose from bed, pressing her nose against the window, and waiting for the first pretty snowflake to drop from the sky.
However, as it was getting late, Maya’s excitement turned into disappointment. Sensing her sadness, grandma comforted her, “Be patient, dear. The snow will come soon.” Marcus, too, tried to be an older brother, reminding Maya that the snow could fall at night. Yet, despite their efforts, Maya remained upset. Night fell and not a single snowflake was in sight. Sadly, Maya went to bed without eating anything, going to her dreams with tears in her eyes.
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。
To cheer Maya up, grandma and Marcus decided to make snowflakes themselves.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Maya rushed to the windows, and found snowflakes of all shapes and sizes on the glass.
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