Everybody pushed him away. With a big black birthmark on his face, Thomas never had any friends. He was lonely, as if the world could never see the light. He used to love acting dramas in front of his mother, but now, he thinks he does not have the right to do so with such appearance.
This terrible life has begun since Thomas went to school. However, everything changed since that evening.
Thomas was sitting on the chair, staring out of the window while trying to forget the names that his classmates had called him earlier at school. The tree outside was surrounded by dried, lifeless leaves, with branches lowering themselves to the ground. It was so quiet that only the sound of the wind blowing the leaves away could be heard. A knock on the door broke the silence. “Thomas, here’s a letter for you,” Mom said while pushing the door open. Just as Thomas reached out for the letter, Mom immediately pulled it away and said: “Let me read it for you. ”
Dear Thomas,
How are you? I’m your aunt. I know that you feel sad because of your birthmark, but you cannot change that. Therefore, instead of feeling bad for your appearance, you should stand up for yourself. Go do astonishing things that would change everybody’s thoughts about you. Prove yourself. I believe in you.
Regards,
Aunt Janice
Thomas felt a wave of warmness in his heart. That night, he carried a smile on his face to his dreams. After that day, Thomas received more letters from relatives, encouraging him to be brave to do what he wants. Mom would read out every single letter, each time with a lovely expression. Thomas realized that there were so many people caring and loving him. He heard a voice telling him that he should prove himself to the world.
With the encouragement his family had given him, Thomas joined the drama class in his school and had the chance to perform drama in his school. Unexpectedly, the whole school cheered for him and praised his acting skills. The teachers later signed him up to represent the school for an acting competition. Despite of his appearance, he got the first prize. His confidence grew.
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 all the things Thomas had gone through, he still received letters from relatives.
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One day, Thomas went home from school with a tired body.
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Living in the shadow of my two elder sisters at college who already had their lives planned out since they were little, I was always undecided about everything. As a teenager, I was fickle (反复无常的). I would like one thing for a week and then hate it the next. But I was constantly searching for the beginning of the rainbow. Changing my dream from a vet to an astronaut, I thought there were various options available to me. However, my parents would shake their heads and repeatedly asked me such questions as, “Why can’t you be more like your sisters? What are you going to do with your life? Aren’t you interested in anything at all?” After a couple of shrugs (耸肩), my parents usually stopped talking. I was not sure if they gave up or anticipated my dull reactions. I often responded, “I couldn’t answer all of your questions now.”
Actually, my parents just had high expectations that never seemed to be fulfilled. Plus, like other parents, they just wanted to give the best to me and expected me to achieve success. The arguments with my parents seemed childish. One day, my mother made her thoughts clear, “Your grades aren’t high enough. No schools are going to want you, dear. We didn’t pay so much money for nothing.” Hesitating for a while, I said, “No matter what you say, I believe I will enter a good college.” Still, I let my emotions control myself.
Certainly, I had never planned not to go to college. After another debate with my mom, I decided to make a change. No longer would I sit back and let my parents mistake me for a bad boy. It was time to take action.
I knew it was a crucial year at high school. Releasing my feelings, I began to collect all the knowledge I had learned and review it with all my heart. I didn’t argue with my parents any more, but instead turned to my sisters for help and tried my best to study. Finally, I took the national college entrance examination with ease and confidence.
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。
A few days later, I received a call from my school, saying my college acceptance letter had arrived.
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My parents excitedly said behind me, “Well, open the envelop!”
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In a coastal village named Seaford, lived a courageous young woman named Amelia. Amelia was known throughout Seaford for her adventurous nature. From the moment she could walk, she would eagerly run towards the crashing waves, feeling the sand between her toes and the cool spray of the ocean mist on her face. She was a woman with a strong will and possessed a heart full of kindness. Amelia’s love for the ocean was intense, and she spent most of her days exploring the beautiful beaches and sparkling waters that surrounded her house.
One sunny morning, while Amelia was walking along the shore, she noticed a group of restless seagulls abnormally circling above the crashing waves. Their unusual calls echoed (回) through the air. Concerned for their well-being, she followed their flight pattern, her instincts guiding her toward danger.
As she approached a towering cliff, Amelia gasped in horror. On a narrow ledge (岩架), high above the violent waves, was a young dolphin trapped in a thick fishing net. Its shiny body shone under the golden rays of the sun, but its freedom was cruelly limited by the trap. With each struggle, the net tightened around its delicate body, leaving painful marks on its skin. Its tail flapped helplessly, each movement a request for help, while its desperate cries for assistance echoed through the air.
A sense of urgency filled her, pushing her forward with determination and resolve. Realizing that time was tight, Amelia knew she had to act instantly to free this innocent creature from its difficult position before it submitted to exhaustion or the force of the tides.
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: Without hesitation, Amelia rushed back to the village.
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Paragraph 2: As the dolphin was released into the waters, it hesitated for a moment.
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The annual Halloween arrived, during which kids dressed in traditional clothes went to neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.
Allison lived in a small town. That day after dinner, Allison put on her dress her father had just bought for her. The dress was cheap and second-hand because her family was poor. But Allison still thanked her dad and said, “Everyone will love my dress!” Then, she left for neighbors’ houses to ask for candy.
On the way, she came across Anna and her friends and wanted to join them. “No! Look at your dress! It’s ugly!” Anna said. Her friends also laughed. “Look at our dresses, especially mine! It’s new and beautiful,” Anna added. Her friends nodded, and in some way they were right. Anna’s dress was shiny and looked expensive. She always had the best clothes because her parents were rich.
Allison was shocked and sad. The kids not only disliked her dress but made fun of it. “You can’t come with us!” Anna stressed. “We would never hang out with you!” The other kids agreed and laughed. They all left to start collecting candy for the night while Allison was left alone, embarrassed in the middle of the street.
Anyway, she knew all the neighbors. She often helped around carrying their groceries and helping them with their gardens. People around there knew her. She didn’t need to hangout with Anna or her friends. “I’ll go just alone,” the little girl said to herself and started walking.
She as well as Anna and her friends walked in the same direction: towards their first neighbor Mrs Vaughan’s house. But Allison walked behind and kept her distance from them. And she stopped when Anna and her friends were near Mrs Vaughan’s house.
Just then, Mrs Vaughan looked out of her window. She noticed that Allison was being excluded by Anna and her friends. She knew it was probably because of Allison’s poor dress. She immediately felt pity for Allison, who often helped her and other neighbors. She decided to give Allison much more candy as a reward and teach Anna and her friends a lesson.
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。
When Anna and her friends knocked on her door, Mrs Vaughan opened it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Anna looked up and said, “Our clothes are more beautiful! But you gave Allison more candy! Why?”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Last week, I was creating a picture book for my dad as his birthday gift. It was about our family’s grocery store (杂货店). There were lots of fruits in the store, so my pictures centered on apples, pears, grapes and any other fruit one could think of. I worked forever making each picture as perfect as possible. Every time I messed up, I started all over again, so the floor under the kitchen table was covered with half-finished drawings.
“Dad’s going to love this,” my mom said as she looked over my shoulder, “but it’s housework time now.” I was responsible for folding the clothes, and my little brother Ben, sweeping the floor. “And Amy, please remove the paper from the floor to the recycling bin in the yard when you finish your project,” my mom added.
I finished folding the clothes as fast as possible. Just as I was about to get back to the picture book, my friend Marry showed up.
“Hi, Amy! Want to go and play in the park?” she asked.
“I definitely would, but brrr…It’s freezing cold outside!”
“Exactly!” she said. “It’s the perfect weather for not getting overheated.”
That’s a cool thing about Marry. She has this way of looking on the bright side of pretty much anything.
So, we headed to the park. But as soon as we arrived there, the sky was filled with giant gray clouds and rain started pouring down. We had to go back, dripping wet.
Ben was taking out rubbish to the recycling bin when we stepped into the yard. And that’s when my heart pretty much stopped. Right there in the yard, in front of the recycling bin, was a box full of wet paper. And not just any piece of paper. That was my picture book.
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:
“Whoa! Wait! What?” I ran to rescue my birthday book drawings.
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At that time, Marry came up to me and gave me a comforting pat on the shoulder.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.同学们的观点：
◆大部分同学认为播放音乐可以活跃气氛，放松身心，带来快乐，提高学习效率。
◆部分同学认为课间音乐时间短，没效果，而且课间时最需要的是安静，而不是音乐产生的噪声。
2.说明你的观点。
注意：词数80左右。
Should Music Be Played During the Class Break?
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When I was twelve, my parents let me babysit for Mr. and Mrs. Joseph who lived down the street with their two little preschool girls. Most of my babysitting occurred during daylight hours while Mrs. Joseph went shopping. One day she asked if I could stay with her daughters in the evening, promising she and her husband would be home by ten p. m. After pleaded with (恳求) them, desperate to earn fifty cents an hour for six hours—three whole dollars!—my parents agreed.
At four o'clock, I knocked on the Josephs' front door, greeted the kids, and received detailed instructions from their mother. A few minutes later, the girls and I were alone. We played hide-and-seek, did some finger painting together, and I fixed them scrambled eggs (炒鸡蛋) and toast soldiers for dinner. Then, at about eight p, m., I gathered the two kids beside me on the sofa and began to read them a story.
I heard a soft click, as if the front door had been opened, and I stopped. “Go on,” said Melanie, the four-year-old. “Keep reading.” “Wait.” I put my finger to my lips, “I thought I heard someone come in.” I heard the click again, and the lamp beside me switched on. All three of us jumped. Then the drapes (帘子) closed across the big window.
I screamed, put a little girl under each of my arms, and ran upstairs to the bathroom. As I locked the door behind us, I heard music begin to play from a radio somewhere downstairs. The girls clutched (紧紧抱住) each other in fear as I calmed them down, saying, “There's a bad man in the house. You have to be perfectly quiet. ”
The three of us sat on the floor, ears pressed to the wooden door ... listening. Even two-year-old Tricia was very quiet. For two hours we listened to the music playing, but we never heard another sound. No footsteps, no creaking (嘎吱作响的) doors, or breaking of china. Definitely no one walking up the stairs.
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。
Then the front door opened with a bang and we all jumped.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mr. Joseph explained he had bought a smart home device.
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You know how when big things in your life aren’t going well and the little things bother you more? That happened to me last year. Like many people during the pandemic, my husband, Paul, was laid off. I was still working, but my job was only part-time and would likely be ending soon too. I was worried about money, pandemic and our future.
That’s when our mailboxes really started getting to me. I’d never liked our mailboxes much. They stood at the end of our long driveway, far enough away from our house. Fortunately, I didn’t see them often. The mailboxes had already been in rough shape when we moved in and the paint was faded.
At some point, someone had driven into the pole. It was now bent slightly, making the mailboxes bend, pointing in different directions. Still, because the boxes could hold the mail and the mail carrier wasn’t complaining, there really was no need to replace them.
“I wish we could have better mailboxes,” I found myself thinking as I pulled out of the driveway one day on my way to work. It was just a passing thought. I probably would have forgotten all about it if not for the news we got the next morning.
The next day, my neighbor Ailsa told me a girl drove her car right into the mailboxes and completely knocked them down. Ailsa saw the accident and gave her our number and information. “That certainly wasn’t in our budget,” I thought. Though I wanted new mailboxes, getting them would be expensive. With our income decreasing since Paul’s layoff, this was an expense we didn’t need. I sighed.
However, the next day where our old, rusted mailboxes had once stood were two new shiny mailboxes-one black, one white. Each one had large, neat numbers on the sides, the white mailbox with black numbers and the black one with white numbers. They were beautiful. I sat there, feeling surprised.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1:
I opened one of the mailboxes and found a note.
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Paragraph 2:
When we called, the girl’s mother answered.
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Janiece Jenkins is a math teacher at East Orange Community Charter School, New Jersey. She had been certified in CPR (心肺复苏术) and first aid, 5 years before working here in the school. Because Janiece had never had a chance to put it into use, she almost forgot it after all those years. Recently, the school arranged for all the teachers to take a refresher course. As in the past, Janiece thought little of the first aid knowledge and she never thought she could put it into practice one day. But it happened that way.
On a hot summer afternoon, 9-year-old Robert Stonaker was preparing for his math class when he felt a rush of thirst. He reached for a bottle of water from his school bag. But the cap of the water bottle was too tight, so he struggled to remove it with his mouth. When the third grader squeezed (挤压) the bottle, the water pushed the cap down his throat and blocked his airway.
Unable to breathe, Robert got out from his seat in panic and ran over to the sink to see if he could spit the cap out himself. When that didn’t work, he ran across the room to ask Janiece for help, pointing to his throat.
The boy couldn’t talk. His face was pale, nd he was struggling to breathe. Janiece knew from the desperation on his face that he was choking and that he was in bad need of help. At the critical moment, timing is everything. Brain damage starts after approximately four minutes without oxygen.
Thanks to the refresher course, the first aid steps were fresh in Janiece’s mind. She stood behind Robert and wrapped her arms around the boy’s waist. With one hand made a fist, she pressed hard and quick into his stomach. She pulled inward and upward as she pressed as if she’s trying to lift the boy off the ground. After several rounds of pulls and presses, the cap of the water bottle popped out of his mouth. Seeing the cap on the floor, Janiece breathed a big sigh of 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。
Then Janiece took Robert to the nearest hospital and telephoned Robert’s parents.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Janiece hoped her action would inspire others to get the training to help people in need.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dave had loved basketball for as long as he could remember and he had never had a day without playing it. At primary school and junior high school he joined basketball clubs, attended training programs and watched basketball games, from which he learned the moves of the star players, wishing to play in a professional team like them and shine on the court.
Now as a senior high school student, however, his dream of becoming a professional player was dimming (变暗) because he was only of average height. He had to give up the hope of joining the school team. The guys on the school team were all tall boys who played matches and won honors for the school. They were like heroes. Dave watched them play and cheered them but he knew he would never be one of them.
Dave felt it a pity not to be tall enough, but this didn’t stop him from pouring his passion into basketball. He just played for the love of the sport. He played in the school gym with other boys or by himself every day, even during holidays and weekends, when it was open for two hours in the morning. He enjoyed every minute on the court making every effort to play better.
It was one Saturday morning. Dave was playing in the gym by himself, as all the other boys were busy with other weekend affairs. Then he noticed a tall boy approaching. It was Lankas. Everybody knows him as captain of the school basketball team. “Hi, Lankas,” Dave greeted him. “My name is Dave.” “Hi, Dave,” Lankas replied as he got closer. “Nice to see you here. Do you need an opponent to play against?” Dave was shocked, frozen right there, unable to believe his ears but somehow, he answered, “Why not?”
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。
So, a game of two players began.
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The next Saturday, when Dave was playing in the gym, Lankas appeared shouting, “Dave, I have good news for you.”
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