Mary waited anxiously for her turn in the empty dressing room. Never had she been so nervous before. This competition was of vital importance to her comeback. “If I can win today,” she said to herself, “I can dance on the national stage next month.” Three months ago, her left arm was seriously injured in a car accident. After the medical treatment, she began to recover slowly. She practiced over and over again in order to regain her dancing skills.
“Hi, Mary,” in rushed her friend Jessica. “How is your arm? Is it going to influence your performance?”
“I guess it can be tolerated for I am to win the match.” said Mary with a determined look.
“Admirable! But I hear that a girl called Linda is really gifted and strong. She can be your real well-matched competitor. Come on!”
After Jessica left, Mary decided to practice her most difficult spin (旋转). “If I don’t try harder. I won’t grasp this chance.” She thought. But her arm began to hurt, making her worried. “Mary, what makes you think you have a chance tonight?” she said to herself. After the pain was gone, she continued to warm up.
A slim girl hurried in and put down an equipment bag on the chair. Then, she took out her dance dress quickly and put it on skillfully. Seeing Mary, she smiled politely and said “Hi, I’m Linda. I am the next one!” Mary nodded in reply but felt uncomfortable. “This is just my competitor. Because of her, I may lose tonight.” Her mind was wandering when Linda let out a scream, “Oh, God, I can’t find my music tape!” Linda searched her bag but in vain. “It may be missing on the way.” With these words, she then rushed out.
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；
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, Mary caught sight of a black box under the chair where Linda put her bags.
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Paragraph 2:
After watching Lindas excellent performance, Mary stepped onto the stage.
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The boys at the back of the school bus were restless. Stevie did his best to ignore the others. “”Settled own!”Mr Taylor said. “We’ll be there soon. Wait till you see the climbing walls. You’ll be very happy.” Stevie hadn’t liked this “Boys Rulz” club from the start. They were troublemakers. Mom had made him join because she was worried that he didn’t seem to be fitting in. It was n this fault, thought Stevie, school was boring. None of the teachers trusted him, and no special boy’s group was to change that.
All the boys stared up in wonder at the huge climbing walls. Stevie looked down at his thin arms and wondered how he could climb up that. Mr Taylor and a man called Rick helped the boys get into their harnesses (保护带) and showed them how to climb up. “Now find a partner and get them to check all your straps (带子) and everything,” said Mr Taylor. The boys quickly paired off, leaving Stevie standing there alone. “Cool, you’re with me,” said Rick, holding up his hand for a high-five. Stevie high-five d him back weakly. Stevie was on a tiny wall which the others had called the “baby wall”. He gritted his teeth (咬紧牙关), his face pressed against the rough surface and reached for the next, hold. “Done!” he called down from the top. “Now let go of the rock and walk down as I showed you,” said Rick. “It’s perfectly safe.” Stevie did as instructed, and Rick started to let him down slowly. “Well done,” said Rick when Stevie got to the bottom.
Then someone pointed out that Mr Taylor hadn’t done any climbing himself.” I plan to, “said Mr Taylor.” But I’ll need a partner, someone I can really trust. “The boys volunteered actively, but Mr Taylor pretended he hadn’t heard. He looked around the group. “How about you, Stevie?” he said at last. “Fancy being my belayer?” A be layer is somebody who controls how you come down, the one that stops you from falling.
要求：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。
Stevie looked up, greatly surprised.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Ready to let me down?” Mr Taylor called down to Stevie.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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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Michael saw the trouble coming. There standing in the hallway was Frank, the boy who enjoyed making fun of anyone at any given moment. Frank was tall and strong, so few of his victims stood up to him. Michael hated the idea that Frank always got away with his wrongdoing. Yet like most kids who were picked on, he just took it quietly and waited for the unpleasant to pass.
Frank walked up, his eyes locked on the books in Michael’s arms. When they met, Frank stopped unexpectedly, “Hey, let me see those books!” Some students watched as Michael held out the books he was carrying, trying not to give away his nervousness.
Frank took a book, looked inside for a second, and then threw the book at Michael, who dropped all the other books. “Hey, those are school property,” Frank barked, “Be careful!” Then he walked away, laughing loudly.
Michael, his cheeks turning red, half kicked the fallen books. Suddenly a hand picked up one book. “You look like you could use a p ally (盟友),” a friendly voice said. It was Ramon, the most athletic boy in the high school. Michael couldn’t believe Ramon was stopping to help him as they barely spoke.
“Thanks,” Michael sighed with relief. “It’s confusing. I don’t know what his problems is.”
“Well, as I see it,” Ramon said, “you need to find a way to end this.” Michael nodded, stuck for what to say. Ramon continued, “You know my grandmother used to tell me whenever I had a problem with someone. She’d say, ‘You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar (醋).’”
Looking puzzled, Michael asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means kindness may be more effective than anger,” Ramon explained.
“Can you just tell Frank to stop picking on me?” Michael suggested.
“That’s vinegar,” Ramon laughed as he walked away. “Try honey instead.”
Ramon’s words left Michael thinking.
The next school day brought Michael’s usual pain. There stood Frank, and Michael knew it would be just seconds before he had to face him in the middle of the hall. Frank came nearer.
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。
Then, suddenly, the unexpected happened.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Michael bent down and quickly picked up Frank’s books on the floor.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Saving the Carnations
Dawn broke. Regina aged 14 opened her sleepy eyes and looked out of the window at the foggy field below. “NO!” she cried, now fully awake. Buttermilk, the cow was in Mama’s carnation (康乃馨) garden.
“I must have forgotten to close the gate last night,” Regina thought as she pulled a sweatshirt over her head. Mama was planning to sell the carnations at the fair next week. But Buttermilk was eating the flowers. Regina hurried outside and grabbed the lead rope on the wall.
“Why can’t you stay in the field?” she called to Buttermilk as she headed across the yard to the carnation garden. Buttermilk still stood there chewing the tender flowers.
“When I grow up, I’ll be an artist and paint pictures all day,” annoyed Regina thought. “I’ll not own a cow. Too much trouble.” Regina was fond of painting since the day she had memory. She would like to not only help with family but see birds and flowers alive under her brush.
Just as Regina was about to throw the lead rope onto Buttermilk’s collar, the family dog Blue, rounded the corner of the house, barking loudly and furiously. Buttermilk couldn’t stand it and took off, tearing through the carnations. It finally ran through the open gate and into the field outside. “Thank goodness!” Regina said as she closed the gate and secured the lock. But, as she turned to look at the flower garden, most of the carnations were either eaten or trampled (踩踏).
Mama and Dad came out of the house. “What’s going on?” Mama asked. She looked sadly at her garden. “I forgot to close the gate,” Regina said. “I’m so sorry.” “I know you are.” Mama sighed and gave Regina a hug.
Regina’s heart was heavy as she went back into the house. Mama had prepared much for the fair but now half of her efforts were in vain. Regina decided to think of a way to make it up to her mother. The problem tasked Regina’s mind. Could she plant other flowers in a week? Not enough time. Could she make use of the carnations in pieces? Not enough magic. Regina found no way out.
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。
All of a sudden, a flower painting on the wall caught Regina’s eye.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A week later, the fair day, when her parents were loading the car, Regina brought her vivid paintings downstairs.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was in the afternoon before the end of the Second World War that Antonio Black, who was twelve, caught sight of a beautiful brooch (胸针) in a shop window. The brooch is so beautiful that he was unwilling to leave the store until he had purchased it. But it was too expensive — $5. His family was very poor and his parents struggled to make ends meet. Five dollars would buy almost a week’s food for his family.
Antonio couldn’t ask his father for the money. Everything his father made through fishing went to his mother, Susan. Slim and beautiful, his mother was the center of the home and the glue that held it together. The housework was never-ending, and she struggled to feed and clothe their five children, but she was happy as her family and their well-being were all she cared about.
Nevertheless, he opened the shop’s door and went inside. Standing proudly and straight in his flour-sack (面粉袋改做的) shirt and washed-out trousers, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding, “But I don’t have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time?”
“I’ll try,” the shopkeeper smiled. “People around here don’t usually have that kind of money to spend on things. It should keep for a while.”
Antonio respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out. He would raise the money and not tell anybody, for he thought Mum would be surprised when she saw that brooch. On hearing the sound of hammering (锤打) from a side street, Antonio suddenly had an idea that he could raise money by selling the used nail bags. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails bought in bags from a local factory. Sometimes the used bags were thrown away at the construction site, and Antonio knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece. That day he sold two nail bags and hid the money in a rusty soda tin.
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。
Every day after school, Antonio started his plan.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The day finally came!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Alex was a friendly boy, but he had a bad temper and often found it challenging to control his anger. Whenever something didn’t go his way or if he felt upset, a fiery anger would build up inside him like an angry monster.
One sunny afternoon, Alex went to the playground with his friends, Sarah and Ben. They were excited to play on the swings, slide, and monkey bars. As they started playing, Alex’s turn on the swing was interrupted by another child who cut in line. Alex felt his anger rising inside him, and without thinking, he shouted at the child very angrily, demanding his turn back. Sarah and Ben looked at Alex with surprise, scare and depression. They didn’t like it that their friend lost his temper like a monster and yelled. They stopped playing together.
Alex’s anger not only ruined his own mood but also spoiled (破坏) the fun for his friends and the other children at the playground. Feeling ashamed and realizing the consequences of his actions, Alex slumped (跌坐) down on a nearby bench. He saw his friends playing happily without him, and he felt upset at losing control.
Alex’s memories flooded back when his friends and family were often taken aback by his outbursts. When his best friend, Emily, wanted to play a game he didn’t like, he would shout and throw a tantrum (发脾气), refusing to play with her. His little sister accidentally knocked over his tower of blocks, he would explode in a fit of rage, yelling and stomping his feet.
He had lost a lot of fiends and hurt his family because of his anger. Now he might lose these friends too. He realized that his mean words constantly hurt the people he cared about. He didn’t want to be like a monster anymore, so he decided to find a better way to handle his anger.
1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
That evening, Alex told Grandma about what had happened.
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Alex made up his mind to change.
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Paul and I were on our school basketball team, The Lions. We loved basketball and were both huge fans of the NBA. When we weren’t playing on the court, we were watching a game on TV. My favourite player was LeBron James. Paul’s favourite player was Tyrone Bogues, a guy who played for the Charlotte Hornets, although we actually agree that they are both champions.
Bogues was only 1.6 metres tall, which made him the shortest player ever in the NBA. Guess what? Paul was only 1.6 metres tall, too! Paul knew that being shorter than other players meant that he had to practise more. During all those hours of doing jump shots on his own, he used Bogues as his inspiration. Paul once said, “If Bogues could make it, why not me?” Our coach was not so sure. Paul had to try out many times just for making the team. He was still usually on the bench, being just a replacement, which was really tough on him. I knew Paul had real skills, and was someone who worked really hard and had a strong desire to play for the team. However, Paul didn’t get a chance.
Then came the big day. We were playing our main competitors, The Bears, a team whose record of this season had been perfect. They hadn’t lost a single game. Despite our best efforts, we were still 10 points behind The Bears. Without much time left, the last quarter began. Unfortunately, our team members got injured one after another.
All hope fell on me. Unfortunately, a player and I crashed into each other. With pain racing through my body, my knee hurt badly. The team gathered around, looking worried. The doctor put an ice pack on my knee, but it was still painful. Obviously, I could not play any more. The coach gave a deep sigh and murmured in a low voice, “We have no more players”.
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 think I can give it a try,” a determined voice came from the crowd.
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Paul jumped up and rushed onto the court.
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I spotted my neighbor, Monica, working in her garden one day when I returned home from school. It was sunny, and the smell of cut grass made me feel refreshed. I popped my head over the fence, and Monica and I got talking.
“I’ve seen you’re very good at using a lawn mower(割草机) and gardening tools,” Monica said. “There’s a hedge(树篱) growing over the pathway near here. It’s so overgrown that it becomes a head ache for the passers-by. I was planning to cut it back myself. Would you like to help out?”
I loved the idea of helping Monica and our community. We agreed to cut the hedge the following Sunday. My brother Ivan, aged 10, also came along to help us. We wheeled Monica’s garbage can down to the hedge, which the community council was responsible for. All three of us cut it with shears (大剪刀) until a trouble-free pathway came in sight. Mr. Brown, a wheelchair user, was grateful that he didn’t have to make a detour(绕行) any more to pass the hedge. Encouraged by his words, I suggested doing more for our community, to make it a better place.
When we first started, we just made the best of the equipment we already had in my parents’ garage. But as time went on, donations came in from the local community. Our garage got filled up quickly with brushes, gardening tools, and even donated power tools like leaf blowers. With everything ready, our first project was to beautiful park near our houses, which looked a bit run-down. Ivan was in charge of painting the fence around, Monica cleared the lawn with a leaf blower, and I was responsible for repairing the benches where our neighbors usually sat at their leisure. After two weeks’ hard work, we felt stunned when stepping back and appreciating the clean and brand new small park. My heart swelled with pride because our efforts paid off.
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 posted photos of our hard work on our local Facebook Group.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With more neighbors joining in, we headed for the flower bed near the community center.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was the afternoon before Christmas Eve as I looked tiredly at my youngest daughter Kitty’s wish list for her presents. Major dental surgery (牙科手术) two days earlier had left my face painfully swollen (肿胀的), and most surely influenced my holiday spirit.
To make matters worse, Kitty had provided me with the world’s least helpful list: “Something red. Something old. Something you can put things in. Something strange ...”
After completing the important shopping of lots of food necessary for a big family gathering the next day, I was just quite tired and impatient. But no matter how hard it was to please my youngest daughter, I couldn’t let her down. Then her older sister Helen came up with the solution. The local antique store was sure to have something that fitted Kitty’s wish list. Owned by an extremely nice couple, the place was packed with valuable things and also not-so-valuable ones.
Surely, it was the last place where I wanted to go. Three years before, I had rushed out of the place in tears after selling them my grandmother’s silver forks and spoons and most importantly my valued ballet-dancer doll. That year had been difficult, and though I told myself that they were only things, it hurt to trade my remaining valued things, especially my ballet-dancer doll, for common things such as electricity and food. The shame of crying in public over it only made matters worse. Since that year, I had never visited that store.
After this long period of time and with a greatly swollen face, I thought it was unlikely that the owners of the store would recognize me. And, sure enough, the place offered gifts for every possible taste.
So in the afternoon before Christmas Eve, wearing a hat, I left home together with Helen to the antique store to pick up the gifts that Kitty wanted. Before long, we arrived at the store. While walking and choosing the gift there, I wondered, “What if the owners recognize me?”
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。
So I pulled down the edge of my hat to hide my face.
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And the owner held out my old ballet-dancer doll, adding, “It’s our Christmas present to you.”
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