I was driving on the road on a hot day, feeling my back sweating as my air conditioner of the car was broken. A boy, looking exhausted ran quickly towards me, eager to sell his coconuts. He looked like he was only about 12 years old and his skin was dark. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. “Coconut, 20 naira each.” He said in a low voice. I felt so thirty, so I didn’t bargain with him and bought one. I gave him 50 naira. He didn’t have the change, so I asked him not to worry. He said thanks and passed me another, smiling and showing a row of perfect teeth.
Another couple of weeks later, I met him again at the same place. I had learned more about the poor community where it was not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the hot sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantages we had been afforded and the responsibilities it brought to us.
I stopped and rolled down the window. He had a couple of coconuts, which were so heavy to carry that he had to sit in the corner. “What’s wrong? Why not go to school?” I said. “I... I haven’t got enough money to get a textbook.” I took out two new 500-naira bills from my pocket. “Is that going to work?” I said. He glanced nervously about before he accepted them. A thousand naira is a great deal for a boy whose family is likely to earn five thousand naira or less every year. “Thank you very much sir,” he said, with tears rolling down his cheeks. “Many thanks!”
When I was on my way home, I was thinking about whether or not my little friend was really using that money for school books. What if I was taken in? Then I thought about why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? It occurred to me afterwards that I did not know his name or the least bit about him, and it never occurred to me to ask him.
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。
One afternoon in September, I went to the poor community again.
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The boy led me into his house.
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In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost destroyed Armenia (亚美尼亚),killing over 30, 000people in less than four minutes. In the middle of complete destruction and chaos, a father left his wife securely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake. After the initial shock and pain, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!” Tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his promise to his son. He began to concentrate on where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son’s classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the broken stones and bricks.
As he was digging, other heartbroken parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: “My son!” “My daughter!” Other well-meaning parents tried to pull him off of what was left of the school, saying:
“It’s too late!”
“You can’t help!”
“Go home!”
“Come on, face reality, there’s nothing you can do!”
“You’re just going to make things worse!”
However, to each parent he responded with one line: “Are you going to help me now?” And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone. The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off of the school’s debris, saying “Fires are breaking out. Explosions are happening everywhere. You’re in danger. We’ll take care of it. Go home. “ To which this loving, caring Armenian father asked, “Are you going to help me now?”
The police came and said, “You’re angry, mad and it’s over. You’re endangering others. Go home. We’ll handle it!” To which he replied, “Are you going to help me now?” No one helped.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上作答。
Courageously, he continued alone because he needed to know for himself: “Is my boy alive or dead?”
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“What’s going on in there? How is it, my son?” the father asked, fighting back tears.
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内容包括：
1. 参加人员；
2. 比赛过程；
3. 活动反响。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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I always wondered how people would react if I tried to approach a stranger for help in a busy place like a street corner or in a bustling mall. I personally have hurried past a stranger who tried to catch my attention in a busy place.
Yesterday I had a taste of being stuck in such a desperate situation where your only hope of help would have to come from a total stranger.
I was in a busy shopping mall buying a large piece of luggage. After the purchase in one of the large and expensive shops, I picked up my phone from my pocket to call my driver waiting in the parking lot and my phone was dead.
I then requested the shop assistant selling me the luggage, which was not cheap at all, if she could ring the number of my driver for me. She replied, still all smiles, “I’m sorry Sir, but it is the shop policy that we cannot use mobile phones while working in the shop.”
As I was wondering what kind of policy that was, I saw a nice-looking teenage boy coming toward me. Remember my wife’s interesting theory that beautiful people are more likely to give you a hand when you’re in trouble, I thought I might have a chance. But before I could say a word, he walked past me. It turned out he simply didn’t see me.
I waited in the mall but it seemed nobody bothered to look at me. Disappointed and tired, I got out of the shop on to the busy street in front. I stood there with people rushing by, looking at their faces to see if they will show kindness to me. I began wondering how many times I had reacted to strangers like the shop girl and the teenager.
注意：1. 续写的短文词数应为100左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
That was when I saw a young mother with her two kids.
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________During breakfast, Alan suggested going to the Lego Land to have fun and his mom agreed.
“We’ll stop by the supermarket and buy some snacks and fruits. Now hurry and eat and then we’ll go. It’s going to be a lovely day. Grandma is coming with us. She’ll be here any minute.”
Alan ate his breakfast and then ran into his room to get his shoes. The problem was that he could only find one of them. He looked under his bed, but all he could see were dirty pants. He moved some of his toys out of the way, but still couldn’t find his shoe. After he had checked everywhere in his room, he ran into the kitchen. “Mom, I can’t find my shoe. Will you wait while I look for it?” he asked.
His mom thought about how many times she’d told Alan to clean his room up. She said something to Alan’s grandma in a low voice. Then, she said to Alan,“You will have to stay home. Your dad and I will take your brother Alex to the Lego Land. Grandma will stay at home with you.”
“No! Please wait for me. I want to go to the Lego Land,” Alan cried. “I’m sorry, Alan. I’ve told you a dozen times to clean your room and you did not do it. You can’t find your shoe now. It’s your own fault for not cleaning your room.You will stay home.”
Alan ran into his bedroom, crying. His mom came to the door and said, “Alan, clean that room of yours before I get home. I’ve told Grandma not to give you any sweets until you make your room clean and tidy.” She went out with Alex and the brothers’ dad. After a minute, they drove away.
注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1:
Alan sat on his bed and cried for a long time.
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Paragraph 2:
Alan and his grandma were sitting at the table, eating when his mom, dad and Alex came home.
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It was in the early morning of one summer holiday that I was flying to Bali, Indonesia to see volcanoes. And my best friend was waiting for my arrival there. When I got off the plane and stepped out of the airport, I was thinking how unbelievable it was to stand in front of the spectacular volcano mountain. The imaginary sights distracted me, for a moment, from my current problem.
Only when I stood by the bus station to Bali, did I realize that I had no enough cash on me. The only ATM nearby didn’t seem to have any power, and I nervously looked down at my credit card, my only lifeline. I hoped there might be a way to convince the bus driver to let me on and pay him once I reached the destination and got the cash from my friend.
When the bus door opened, I stood behind a young lady and her little girl. I started to worry, wondering what I’d do if the credit card didn’t make the cut. They boarded the bus, paid in cash and sat down in the first row. When I approached the driver and held out my credit card, he looked at me seriously and shook his head.
“I don’t have any money,” I said. I showed him my wallet to confirm that I was telling the truth. He stared back blankly and then said no. I still wanted to convince him again. I pulled up my flight information on my phone and showed it to him. I pointed to the nearby ATM and signaled that it didn’t work. This time, he looked at me and apologized to me. “I’m really sorry. Can you make way for the other passengers?”
I stood aside. “What should I do?” I hesitated. It was the first time that I had visited the city. I was unfamiliar with everything around me. I searched the locations of other ATMs in the area. They were too far away. It would take me at least two hours to get there on foot. I really didn’t want my friend to wait for me too long, but unfortunately, I had to.
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。
I was about to get off the bus when the young lady stood up.
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Once we arrived at Bali, I followed the young lady and her little girl off the bus.
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1. 好的书写的益处；
2. 改进书写的技巧。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Improving Our Handwriting
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Here you go,” Melanie said, handing Ava a pink envelope.
“Thanks.” Ava said. “But what is it?”
“An invitation to my pool party. It’s Saturday at two. There will be a lot of fun things to do. You are going to love it so much. Do come, please.” Melanie kept talking but Ava wasn’t listening.
The words “pool party” echoed (回响) through her mind. Ava had a secret she didn’t even tell her best friend Melanie — Ava couldn’t swim. Every time she tried to learn, she’d wind up with water up her nose and she’d be out of the pool as quickly as possible.
“You’re coming, right?” Melanie said
“Huh?” Ava jumped.
“Do you think you could come a little early? I could use your help inflating (使充气) the floating basketball hoops (篮筐) and the ball. And I will need you to help me set the tables.”
Ava didn’t know what to say. Melanie was one of her best friends. She couldn’t miss her party. But she didn’t want the whole school to find out she couldn’t swim. That would be too embarrassing. “I think I might be busy this Saturday,” Ava said, lowering her head. She saw the disappointment on Melanie’s face. “Maybe I could stop by for a little while, but I definitely wouldn’t have time to swim.”
Ava spent the rest of the school day trying to avoid Melanie’s questions about what she had to do on Saturday and why she couldn’t stay for the whole party. Ava felt awful. That night she asked her parents to ground her or make other plans so she couldn’t go to Melanie’s party.
“Ava, this is silly,” her mother said. “Melanie is your best friend. She won’t care that you can’t swim.” Ava wasn’t so sure.
“Just be honest with Melanie. She will understand you,” her father said.
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。
When Saturday arrived, Ava’s parents drove her to the party right on time.
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Ava decided to tell the truth.
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Milo is a rescue dog, adopted by 20-year-old Makayla Swift. But Milo the beagle is also a rescuer. One morning in November 2021, Swift opened her front door in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Milo took off running. Milo ran to the house across the street. He seemed unsatisfied with this house, so he ran to the one next door, Swift on his tail. He started scratching on the front door and Swift was thinking, “Why is he literally trying to break into her house?” She was embarrassed. Not everyone wants a strange dog on their property. But as she tried to drag Milo away, she could hear a sound coming through an open upstairs window. It was a voice yelling “Help!”
Hours earlier, around 4 a.m., 85-year-old Sherry Starr had risen from her bed. All of a sudden, standing there between the toilet and the tub, she slipped. She went down-hard-on the tile floor, and got stuck. Starr was scared of dying there. Her best bet, she decided, was to listen for the letter carrier in the afternoon and scream like the devils.
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。
For the next few hours, Starr practiced yelling, “Help! Help! Help!”
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Not long after the call, rescue workers arrived.
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It was a Sunday morning. Betty woke up earlier than usual. She couldn’t sleep any longer because she was so excited that her uncle Mark was taking her to the beach. She had always loved going surfing with her uncle. She put her swimming suit on and took her bag quickly that she had prepared the night before and went outside to wait. She jumped up and down with joy when she saw her uncle’s red jeep turn the corner down her street.
Uncle Mark got out of the car and helped Betty get in. “Are you ready?” he asked. “Yes!” replied Betty. Uncle Mark could see the excitement in her face. Suddenly he said seriously, “well, before we go, I have to let you know that a shark appeared recently where we’re going to surf today.” Scared and shocked, Betty couldn’t say a word. “Haha! I’m kidding you, “Uncle Mark burst out laughing. Betty laughed too. She knew Uncle Mark liked teasing others. “Let’s go and have some breakfast, I know just the place,” Uncle Mark said. They went to a breakfast shop and ate some tacos (炸玉米饼).
After breakfast the two of them went down to Pacific Beach and got their surfboards ready. “First you have to wax (打蜡) the bottom,” explained Uncle Mark. “I know. I’ve watched you do it before!” Betty said as she took the wax from Uncle Mark’s hand. It took about 15 minutes to wax the bottom of their boards. When Betty finished, Uncle Mark looked it over to make sure it was done well. “Nice job, Betty, you wax your board like a true surfer.”
Finally, they were ready to get into the water. They carried their boards down to the beach and went out into the water. Betty was overly excited and tried to rush to catch a wave. Predictably, she crashed and had to start over. Next was her uncle’s turn. He stood up on his first try and smoothly surfed the wave before jumping into the water. Betty cheered for her uncle’s perfect run.
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。
All of a sudden, Betty felt something touching the bottom of her foot.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Help! Help!” Betty screamed in horror.
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