My name is Wen Yu, but you can call me “Fish”. I want to talk about the time I went to the US to meet my American pen pal Drew, but first I need to go back a little bit to explain things.
I was a second-year junior high schooler when my English teacher, Ms. Gao, had us experiment with a pen pal program set up through our school. This was an amazing opportunity at the time since it meant we could use our English skills to communicate with other teenagers the same age as us around the world through email! Still, I was a bit shy and nervous since I knew my English was pretty poor; but at the same time, I was excited to make a new friend and was determined to improve with this new opportunity presented to me.
Ms. Gao assigned me to write emails with a boy named Drew in the US. He was from a city called Cincinnati in Ohio. I knew a little about the biggest cities in the US— New York, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago— But Cincinnati? I had no idea where it was. Maybe it was somewhere near one of those cities?
As we continued to talk through email, I was surprised to find my English was slowly improving. I found my English going from stiff and formulaic (刻板的) to more natural and casual to match the way he wrote. I even picked up some slang (俚语) words along the way! We got to know each other’s hobbies and interests as well as our dreams and hopes for the future. Drew seemed so nice, and I found myself wanting to visit him someday and see what Cincinnati had to offer. He, too, wanted to visit Beijing and try out the local food I had told him so much about.
We continued our email conversations even after the program ended. Drew told me how long his summer break was going to be and said he’d show me around if I were to ever visit. To my surprise, that opportunity would come sooner than I thought.
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，每段的开头语已写好；
As it turned out, my parents were planning a surprise vacation to the US.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Entering the baggage claim area (行李领取处), I finally came face-to-face with Drew.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Whenever I spread marmalade (橘子酱), I am reminded of my mother, a five-foot-tall angel who even befriended a skunk (臭鼬).
One day, while she was busy picking beans in the backyard, she came across a skunk no more than a meter away. The skunk’s embarrassment was evident as he had undoubtedly been rummaging (乱翻) through the garbage. He still had a marmalade jar stuck on his nose. Mom took pity on him. Instead of worrying the creature would spray something smelly all over her and the beans, she smiled compassionately at the little thing and extended a helping hand. Kneeling on the ground, she inched across the grass, reached out, and twisted the jar—very carefully.
The jar slipped off. The skunk nodded a thank-you before slipping away into the woods at the back of the garden. Obviously, there was no spraying incident, thanks to my remarkable mother. She repeated this tale numerous times, always calling the skunk Marmalade. However, that was not the end of the story. Three summers later, when I was about twelve, another encounter occurred.
It was a rainy morning, and both my mother and father had gone to work. My friend Rob came over to play, and we decided to run the electric train in my room. Suddenly, a scratching sound emerged from the attic (阁楼). Rob assumed that it might be some kind of animal. Curiosity got the better of us, and we ventured towards the source of the sound.
I cautiously opened the attic door in the hall. The noise ceased abruptly. I climbed up the stairs, Rob following my lead. There behind the toy box near the chimney stood the animal—black with a distinct white stripe down his back. Was he scared and trembling? I believe so, at least that’s what I remember. Instinctively, I retreated, fearing the potential spray or bites from the creature. “Hey, Rob,” I whispered urgently, “It’s a skunk. Let’s go to the kitchen and figure out a way to get him out of here.”
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:
In the cupboard, several paper cups and a jar of marmalade caught our sight.
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Rob and I followed the skunk as he ate his way down the stairs.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There once was a stray dog (流浪狗) named Rufus who was the most amazing dog on Kumquat Street. He could hear a ladybug blowing its nose. He could see a pill bug eating a black licorice candy at midnight. Rufus could even smell a caterpillar that hadn’t washed its feet.
You would think that Rufus, being so amazing, was also happy. But he wasn’t. You see, there was one thing that kept Rufus from being adopted by his favorite human. And that was ...Rufus barked backward. Here’s what he sounded like: “Wob-wow! Wob-wow! Fra-fra-fra! Krab-krab!”
Rufus could stand being laughed at by every squirrel and cat in the neighborhood. What he couldn't stand was that his bark kept him from living with Janie Johnson.
Janie never laughed at Rufus when he barked. More than anything else, Rufus wanted to be her pet. He wanted to play catch in her yard every day and sleep at the foot of her bed each night.
But Janie’s father, Mr. Johnson, wouldn’t hear of it. “What? A dog that barks backward? Wed be the laughingstocks of Kumquat Street! we Johnsons didn't get where we are today by adopting dogs that bark backward. No, Janie. It’s out of the question.”
“I’m sorry,” Janie told Rufus one morning as they sat on her front porch. “I keep telling Daddy how great you are. He just won’t listen.”
“Krab-krab!” said Rufus.
“Yes, sometimes he is bad-tempered,” said Janie “I’ll keep trying, though. Don’t worry.”
But Rufus did worry. That evening he talked it over with his friend Bill Bulldog. “I don’t think Mr Johnson will ever like me,” Rufus said. “As long as I bark backward, he’ll never let me live in his home.”
“Have you tried treatment?” asked Bill.
Rufus said, “I’ve tried everything. Nothing helps. It’s just the way I bark.”
“You’re a great dog Roof. Anyone can see that,” said Bill. “It just takes some humans longer to figure it out, that’s all. Hey, want to go with me to Succotash Street? I’ve heard that their garbage is fantastic.”
Rufus yawned. “No, thanks,” he said. “I’ll take a nap.”
When Rufus woke up, it was late afternoon. As he was lying there, his sharp ears heard Mr. Johnson saying, “It’s almost suppertime. ls Janie still roller-skating? We Johnsons didn’t get where we are today by being late for supper.”
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。
Rufus ran down Kumquat Street to look for Janie.
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At the sight of Janie and Rufus, Mr. Johnson ran up.
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6-year-old Quinn Hill became her family’s hero when she took immediate action during an emergency that saved her mother’s life with the help of her neighbor, Mrs. Smith.
Jennifer, a 39-year-old single mother, began the day by sending her child, Hill, to school. Having no idea what would happen, Jennifer was filled with anxiety. After all, it was the first day of a new school year for Hill, a fresh start! On the way school. she repeatedly reminded Hill to solve problems positively and fit in. Though worried, Jennifer had to wave goodbye to her daughter, watching her towards the school gate.
The whole day was packed with housework. Jennifer tidied the house, washed clothes, and prepared for the evening meal. As the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Jennifer picked Hill up from school. On seeing Jennifer, Hill couldn’t wait to hug her, sharing the school experiences. Chatting and laughing accompanied them all the way. Hill’s innocent laughter was like Jennifer’s ray of sunshine.
Approaching home, they encountered Mrs. Smith, a most kind and thoughtful housewife living in their neighborhood for many years. Mrs. Smith often invited Jennifer and Hill to her home and shared her homemade desserts and cookies. The two families developed a close relationship and Hill liked to stay with Mrs. Smith, who always brightened her days with willingness and timely help. After exchanging greetings, they went back to their own homes.
On arriving home, Jennifer set out to prepare dinner. As the sun began to set, the house was full of a pleasant smell of cooking food. Jennifer and Hill sat at the kitchen table when Jennifer suddenly began to seize. She was sitting in a chair, looking up at the ceiling. and experiencing abnormal breathing. She then fell out of the chair onto her left side, her hands balled into fists, and her body was shaking violently. Her eyes were open, and Hill kept calling “Mommy, Mommy”, but she could not respond.
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。
Realizing the severe situation, Hill ran out for help.
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Jennifer finally came to herself in the hospital.
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Rahul was a hard-working and determined individual who believed that success could only be achieved through perseverance and effort. He had big dreams of becoming a renowned musician, and he knew that it would require countless hours of practice and dedication to reach his goal.
Rahul’s family was not wealthy, and they couldn’t afford to buy him a musical instrument. However, Rahul’s unwavering determination pushed him to find a solution. He began working odd jobs in the village, doing chores for neighbors, and saving every penny he earned. He even started waking up early in the morning to help the local farmers with their work.
After months of saving, Rahul finally had enough money to buy a second-hand guitar, It was old and worn, but to Rahul, it was a treasure. He spent hours each day practicing, strumming the strings and experimenting with different melodies. His fingers grew calloused (起茧的), but he never complained. Instead, he saw it as a sign of progress, a proof to his hard work.
Despite his talent, Rahul faced numerous challenges along his journey. People would often discourage him, telling him that he was wasting his time pursuing his dreams. But Rahul remained determined, using their skepticism as fuel to work even harder.
One day, news spread throughout the village about a music competition being held in the nearby city. The competition promised the winner a chance to perform in front of renowned musicians and industry professionals. Rahul saw this as an opportunity to showcase his talent and prove to everyone that hard work pay s off. With great anticipation, Rahul prepared for the competition. He practiced day and night, fine-tuning his skills and perfecting his performance.
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: Finally, the day of the competition arrived.
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Paragraph 2: Days went by, and the results of the competition were announced.
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Through the dining room window, the rays of the setting sun glowed orange and gold. It looked like a huge traditional lantern (灯笼) lit in the sky for the whole world to see, as Ramadan (斋月), the Muslim (穆斯林) holy month, came to an end.
During Ramadan, Muslim children dance in the streets, swinging traditional lanterns of all sizes. This year, Ayasha’s grandparents in Egypt had sent a lantern to Kamil, Ayasha’s younger brother. Kamil’s lantern was bright blue, with a battery-powered flashing light instead of a candle. Ever since Kamil had opened the package, he had been joyously swinging (旋转) his flashing lantern.
“His lantern is really just a holiday toy,” Ayasha said to herself as she watched him, “My lantern is special, something I want to keep forever”. Her lantern, made of beautiful shiny glass, was a loving touch of home. Her grandparents had sent it to her when her family moved to America for her dad’s new engineering job. Ayasha smiled proudly as she lit the candle inside her lantern.
Tomorrow would be a day for celebration—for wearing new clothes to morning prayers (祷告) for sharing gifts and sweet treats and for showing love to family and friends. Ayasha couldn’t wait.
“Time for dinner! The food smells delicious!” Dad announced. “My favorite cake!” Kamil cried excitedly, swinging his lantern in circles. “Be careful, Kamil!” Mom cried and carefully avoided the swinging lantern as she carried a large bowl of so up to the table. But Kamil was too excited to calm down. The blue light kept swinging until unfortunately, he knocked into Mom. His lantern fell onto the sofa and was intact (完好无损的), but the bowl Mom was holding fell to the floor, spilling (洒) he soup and sending broken pieces everywhere!
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: To make things worse, Kamil stumbled (绊倒) against the table, knocking over Ayasha’glass lantern.
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Paragraph 2: Ayasha opened the door and saw Kamil standing there with his most-treasured lantern.
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Out in the fields of rural Kentucky lived a young teenage girl named Amanda. She stayed with her parents in a one-story house on a large plot of land. Her closest friends were far from her, but she didn’t have her driver’s license yet. Amanda could still keep herself busy for hours by exploring the grassy fields, enjoying the natural beauty that surrounded them. On the weekends, Amanda would even volunteer on neighbouring farms to help take care of sheep, goats, and horses.
Still, it was easy for Amanda to feel lonely in her big house without any brothers, sisters, or even a pet she could relate to. That was until one day, just as Amanda was about to leave for another morning spent exploring the fields and rivers nearby, she saw a stray (流浪的) cat jump onto the porch (门廊) with a long, drawn-out meow (喵喵叫) toward her. The cat had long whiskers (须) and a black-and-white fur pattern, which seemed to start from the animal’s chest and move outward, and tiny white paws like little boots. Even though the cat looked dirty, the cat was beautiful, with bright blue eyes.
Amanda’s feeling of surprise quickly gave way to a feeling of pity. Thinking of what she could offer the cat, Amanda hurried to the kitchen and prepared two bowls: one filled with fish and the other with water. After sniffing (嗅) them carefully, the cat then began to hungrily eat the bowls’ contents. Once it finished its meal, the cat ran away into the thick grass and disappeared.
From that point onward, at the same time each day, the cat would appear on the porch in the morning and beg for food and water, and Amanda would always be there ready. Their relationship started to deepen as Amanda enjoyed regularly seeing her new “furry neighbour”. The cat was too nervous to be taken indoors, but Amanda enjoyed its company.
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。
Paragraph 1:
However, one day, everything took a different turn.
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Paragraph 2:
As Amanda approached, she could hear some soft sounds of kitten s meowing.
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8 . * Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance(毅力) and above all confidence in ourselves.
﹣Marie Curie
* Sometimes people don’t need advice，they just need someone to listen and care.
﹣Thomas A.Edison
Choose one of the above quotations (引语) .Write a passage (80 words or so) to present your understanding of it，including the following：
①Your own story or a story of the person you admire, which can well interpret (诠释) it.
②Your own understanding of it.
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Papa built big houses in faraway places. He came home only once during the Chinese New Year and stayed only three days. It was the days that we anticipated so much. On that day Mama and I would woke up early and waited for Papa at the gateway, with an anxious but light heart.
We waited and waited and it was not until at dusk that I finally noticed a figure from the distance. It’s Papa! He rushed over and swept me up in his arms, prickling (刺;戳) my face with his beard. “Look what I’ve got for you!” Papa rummaged (乱翻) in his big suitcase and took out a gift—ooh, what a pretty hat!
Making sticky rice balls together was a ritual. That night, Papa buried a coin in a sticky rice ball and said, “Whoever finds the coin will have good luck.” That night I lied between Papa and Mama and fell asleep, drowsily hearing them whispering and firecrackers outside, with love and warmth enveloping me.
Early the next morning, Papa fed me sticky rice balls with a spoon. Suddenly, I bit on something hard. “It’s the fortune coin!” I yelled. “Quick, put it in your pocket so the good luck won’t escape!” Mama helped me into a brand-new jacket and we were going New Year Visiting.
On the way, I met my friend Dachun who got a big red envelop from his Papa.“Well, how about this?” I took the coin out of my pocket proudly. “I have a fortune coin! My papa buried it in a sticky rice ball, and I found it!”
On the second day, it snowed really hard! When it finally stopped, Dachun got me to play and we had a snowball fight till it was getting dark. On the way home, I felt inside my pocket and … I couldn’t find the coin! My fortune coin was gone!
I rushed back to the courtyard and searched, but in vain. Where was my fortune coin? “Don’t cry, sweetie. I’ll give you another one. Look, it’s exactly the same!” Papa scooped another coin out of his pocket. “I don’t want this one— I want the other one!” I bawled (放声痛哭).
注意：
续写词数应为 150 左右；请按如下格式作答。
In the evening, I crept into bed, miserable (痛苦的).
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That night, I slept very soundly (香甜的) and I knew Dad would leave tomorrow.
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Have you ever heard of the position “sometimes backup catcher (替补接球手)?” I hadn’t either. Until this spring.
Since childhood, I have always liked watching baseball match. I especially loved the thrill of watching the catchers grab that game-winning grand slam (大满贯球) at the final moment. I sometimes pictured myself as the catcher, with body moving as swift as a leopard to the outfield and with eyes as sharp as an eagle’s, ready to catch the ball from the pitcher(投球手) with the glove and secure those decisive points.
This spring, my parents brought me to the Centerville Youth Baseball tryouts (选拔). When it was my turn, I ran out on to the field. My parents were surprised at how quickly I returned. “How’d you do?” Dad asked. “I don’t know,” I said. “I’m not sure I’ll make the team.” “Let’s wait and see.” Mom said.
After tryouts, Coach Bull yard announced, “Positions are posted in the clubhouse.” Parents and kids stampeded to check the results.
Dad stared at the lineup list for a long time. I couldn’t get myself to look. “So, did I make the team?” I asked him finally.
“You did,” Dad replied. “It says ‘Mike Davis: sometimes backup catcher.’” What does that mean? It didn’t sound great.
We had three practices before the first game. The first day, Is at on the bench beside my friend Emily, and Coach pointed to the outfield. “Mike Davis and Emily Hall—out there. And practice!” Emily and I headed for the outfield.
During our first practice, everything seemed to be in a mess. At the second practice, I showed some improvement, but still missed several catches. I even slipped and fell as it started to rain. I heard Emily chuckle. Coach Bull yard noticed this, and came close to me, comforting, “It’s important for a catcher to catch every ball, especially the grand-slam ball. If you do your best, you’ll see the result in the game.
At home, I asked my older brother James. “Do you think Coach will ever put me in a game as a catcher?” James wrote down and calculated some numbers. Finally, he said “The likelihood that you’ll play in a game before the end of the season is as slim as finding a needle in a haystack.” He looked at me. “In other words, it probably won’t happen.”
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。
Paragraph 1: That night in bed, I thought about my older brother James’ words.
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Paragraph 2: In the last few minutes of the final game, the coach decided to make substitution of players (换人) .
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