My son David was injured in his forehead so I had to take him to a hospital. I looked around the crowded waiting room in the hospital and sighed. I thought, “Will the doctor be able to see my eight-year-old son soon?” I tried steadying the ice pack (冰袋) over his forehead, but it was no use. I couldn’t stop shaking. The injury in his forehead was deep, but at least blood wasn’t pouring from it anymore.
His face was full of tears, but he seemed really brave for his age. I handed him the ice pack, and he covered his forehead with it. He was doing a much better job than I had. We were at the hospital because another child had thrown a rock at David during a break between classes as he was running around the corner. His teacher called me, and when I arrived, I found him sitting in front of her. His teacher was caring for his injury, trying to keep him calm. She felt terrible about what had happened, but I knew none of it was her fault.
David received four stitches (缝线) and didn’t cry once throughout the whole treatment. For the next two days, his forehead was swollen and black and blue. I felt like I’d had a mini nervous breakdown. Every time I tried to sleep or tend to housework, horrible thoughts crept into my mind. Fear had taken over, and then the fear turned to anger. I was angry with the child who’d thrown the rock. I just couldn’t shake it. What was she thinking? She should have known about that better.
David’s headmaster and teacher called me that evening to see how David was feeling and told me Cherry, the girl, felt terrible. I wanted to stand up for my son, do the right thing and protect him.
The next day, David’s teacher stopped by to see how David was feeling and dropped off a get-well card that Cherry had made. David and I read it several times, and I couldn’t help but feel a little choked up. It was a sincere apology.
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 card mattered a lot to us.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We wondered how Cherry would make a response after reading the letter.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Chester was born in a cardboard box with four other cats. He was in a smaller cardboard box marked “free kittens” when Sasha met him and took him home. From that moment on, he loved boxes.
In the mornings he sat, licking his paws and fur with his tongue in the rainbow-colored sunlight. Then he would look around for a box to sleep in.
He slept in hatboxes and shipping boxes, gift boxes and takeout food boxes. He slept in Sasha’s sock drawer, if she left it open. When he was a kitten, the size of a small load of bread, he had slept in shoeboxes. But he grew and grew, and now he was a lot bigger. When he tried to sleep in a shoebox, his furry tummy hung over the sides.
Chester didn’t just sit in boxes, though. Sometimes he sat in flowerpots, pans, or laundry baskets. Chester also liked to sit in the bedroom of Sasha’s dollhouse, her birthday gift, with the furniture in a mess. Sasha had to redecorate the dollhouse every day, but she didn’t mind as long as Chester was happy. Sasha’s mom suggested Chester need a fixed house of his own, but Sasha ignored.
One day Sasha came home from school, and she couldn’t find Chester. He wasn’t in the dollhouse, or her sock drawer. “Mom, Dad!” Sasha yelled. “Chester is gone!”
Sasha’s mom looked in the attic (阁楼). There were boxes and dust balls, and even a mouse that had escaped Chester’s notice, but no Chester. Sasha’s dad looked in the kitchen cabinets. There were pots and pans, and the old can of soup he thought he’d lost, but no Chester.
Suddenly, “I found him!” Sasha cried.
The big orange cat was inside her mom’s new glass vase, clear glass with blue and green lines. He curled up in it, his fatty body almost jamming the vase.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
He didn’t look happy at all.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Luckily, not only Chester, but the vase, was still in one piece.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a bright and sunny Saturday when Mr. Jones moved in next door. He is an old gentleman with thick-framed glasses and a wiry beard. I could see his many belongings: antique chests, a large and tattered (破败的) painting of a rainforest, and boxes and boxes of old books. The line of movers bringing items into the house was endless! However, there was one item that Mr. Jones refused to let the movers touch. It was covered in a red velvet cloth and he carefully carried it inside himself.
That night, I heard an odd noise coming from Mr. Jones’s house. It was such a strange noise that I could not sleep at all! To my astonishment and anxiety, every night the strange sound would come up. After much consideration, I decided to investigate this mystery. I wondered what on earth Mr. Jones was? What could this strange noise be? What could he be hiding? Many doubts always echoed in my mind.
The next day, to confirm my guess, I slid into his house. Mr. Jones had left the window of his basement unlocked and I crawled inside without permission. Making several attempts, I made it! I felt around the walls for a light switch and when I finally turned the light on, I was amazed!
The basement was like a museum. There were many exquisite jungles and animals’ models which were often seen in museums. On the bookshelf were some academic books about zoo animals. I also noticed some remaining corns in the corner. When I glanced at the table, there was a first-aid kit on it! Determined to find out the truth, I was making my way across the room when I heard that strange noise again, coming from upstairs! Nervously, I walked up the stairs as quietly as I could but then on the last step… the floor beneath my foot creaked (嘎吱作响)! I paused, hoping no one was home to hear 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。
Suddenly, the door opened and there stood Mr. Jones staring right at me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________And then in the other room I saw it-a large cute parrot in a delicate gold cage!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ella loved her school life. However, there was one class Ella worried about more than any other class-art. She didn’t know why she just wasn’t good at drawing, painting, or cutting. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to master the skills.
Ms. Amanda, the art teacher, stood at the front of the room. “Class, next Friday our school is going to hold an art competition,” she announced. Ms. Amanda was a great teacher, and Ella liked her a lot. But this announcement made Ella nervous. “Everyone in the school will have to create a piece of artwork to show in the library. You can use the different types of artwork we have been studying.” Ms. Amanda was quite excited when she spoke while Ella found herself sinking lower in her chair.
Ella had the whole weekend to work on her project, but she could not think of anything to do. As Friday drew near, Ella felt frightened. She knew she couldn’t draw or paint well enough to make something that would stand out. So after school Ella asked Ms. Amanda if she could write an art paper instead of doing an art project.
“I understand this project scared you, Ella,” Ms. Amanda said. “Just remember, you can create any kind of art you want.” Ms. Amanda smiled at her: “Art is a person’s way of expressing his or her feelings. It isn’t always painting, drawing, or cutting. I know you will think of something very creative, and I can’t wait to see it.”
Ella finally decided to face her fears and give it a try. When Ella arrived home, she took out a piece of paper and a pencil. She remembered Ms. Amanda’s words. “Art is a person’s way of expressing his or her feelings.” Ella wrote the word “terrified” on her paper. She crumpled (揉皱) the paper and threw it to the side of her desk.
Then Ella stared at the crumpled ball. Suddenly an idea struck her.
注意：1. 续写词数应150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Why not create something out of crumpled paper?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Friday, Ella carefully carried her project into the library.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the bustling (繁忙的) schoolyard of a primary school, a volleyball team trial (选拔赛) was taking place. Kids of all sizes and shapes had come forward to show their skills, most of them towering over six feet tall, like young giants.
Suddenly, the gym door creaked open, and a small figure appeared. It was Joseph, a boy who barely reached five feet in height. His appearance caused a ripple of giggles. He seemed like a lost elf (精灵) in a world of giants.
“Is this the volleyball trial?” Joseph asked. Despite the laughter, he squared his shoulders and prepared to show his skills. He wasn’t bad at bumping the ball and passing it, but not good enough to make the team. The coach took him aside and told him so. Joseph’s eyes flashed with determination. “I’m not the best at bumping the ball,” he said confidently. “I’m a hitter.”
The coach raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Hitters were the tallest players on the volleyball team. They jumped high, slamming the ball down on the other side with force. Joseph’s small size seemed an impossibility.
But Joseph was serious. The coach finally agreed and handed him a ball. Standing by the net, he set the ball into the air. Joseph’s small frame seemed to explode with energy. He ran forward, leaped into the air, and hit the ball with such force that it whistled through the air.
Everyone was stunned. Joseph’s jump was so high, it seemed as if he were flying. His small size didn’t matter; his skill and determination were enough. The ball slammed into the court with a resounding thud (砰的一声), and the crowd erupted into applause. Of course, he made the team. All the team members took pains to drill for the coming volleyball match. Two months later, the big day came. The match was very fierce. The players were tall and strong except Joseph, who just ran on the court, not yet given a chance to touch the ball. At the sight of Joseph, the other team were laughing, which made us mad. But Joseph just shook off their laughter with a confident smile. As the game progressed, it turned out to be a tough game. After the four sets, the score was 2:2.
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。
During a timeout (暂停) in the final set, Joseph’s team gathered to discuss their plan.
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The whole audience cheered up.
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Every Saturday, Bibi hung out at her grandma’s laundry and dry-cleaning store while her mother went to work. Bibi loved being with her grandma, but she wanted to do more than just draw and read.
“How about I give you a hand with the chores?” Bibi offered.
“But you are too small. Why don’t you draw for a little while?” Grandma suggested, “You’re such a good artist.”
“But I want to help you.” Bibi sighed.
Bibi was too short to reach the tall rod that held the fresh clothes in neat alphabetical order. Grandma didn’t want her handling the hot presser or the iron. She could slide the stiff cardboard into the starched (浆洗过的) shirts, but that was about it. “Why don’t you draw a picture of more customers coming in?” Grandma joked. “Maybe that would help!”
Bibi went outside. It was a crisp fall day. The last leaves were starting their lazy drift to the ground. She spotted her neighbour, Stephanie, across the street. Stephanie was painting big letters on the window of the hardware store. “Stephanie! You are going to get in trouble.” Stephanie laughed. “The high-school cheer-leading team is painting windows for our homecoming football game next weekend. Some of the shop owners said we could.”
“Does that paint wash off?” Bibi asked. “Yep. It’s just cornflour, soap, and food coloring,” said Stephanie. Bibi saw other kids from the high school painting designs on window up and down the street. GO, TIGERS said the window of the nail salon in huge letter. HEAR US ROAR! said the window of the coffee shop. “I can help you!” Bibi called to Stephanie, her heart pounding. “I can draw!” “Sorry, Bibs,” Stephanie said. “I’m out of paint, and I have to get home. Thank you, though!”
Bibi was so disappointed. She stared at Grandma’s windows. They were bare.
注意:1.续写词数应为 150 左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
All of a sudden, Bibi hit on a good idea.
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The moment she was finished, Bibi went inside to get Grandma.
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Six hundred anxious parents and relatives sat in the school hall waiting for the talent show to begin. Jane sat alone in the crowd. It seemed everything she did lately, she did alone. Over the past several years the unexpected downward spirals (逐渐下滑) had destroyed her marriage and seriously threatened her financial situation, leaving her exhausted and hopeless. She worried how she was going to provide a future for herself and her eight-year-old daughter, Renee.
Renee had one passion—to learn Irish dance. For several years, with a borrowed CD, she had taught herself a few steps and had even danced in front of both her first and second grade classes. This year, despite their situation, Jane had somehow managed to squeeze enough from her budget to pay for Renee’s dancing lessons. For four months Renee had practiced, determined to perform in this talent show.
Renee could not have been more excited or looked more beautiful than she did tonight in her borrowed Irish costume and shoes. Full of confidence, she was ready to dance! As the program moved through each performance, Jane was anxious and wondered how her little third grade daughter would respond to such a large audience. In her short eight years, Renee had never faced such a challenge.
Finally, it was Renee’s turn. Jane held her breath as the curtain rose and the spotlight piereed (穿透) through the darkness and onto her daughter looking so small and alone on the stage. The audience greeted her with polite applause and the music began.
Renee fell quickly into step with the cheerful Irish tune. Her joy was evident as she danced and spun (旋转) in circles around the stage. A few in the crowd began to clap with the music. More joined in until the entire audience, caught up in the beat, was clapping along with Renee as she danced lightly.
But wait! Jane wanted to shout. What 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:
The music shouldn’t have stopped!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
In the silence of that hall, Renee danced on and on.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On a windy day, Emily invited Nora to play football in her garden. “I go first!” Nora shouted as she kicked the ball towards Emily.
“Is that all you got? Watch me, the champion, hit the ball. It will travel off to infinity (无穷大)!”
Emily ran like the wind to the ball and kicked it so hard that it flew over the fence of her garden and into the neighbor’s house. There was a sharp cracking sound.
“Uh oh... what did you do?” Nora asked, feeling afraid.
“L…I don’t know. Oh no! 1 think I broke my neighbor’s window,” Emily cried as she dashed across her garden and hid behind some cherry bushes. Nora faded into thin air.
Terror was written all over Emily’s face. She saw the neighbor, Mr. Mason, picking up the pieces of sharp glass. There was anger, as well as panic, on his face.
The sun was setting. Emily knew that it was not secure for her to stay out so late. Eventually, as the light faded, she returned home, keeping her eyes wide open for the neighbor.
Her heart was shaking as she cautiously arrived home. Her mother saw the sweat on her face. She knew, her daughter had done something wrong. Mother sat next to Emily on the comfortable sofa and then asked, “Emily, are you okay? Is something wrong?”
Emily held her mother’s hands. Her eyes were wet with tears. “Mom, I did something bad, but it was unintentional. I hit the football so hard that it flew out of our garden and broke Mr. Mason’s window.”
Mother listened to her patiently as she calmed her and wiped her tears away. Then she held a sharp-tipped pencil. “Do you know why pencils have erasers?” Mother asked, surprising Emily since she wasn’t expecting such a question.
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 erase our mistakes, ” Emily replied.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With her heart beating fast, Emily walked up to her neighbor’s front door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It had been a challenging week, marked by a sudden large increase in oil prices coinciding with a sharp drop in temperatures in Boston. It was nearly below zero degree. With three missed workdays under my belt, my upcoming paycheck was going to be lower than normal. The stress weighed heavily on me as I carefully sought for every conceivable opportunity to save pennies, ensuring that I could afford both groceries and keep the house warm.
My eight-year-old son didn’t understand when I told him we were struggling that week. He had his heart set on a particular brand of yogurt, but I didn’t have the extra three dollars to buy it for him. It was the kind of yogurt decorated with a cartoon child skateboarding on its packaging, containing a mere two spoonfuls per cup. Such products, designed to lure children with their flashy marketing, only served to make me hate advertising.
However, a bunch of parental guilt gripped me as his innocent eyes met mine, silently questioning, “Why is yogurt such a big deal?” Determıned to sweep his disappointment, I made a sacrifice typical of single mothers. I returned an item needed to the shelf, ensuring that he could enjoy his favorite yogurt.
On the journey back from the grocery store, a sight caught my attention—a homeless man, holding a sign by the roadside. My heart ached, and I turned around, observing passers-by purposefully steer (绕开) clear of him, avoiding any meaningful interaction. Even my son didn’t seem to care much. either. Yet, upon closer inspection, I noticed the man—bare hands grasping a piece of cardboard, snot frozen to his face, a worn-out jacket. And there I was struggling because I had to buy oil and groceries. But I decided to help. I pulled over to the man and handed him a five-dollar bill.
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。
Seeing this, my son became confused and surprised.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On that day, my son performed an act that most adults wouldn’t have done.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.调查结果描述；
2.简单评论；
3.你的建议。
注意:
1. 词数80字左右;
2. 短文的题目已给出。
Ways to Relieve Stress
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