My father’s T-shirt
As a teenager, I am not mature enough. I got angry quite easily and was not good at communicating with others. I had quarrels with my friends, and I was not polite to elders. Because of my bad behavior, I was sometimes punished by my father. However, it took me a long time to learn to control my temper and take the responsibility to make up for my mistakes.
I still remember it was an early autumn. Some leaves started to turn yellow and the weather became cool. One day, as I was getting ready for school, my mother carelessly handed me my father’s T-shirt instead of mine. At that time, I was getting to have a larger size than my father, so when I put on the T-shirt, I felt as if I wasn’t able to breathe! Soon, I realized that it was a small mistake which was made by my mother, but somehow the breathless feeling was so strong that it made me very angry. I could feel my anger growing, bubbling up inside myself. I shouted at her, “Why did you give me the wrong T-shirt?” My mother said sorry with a smile, but I continued to shout at her without thinking much. I got it off my body so wildly, making a hole in it and threw it on the floor. Then I put on my own T-shirt and rushed out of the house before my mother could stop me.
At that time, I didn’t consider how my mother was feeling. I just thought about myself. So after school, when I got home, I felt so regretful but I didn’t say a word to my mom. Feeling so frustrated, my mother shared her bad feeling with my father who was just after work from office, “See what your son has done.” I was so scared that maybe my father would punish me. But unexpectedly, instead of saying he would scold or beat me, my father quietly asked my mother to mend the T-shirt.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为100 左右。
2.续写一段，该段的开头语已为你写好。
Seeing my father’s response, I felt more ashamed-of my bad behavior.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I’m going to drive for Uber!” my mom said. Her smile was practically wrapped around her head.
“Oh… you mean to be a driver?”
I was confused. My mother was great at making sales and packing snacks. But driving competently and using technology are different.
I was half-expecting her to abandon this idea before it fully spread its wings. But then she asked me to help her download the app. Mom had sworn me to secrecy because she thought my dad and sister would judge her. She was probably right. Under the cover of midday, while the rest of the family worked, we downloaded the app and watched the training videos.
We practised driving on Tuesday morning. I ordered the ride to our house while we sat in the car one block away. It did not go smoothly. The navigation system was too quiet. The screen was distracting. The GPS didn’t know the best route. It was confusing. It was stressful. The ride ended in tears. “Don’t worry,” I said. “We can try again tomorrow.”
One hour later, Mom decided that she alone was ready for the road.
On her way home from grocery shopping, she turned on the app, which matched her quickly with the first passenger named Matthew. As she made her way toward him, the panic from the morning appeared. The silent navigation. The screen confusion. It was just too much.
Naturally, she turned off her phone. She did not cancel the ride service. She did not contact him to explain. A few minutes later, Mom turned on her phone to check if it worked well. She had several missed calls from Matthew, who had been watching her on his screen and seen her drive in the opposite direction for the past five minutes.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Matthew called again.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As Matthew took the ride, he offered to help.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was confident at the audition (试演) for the school play and felt pleased to get a role. It just felt good to be in the play, even if I had only four or five lines. I worked hard at perfecting those lines. I repeated them over and over again. I put in the emphases and intonations (语调) that my drama teacher had suggested and, because I was on stage much longer than for just four or five lines, I had many actions to rehearse (排练) and perform. “Do them in front of a mirror,” my drama teacher had advised me. “Watch how you look; practice and rehearse as often as you can.” I did just that. I worked and worked at it. It was fun and exciting rehearsing.
Then finally the big night came. Suddenly, things felt different. The theater was full of people. As I dressed, I could hear the chattering and noises of the audience-something that hadn’t been there during rehearsal. I looked around at the other more experienced actors and saw that the confidence they’d shown at rehearsal seemed to have disappeared. Everyone was on edge (紧张不安), anxious, and worried. Had they got their makeup right? Was the costume done up correctly? What if they forgot their lines? The more people talked about their anxiety, the more edgy everyone became. The worries bounced from one person to another-like a baton (接力棒) being passed in a relay race-until the whole of the backstage area seemed to be buzzing with tension and worry.
I was on stage early, at first performing my non-spoken role in the background with several other guys around the same age. When, suddenly, I heard my cue (出场提示), the lights were bright in my eyes; I couldn’t see the audience but knew there were hundreds of people out there all watching me. The words that had flowed so easily when I stood in front of a mirror in my bedroom didn’t want to come, and when they did I found myself hurrying into them. I tried to slow down my thoughts and my words.
Para1: But I suddenly realized I had missed a sentence.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para2: No one commented on my missed sentence-apart from my drama teacher.
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Ever since my Dad died, my life had changed. My Mom was always really busy with her work, and she didn’t spend any time with me anymore. I had to go to a daycare every day after school, eagerly waiting for Mom’s work to be done and picking me up. It was even a luxury to stay with her on Sunday.
One day, at dinner time, I begged Mom to take me to the fair on Sunday.
“Lilly, you know I have to work that day.” Mom refused immediately.
“But we never get to spend time together anymore! Can’t you take Sunday off?” I asked.
Mom placed a plate in front of me and kissed my head. I smiled and licked my lips as she had given me a piece of cherry pie. Then I looked into my Mom’s brown eyes and asked one last time, “Can’t you take Sunday off?”
Mom raised one eyebrow, staring at me. Maybe she didn’t want to make me disappointed and agreed that she would attempt to spare some time on Sunday.
It was Sunday morning, and I ran to see if Mom was awake. She was making pancakes in the kitchen with her work clothes on. Mom felt my disappointed staring and tried to explain. She bent down next to me and put her hand on my shoulder, “Sorry, Lilly! I have to go to work today.”
Tears streamed down my face as I yelled, “You never have time for me!” And I ran into my room and slammed the door.
As I was crying on my bed I could hear Mom talk on the phone. She asked her friend Charlie to come over and watch me. Half an hour later, Charlie arrived and Mom left. I heard him knock on my bedroom door and say, “Lilly, your Mom made pancakes. Do you want to come out and have some?”
“No!” I screamed.
“Your Mom told me why you felt upset, and she left a note for you.” Charlie muffled.
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。
Hearing Charlie’s words, I jumped off my bed and opened the door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the familiar sound of the car engine announced Mom’s returning.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the bell was about to ring, our teacher announced a special assignment for next Monday: to share our gratitude for someone instead of giving a daily report. Hearing this, anxiety crawled over my body as the last thing I would do was speaking in front of the entire class! I couldn’t help complaining to my best friend Jenny.
“You are the chief violinist in our school orchestra (管弦乐队), aren’t you?” she said. “So what’s the point of being afraid of speaking to our own classmates since you can handle acting in front of a large audience?”
Her point made sense, but being in a performance meant being part of a team. I shook my head. Besides, there were so many people I was grateful to, and choosing just one seemed difficult. Even if I could pick someone, I wouldn’t know how to say “thank you”. And even if I figured out what to say, I was sure I’d stumble (结巴地说) on my words when speaking aloud! Standing there, with everyone’s eyes on me, I would feel the spotlight was wholly on me, and there would be no place for me to hide! “Oh no!” I covered my face with my hands and said, “I can’t do it, just can’t!” Real friends, the ones who know you well, don’t just do exactly what you ask. Jenny, always supportive and helpful, wrote something on a piece of paper and gently removed my hands from my face. She had drawn a cute cat with the word “CALM” written below it.
“Nice meeting you; I am the ‘everything will be fine’ cat,” Jenny laughed and sounded exactly like a cat. Pretending to listen to the cat, she asked, “Well, kitty, you think my friend should come to my house tomorrow, so we can prepare our speeches together.” I laughed out loud and relaxed a lot. I have to say Jenny was there for me, always!
The next day, I went to Jenny’s house. She suggested I talk about my mom, helping me patiently organize my thoughts into reasonable and heartfelt sentences. After that, we too k turns to rehearse (排练) our speeches to polish the expressions. By the end of the day, I felt more prepared and confident for Monday’s work.
注意：1.续写词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Before the speech, however, I changed my mind and wrote “Jenny” on the blackboard.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On April 8, Mike Krugman, 74, had let his dog Riley out for a predinner walk on his 36-acre property. Krugman got its kibble (狗粮) ready, waiting for it. Sometimes Riley liked to go down to the barn and barked at the horses. When Krugman went to the barn and couldn’t find the dog, he became concerned and decided to take a ride around the property on his ATV. The five-foot fence that surrounds his property was buried in snow, leaving Krugman to wonder whether Riley climbed on the snow and walked over the top of the fence.
There was another possibility Krugman was worried about. Krugman thought that maybe Riley had gone looking for Rose, his wife, who had died of a heart condition in January. She and Riley, who would sleep on her pillow every night, were extremely close. “Then when Rose passed away, it hid behind the bed for several days,” Krugman said. “You could tell it really missed her.”
After Riley went missing, Krugman began to look for it. He tried to find Riley’s tracks in the snow but failed.
Zach Hackett, on May 14, was up 12,000 feet hiking on a mountain in Colorado when he thought he heard a faint yip from a dog. As he walked through a clearing, he saw it: a black and white Shetland sheepdog, visibly shivering behind some fallen pine trees. “Hey buddy,” he called out, then whistled, “Come here! Do you want a treat?” The dog let out a pitiful groan with pain, getting stuck under tangled (乱糟糟的) branches. He was a little startled, because dogs shouldn’t have been up there so high. Hackett realized the dog was too weak to move. It was freezing cold. The dog looked like it was near death. Hackett believed what he’d heard was the dog’s last cry for help, and that if he hadn’t come along the dog would have died there. He tried to call 911 for help but there was no signal. He knew he was going to have to carry him down the mountain.
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。
He took action immediately.
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Hackett dialed the telephone number on the tag around the dog’s neck.
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The Right Decisions
Lisa looked at her watch outside of the gift store and knew that in half an hour her mother would be standing on the doorsteps of their house waiting. She had to make up her mind or go home without a proper birthday gift.
“What should I do?” Lisa asked herself. “I owe Mr. Chapman five dollars for a science fair display board tomorrow.” That caused a serious, uncomfortable problem. If Lisa bought the tiny cactus (仙人掌) for her mother’s birthday, she would have money for the science board. If she bought the more expensive cut flowers, she wouldn’t.
Upon stepping into the gift store, the beautiful flowers immediately caught her eye. Lisa knew her mother would adore the flowers, so without another thought, she grabbed them.
Mrs. Mills, the store manager, smiled at Lisa when she came to the counter to purchase the beautiful flowers. “Wow, I wonder who will be gifted those beautiful flowers, Lisa,” she asked with a smile.
“It’s for my mother’s birthday, Mrs. Mills,” Lisa replied, returning a smile. The price tag (价签) said the flowers cost $5.30, and Lisa gave Mrs. Mills a ten-dollar bill.
Upon stepping out of the store, Lisa looked down at the flowers in her left hand — the afternoon sun made them brighter in color. She was glad she had made the right decision. Then, her eyes looked down upon her right hand, where the change that Mrs. Mills gave to her lay. To her surprise, she saw a five-dollar bill inside. Mrs. Mills definitely had made a mistake and she had been given too much money!
Lisa was caught in a dilemma. A voice inside told her to keep the money, so she could have amazing flowers for her mother and five dollars for Mr. Chapman’s science board. But another voice told her it was dishonest to keep the extra money, and Mrs. Mills would be held responsible for the mistake.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Lisa stood still for a few minutes and finally returned to the gift store and went inside. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“I’m sorry, Lisa. I did make a mistake, but the mistake is with the price tag,” Mrs. Mills said. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was my job to watch my younger brother, Jack, and sister, Kelly, as we walked home from school.
“I’m tired,” Kelly whined “and hungry.” “Me too,” added Jack So we stopped to rest. “What do you think Mama is cooking?” I asked. “Noodles!” Kelly said. “Barbecue!” said Jack “Come on.” I stood up. “We need to keep walking.”
At a busy corner, I noticed a street banner, reading “First Walking Race to Jasan Park! Climb the Mountain to Win a Washing Machine.”
It might be fun to race. But could I walk fast enough to win?
At home, Mama was working in the kitchen. We had only a single burner stove, so it often took ages to prepare a meal. Sometimes when father came back from work, Mama was still cooking with the single burner stove.
Afterward, Mama and I washed dishes. When Mama pulled out two metal laundry tubs, her smile disappeared. I knew doing laundry hurt Mama’s back and knees. Mama heated a kettle of water on the single burner stove and filled a tub. She filled the other with cold water. Then kneeling, Mama began scrubbing shirts.
Then we carried the wet laundry to the flat roof, where Mama hung it to dry. On roof tops all over the city, clothes and towels danced in the wind. I loved being on the roof with Mama, but I wished we hadn’t had so much housework. Then I would have had more time to play with friends.
How I wish we would have a washing machine! Both Mama and I would be happy.
I remembered the banner and told Mama about it. Mama sighed, ”Maria, many people will enter that race. You can not expect to win.”
On the race day, I woke up early. I laced up my shoes and put on a head band. Mama kissed the top of my head. “Be careful and be safe. Just keep walking!” Mama said.
At the foot of the mountain, large crowds of people gathered.
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。
Then the race began.
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With the big cardboard box aside, I rang the doorbell of our house.
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Holidays are not necessarily for fun or rest. Doing something meaningful can also gain special pleasure. When the final bell rang, the students were reminded that there was no school on Monday—the Labor Day. “Enjoy your extra day off” said the teacher to her class.
An extra day off unsuited Kayla just fine. She loved breaks. She wanted to go out to play with her friends. When the school bus dropped Kayla off, she ran into the house happily.
“How was school, Kayla?” asked her mom.
“It was great, Mom. I am excited about no school on Monday.”
“You just started back to school two weeks ago. Already in need of a break, huh?” asked Kayla’s mom with a laugh.
Kayla slept in the next morning. Saturday was her favorite day of the week. I trained most of the day, so Kayla enjoyed playing videogames inside. On Sunday, her friends came over and they played basketball for several hours.
Then it was Labor Day, you know, the extra day off that Kayla was so looking forward to. But Kayla was awakened early that morning by her dad. He told Kayla that in honor of Labor Day, the family would be cleaning both inside and outside the house. Kayla couldn’t believe it. This was a holiday. A day when she was supposed to be enjoying freshly squeezed lemonade while playing in her tree house. As Kayla wiped here yes, she began to wonder if this was just a bad dream.
“Kayla, your breakfast is ready. We have a lot of work to do today. Let’s get a move on,” said Kayla’s mom. As she sat down at the kitchen table, Kayla asked her parents，
“Are you serious about working today? Isn’t Labor Day a holiday?”
“Yes, Kayla. It is,” replied her dad. “But your mom and I thought working hard today would make you appreciate why Labor Day was observed in the first place.”
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At first Kayla felt disappointed at her parents’ plan for the holiday.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But things began to change as she was doing the chores.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________No two people are exactly alike, and even best friends disagree sometimes.
I still remembered the first time I met Karina at a summer camp, we got along so great. It was as if we’d known each other forever.
I really liked plantain chip (植蕉片), which had little appeal for other kids. So when I noticed some in Karina’s lunchbox as I sat next to her on the first day of the camp, I was surprised. Equally surprised was Karina since plantain chips were her favorite snack.
“Well, then I guess today’s your lucky day,” she said, handing me the bag. “I have a big box that’s taking up space in the cupboard. So, see, you’d actually be helping me out!”
“Well, in that case, thanks!” I laughed. “I am happy to help.”
And right then I knew that Karina and I were meant to be friends forever. Whenever we got to pick a partner at camp, we picked each other. Whenever we had a break, we hung out together. And the more time we spent together, the more we realized how amazingly alike we were. We both had two adorable cats, we both had awesome and sometimes annoying younger brothers, we both liked baking extra-creative cookies, and we both had the same favorite song.
Then something happened. The camp was next to a piece of beautiful land that had a bunch of giant old trees on it. Whenever it was nice out, we’d get to eat our lunch at picnic tables that were right by some of those trees. We’d feed squirrels and play with them. One day when looking up, we spotted large numbers of holes in a trunk, which were made by woodpeckers (啄木鸟) to store nuts. I fell in love with the amazing scene!
But somehow things got different when news came that those giant old trees would be cut down to make room for a shopping center. It was like a stone with its waves and our friendship was on the rocks.
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 disagreed with each other and had a heated argument.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Several days later, again we were asked to pick a partner.
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