It was a sunny day this April, and I was flying with my boy off to Carnavon in my light aircraft to see a solar eclipse (日食). Looking out of the window, I was deeply absorbed in the picturesque scenery below. My son Jacob, 15, who was enthusiastic about flying, was in high spirits.
After 25 years in the mining industry, I’d quit my job to pursue a career in flying. Getting my commercial pilot license in September 2022, I believed this was my calling.
Jacob was a passionate flyer, who always enjoyed the flights with me. “What does this button do?” “How does it work?” “What is the function?” There were so many questions he’d ask curiously. I wonder if he’ll be a pilot some day.
Watching the eclipse through our solar goggles (护目镜), we both were in amazement. After a bite of lunch, I did all my checks and refuelled the plane before flying us back.
Flying back into the air, I headed towards Jandakot Airport, which was right near our house.
More than half way, I spotted some smoke in the air. Realizing we were flying over Lancelin where there’d been some nearby bushfires, I didn’t think there was anything to panic about. Travelling south, we took in the lovely coastline. “This is beautiful!” Jacob exclaimed.
At around 5 p.m., just about five minutes to our destination, the engine suddenly decreased rapidly. Glancing over at my boy, I thought, “this is bad.” As I tried to bring the engine back to life, it worked only for a millisecond (毫秒), and then died again. “Okay mate, we’ve had an engine failure, I said calmly to Jacob. The plane was dropping and we went from 1800 feet to 1500 in just 20 seconds.
Looking forward, I could see Jandakot Airport about 15 kilometres ahead. “We aren’t going to make it,” I told myself. We only had another 60 seconds before making the decision. Looking down at Leighton Beach north of Fremantle below, I saw crowds of people on the beach.
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2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
But thankfully there were not many in the water behind the waves.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On the beach, I hugged my boy, thrilled.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After spending Thanksgiving on Uncle Howard’s farm, he gave us two turkey eggs. My younger brother Chris was so excited that he nearly dropped his egg on the way home. Dad put the eggs under an old hen in our backyard. Every day Chris and I would check to see if they’d hatched yet. 26 days later, two little creatures waddled (摇摇摆摆地走) behind the hen. As they got older, one was dead. We named the other Timothy.
Timothy liked to wander in the woods and find tasty berries and weed seeds. Mom kept telling us not to get too attached to Timothy, because we were going to have him for Thanksgiving. But we never paid too much attention to what that really meant. One day, Dad gave Chris and me instructions. “I want you to start giving him corn along with his regular feed,” he said. “We want a nice fat bird for Thanksgiving.” After Dad walked away, Chris’s face began to pucker, just as he did before he started to cry.
“Don’t worry, Chris,” I said comfortingly. “We’ll save Timothy, somehow.”
“Why don’t we give him away?” Chris suggested.
“No.” I said. “If we do, he’ll just end up on someone else’s Thanksgiving table.” Suddenly I had an idea. “Hey, Chris, you know that small cave in the woods?” Chris nodded. “We can take Timothy there. We’ll cover the entrance with a wire net and hide him till Thanksgiving is over.” “Yeah!” We were so excited that we gave each other high-fives. We took Timothy out of his cage and left him in the cave with water and plenty of food. We piled branches over the opening to hide the entrance.
One day Dad sent us out to look for him. Both of us felt guilty, but we wanted to save Timothy’s life, so we kept quiet. Finally, Dad decided that a fox must have gotten him. That year Uncle Howard provided a turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner. The next day a big snowstorm hit. It was days before we could get out and see Timothy. When we got to the cave, we saw something 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。
The wire net was pulled away from the entrance, and Timothy was gone.
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“Look at that！It’s Timothy！”Mom cried one day.
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1. 人工智能软件的利弊；
2. 你的观点。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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Ramon was the school tough guy because his dad was a tough guy. If anyone dared (敢) to disobey him, they received a good beating.
It hadn’t changed until Victor arrived. No one would have said that Victor or his dad looked like tough guys: they were skinny and had no muscles. However, this was what Victor said to Ramon when Ramon went up to him to make him afraid.
“Hey new kid. You should know that I’m the leader, and I’m the toughest guy here.”
“You might be the leader but I am the toughest guy here.”
That was when Victor go this first beating. The second was the day Ramon tried to take a girl’s sandwich from her.
“This girl is a friend of mine and I am the toughest guy in school. So she won’t give you her sandwich”— were Victor’s last words before the blows started raining down on him.
His third beating came when he didn’t want to hand over his own sandwich.
“Tough guys like my dad and me don’t steal from others, and you are supposed to be a tough guy too?” he replied.
Victor got hit regularly, but he never backed down. His bravery in defending those weaker than him began to impress the rest of his classmates, and he soon gained supporters. Lots of other children began to play with him, so Ramon had even fewer chances to hit Victor and his friends, and fewer and fewer children were scared of Ramon. New brave boys and girls appeared who copied Victor’s attitude, and the playground became a better place.
One day, at the school door, Ramon’s giant dad asked him who Victor was.
“That skinny boy is the tough guy who’s the new boss of the playground? You’re useless! I’m going to hit you and show you what a tough guy really is,” his dad said angrily.
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2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
That wasn’t the first time that Ramon got hit, but it was the first time that Victor’s dad was there to stop it happening.
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That was when Ramon’s dad understood why Victor said that his own father was a tough guy.
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Just as many families do at a point, Catherine chose to add a new family member by adopting a pet. Shortly after her daughter Kate’s birth, Catherine decided she wanted a close bond with a dog for Kate. Thus, Catherine called the dog shelter close by to inquire about adoption. After hearing about the available animals, she chose a Doberman Pinscher. Once they signed adoption papers, they named the dog Khan.
Catherine was hopeful this would provide valuable lessons for her baby, such as sharing, learning to love and responsibility to care for animals. She was looking forward to having the dog join the family.
Hearing of Khan’s rough background, Catherine immediately loved the dog. She was overjoyed to bring this special dog back to her family. Of course, she realized there were obvious risks of bringing a large, potentially dangerous animal to her young baby. But if she had not adopted Khan, he would have been killed just a week later. So, this was Khan’s new life and second chance, and the family was hoping for the best.
Everything began smoothly. They trained Khan during the first few days. However, something abnormal occurred on that fourth day when the dog acted completely out of character.
It was a day that began with the usual playtime in the yard. Although baby Kate had her parents watching from a distance, they did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Kate and the new dog had been making a habit of playing out like this. They were playing merrily with each other. When Catherine raised her eyes to observe the two, she found something unusual. Kate and Khan paused suddenly, not being loud or crazy, and started to run through the backyard grass together. Catherine watched the two even closely. Surprisingly, things had changed within an instant.
注意: 1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Khan began acting wildly all of a sudden.
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Obviously, it was Khan who saved her baby but he barked weakly and then fell down with dying eyes.
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My first term at MIT was amazing-I was very motivated and got all A’s, with everything being passed. My second semester went pretty well, too, but I struggled very much in organic chemistry and ended up with a B. That was my first B ever, and though I was disappointed, I shook it off and tried to stay positive.
I was not even sure why I took organic chemistry, since I was interested in math. My parents were pressuring me to become a doctor like them so I guess I was trying to appease (安抚) them. But at the same time, I was desperately running away from them and their control. I was very conflicted and had no idea what I want to do in the future.
I had always excelled in math and so I chose to pursue that. I didn’t know it at that time,but my very sense of self-worth was based on the fact that I was good at math. But my third semester ended up with a D in math, and I didn’t do that well in my other classes, either.
I started skipping classes more and more; sleeping more and more. It seemed like all my friends were doing so well, getting some internship (实习) opportunities over the summers, while my parents made me fly home and stay with them every summer. The next semester I got 2 F’s.
In my fifth semester, I realized that I was awful at higher-level math and so I switched my major to computer science. I had lost all confidence in myself. I attended a few classes at the beginning of the semester, but after the first midterm exam, I completely stopped. My only relief was the dance team I was on. As expected, I failed all of my classes and had to withdraw (退学) from MIT.
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。
Since I was forced to withdraw, I had no choice but to tell my parents.
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I graduated with the highest honor, and now I am fortunate enough to have started my PhD.
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Rob was fifteen years old and still living on his father’s farm. He loved his father. But he did not realize this fact until just a few days before Christmas when he overheard what his father had said to his mother.
“Mary, I hate to call on Rob in the mornings. He’s growing so fast and he needs his sleep. I wish I could manage things alone.”
“Well, you can’t, Adam, “Rob’s mother replied firmly.” Besides, he isn’t a child anymore. It’s time he took his turn.”
“Yes,” his father said slowly. “But I sure do hate to wake him.”
When he heard these words, Rob felt a sudden realization: his father loved him! He had never thought of it before, taking for granted their blood relations. Now that he knew how much his father loved him, there would be no more loitering (虚度) in the mornings and having to be called on again. He got up, stumbling blind with sleep, and pulled on his clothes.
A thought then struck him like a club. Why not give his father a special gift? He could get up earlier, creep into the barn (畜棚) and get all the milking done. And then when his father went in to start the milking, he’d see it all already done. Yes, that’s what I’ll do, he thought, so I mustn’t sleep too soundly. He must have checked forty times, striking a match each time to look at his old watch. At a quarter to three, he crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards, then let himself out.
The cows looked at him, sleepy and surprised. It was early for them, too. But they accepted him calmly as Rob brought some hay (草料) for each cow and got the milking pail (桶) and the big milk cans.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Rob had never milked all alone before, but it seemed almost easy.
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“Rob, we have to get up!” his father called, opening the door.
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It was time for the annual Potato-Salad Contest in Russet Park. After trying for the third time, Alexis shook her head sadly. There was no way she would win the Golden Potato again because Grandpa wasn’t here this year.
Memories of how Grandpa taught her to make potato rose in her mind. She sighed and missed Grandpa so much.
Alexis cut the potatoes and mixed the boiled potatoes, some sauces and a little salt and peppers in a bowl. But it didn’t taste right. Alexis tried a bite of the salad mixture, wondering what was missing. Seeing her frown, Mom suggested, “What about something spicy? Your Grandpa loved spicy things.”
“You’re right! Maybe he put a jalapeno pepper in it,” Alexis said, cutting up a bright green jalapeno and adding it to the bowl.
It was closer, but it still didn’t taste right. Alexis was drooping her head, disappointed. “Should we look in a cookbook?”
“Grandpa was never one to follow a recipe,” Dad entered the kitchen and said.
It was true. People loved Grandpa’s potato salad because it was one of a kind. Alexis remembered posing with Grandpa for a photo while they were making the salad.
Photo! That gave her an idea. Alexis hurried to the bookcase and found an old photo album. She immediately flipped it open, expecting to find clues in the photos there. Lots of photos showed Grandpa and Grandma cooking together. Dad laughed, “He and Grandma loved to tease each other but he always called her Honey.”
“Do you think he put honey in the potato salad?” Mum asked.
“It is worth a try,” said Alexis. She stirred some honey into the bowl.
But it still wasn’t quite right. Alexis’ heart sank, on the verge of giving up. Dad kept flipping the album. At the end of the album was the picture of Grandpa and Alexis making the salad together.
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。
It looked like Grandpa was crying in the photo.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With hesitation, the family tasted the potato salad with onions in it.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was Emily’s turn to tell her class where she went this summer. She stood up proudly.
“This summer I went to Bradley,” Emily announced. “It has a big market there. My mom bought a painting and I got a second-hand skateboard. What an impressive trip it was!”
“That’s not a trip,” Frank shouted loudly to his partner. “It’s only half an hour from here. My dad and I often go to Bradley to buy tools for his repair workshop.”
“Frank, no interrupting,” said Miss Clare, their teacher. “And Bradley has a fine market. I’m glad that Emily shared her experience with us. Go ahead, Emily,” Miss Clare smiled warmly at her, encouraging her to continue.
But not feeling proud of her family’s trip to Bradley any more, Emily just felt embarrassed and dropped her head, saying in a low voice that it was finished. In the hope of not being noticed, the little girl hurriedly back to her desk with a red face.
She listened as Peter talked about his cruise to Greece and Mary’s trip across the Atlantic to Ireland. She also heard about John’s horseback ride through the Great Canyon. It seemed as if everyone but her had taken a big trip over the summer. “I never get to anywhere,” Emily thought to herself. A sense of loss clouded her the whole day.
After school, things went worse. One of the wheels on Emily’s skateboard came loose. Now she couldn’t even skate. Sitting on the sidewalk, Emily tried to fix her wheel but in vain, during which Miss Clare happened to pass by.
She walked up with a smile, asking, “Why are you sitting here?” Emily lowered her head, tears welling up inside her eyes. “Want to talk about it?” Emily nodded, trying to avoid Miss Clare’ eyes. Bending down, Miss Clare said gently, “You know, Emily, we don’t always have to travel far to learn anything.”
注意：1. 续写词汇数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At this moment, Frank was walking by and saw them.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I can fix it,” Frank said with confidence.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When my mom and dad said that we could adopt (收养) a couple of kittens (小猫), I jumped at the chance to have some soft, hairy animals around the house. So off we went to the Humane Society where there were a lot of animals up for adoption.
You just can’t imagine how excited I was when we entered the Humane Society. The first thing I noticed was that there was not a lot of room for the animals and not a lot of supplies to care for them. Even though they didn’t have much, the people who worked there cared about the animals more than anything, and they did their best for them. Still, it seemed that they didn’t have enough food and medicine to keep the animals healthy.
When we started looking around, I saw a lot of animals and fell in love with each of them. But my family and I finally settled on adopting two kittens and we named them Sox and Sierra. We went up to the front desk to sign the papers for them, and that’s when I noticed a box on the counter. The Humane Society was hoping to get enough donations (捐赠) to buy more supplies for the animals and also build a new building to help even more abandoned (被遗弃的) animals. We finished up and took our new kittens home, where they were sure to get a lot of love.
Later that day, my mom and I went shopping, and as we were walking through the parking lot at the store, I noticed a green piece of paper three spaces away from our car. It was kind of wet, but it looked like it could be a dollar bill, so I walked over and picked it up. Much to my surprise, it was a twenty-dollar bill. I looked around, trying to find out who had lost the bill, but in vain (徒劳地).
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
When I got home, I dried off the bill and thought about what to do with it.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The lady at the front desk smiled at us when we walked toward the donation box.
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