After school, I rushed back home, excited. “Mom,” I said, “I’ve been nominated (提名) for the National Junior Honor Society.” My mother patted my shoulders, saying, “I’m so proud of you.”
As I filled out the honor society application form, I had to prove that I had all the characteristics required in a candidate: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. I wrote that I worked hard at my classes; I made the high honor roll most quarters; I listed my singing with the District Select Chorus to raise money for the community. The next day, I handed in the application form to the school and didn’t think any more about it.
Months went by, and I received a letter from the school about the honor society. My mother was typing at the computer. “Mom,” I said sadly, “I didn’t make the honor society.” She smiled and held up her hand to give me a high five. “You are joking.” I felt tears roll down from my eyes. “No, really, they didn’t pick me,” I said and handed her the letter.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I thought you were kidding,” my mother replied. “There must be some mistake.” She grabbed the phone and dialed the principal (校长). He told her that no mistake was made. It was the decision of the school committee.
“It’s not fair,” I said that night at supper. My mother agreed. Nearly all of my friends were chosen for the honor society. Not being a member of the honor society wasn’t going to ruin my future, but it was hurting me now.
My dad noted, “They should set up specific requirements for selection. For example, each candidate must have five hours of community service a month.” “The committee should give a reason why I wasn’t chosen, so the student can do better,” I said.
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。
Hearing my words, Dad advised having a discussion about the selection process.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A few days later, the principal phoned to say that the committee was going to use some of our suggestions.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“And that’s ‘The Ray of Hope’ for you!” Asta said as she ended her book review. She took a deep bow and was given thundering applause. I, too, gave applause. I was happy for my friend. Well, I was pretending to be happy for her. Deep down inside, I was rather feeling envious of Asta. She was always the one who makes speeches, debates and tells stories to others. Me? No! I had stage fright and was always the shy, quiet one who was never courageous to speak in front of others. I had never managed to do a presentation without stammering(结巴). Every time I saw someone making a speech, I would imagine myself in his or her place, receiving the applause and praise.
I was walking to the canteen with Asta. She, as usual, was looking at the script. She had been chosen to be the presenter for the National Day Celebration. I sighed to myself. Why could I not be like her, always loud and brave? If only there was a way to prove myself...
Just then, I caught a glimpse of a poster on the noticeboard.
“Minute to say it?” I read the poster out loud.
It was a competition where one has to prepare a speech about a particular topic and summarize it on the stage within one minute. This could be my big chance to overcome my stage fright! And the best part was, if I won the competition, I would receive a mini-trophy (小奖杯).
Without thinking twice, I grabbed a form and filled in it. I took a seat in the canteen with Asta and told her what I had done, after which she said that she had also signed up for the competition. Suddenly, regret hit me like a 20-pound hammer. I was competing against Asta who was the best speaker in the school! I was bound to lose! Why was I so ill-fated? I just wanted a chance to prove myself that I could overcome my stage fright.
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。
The big day finally arrived.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The day I started working out with my personal trainer, Teresa, I told her that overall, I wanted to get in shape and get stronger. More specifically, I wanted to lose 10 pounds by swimsuit season.
“Good, you have both long-term and short-term goals,” Teresa said. “That will help keep you motivated.” Then she warned, “I’m going to push you pretty hard, Sue. And you’re going to have to push yourself, too.”
She had. And so had I. Yet here I was at the gym, months later, the same old Sue with the same weight. I looked in the mirror and said, “I’m still so fat. It’s too hard for me to lose 10 pounds.” 1 wasn’t feeling very motivated. “Let’s start with something different today,” Teresa said.
I thought she was going to show me a new exercise. Instead, she took something small and green out of her pocket. A rubber band（橡皮筋）. Teresa took my right arm and placed the band onto my wrist, a determined look on her face. “This will solve your problem,” she assured me. I didn’t mean to be rude, but I had to ask, “How is this rubber band going to help me get in shape?”
“Your weight is not your biggest problem,” Teresa said. “What’s really holding you back is that you’re always putting yourself down.” I knew that better.1 had grown up constantly comparing myself to others, and I fell short every time.
Teresa said she was tired of hearing all the negative words I directed at myself. “Your negative thinking is a bad habit, and it’s time to break it,” she declared. The plan was simple. Every time I thought or said something that put myself down, I was supposed to pull the rubber band—hard—and break free from that negative mindset.
I agreed to try the rubber band. Then I left the gym and drove home. A pile of mail was waiting. I looked through it. There was an official-looking letter from my bank, 1 tore open the envelope. It was an overdraft（透支的） notice. One of my checks had bounced because I’d been late putting money into the account. My cheeks burned when I saw it was the birthday check I had sent to my niece. I really messed up now! How could I be so stupid?
注意: 1. 续写词数应力150个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
That was when I remembered what Teresa said I needed to do.
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Seven days after trying the rubber band, I got ready for my appointment with my trainer.
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I grew up in New York City. Over the years, my family have explored many notable landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. However, the one we never attended was the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City. My father worked as a baker, so purchasing tickets for six of us was considered a too high expense. How I wish I could see the show! I was always attracted by the long line of Rockettes that would dance across our television screen, so I decided I’d see the iconic show in person one day.
Then I found myself at the age of twenty-eight heading to Radio City to buy tickets to the show on Christmas day. My husband Jay was driving the car. His sister and I were sitting in the back seat. I prayed to God, just as I always did, that everything would go well.
Our plan was to park the car and head directly to the box office. After parking our car, we enjoyed the walk to Radio City. By the time we got there, there were long lines and people everywhere.
I went to wait in one of those long lines. I saw people walking away disappointed in front of me, but I told myself that it was probably too expensive or the show was at the wrong time to fit in with their plans. Finally, I reached the cashier. “Good morning,” I greeted her cheerfully. “I’d like to buy three tickets for the next show.”
“I don’t even need to look. The last seven people asked me the same thing. They’re sold out,” she responded.
“OK, so how about tonight’s show?” I said.
“Um…girl, they’re sold out for this day, this week and this month. I might be able to get you in the middle of January,” she replied.
I was shocked. It was worse than I could have imagined. I stood alone in the building, not knowing what to do. I even wanted to try from the scalpers (票贩子).
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。
At that moment, a man approached me, asking me, “Are you looking for tickets?”
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I looked down at the paper, wondering why he gave me the tickets for free.
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Paul’s old clock was supposed to wake him up at six in the morning of August tenth, but, unfortunately, the hour hand stopped in the early hours again. Instead, Paul was awoken by the noisy breakfast-table talk of the Stephen brothers next door.
“Now. I’ve won the National Poetry Creative Award!” the older brother shouted loudly.
“You have to do the housework for the coming whole week!”
“Okay,” the younger responded unwillingly.
Paul rushed down the stairs of his apartment to the news kiosk (报刊亭) by the street in his pajamas. Among the crowd of the seven o’clock Los Angeles, he was unique, in a funny manner, like a clown escaped from a circus group. Despite that, he caught the eyes of nobody. He threw a few coins into the glass jar and then grabbed the newspaper from the old kiosk owner. His behavior didn’t frighten the old woman-he was the most loyal customer of her store for the past few years.
Paul liked to invent something, and he was fond of literature and had been dreaming of becoming an editor. He skimmed through the annual nomination (提名) on the front page of the newspaper, the brightness in his eyes turned less bright as he moved down the list of names, which eventually faded when he reached the end. He lifted his sight from the newspaper and started staring at the kiosk owner dully (无精打采地), an expression similar to that when he arrived. The old woman sighed-she was so accustomed to this lifeless look on his face but had prayed to see something new every August.
“Bad luck”, with this, Paul slid away rapidly. When approaching the corner of the street, he narrowly knocked down an old gentleman, the kiosk owner’s husband, Arthur, who once was a chief editor of a local famous magazine and now he was retired.
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 hearing what his wife said about Paul, Arthur decided to give him a hand.
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One morning of next year’s August, with the magazine he had edited in hand, Paul stood beside the news kiosk nervously to sell it.
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In a small village called Brightville, there lived three friends: Kimberley, John and Alicia. They were all students at Brightville High School. Kimberley was a hardworking and determined girl; John was a curious and creative boy; and Alicia was a kind and helpful girl. They shared a common dream of achieving their goals through education.
On a sunny day, the three friends gathered at their favorite spot near the village river. They often met there to discuss their dreams and motivate each other. Kimberley always emphasized (强调) the importance of studying and setting goals. John loved exploring new things and finding creative ways to learn. Alicia, with her caring nature, always supported and encouraged her friends.
One day, they came across an old abandoned library in the heart of Brightville. The library was filled with dust-covered books. Kimberley saw this as an opportunity for their dreams to come true. She suggested turning the library into a learning center for the village.
The three friends spent months cleaning, organizing and renewing the library. They reached out to the villagers, and soon, volunteers joined them to set up the learning center. They created a friendly and welcome environment where students could come to study, read books, and seek help.
Word about the learning center spread throughout the village. Students from all ages and backgrounds started attending. Kimberley, John and Alicia devoted their after-school hours to tutoring (指导) the students. They understood that education was not just about memorizing facts but also about nurturing curiosity and passion for learning.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As days turned into months, they saw the effect of their hard work.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The success of the learning center in Brightville caught the attention of the local government.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In July, my dad, mom and I flew to Whitehorse to care for my sick old grandfather. We planned to spend two months in the town of my youth.
A few days before we arrived, my grandfather called to say he was being flow n to Vancouver for another operation. My dad and mom had already booked the air tickets and their leave from work, so even though my grandfather wouldn’t be there, we made the trip north anyway.
Grandfather kept a puppy. It was the only companion of my grandfather while we were not in Whitehorse. He had adopted it from a local shelter(two years earlier and renamed him “Scruffy” because it looked untidy. Its fur was messy. Its ears were like two wings when it ran. While we were alone in my grandfather’s house with nothing to do, Scruffy saved us. The dog needed to be walked. Those walks were chances to re-visit where I’d grown up. I had left that small town behind as soon as I finished high school and had rarely visited home. Scruffy and I took my family to the school, where my picture still hung. We walked through the forest where I once rode my bike. With no one to talk to when my parents were occupied with their own business. I found myself chatting with Scruffy. He was too excited to see me. I gave him many nicknames: Scruffster, Scruff-man, Scruffmaster. He would happily respond to them all.
By the fall, we were back in Toronto and my grandfather was back in Whitehorse. My mom and her brothers took turns flying up to take care of him.
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。
We visited my grandfather again in November.
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After Grandfather’s death, we had to rehome Scruffy.
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As my wife worked late, my three small children looked at me expectantly. “What’s for dinner?” one of them said. The last time I had made dinner was when I was in college. Now, I had three mouths to feed, but I was crucially short on ideas. Suddenly, I searched for a possible answer. “Where's the Twister game?” I asked. “Not Twister,” Abbv, my oldest child, said, “dinner.”
I walked to the closet, pulled out the game and tested the spinner (旋转器). Then I put paper between the plastic arrow and the cardboard base and drew four quadrants (象限). I looked at the children and said, “Who wants chocolate?”
Alex, my youngest child, screamed in delight. I wrote in the upper right quadrant: chocolate. Aiden, my middle child, asked, “Dad, what are you doing?” I answered, “You will see in a second.” I pointed at the second area and asked, “How about ice cream?” Alex started dancing around in a circle. “When we get four options written on the spinner, we will spin to see what we do for dinner tonight.” They debated the final section for a few seconds and then collectively decided on pizza.
“We’re going to spin it once, and whatever we land on, that’s what we will do tonight.” Abby shook her head and said, “I don’t think this is a good idea.” Alex yelled, “I want to spin it.” “Great. Go for it.” Alex's second try sent the little plastic arrow flying around and around until it landed on... chocolate.
Everyone screamed, “Chocolate.” I still had no idea what we were going to do. Abby looked at me and asked, “But what are we going to do?” I answered, “Hop in the car.” We took the normal fifteen minutes to find shoes and jackets and manage the car seats. Then we were off to the. grocery store.
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。
We bought chocolate bars, cookies and cakes, and then back into the car full of expectation.
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As they brushed teeth and headed to bed, Abby asked, “Can we do this again tomorrow?”
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“I will never forget you,” Meryl said to his pet dog with tears rolling down his cheek (脸颊). With his head leaning to one side, Thone watched his master, “Woof, woof! Woof, woof!” He wagged his tail back and forth, seeming to understand what Meryl was talking about.
“I can’t take care of myself anymore, let alone take care of you,” Meryl cleared his throat. “Soon, I’ll move to an old people’s home, and I’m sorry to say that you can’t come along. They don’t allow dogs there, you know.” “Don’t worry, my friend. I’ll find a nice new home for you. I’ve known the owners of the new home, and they like dogs very much,” Meryl added. “With your good looks, we’ll have no trouble at all. Anyone will be proud to own such a fine dog.”
Thone wagged his tail really hard and walked proudly up and down the kitchen floor. For a moment, the familiar delicious food gave him a feeling of happiness. But then a sense of fear struck again. Thone’s tail hung between his legs and he stood very still.
“Come here.” With great difficulty, Meryl knelt down on the floor and lovingly pulled Thone close to him. He tied a ribbon (丝带) around the dog’s neck with a huge red bow, and then he attached a note to it, which said “Happy New Year! My name is Thone. For breakfast, I like bacon and eggs — even corn will do. For dinner, I prefer mashed potatoes and some meat. That’s all. I eat just two meals a day. In return, I will be your most loyal friend.”
“Woof, woof! Woof, woof!” Thone was confused and his eyes begged. The old Meryl blew his nose into his handkerchief once more. Later, hanging on to a chair, he pulled himself up from the floor. He buttoned his overcoat, reached for the dog’s leash (皮带) and softly said, “Come here, my friend.” He opened the door against a wave of cold air and stepped outside, pulling the dog behind.
As they were walking in the empty street, dusk was beginning to fall.
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 a very long time, they stopped before a large house with tall trees in its front.
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Through teary eyes, the old Meryl watched from behind the tree as the boy’s mother took the note.
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1. 你最喜欢的中国艺术；
2. 该艺术的简介；
3. 该艺术对你的影响。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My Favourite Chinese Art
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