It was a particularly dark and stormy night, with the fierce wind shook the windows wildly, as if some unseen force was beating them from outside. The clouds had gathered in a dense mass, blocking out the moon and the stars. Contrasting dramatically with the outside, the air in the house was filled with joy and warmth as family members gathered together, all eagerly anticipating the festival. The children were laughing and playing, chasing each other around the living room. Their laughter and chatter filled the air, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. The adults who sat around the dining table, sharing stories, were infected by their energy, finding themselves wearing smiles all the tire. It was New Year’s Eve and our annual party is in full swing.
Unexpectedly, our hearts skipped a beat as loud explosions echoed through the night, sending shivers down our spines. We rushed to the windows, hearts pounding, and looked out into the hills, where a terrifying sight awaited us. The electrical transformers (变压器) were now erupting in a chaotic display of sparks and flames. One by one, the lights in the surrounding areas began to flicker and fade. The darkness swallowed up the hills and just in a minute only a few scattered lights remained, twinkling weakly in the distance. And then, without warning, came a deafening explosion, and our own house went dark too.
I quickly gathered all the candles we had and lit them, casting a soft glow that transformed the room into a cozy atmosphere. However, we faced a challenge. With fifteen people gathering around. we still needed to prepare dinner. How could we possibly cook without electricity? The question hung in the air, but we knew we had to find a way to make the most of our situation and ensure everyone had a memorable New Year’s Eve.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
The barbecue!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the clock ticked closer to midnight, the excitement in the air reached a feverish pitch.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mary had always been a lover of tales. Her imagination was rich, and she often found herself making up stories in her head. Yet, she never dared to share them with anyone, confined (受限) by her shy nature and a fear of public speaking. Life passed her by in a routine that left little room for self-expression, and her stories remained locked within the walls of her mind.
One day, an old friend invited Mary to attend a local storytelling workshop. Hesitantly, she agreed, hoping to find a way to break free from her shell. As she entered the place, she felt a mix of expectation and fear. What if she stumbled(磕绊) over her words? What if people laughed at her? Despite her anxiety, Mary took her seat among the other participants, each there for their own reason—some seeking a new hobby, others looking for personal growth.
The workshop facilitator(主持人), a charming woman named Evelyn, greeted them warmly. She spoke of the power of stories and the beauty of sharing one’s voice. As the hours went by, Mary learned techniques to build suspense(悬念), create lifelike characters, and tell a fascinating story. The other participants listened carefully, offering ideas and encouragement. For the first time in a long while, Mary felt seen and heard.
As the day drew to a close, Evelyn announced an upcoming storytelling competition. It would be held in a few weeks at, a local bookstore. To Mary’s surprise, she found herself volunteering to participate. The thought of standing onstage frightened her, but something within her longed for the challenge.
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:
From that day on. Mary practiced day and night.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
The big day came.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Angela, we have to go,” said her father.
“I’m not going,“ replied Angela.
“Please, we’ll be late,” said her father.
“Good. I hope we’re a million years late and there will be no piano anymore. The people of the future will be smart. They’ll understand that humans are better off without the piano. They’ll understand me,“ Angela said angrily.
“Angela, if you don’t get in the car right now, I’ m going to forbid (禁止) you from using the computer.”
“For how long?”
“Until Christmas.”
Dad wasn’t joking. Angela got in the car. Her father dropped her off at the music school. He told her he would come and pick her up after an hour, and then left.
Angela feared to practice the piano, and her teacher, Mr. Poliakoff, made her nervous with his lisp (咬舌) and unclear instructions. Angela found his music boring and she was afraid of playing the wrong note or being scolded (训). She didn’t want to go to Mr. Poliakoff’s classroom. She planned to pass the hour in the sun, or under a tree.
When Angela was walking around the music school, she heard someone playing the piano differently from Mr. Poliakoff’s music. She followed the sound. It was coming from one of the classrooms. She looked through the glass window and saw it was Mrs. O’Hara. Feeling curious, Angela entered the classroom.
“Hello,” Mrs. O’Hara said to her. “Can I help you?”
“No,” said Angela. “I, uh, I just heard the music, and”
“Do you like the piano?”
“I hate the piano," said Angela.
The woman started to laugh. “Come on. It’s okay to be curious. Do you know anything about jazz (爵士乐)?”
Mrs. O’ Hara then introduced jazz music to her and played a piece for her. Angela was attracted by.Mrs.0’Hara’s-playing. It was like nothing she had ever heard before. Mrs. O’Hara noticed Angela’s interest and invited her to try playing something herself. Angela hesitated (犹豫), but Mrs.0’Hara was kind and encouraging. Angela played a simple piece of music with a smile on her face.
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。
For the first time, Angela felt like she was really playing music.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The following week, Angela began taking lessons with Mr O’ Hara.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Once upon a time, a young girl whose name was Lily, lived in a small village in the heart of a forest. She was known throughout the village for her kind heart. She spent her days helping her neighbors, taking care of the animals and exploring the forests.
One day, as she was walking through the forest, she came across a small, injured bird lying on the ground. Its wing was broken, and it looked up at her with painful eyes. Lily knew she had to help the bird, so she carefully picked it up and put it in her arms.
She took the bird back to her house and dealt with its wounds. She fed it and gave it water, and soon the bird was on the way to recovering (康复). As the days passed, Lily came to love the bird. But she knew it belonged to the forest, so she helped the bird fly back to the forest.
Another day, Lily happened to see a group of children playing a joke on a young boy for his height, and the boy seemed to cry. Seeing that, Lily realized she had to do something to help.
She walked to the group of children and asked them to stop laughing at the boy. They looked at her doubtfully, but Lily seriously told them that it wasn’t kind to make fun of others. Finally, the children listened to her. They stopped laughing at the boy and even apologized (道歉) to him. Lily smiled, feeling proud of herself for standing up for what was right.
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。
As the years went by, Lily continued to spread kindness throughout the village.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day, Lily heard a knock at her door
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My husband Erik and I had promised the kids a Labrador puppy.
I’d seen the ad at the local hardware store. “Thirteen puppies in all, “Sally, the owner, said when I called. ”There’ re only three left. “I decided to take a look the next day. The boys jumped and shouted excitedly as I copied down directions and hung up the phone.
Early the next morning, still discussing names, we wound our way through the mountains to meet our family’s new best friend. Our boys had simple names: Ike, Sam, Ben, and Dom, so they Preferred simple names like Rosy ,too. Finally, we met the sweet little dog. ” Rosy, “the boys called it softly. Our little puppy cocked her head. ” She likes it,“they cheered and set about making Rosy comfortable for the long drive home. They offered her a chew toy and lifted her up so she could see out the window. They took turns holding her in their arms lovingly and offered her a snack.
Though small, Rosy grew strong and healthy beneath her shiny black coat. And, just as I’d hoped, she was a calming addition to our houseful of noisy boys. But something was wrong. “It’s like she doesn’t know how to play,” Sam commented one day after school. “Dogs have different personalities, just like people,”I said. “Besides, she’s still very young. ” “But her legs aren’t very long, and one eye is smaller than the other,”Ike added, trying to make sense of why Rosy was different from other puppies he’d met.
I looked across the room to where Rosy sat between the boys. The last golden rays of autumn sunshine shone brightly on her face. Sure enough, one eye was misshapen. Not only that, it didn’t glint (闪光) in the afternoon light. I drew in a breath. Rosy, our puppy with a name as short as her four little legs, was blind in one eye.
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。
Everyone in the room became serious and sad.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Surprisingly, the boys refused to give the little puppy back.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was exam time at Marc’s school. Every day, their teachers gave them loads of homework and told them the test was very important and that they ought to spare no effort to perform well in it. Everyone followed the teachers’ instructions and made preparations for it, except Marc. He just turned a deaf ear to it. He thought he would rather play football than study.
His mum and dad repeated the importance of revision for exams over and over again. They told him that he should be working hard preparing for the test. But the weather was sunny and he thought he had better things to do.
“Shall we go to the park?” he said to his friend Huck one afternoon. “It’s a nice day. We could play football and kick around.” Huck shook his head. “I’m supposed to review my lessons,” he said. “I’m going home to do some math.”
Marc was amazed. “You’d rather do math than play football?”
“Math is important. Besides, my mum says she will buy me a mountain bike if I do well in the math exam.”
“That’s crazy,” said Marc. Huck shrugged (耸肩) and replied, “Wait until I beat you in the test and you will watch me riding past on my mountain bike!”
“You won’t beat me,” said Marc.
“Oh yes, I will.”
“Oh no, you won’t! That will never happen. Just wait and see!”
For the first time ever, Marc wanted to perform well. He couldn’t bear it if his friend came top and he did badly. So when he got home, he opened his math book. But there was so much to do. All of a sudden, he felt like he’d forgotten everything he had learned that year! He didn’t know where to start. When his sister Lily came in, he was sitting expressionlessly by the desk, just staring out of the window.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
“You don’t look happy, Marc. What’s wrong?” she said.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On the day of the exam, Marc went to school with great confidence.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was eight the first time I played checkers. I’ve played about a thousand games since then, but none was so memorable as that first one.
It was icy January in Kansas. When the snowstorm hit, cutting off our power, we were thrown into darkness though it was still around noon. No heat, no light. The winter became terrible for everyone-especially for me and my six year old brother.
Methodically Grandpa gathered up his winter coat, scarf and gloves, and disappeared into snow. Several minutes later, he returned, carrying much wood. Glancing casually at my brother and me, he said, “Come on boys. Time to build a fire. ”
But the fire wasn’t enough to sustain the attention of two young boys. “Maybe,” Grandpa remarked, carefully considering the situation. “we could do something I used to do as a boy. Let’s go camping.”
My brothers and I looked at each other in amazement.
”Get your sleeping bags, pillows and stuffed animals, and meet me back here.“
It took us only minutes to gather our sleeping gear. When we returned Grandpa had rearranged the furniture, clearing an open space in front of the fire. in short order, we had a fine campground.
“Now then” Grandpa began, unfolding a strange looking game board, “who’s up for a little game of checkers?” “What are checkers?” my brother and I asked.
“Never played, eh? Well. it’s time you boys learned,” Grandpa said.
For the next hour or so. Grandpa coached us on the fine art of playing checkers. I became a fair player after losing four games in a row. Then I defeated Grandpa. When I asked him if he’d let me win, he merely winked (眨眼 and set the board up for the next game Afterward. Grandpa used his old guitar to sing us some campfire songs to which we sing along.
Then suddenly, the power came back on. Mom and Dad gave a cheer, but for my brother and me, it was the end of a grand adventure. This wasn’t how we wanted the night to end.
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。
Grandpa looked at us, smiled and then slowly stood up.
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The next morning, everything returned to normal: lights, television and heat,
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Easton retired(退休) as a school teacher, and he didn’t have enough savings. What’s worse, his wife, Cassandra, had heart disease that needed expensive treatment.
To save his wife’s life, Easton didn’t have a choice but to take up a job, and he found one as a pizza delivery(递送) man at Rooster’s Pizza. On his first day on the job, his co-workers judged him because the sight of an 84-year-old pizza delivery man was undoubtedly a rare one. But Easton didn’t care.
After delivering the first two orders that day, Easton was on his way to deliver the third one, when he realized his car was low on gas. He stopped at a gas station, worried he would be late for his next delivery. Determined to make it on time, Easton grabbed the steering wheel and drove as fast as he could. However, as he reached one of the main roads, a police car stopped him.
When Officer Jenkins and Officer Matthew walked up to Easton’s car, they were shocked to see an 84-year-old behind the wheel of a pizzeria car. Moreover, they didn’t expect an old man to be speeding.
“You see,” Easton said nervously, “I am running late for pizza delivery. We have a policy of delivering pizza within 45 minutes, or I’ll have to pay for it out of my pocket, and I need money for my wife’s treatment. I hope you understand…”
Officer Matthew looked at Easton’s teary eyes and trembling hands and felt deeply sad for him. However, he couldn’t go against his line of duty. They had to give him a ticket anyway. Easton was late for the delivery that day, prompting his manager to deduct(扣除) it from his salary. He was also warned that he would have to leave if he repeated the mistake.
Not losing heart, Easton set out for his deliveries the following day. “Rooster’s Pizza!” he shouted as he rang the doorbell of one of the houses on his list.
注意：1. 续写词数应150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When the door opened, Easton recognized his customer was Officer Matthew!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Easton couldn’t believe what had just happened and was surprised by what Officer Matthew did for him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One hot summer, several years ago, my mother and I were taking a trip by train. But first we had to take a bus into the city to the station to catch the train. Since times were hard and money was very tight, we simply could not afford any extras. We packed a large lunch bag of snacks and sandwiches, and had a small cooler filled with sodas to get us through the trip.
There were still many miles from the train station when the bus suddenly completely broke down. The poor driver apologized over and over that they were sending another bus to rescue us.
We were allowed to get off the bus and stand outside, as it was very hot inside the bus. Several of the passengers on the bus were elderly people, and as we waited in the summer heat, my mother became concerned about them.
She told me, “Let’s hand out some of these sodas and sandwiches.” “But what will we eat later?” I asked. She smiled and told me, “No worries, we will be taken care of one way or another.” The other passengers, especially the seniors, were so grateful to get the cold sodas and sandwiches, which surely made us feel good that we could help! Even I became very happy because the seniors told me that I was the sweetest little gentleman.
When we finally arrived at the station, we were upset to discover that we had missed the train and had to wait until the following day to catch the next one. An impatient woman at the ticket counter(柜台) was handing out discount vouchers(代金券) for meals to some passengers, and my mother asked if we could also have one. “No,” she shouted. “Please wait a minute. We were a little taken aback by that, but said nothing. Having handed out most food and drinks, nowhere to live, we could not help worrying about our situation.
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 while later, the woman at the ticket counter suddenly called to us, “Hey, you two, come over here!”
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We were so surprised and thanked her for her kindness.
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