Nola Ochs was born in Kansas in 1911. There were many farms and everybody had a job to do. Nola Ochs was raised under the endless sky, and the long arc (弧线) of the sun marked her chore-filled (满是工作的) days. Her life was common. She grew and married, had children and grandchildren, taught in country schools, and lived the quiet Midwest life. But she was different in one way: After her husband died in 1972, Nola began taking classes and finally earned her associate degree (准学士学位) at the age of 77.
“I still want to go to school. It is fun to go to classes. And if I have homework to do in the evening, that takes up my time in a pleasant way,” she recalled. After some years went by, Nola decided to keep going and get her master’s degree in Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, where her granddaughter studied. She emailed the university for admission (入学), mentioning that she was 80, and had prepared for studying further.
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。
A week later, she got an mail back for her admission.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On the day of her graduation, Nola was chosen to be a spokesperson.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I’m Franklin G. Takata, better known as “Find-It Frankie” due to my exceptional tracking abilities. I will say that there’s nothing out there I can’t find. I am fortunate to have a loyal and skilled partner, Munchy, by my side. He was selected especially for me from an animal shelter by my parents on the occasion of my fifth birthday.
One Thursday afternoon, Munchy and I were playing in the garden when Mom revealed that her cherished diamond ring had disappeared, entrusting us with the task of locating it. Had I known how tricky the case would be, I might have thought twice. But I said then as I’d say today, “I assure you that there’s nothing we can’t locate”
Whenever an item disappears, my initial inquiry to Mom is, “Do you recall the last place you saw it?” “I was occupied making cookies in the kitchen,” Mom replied, “when I removed my ring and set it on the counter. However, after taking a call from your aunt, I returned to discover the ring missing!” “Hmm. Well, it couldn’t have disappeared all by itself,” I said. “Munchy, let’s go take a closer look.” Munchy led the way to the kitchen.
The counter bore no indication of the ring’s whereabouts(下落); however, the flour betrayed faint paw prints, which pointed toward the criminal’s identity. “The cat” I said. “Mr. Jingles must have been playing with the ring, causing it to drop to the ground!” Crawling on the floor, I searched high and low for the ring. My efforts were in vain.
注意: 1. 续写词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: “Munchy, you’re up! Go find Mr. Jingles.”
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Paragraph 2: I was about to give up when I took a bite of the warm cookie Mom handed me.
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A boy called Jamy always arrived home hungry every day and his parents couldn’t figure out why, despite making meals for him. When Jamy wouldn’t share what was going on, his parents decided to visit he school principal and his teacher Callum, hoping they could offer some insight.
After talking with Jamy’s classmates, the principal and his parents heard a story they weren’t expecting. Although Jamy never talked about it, his classmates told them that he always came to school without food. The principal and his parents were shocked. No wonder Jamy was always so hungry after school! Was there something happening on the way to school that Jamy didn’t tell them?
To make the situation clear, the principal asked Jamy’s teacher, Callum to talk to Jamy in private. During the conversation with the teacher, Jamy refused to say any further details about the situation, leaving everyone frustrated and helpless. And despite multiple questioning, Jamy still refused to say any knowledge of the situation. This left the principal and the teacher so confused that they were at a loss what to do.
Jamy’s parents were becoming increasingly concerned as their child continued to come home from school without saying a word about it. They hadn’t gotten any closer to uncovering the truth about why Jamy was always so hungry. The lack of communication from their child only added to their frustration and helplessness. They knew they needed to take action to get to the bottom of the problem, but they had no idea where to start, which puzzled Jamy’s parents.
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。
One day, by accident, Jamy’s father found a thank-you note from his study.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jamy’s parents were touched by Jamy’s act of kindness.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jenny was the only child in her family. She had a quarrel (吵架) with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily. She couldn’t help weeping sorrowfully when she thought of the scolding from her mother. Having wandered aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat. She stood beside a stand (货摊) for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she gave a sigh and had to leave.
The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?”
“Oh, yes, but I don’t have money on me.” she replied.
“That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man, “Come in.”
The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently.
“What is it?” asked the man kindly.
“Nothing. Actually, I was just touched by your kindness!” said Jenny as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so merciless compared to a stranger!”
Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. Can you remember the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your gratitude to her?”
Jenny sat there, speechless and numb with shock: she remembered her mother’s familiar face and weathered hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful. Why haven’t I thanked my mum for what she has done for me?”
On the way home. Jenny made up her mind to make an apology to her mother for her rudeness as soon as she arrived home.
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。
Nearing the doorway, Jenny took a deep breath.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At that time, her mother came back and touched her hair gently, which called her mind back.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My son Joey was born with disabled feet. The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk normally — but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were spent in surgery, casts and braces. By the time he was eight, you wouldn’t know he had a problem when you saw him walk.
The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during play, and Joey would jump right in and run and play, too. Although I was a little worried about his state, we never told him that he probably wouldn’t be able to run as well as the other children. So he didn’t know it. Every day after school, he would run and jump crazily, laughing cheerfully with his friends. Before bed, he was delighted to share everything that he enjoyed with me, and the brightness on his face drove away all my anxiety.
In his seventh grade, the school planned to hold a cross-country race. On hearing the news, he jumped with joy, and he decided to go out for the cross-country team. What worried me most was the extreme strength and patience that was required for the race. However, his strong determination eventually changed my attitude towards the event. I made up mind to be in favor of him. Every day he trained with the team. He worked harder and ran more than any of the others — perhaps he sensed that the abilities that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him. Although the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have the potential to score points for the school. We didn’t tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didn’t know.
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。
One day, he got a fever, and I advised him to have a rest.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Two weeks later, the big day came.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I grew up in southeastern Michigan. I was a fan of Detroit Tigers, a famous baseball team, as a young boy.
My childhood dream was to be like my hero, Al Kaline, and someday play for the Tigers. My Dad would take me to Tiger Stadium several times a year and my hero Al Kaline would never let me down. We never attended a game that he didn’t get at least one hit.
I was crazy about baseball. If there was a game in my high school, I was never absent. I kept practising so that I could achieve my dream of playing for the Tigers, and I was doing well at each level of play. Later, I got a chance to sign up for a strong American Legion baseball program. There I met our coach, Bob Ohm, who knew a lot of baseball and taught each of us the basics as well as more advanced baseball skills. With Bob Ohm’s help and my hard work, I had set new records in many baseball championships.
My dream to be like my hero seemed to draw near. One summer, I went up to play the final season in Marinette. There were scouts who came to find the best players. This was it! My big chance!
Well, as the game progressed I hit the ball very well getting five hits in the game. Unfortunately, I also made four mistakes. The final mistake actually drew laughter from the crowd.
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。
After the game, I knew my dream of playing professional baseball was lost.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Today, I teach baseball in a high school.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was in middle school, my family moved to Seattle, where my parents started their new business — a small grocery store downstairs my house. As a girl of shy and reserved nature, I had to take a fresh start to fit into the sophisticated city life.
One sunny day, my school announced an exciting event, a talent show for the local food bank. Students were encouraged to showcase their unique talents in front of the public in the city hall on National Day. A buzz of excitement fed the school as everyone began preparing for the big day. Deep down, I felt a spark of curiosity and a desire to participate. However, my self-doubt held me back, “I don’t have any special skills to share.”
Days turned into weeks, and the talent show drew closer. I couldn’t shake the upsetting feeling until one day, Emma, one of the most popular girls in my class, came to me while I was helping in the grocery store after class. “How about singing together in the talent show?” She grinned, “I heard you singing a tune, along the way back home. I can’t help following you here.” Gosh, I couldn’t believe my ears. Emma, with personality and popularity, acknowledged my little talent. Since Emma had the world’s prettiest voice, I felt like being favoured by fortune.
“You two? The talent show for the food bank?” My mum bent towards us and her face lit up. “A big occasion.” Then a light bulb seemed to go in her head. “Why not practise right now upstairs? I bet you’ll be a perfect match.” Winking at us, she seemed to know we were thinking alike.
Emma and I embarked on rehearsing almost every single day after school. We brainstormed, exchanged ideas and rehearsed the scene. As the days rolled by, I was feeling pretty good about our act. But the day before the performance, Emma called that she had an acute stomachache and was not in any shape to perform.
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。
Paragraph 1:
I was completely knocked out by the news.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Finally came the big moment.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Three fish lived in the sea when they were young. Their parents died. They had to look after each other. Finally, they grew up and decided to swim deeper and further. One morning the three fish were taken to shallow water by a big wave.
Never had the three fish been to such a place. Everything was so different. They had great fun swimming around. Then, with another big wave, a small boat was taken there too. Now it was hard for the fish to go back to the sea, because the boat was right in front of them.
The largest fish realized that they were in danger and said, “We have to find a way to leave here as fast as possible, or it will be dangerous.” The second largest fish agreed with his elder brother and decided to go with him. However, the youngest one decided not to leave at all, saying “It’s not dangerous at all. Look! There is much water for our activities.” No matter how hard his brothers tried to persuade him to leave, the youngest fish wouldn’t listen.
At last, the largest fish managed to find a way to return to the sea. He found the lowest part of the boat and jumped over it. Challenging as it was, he made it. The second largest fish also succeeded in joining his elder brother in the other side of the water, but the youngest one didn’t follow them, still swimming around joyfully.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As the sun rose higher, the water in the small shallow corner continued to disappear.
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Upon their return, the two fish made a plan to rescue their younger brother.
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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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At Valley High School in South Sacramento, California, on a Tuesday afternoon, two of Valley High School’s baseball teams were gathered on the school field preparing for a game to be held the next day. They were at their final practice of the season when they heard cries for help from their school’s parking lot.
Co-head coach Brett Sawyer was getting something from the locker room when he heard tires screeching (发出刺耳声), and a loud “bang”. He came out to see the entire team quickly rush to the parking lot, jumping over fences (围栏).
It turned out a 16-year-old student visiting Valley High School was accidentally hit by a car in the lot, and she was stuck under the vehicle. The car was driven by her own mother, who dropped her off in the parking lot and then hit another car. In a panic, the mother backed her vehicle up without realizing that her daughter was right behind the car, and the girl became trapped underneath.
It did not take long before around a dozen of the baseball players ran out there as a team. There was no one really saying much. The guys just got around the car and helped lift the four-door car off the girl, whose upper body was trapped under the back part of the car. The teams’ assistant coach James Millholland was then able to pull her to safety. “With all the team work we had going on, it didn’t feel heavy,” said player Sukhminder Gill. “It felt like we could pick anything up at that moment.”
Sawyer and Millholland weren’t able to get through to 911 on their cell phones, so they ran to their classrooms to call for help. Finally, medical care personnel arrived and transported the girl to a local hospital. Sawyer heard she was expected to recover, which was a great relief.
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。
Coach Sawyer pulled all the players aside.
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This incident proved the win-loss record on Wednesday wasn’t all that important.
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