When you find someone made a mistake, which would you choose, being right or being nice?
At ages five and eight, Bobby and I would spend our usual Saturday with Grandpa, cleaning his house.
Grandpa was only in his late fifties. His own dad had died early, so he didn’t go to school but ran the family farm to raise his family. Because of that, his skills consisted of being able to sign his name, read his grandchildren’s names, and do simple sums in his head.
Then I didn’t understand the poverty and limited opportunities Grandpa lived with. A little food was the only items in his small refrigerator. He worked as a night guard for several companies, and the highlight of his week was the reward he gave my brother and me for cleaning.
After we were done, Grandpa would put on his only suit, and we’d head to town. As we walked, Grandpa would greet every person he met along the way. Everyone had a story to share, and Grandpa would stand quietly, always smiling, and listen with great appreciation.
When we’d finally arrive at Grandpa’s favorite diner, the waitresses would all greet him as a long-lost elder. Bobby and I split an adult plate, and Grandpa either had a cup of soup or a cup of coffee, talking about how well we cleaned his place, telling anyone who would listen every step of every task we accomplished. Every waitress would make sure they came up to say “hi” to Grandpa and congratulate his grandkids on their work. It may have been a diner, but it was our another home.
When dinner was over, the waitress would bring the check and slide it over to Grandpa. One day it was Gloria, and like always she bent close to him and told him the amount of the check (knowing that he couldn’t read the paper).
Grandpa carefully dug into the pocket and brought out a broken coin purse. He carefully laid out the bills and coins. Then he gave Gloria a very very small tip. I was ashamed that he had got it wrong and that he—we—would be embarrassed.
注意：1．续写词数应为150个左右；2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I was about to say something to Grandpa when Gloria grabbed my hand.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Catch it!” My husband and I shouted, but saw the ball hit the grass near our four-year-old’s feet while he continued kicking at the dirt. It was mid-season, yet he showed no interest in the ball game. We called his name and told him to pick up the ball, but he just stared blankly before going back to kicking the dirt.
As the games went on, it was clear that the coach didn’t want our son to play. We practiced with him, showing him how to hold the bat and throw the ball, but he never understood running the bases or other things we tried to teach.
At the end of the season, our son once again received the “Most Improved” medal, which he had received in other sports before. My husband and I looked at each other and I said, “Well, at least he’s improving,” though it reminded me of other sympathetic gestures from coaches or teachers. I was used to the feeling of our son being different and unable to fit into ball games. The same year, his preschool teacher told me, “He’s not paying attention.” This was not what any parent wanted to hear, but I knew it was true. As a stay-at-home mom, I was tired of having to repeat instructions to him. Initially, I wasn’t sure how much of it was normal, as he was our first child. We decided to have him assessed, but it was a guessing game until he turned six, when a professional evaluation determined that he had Asperger syndrome (幼儿孤独症). My husband always believes our son will be a good boy. Fortunately, he is blessed with good looks, intelligence, and an ability to face the future. There are no obvious signs that he has Asperger’s, apart from frequent lack of eye contact.
A friend invited our son to her son’s birthday party after his diagnosis (诊断), but I turned it down because it was a dirt-bike party and our six-year-old couldn’t ride a regular bike.
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 didn’t go to the party, but at least it inspired us to get our son to try cycling.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The attempt was not a success, so we decided to expose him to swimming lessons.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“And that’s ‘The Ray of Hope’ for you!” Asta said as she ended her book review. She took a deep bow and was given thundering applause. I, too, gave applause. I was happy for my friend. Well, I was pretending to be happy for her. Deep down inside, I was rather feeling envious of Asta. She was always the one who makes speeches, debates and tells stories to others. Me? No! I had stage fright and was always the shy, quiet one who was never courageous to speak in front of others. I had never managed to do a presentation without stammering(结巴). Every time I saw someone making a speech, I would imagine myself in his or her place, receiving the applause and praise.
I was walking to the canteen with Asta. She, as usual, was looking at the script. She had been chosen to be the presenter for the National Day Celebration. I sighed to myself. Why could I not be like her, always loud and brave? If only there was a way to prove myself...
Just then, I caught a glimpse of a poster on the noticeboard.
“Minute to say it?” I read the poster out loud.
It was a competition where one has to prepare a speech about a particular topic and summarize it on the stage within one minute. This could be my big chance to overcome my stage fright! And the best part was, if I won the competition, I would receive a mini-trophy (小奖杯).
Without thinking twice, I grabbed a form and filled in it. I took a seat in the canteen with Asta and told her what I had done, after which she said that she had also signed up for the competition. Suddenly, regret hit me like a 20-pound hammer. I was competing against Asta who was the best speaker in the school! I was bound to lose! Why was I so ill-fated? I just wanted a chance to prove myself that I could overcome my stage fright.
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。
The big day finally arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Next, it was Asta’s turn.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A boy named Stevens was addicted to the Internet at a secondary boarding school. The online games were so interesting and attracted him so much that he had no interest in his study and life. He even often slipped out of the school dormitory in the middle of the night to go online.
After slipping out at midnight several times, he was caught by the school guards who were on duty. So his problem was exposed to the school and his parents. He was called to the head teacher’s office for a serious face-to-face chat. He surely knew as a student, he should give priority to learning, but he just couldn’t control himself. After several attempts, the teacher shook his head in disappointment. His father, a construction worker, had to leave work and took several buses to the school and had several chats with him. But the attraction of the games was still there, making him hard to sleep at night, so he just kept slipping out of the school as before. His classmates who knew this would always shook their heads and sighed (叹气).
One cold day, Stevens’ father came to the school again to pay his school fees. The father tried to find some words with the son, but only “Take care of yourself”. On the same night, Stevens still couldn’t resist the games and slipped out of the dormitory secretly. He climbed over the wall as usual, but rushed to climb back immediately. He looked frightened when he came back, but he didn’t say anything.
After that, he studied hard and stopped leaving school to go online. There was even a rumor (传闻) at the time that he saw a ghost. Everyone was curious to know what had happened that night, but Stevens always kept silent. He simply devoted himself to his study. Surely, hard work paid off. Later, he was admitted to a key university.
At the farewell(告别) party, his former classmates kept asking him about that night. He kept silent for a long time and eventually told everyone what had 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。
He said there was a man sleeping at the foot of the wall.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________He felt deeply sorry and guilty, and made up his mind to study hard.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was a little girl, I used to be afraid of the dark. A simple sound in the middle of the night could make me imagine the scariest scenes.
My uncle lived alone in his big old house in New Hampshire. The house was surrounded by a huge yard with lots of trees. The inside was very neat and tidy but reminded me of a museum with its ancient objects. Everything looked like it dated from the previous century, from the old-fashioned oil paintings to black-and-white pictures on the walls. Looking back at it now, it would have made the perfect setting for a frightening large house.
Once, my family visited my uncle in the fall. During the day, my sister and I made big piles of leaves to jump in with the help of Elaine, my big sister. Our room had a double bed facing a window, out of which stood a huge maple tree. The floor was made of wood that made funny sounds every time we took a step.
Although the day had been bright and cheerful, the night turned out to be extremely windy. Soon after Elaine and I were lying in bed and all was dark, I started to notice strange noises, as if someone was walking in the room. It seemed that someone was knocking against the windows, making strange noises. There were even howls (咆哮声) coming from somewhere outside!
At this point, I didn’t know what to think. All of a sudden, I thought I heard someone coming up the stairs, and my heart rose to my throat. I thought I saw something moving in the dark corners of my room, and my breath quickened. Elaine sat up in bed, but when she looked at me, she seemed confused, too. We couldn’t help but wonder if we were going crazy.
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。
The noises continued for a while longer.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning, though I knew it was a false alarm, I was still nervous and talked with my uncle.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a typical Monday morning. My form teacher, Mrs Tan, was going through our exam questions. I pot down some notes and did my corrections.
“Riiiiiiinnnngg!” A high-pitched sound pierced through the air like a knife. Covering my ears in annoyance, realization dawned on me. It was the fire alarm! While I encouraged others to remain as cool as a cucumber, it was in vain. My classmates were all screaming and running around like crazy.
“Calm down, everyone! Please queue up in an orderly manner! We have practised this in the fire drills!” instructed Mrs Tan , sounding anxious.
The class ignored her and continued screaming at the top of their voices. One student even broke down in a fit of panic. I rushed around the class, asking all my fellow students to settle down while waiting for further instructions.
A serious voice soon announced from the speakers in every class, drawing our attention. “All students are to follow their teachers and evacuate(撤离)the building in a calm and organized manner. The fire may have been caused by a gas explosion in the canteen; do not go near there!”
Mrs Tan finally managed to calm the panicky class down. In a strict voice, she told us that we were to use the evacuation route to Gate 6. She arranged the pupils quickly in neat straight rows and led us out of the classroom.
Upon taking my first step out of the classroom, I took a deep breath instantly. The surroundings were hazy(模糊的) as thick smoke came from the canteen. Choking, I unconsciously covered my nose. To make matters worse, the ash from the smoky surroundings hurt my eyes. Coughing anxiously, I tried to see my teacher in the lead, but the air was too hazy for me to see anything clearly. Within less than a minute, I lost sight of my class and was left alone.
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 wave of anxiety washed over me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Just then, the figure of Mrs Tan waving a torchlight appeared from the smoke.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was never a fast runner and thus I always didn’t like running. Throughout my childhood, whenever we competed in the 50-meter run, the 400-meter, or any other type of race, I would finish in the bottom half. In my late teens, as a member of a baseball team, I was the slowest runner on the team. In the preseason training, I was always the one running by myself at the end.
Therefore, twenty years later, when I entered my first official running race — a 3,000-meter challenge in my city — at age 38, I certainly didn’t expect to win or come close to winning.
I was there because my college friend Jim Hosek was the director of the race, and he asked me to run. The race was aimed at raising money for the unfortunate patients in a hospital and encouraging the patients and their fanilies to be brave, determined, and confident with sportsmanship.
It was a heartwarming program.I wanted to support it, so I showed up, paid the entrance fee, had a number pinned (把……别住) on my back, and moved over to the starting line. There, I waited with about 300 other runners for the race to begin. I was nervous. Would I be the last one to finish a race again? Could I even finish the race? I wondered.
Before long, someone spoke into a microphole, “Anyone weighing over 200 pounds comes down to the scale (秤), please.” Knowing I was over 200 pounds, I walked down to the scale. A man told me to stand on it. “Two hundred and three pounds,” he said. Then he wrote down the race number that was on my back. Out of curiosity, I asked him why he did so,and then I was told there would be an award ceremony (仪式) after the race. One award was for the first finisher in the over 200-pound group, and this special award would be announced at the end of the ceremony.
Not expecting the award, I ran towards the starting line, never realizing there were only two runners weighing over 200 pounds.
Paragraph 1:Soon after, the race started.
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Paragraph 2:
Then came the last award, and to my surprise, my name was announced.
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Steve, 21, was leading a small team into an abandoned(废弃的)mine near Paradise Pines, California. With him were his 19-year-old brother Allen, and a fishing friend, 32-year-old Bobby Erler.
After a couple of hours of exploring, Steve suddenly felt the earth give way under him. The drainage shaft(排水井)! His fingers clawed helplessly at the wet soil as he fell. He was falling into darkness, his body struggling against the walls of the shaft.
20 feet away, Allen heard a loud cry. “I’m climbing down,” he told Bobby.
With his torch(手电筒)under his arm, Allen slid rapidly down the pipe. “I’m coming, Steve!” he yelled several times. No answer.
As Allen slid towards the bottom of the mine shaft, he saw Steve floating face down in the water. He slipped his arms round Steve and patted him on the back. Water came out of Steve’s mouth continuously.
“I’m going to die, right?” Steve said in a weak voice.
“No way,” Allen said. “Bobby’s going for help.”
At 3: 20 pm, Bobby stepped through the door of the local fire station, a mile and a half from the top of the canyon(峡谷).“My friends. Trapped,” he said, out of breath. “Last Chance Mine. You have to hurry!”
One hundred miles away, Bob Trussell’s phone rang at 5 pm. Leader of the Lassen County Search and Rescue Team, Trussell, 44, had the only team in northern California trained to lead mine rescues. “I’ll pull together my team,” he said, “but it’ll take some time to get there.” An hour later, he was leading a line of six trucks towards Paradise Pines.
Suddenly, Steve fell unconscious(不省人事的). Allen wondered how long they could hold on.
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。
Suddenly Allen saw something shining above them.
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Steve was rushed to hospital at once.
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One day as I drove toward my home in a small Colorado town, I passed the local bus stop. Several passengers had already exited a bus and were making their way to parked cars or setting off on foot to their various destinations.
I pulled up as a group of people crossed the road in front of me. As I watched, I noticed a thin, shabbily dressed old lady struggling with a large suitcase.
She managed to carry it for a few yards before setting it down on the ground. After resting for a few moments, she picked it up with the other hand and pressed on, stopping now and then to rest and change hands. When the traffic started to move again, I saw the same elderly lady still struggling with the overweight suitcase. This was before the days when suitcases were fitted with little wheels that enabled travelers to pull their luggage behind them with the least amount of effort.
Now, witnessing this lady and remembering similar struggles I had experienced before when traveling, I pulled up alongside her and leaned over to call out through the open passenger window, “Excuse me, . Would you like a lift?”
She stopped and stared at me suspiciously without answering. I repeated, “Do you want a lift?” She still hesitated and then started to walk slowly toward me, dragging her suitcase along the road. “I’m going right into the town,” I said. “If you want to tell me where you are going, I’ll drop you off. That suitcase looks awfully heavy.”
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。
“Well, all right,” she answered in an almost unfriendly voice.
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Finally, she uttered (说出) some words, “What do I owe you? I don’t have much.”
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Tom’s love for soccer ran deep, and he played the game with a passion that was infectious (有感染力的) to everyone around him. But there was one thing that upset him-his worn-out soccer shoes. These shoes had been passed down to him by his older brother, and they were falling apart. With his birthday drawing near, Tom secretly wished for a new pair of soccer shoes to lift his spirits so that he could have a good performance in the game. However, he was well aware of his parents’ constant struggles to make ends meet and knew that such a wish might remain a dream forever.
One sunny afternoon, Tom and his best friend, David, were at school, watching an exciting soccer match. The exciting run and shout, the determination on the athletes’ faces, and their fine equipment were enough to make anyone’s heart race. It was at this moment that Tom said about his biggest birthday wish. He took a long deep breath and said, “How I wish I could have a new pair of soccer shoes for my birthday, but I know it’s impossible.”
David, sitting beside him, couldn’t help but overhear Tom’s words. The idea of helping his best friend achieve this long-held dream began to form in his mind. After school, David ran home and couldn’t wait to share the idea with his mother.
“Mom, I really want to do this for Tom. He’s been playing with those old shoes for so long. It would mean the world to him,” David explained seriously.
His mother smiled warmly, proud of her son’s compassion (同情) . “David, it’s a wonderful idea. It’s not just about the gift; it’s about the thought and effort you’re putting into making Tom’s day special.”
As David thought about how to earn the money, his mother suggested, “You know, David, there are various ways you can earn some extra money to save for the soccer shoes. Many of our neighbors are looking for someone to help with lawn mowing (刈草坪) and other services. Some even need help with newspaper delivery. You can offer your services and earn money that way.”
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。
David’s eyes lit up as he realized the potential.
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The day of Tom’s birthday finally arrived, and David couldn’t wait to surprise his best friend.
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