Due to my unhealthy eating habits, I became fatter and fatter after college. My good friend Anoush was a running enthusiast. So he advised me to lose weight by running. I didn’t agree at first until he promised to accompany me to run although he was busy with his work.
Seven years later, I got more serious about running. And I dreamed to participate in Boston Marathon. Anoush encouraged me to realize my dream. He also said he enjoyed running too and wanted to attend the same marathon with me. Every day we spared our time to practise hard and did about 2 marathons a year, during which time Anoush gave me much professional guidance and encouragement. And then one day, both of us qualified for the 2017 Boston Marathon. We were excited but unfortunately, several weeks before the marathon, we had a serious quarrel. Even I swore never to talk with him in the future.
The day came. Anoush and I stood at the starting line. He said, “Good luck! You will certainly finish the marathon.” Hearing his words, I looked at him, saying, “It’s none of your business.”
Then we started running. I had strong mental confidence by using positive self-talk when running distances, which has helped me finish 18 marathons. Soon, I passed Anoush.
But I struggled in the heat starting at mile 16. I felt most of my oxygen went to the muscle in my legs and less in my brain, which made me feel a bit lightheaded and fuzzy (迷迷糊糊的). I continually encouraged myself. “Just get to the finish, run bold, and you will win,” all phrases that I say to myself didn’t work any more.
Gradually I felt out of breath and had to slow down my pace. As I ran down the famous last stretch of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street, I fell down on the ground with my legs moving like jello (果冻).
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。
Just then, I felt that someone picked me up.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Anoush and I crossed the finish line, the audience at present applauded.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When John was in Grade 9, his class went on a canoeing (划独木舟) trip. Canoeing is a water sport practiced in a light narrow boat with a paddle. It can be very dangerous, especially if the river has rapids, a fast-flowing part of a river. Since it requires strength, balance and a lot of skills, all the students are trained hard.
To qualify for the trip, the whole class had to be able to swim. However, John had a problem. He weighed over 180 pounds. He had never learned to swim before, so he took swimming lessons and worked hard for many weeks. He eventually graduated with a certificate saying that he could swim.
John’s classmates were all glad to have him along—all except one person, Nicky. She didn’t like him. In fact, she seemed not to like many. She was on the school water polo team. She was a swimming star and extremely proud of herself too.
The trip went well and everyone enjoyed the day. That is, until the end of the trip when they were heading down some rapids. Nicky had been warned over and over to wear her life jacket, but she did not listen to others.
When they arrived at a steep valley, the speed of the water picked up. They entered some dangerous rapids. All of a sudden, their canoes turned over. They were all thrown into the water—all except John! He was heavy enough and somehow was not thrown into the water.
They all swam back to the canoe where John quickly pulled them in. Then, they saw Nicky’s life jacket floating on the water. She was not wearing it when the accident happened. When they spotted her floating on the water, she was barely conscious. She was in serious danger. It seemed like she had hit her head on a rock. As they were approaching her, their canoes broke loose from the tree branches they were stuck to and sent them farther away from Nicky. Everyone in the canoes looked in horror as the current dragged Nicky away from them.
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。
Someone exclaimed, “we’ve got to help her!”
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Finding Nicky opening her eyes, everyone sighed with relief.
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It was a great pity when one day I heard that the Sunshine Bookstore was closing after fifty years of business. I was also heartbroken. The bookstore was a place where anyone in the neighborhood could drop by (顺便拜访) and be connected through their love of books.
When I hurried to the store, I saw the books were being packed into boxes. Sighing deeply, the store’s elderly owner, Thomas, told me how it was becoming difficult to run an independent bookstore. Most young people preferred to read e-books on tablets. Customers were being attracted by chain stores and online discounts. I tried to think of some words of sympathy, but I had to admit that the Sunshine Bookstore couldn’t stay in business much longer.
Childhood memories came flooding back. A bunch of us kids would frequently drop into the store after school, looking at the new books, or just chatting with old Thomas. He knew every book in the store and would always pick the perfect one for us. We spent hours reading, seated on the store’s old, but comfortable furniture. Thomas encouraged us to share our ideas and comments on the books by writing them on a large board in one corner of the store.
When I left the bookstore, it was becoming cold and dark outside. I turned to wave goodbye to Thomas, but both he and his bookstore were already hidden in a thick mist. It made me realize that the bookstore and all that old Thomas had given to the community could soon disappear for good.
A few months later, I was back in the neighborhood from my vacation and was surprised to see that the Sunshine Bookstore was still there and open for business. Its old brick outside hadn’t changed, but inside it was like a different world. Clearly, the Sunshine Bookstore was in good and creative hands.
I was told that the community had decided to work together on a campaign to save the Sunshine Bookstore. The campaign had been led by Martin, a salesman who had grown up in the neighborhood and who was helping Thomas run the bookstore.
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 entered the bookstore and saw how it had changed.
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“Where is Thomas,” I said to myself.
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I didn’t like Del so much. He always called me the nickname “Germy”, which meant “dirty”, instead of my real name “Jamie”. Besides, he was known as a trouble-maker in school. So when the head teacher Mr. Smith asked Del to come to his office, I naturally thought that Del had done something mean to someone. Through the window, I caught sight of a smaller boy crying. Del seemed unhappy, too.
He did not return to class that day. All of us were discussing what had happened to him. What else could such an annoying boy do? “He must have hit the boy and was sent home,” I whispered to my friends. Their eyes widened. It felt good to see them so interested in what I said.
The next morning, the whole school was talking about Del being expelled(开除) for beating up a kid. I was surprised that my assumptions were passed on so quickly. So when Del walked into the classroom, all the kids were shocked. The kids next to him shift ed their desks away. “What’s your problem?” Del asked. “I don’t want you to attack me,” one kid said. Some laughed. “Yeah, I might,” said Del. I could tell he was joking, but many kids thought he admitted he did beat up someone.
During recess(课间休息), Del tried to join the kickball game. “Neither team wants you,” one of the players said. “Why?” Del asked, looking confused. “I always play with you guys.” They ignored him and went on playing. Del sat by himself while the rest of the school enjoyed their recess away from him. Del looked lonely and sad, much different from before. I started to feel sorry for him.
Later that day, I learned what really happened. The kid was Del’s little brother and he was crying because their mother fell ill and was sent to hospital. I felt even sorrier for what I said before. I started a rumor(谣言).
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。
At recess the next day, I saw Del sitting alone watching the kickball game.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now that Del had forgiven me, I decided to do more before the recess was over.
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My son David was injured in his forehead so I had to take him to a hospital. I looked around the crowded waiting room in the hospital and sighed. I thought, “Will the doctor be able to see my eight-year-old son soon?” I tried steadying the ice pack (冰袋) over his forehead, but it was no use. I couldn’t stop shaking. The injury in his forehead was deep, but at least blood wasn’t pouring from it anymore.
His face was full of tears, but he seemed really brave for his age. I handed him the ice pack, and he covered his forehead with it. He was doing a much better job than I had. We were at the hospital because another child had thrown a rock at David during a break between classes as he was running around the corner. His teacher called me, and when I arrived, I found him sitting in front of her. His teacher was caring for his injury, trying to keep him calm. She felt terrible about what had happened, but I knew none of it was her fault.
David received four stitches (缝线) and didn’t cry once throughout the whole treatment. For the next two days, his forehead was swollen and black and blue. I felt like I’d had a mini nervous breakdown. Every time I tried to sleep or tend to housework, horrible thoughts crept into my mind. Fear had taken over, and then the fear turned to anger. I was angry with the child who’d thrown the rock. I just couldn’t shake it. What was she thinking? She should have known about that better.
David’s headmaster and teacher called me that evening to see how David was feeling and told me Cherry, the girl, felt terrible. I wanted to stand up for my son, do the right thing and protect him.
The next day, David’s teacher stopped by to see how David was feeling and dropped off a get-well card that Cherry had made. David and I read it several times, and I couldn’t help but feel a little choked up. It was a sincere apology.
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。
This card mattered a lot to us.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We wondered how Cherry would make a response after reading the letter.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Chester was born in a cardboard box with four other cats. He was in a smaller cardboard box marked “free kittens” when Sasha met him and took him home. From that moment on, he loved boxes.
In the mornings he sat, licking his paws and fur with his tongue in the rainbow-colored sunlight. Then he would look around for a box to sleep in.
He slept in hatboxes and shipping boxes, gift boxes and takeout food boxes. He slept in Sasha’s sock drawer, if she left it open. When he was a kitten, the size of a small load of bread, he had slept in shoeboxes. But he grew and grew, and now he was a lot bigger. When he tried to sleep in a shoebox, his furry tummy hung over the sides.
Chester didn’t just sit in boxes, though. Sometimes he sat in flowerpots, pans, or laundry baskets. Chester also liked to sit in the bedroom of Sasha’s dollhouse, her birthday gift, with the furniture in a mess. Sasha had to redecorate the dollhouse every day, but she didn’t mind as long as Chester was happy. Sasha’s mom suggested Chester need a fixed house of his own, but Sasha ignored.
One day Sasha came home from school, and she couldn’t find Chester. He wasn’t in the dollhouse, or her sock drawer. “Mom, Dad!” Sasha yelled. “Chester is gone!”
Sasha’s mom looked in the attic (阁楼). There were boxes and dust balls, and even a mouse that had escaped Chester’s notice, but no Chester. Sasha’s dad looked in the kitchen cabinets. There were pots and pans, and the old can of soup he thought he’d lost, but no Chester.
Suddenly, “I found him!” Sasha cried.
The big orange cat was inside her mom’s new glass vase, clear glass with blue and green lines. He curled up in it, his fatty body almost jamming the vase.
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。
He didn’t look happy at all.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Luckily, not only Chester, but the vase, was still in one piece.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Alice sat in the car while palm trees seemed to speed by the car window. Eight-year-old Alice began to get nervous, the way she always did in new surroundings. She felt a thin shine of sweat above her lip in spite of the car’s cool air. “The aquarium (水族馆) won’t be crowded, I bet, and people are going to notice me. I hate wearing this prosthesis leg (假肢).” She felt tears coming from behind her eyes. “Not being normal is the worst,” she thought to herself.
Entering the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, around a corner of a tank, she noticed an animal that looked unusual. “Is that a dolphin with a a prosthetic tail instead of a real tail?” she asked an aquarium staff member. He nodded and replied, “Yes, that’s Betty. She’s a very special dolphin.” “What happened to her?” “This girl dolphin was found off the coast of Florida, caught in a crab trap. The ropes from the trap cut off the blood circulation to her tail. So she lost her tail,” Alice caught her breath. “She’s just like me.” “But she struggled to survive. Now she wears a prosthetic tail to help her swim like a dolphin’s supposed to swim,” the staff member continued. “Every day, Betty shows us anything is possible if we believe.”
Alice felt her heart was touched. She waved at Betty. Looking at Alice, Betty raised her flippers(鰭), came to her and lifted her head. “She’s swimming right into my arms,” Alice said tearfully. They made eye contact. She seemed to be speaking to Alice: We’re the same.
Back home, all Alice talked about was Betty. For two weeks, she cried and begged her mother to take her back to Clearwater.
Unfortunately, another blow hit Alice. She fell on the hardwood floor at home and broke her other leg. Alice suffered the pain in her leg. After a through examination, the doctor explained bad news to them that she would need some surgery on her leg. Years of a living hell (地狱) came back to her.
She started fearing surgery again and refused to go to hospital for treatment.
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。
“How can I persuade Alice to undergo the surgery?” Alice’s mom said to herself.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Encouraged by Betty, Alice changed her mind and did what her mother and doctor had told her to.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a bright and sunny Saturday when Mr. Jones moved in next door. He is an old gentleman with thick-framed glasses and a wiry beard. I could see his many belongings: antique chests, a large and tattered (破败的) painting of a rainforest, and boxes and boxes of old books. The line of movers bringing items into the house was endless! However, there was one item that Mr. Jones refused to let the movers touch. It was covered in a red velvet cloth and he carefully carried it inside himself.
That night, I heard an odd noise coming from Mr. Jones’s house. It was such a strange noise that I could not sleep at all! To my astonishment and anxiety, every night the strange sound would come up. After much consideration, I decided to investigate this mystery. I wondered what on earth Mr. Jones was? What could this strange noise be? What could he be hiding? Many doubts always echoed in my mind.
The next day, to confirm my guess, I slid into his house. Mr. Jones had left the window of his basement unlocked and I crawled inside without permission. Making several attempts, I made it! I felt around the walls for a light switch and when I finally turned the light on, I was amazed!
The basement was like a museum. There were many exquisite jungles and animals’ models which were often seen in museums. On the bookshelf were some academic books about zoo animals. I also noticed some remaining corns in the corner. When I glanced at the table, there was a first-aid kit on it! Determined to find out the truth, I was making my way across the room when I heard that strange noise again, coming from upstairs! Nervously, I walked up the stairs as quietly as I could but then on the last step… the floor beneath my foot creaked (嘎吱作响)! I paused, hoping no one was home to hear me.
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。
Suddenly, the door opened and there stood Mr. Jones staring right at me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________And then in the other room I saw it-a large cute parrot in a delicate gold cage!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ella loved her school life. However, there was one class Ella worried about more than any other class-art. She didn’t know why she just wasn’t good at drawing, painting, or cutting. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to master the skills.
Ms. Amanda, the art teacher, stood at the front of the room. “Class, next Friday our school is going to hold an art competition,” she announced. Ms. Amanda was a great teacher, and Ella liked her a lot. But this announcement made Ella nervous. “Everyone in the school will have to create a piece of artwork to show in the library. You can use the different types of artwork we have been studying.” Ms. Amanda was quite excited when she spoke while Ella found herself sinking lower in her chair.
Ella had the whole weekend to work on her project, but she could not think of anything to do. As Friday drew near, Ella felt frightened. She knew she couldn’t draw or paint well enough to make something that would stand out. So after school Ella asked Ms. Amanda if she could write an art paper instead of doing an art project.
“I understand this project scared you, Ella,” Ms. Amanda said. “Just remember, you can create any kind of art you want.” Ms. Amanda smiled at her: “Art is a person’s way of expressing his or her feelings. It isn’t always painting, drawing, or cutting. I know you will think of something very creative, and I can’t wait to see it.”
Ella finally decided to face her fears and give it a try. When Ella arrived home, she took out a piece of paper and a pencil. She remembered Ms. Amanda’s words. “Art is a person’s way of expressing his or her feelings.” Ella wrote the word “terrified” on her paper. She crumpled (揉皱) the paper and threw it to the side of her desk.
Then Ella stared at the crumpled ball. Suddenly an idea struck her.
注意：1. 续写词数应150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Why not create something out of crumpled paper?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Friday, Ella carefully carried her project into the library.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the bustling (繁忙的) schoolyard of a primary school, a volleyball team trial (选拔赛) was taking place. Kids of all sizes and shapes had come forward to show their skills, most of them towering over six feet tall, like young giants.
Suddenly, the gym door creaked open, and a small figure appeared. It was Joseph, a boy who barely reached five feet in height. His appearance caused a ripple of giggles. He seemed like a lost elf (精灵) in a world of giants.
“Is this the volleyball trial?” Joseph asked. Despite the laughter, he squared his shoulders and prepared to show his skills. He wasn’t bad at bumping the ball and passing it, but not good enough to make the team. The coach took him aside and told him so. Joseph’s eyes flashed with determination. “I’m not the best at bumping the ball,” he said confidently. “I’m a hitter.”
The coach raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Hitters were the tallest players on the volleyball team. They jumped high, slamming the ball down on the other side with force. Joseph’s small size seemed an impossibility.
But Joseph was serious. The coach finally agreed and handed him a ball. Standing by the net, he set the ball into the air. Joseph’s small frame seemed to explode with energy. He ran forward, leaped into the air, and hit the ball with such force that it whistled through the air.
Everyone was stunned. Joseph’s jump was so high, it seemed as if he were flying. His small size didn’t matter; his skill and determination were enough. The ball slammed into the court with a resounding thud (砰的一声), and the crowd erupted into applause. Of course, he made the team. All the team members took pains to drill for the coming volleyball match. Two months later, the big day came. The match was very fierce. The players were tall and strong except Joseph, who just ran on the court, not yet given a chance to touch the ball. At the sight of Joseph, the other team were laughing, which made us mad. But Joseph just shook off their laughter with a confident smile. As the game progressed, it turned out to be a tough game. After the four sets, the score was 2:2.
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。
During a timeout (暂停) in the final set, Joseph’s team gathered to discuss their plan.
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The whole audience cheered up.
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