Mark Mancuso’s phone started ringing. He glanced at it. It was an alarm for the calendar, informing him that it was his mom’s birthday. His mom, Amelia, was two hundred miles from here, a bit of drive, but Mark had driven further to have dinner with a friend. It was just that he didn’t like his mom’s complaints. Then he went to a flower shop. With a smile, he had an idea.
Entering the flower shop, Mark said with a wide grin, “Can you arrange to have flowers delivered to Syracuse, N. Y.? It’s my mom’s 70th birthday, so I’d like to send her a bouquet.”
he flower shop owner replied, “Of course, I only need your mom’s name, phone number and address. Do you want me to help you write a birthday letter?”
“Yes,” Mike said as he read out those information. Then, he added, “Please write: Happy birthday to the most wonderful mom in the world. Your son, Mark.”
Mark went out with a sense of success, seeing a little girl in the corner, crying. Mike crouched (蹲) next to her. “Hi, honey, are you OK?”
“I’m Mandy, and I’d like to buy my mother a rose,” the little girl said as she sobbed.
“But I’m short of money! The flower shop owner told me that I could only get a daisy, but my mother loves red roses.”
“You just wait here,” Mark said and then went to the flower shop and bought Mandy a beautiful red rose. “This is for you,” he said, putting the rose into her hands. Mandy received the rose and looked up at Mike with a smile. “Thank you. But can you take me to my mother? It’s not too far, but I don’t suppose I can get there on my own.”
Mark nodded. Mandy led him along the road. A moment later Mandy took a left, and Mark saw with amazement that they were at the gate of a cemetery (墓地).
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 girl lightly placed the rose on a grave.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mark could feel his eyes filling with tears.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We met Max at the pickup area of Alaska Airlines. A standard poodle (鬈毛狗) born on Valentine’s Day in 2002, he came to us in a small blue box. We had adopted him from a friend, who raised many dogs.
We were a sweet little family—me, my husband, and our children, Sophie and Jake. But for years I’d felt as if we wouldn’t really be complete until we had a dog. Also, my husband travelled for some 200 days a year on business, and I knew I’d feel safer with a large animal sleeping by the door.
When we opened the box, we saw him. With his curly black hair and intelligent eyes, Max was beautiful. He was so small that he fit into the palm (手掌) of my hand, his big paws (爪子) lapping over the sides. He was also scared. As I pulled him close, I felt his heart pound and wondered if we’d done the right thing, taking him from his mother. But it was too late. Sophie and Jake were already fighting over who would hold him next.
Over the following months, we spent endless hours watching Max play with his toy or run around the living room. Like most poodles, he was smart. He mastered house-training quickly and never chewed on our furniture or shoes. He considered himself one of us.
Some days after school, I’d find Jake curled up with Max inside his box. When I suggested that my son get out of the dog box, Jake yelled, “Max wants me in here! We’re brothers!”
By his first birthday, Max had grown into a 50-pound guard dog. He manned the front door like a soldier, barking fiercely at other dogs walking by. I felt safe with him there, especially when my husband was away. Sometimes, when I was missing my husband a lot, I held Max close.
Many years later, my husband passed away. My kids grew up and went to university. They worked in other cities after graduation.
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:
And then, suddenly, I was alone.
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One Day, I found there was something wrong with Max’s back legs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________"What? I can't believe what you're telling me," my mother said when my sister Helentold her of the arrangement that she would invite two strangers to stay with her in her Califurnin home. Actually, our entire family tried to discourage Helen from this undertaking.
This story began with Helen on a flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix. Although the flight was short, it provided enough time for my sister to get to know the Morrisons, an Arizona couple seated in her row. The plane was only in the air for a couple of minutes when the wife, Marcie, fell asleep, leaving her husband Daniel and my sister sitting next to each other in silence. Maybe it was a feeling of awkwardness that sparked（触发） it, or maybe it was the need to unload. Whatever the case, within minutes Daniel began to relate the couple's story.
He told my sister how he and Marcie had flown to Los Angeles that morning to meet with a doctor of alternative medicine about treating Marcie for her stage 4 breast cancer. Although they both felt good about what had been described to them that day, they were also depressed to learn that the alternative treatment would cost $34,000 and not be covered by insurance. Additionally, they'd have to pay for a place to stay while Marcie accepted the treatment.
"The money's not even a consideration," Daniel explained. "What's debt compared to keeping my wife alive?" At this point tears coursed their way down Daniel's face and my sister joined right in. Marcie was only thirty-five years old and they had five children between ages two and twelve.
When it was time to get off the plane, Daniel woke Marcie, and since she was unable to walk, they requested a wheelchair. It was while my sister was waiting with them for the chair that she made the decision that had our family so concerned. Helen gave the Morrisons her business card and explained that they could stay with her during their trips to Los Angeles.
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。
Helen received a call from Daniel the following week.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My family's feelings of concern changed to feelings of admiration!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One summer vacation, I allowed my husband and our three sons to take me to go horse-riding. I’d never been on a horse in my life. Horses scare me. “It will be fun,” my kids said. “What if I fall off?” I wanted to add more, but I kept my mouth shut. I was trying to be a good sport.
When we arrived, the coach gave me his gentlest horse. “Nothing to worry about. And kick your feet on the horse’s side to make him go,” he said. I hoped the horse had heard that, too. The horse may look gentle, but he was very big and tall. How on earth was I going to get on this horse using only one little stirrup (马镫) on the side? Well, it took my husband and three sons to do it, but they got me on that horse!
Since the coach knew I had the gentlest horse, he placed me at the very end of the road. I was happy. If I looked silly sitting on this horse, everyone else would be in front of me and couldn’t watch me. We started out just fine. As we got into the woods, my horse was still very gentle. By the time all the other horses were out of the woods, my horse and I were still in the woods! I saw our youngest son waving to me in the distance. This seemed to be the longest ride with this boring horse and me.
Slowly, we got out of the woods and were in a bean field. Suddenly, my horse stopped. Then I remembered one important thing the coach had told me. He said, “Don’t let the horse stop to eat the beans, because then the horse won’t want to go back to the barn (畜棚).” I looked down, and the horse was eating the beans.
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 tried to stop him, but he kept on eating.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the coach must have realized I was in trouble.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ollie Simmons was good at maths, but Ruby Riley wasn’t. Well, Ruby didn’t think she was. She sat next to Ollie and so she just copied him. This was the best way she had found to do maths and she didn’t have to think at all.
One day the teacher said, “We will be having a maths test after lunch.” Ruby felt there were butterflies in the stomach. “Can I copy off you?” she whispered to Ollie. Ollie thought for a minute. “What will you give me?” he whispered back. Ruby showed Oilie a stone she had. It was round and smooth and the colour of the sea. “OK!” he said, “Give me the stone, and then you can copy my answers.” Ollie got full marks in the maths test and so did Ruby. Their names went on the top of the maths champion chart.
Every week there was a maths test and every week Ollie and Ruby got full marks together. Ollie had to share the top place with Ruby, but it was worth it. He had a torch, a key chain, a golf ball and a gift box!
One day, there was a maths test again. This time, Ruby picked a watch, thinking everything would go as usual—Ollie would let her copy and they would be on the top of the chart together again. But she was wrong. The headmaster came into Ruby’s class. “I want to see Ollie Simmons,” she said. Ollie was gone for a long time. Then the door opened. It was the headmaster again. “Ruby Riley, she said,” Come with me, please. “Ruby felt like a bird in a cage—there was no way to escape. The headmaster told Ruby that every lunchtime for five weeks she had to do maths. “You have to learn to think for yourself,” she said. “And Ollie has to learn a lesson, too. He’s going to teach you.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150字左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上相应位置作答。
Hanging her head down. Ruby felt so regretful for getting Ollie into trouble.
1. 露比低着头，很后悔让奥利惹上麻烦。2. 她意识到是她的过错使他们陷入了如此可耻的境地。
3. “我很抱歉，我想向你真诚地道歉。”露比泪流满面地对奥利说。
4. 听了这话，奥利羞得两颊发烫，说：“我也应该为这件事负责。”
5. 为了弥补这个错误，我将尽我最大的努力帮助你。”
6. 露比擦了擦眼泪，决心不遗余力地和奥利一起学习数学。
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Ollie proved to be a good reacher for Ruby.
7. 不管什么时候露比遇见困难他总是乐于帮助。8. 随着时间的流转，在奥利的帮助下，露比慢慢地在数学上有进步了。
9. 最后，他们在期末考试中又一次都取得了满分。
10. 校长因为他们取得的进步表扬了他们。
11. 那一刻，他们对自己觉得很自豪。
12. 真是一次难忘又有意义的经历，这教了他们诚实和真正友谊的一课。
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Mary was fond of outdoor activities, especially the beauty of nature. She would often spend her weekends hiking, biking, or simply taking long walks in the countryside. She had a group of close friends who shared the same enthusiasm for the outdoors.
One day, while enjoying a cup of coffee at a local cafe, Mary’s friend Jenny approached her with an exciting idea. “Mary, have you ever thought about stargazing (观星) in the wilderness?” Jenny asked, her eyes shining with excitement. Mary’s eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face. “Stargazing? That sounds incredible! Count me in,” she exclaimed, her voice filled with expectation.
The plan was set for a cool evening when the sky would be at its clearest. As the day turned into night, the two friends gathered their warmest clothes, packed some snacks and hot chocolate, and set off on their adventure. They began their journey from Mary’s house.
As they walked hand in hand, their breath turned into misty clouds in the cool night air. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, casting a darkness on their path. But instead of feeling scared, they felt a rush of excitement washing over them. The stillness of the night, broken only by the soft whispers of the wind, brought a newfound peace to their mind.
They walked through the streets, little by little, the city lights faded, and the stars above became increasingly obvious. They couldn’t help but feel amazed by the countless stars that decorated the sky. They decided not to choose the well-known path and wandered deeper into the wilderness. Fireflies (萤火虫) danced gracefully, lighting up the night sky.
Mary’s eyes widened with childlike wonder as she watched the tiny creatures create their magical light show. Absorbed in chats and laughter, they failed to notice when the familiar sights started to disappear, slowly getting swallowed by the tall trees of the forest.
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, Mary’s heart skipped a beat as she realized they had lost their way.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Determined, the two friends set off, guided by the light of the North Star.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Last summer, Hilda worked as a volunteer with dolphin trainers at a sea life park. Her job was to make sure the tanks were free of any items so that the trainers could train the dolphins to fetch specific items. However, one day after cleaning, one of the dolphins, Maya, presented Hilda with a candy wrapper from the tank. When Katherine, the trainer, saw this, she blamed Hilda for her carelessness. Upset but not discouraged by this event, Hilda decided to do some spying on Maya.
The next morning, Hilda arrived at the park early. She put on her scuba gear (水下呼吸器) and jumped into the tank for her usual, underwater sweep. Finding nothing in the tank, she climbed out of the water just in time to see Katherine jumping in on the other side. After what happened yesterday, Hilda knew what she was doing. She watched as Katherine performed her underwater search, but Hilda wasn’t surprised when she surfaced empty-handed.
During the tank sweeps, Maya had been swimming playfully, but now the dolphin stopped suddenly and swam to the back part of the tank where the filter (过滤) box was located. She stuck her nose down behind the box and then swam away. What was Maya doing back there? Hilda wondered. She jumped back into the water and swam over to take a look behind the box, and her question was answered. Hilda then swam across the tank following Maya’s path and emerged from the water to find Katherine removing her scuba gear. As Katherine turned around, her mouth dropped open. There was Maya at the edge of the tank with a comb (梳子) in her mouth waiting for her treat.
“Maya! Where did you get that?” demanded Katherine, taking the comb and throwing her a fish. “I know where she got it,” declared Hilda climbing out of the tank with a handful of items still wet from their watery, resting place. “What’s all this?” Katherine asked, obviously confused.
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。
“This is Maya’s secret,” Hilda said with a big smile.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now Katherine realized what had been going on.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________An Unforgivable Mistake
A few years ago, the company I work for sent my wife and me to live in New York for a year. I’ve always loved jogging, so I was really happy when I found the apartment they had rented for us was next to Central Park. This meant that every morning I could go for a run before I went to work.
Because a lot of people had told me to be careful of muggers (行凶抢劫者) in the park, I didn’t usually take anything with me. How could they rob me if I didn’t have anything? But one morning my wife asked me to buy some bread on the way home, so I put a $10 bill in my back pocket.
It was a beautiful morning and the park was quiet with very few people walking or jogging around. While I was running, another jogger bumped (撞) into me. He apologized and continued running. For a while, I didn’t think too much of it. However, when I noticed the wide path where I was running, I thought it was kind of strange. The warning of muggers in the park occurred to me. It could have been a mugger! I suddenly became alarmed, so I checked my pocket. The money was missing! I immediately started to run after the jogger. I finally caught up with and grabbed him firmly by the arm. I started shouting and demanding that he give me the $10 bill. I’m not usually a hot-headed person, but I really lost my temper at that moment. I couldn’t believe the robbery was actually happening to me. Filled with anger, I shook my fist at him. This seemed to frighten him. He quickly put his hand in his pocket and gave me the money. Then he ran away as fast as he could.
I bought the bread and went home. As soon as I got home, I couldn’t wait to tell my wife the story. “You won’t believe what happened to me,” I started with pride. She immediately interrupted (插话), “I know, you left the money for the bread on the kitchen table.”
注意：续写词数应为150左右。Paragraph 1:
Looking at the money on the table, I stood there, shocked.
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For several days, I waited at the same place.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________April 28, 2015. That was the day it started, the start of my new life. I woke up in ICU in the hospital, not knowing the extent of my injuries or what had happened fully. My parents came in to see me. They saw me awake for the first time. I started trying to move but failed.
My dad bent down and said, “Jim, you lost your legs in the motorcycle accident.”
My dad, growing up, was always very stoical (坚忍的). He raised me and my brother in the tough love style and showed very little emotion. So when I saw the pain and emotion in his face, I knew I had to be strong for not just myself but my entire family.
I immediately told my parents, “I’d rather be here without them than not be here at all.” They smiled. First time I’d seen them smile since they walked in the room.
The next month and a half of recovery was long and difficult. I was unable to sleep at night. Thoughts began to run through my mind. Would I have a normal life? Would I enjoy the things that I used to enjoy? All I could do was look forward to the morning when my family and friends came back.
I got released from the hospital on June 3, 2015, the day after my 27th birthday. I got home, finally, ready to start my new life. But I still had to figure out what I was going to do next. So as I was trying to figure it out, I had a couple of friends that were trying to help me out and get my life started. They were members of the Pip e Hitters Union Motorcycle Club.
One day, they gave me a text message that said, “Give this guy a call. His name is David. He can help you.” I called David and soon we met. I had a meeting with him and his staff. He told me about his gym called ATF-the Adaptive Training Foundation. It was a non-profit organization aimed at helping people with disabilities come back to normal life through physical training.
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:
I filled out an application, almost immediately accepted into class.
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Paragraph 2:
At this time, David advised me to find a job.
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1. 幽默能使人欢笑愉悦，减轻压力；
2. 幽默能使人精神饱满，有益于身心健康；
3. 幽默能使人忘却烦恼，使生活更美好；
4. 你的观点。
词数：80左右。
Why We Need Humour in Our Life?
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