Some kids play sports, some love attending parties and others are computer masters. Me? I have the spelling bee (拼词比赛).
The bee is my World Cup. I trained every day as soon as I returned home after school, the dictionary pages dancing softly in the light wind. I built up my muscle (once I spelled it m-u-s-u-1-e… so embarrassing!) carrying around my friend Oxford dictionary. I laughed in the face of difficult words in the spelling test. For example, “Serendipitous”. Please. That was so fourth grade.
As soon as I opened my eyes on Friday morning, I felt the hairs on my arm stood up. I looked at my alarm clock—it was only 6:27. I usually woke up at 7:01, which meant I had an extra thirty-four minutes to study before going to school to attend today’s spelling bee contest. My stomach felt like it was filled with a flock of flamingos (火烈鸟) dancing a fandango (f-a-n-d-a-n-g-o-h, I spelled wrongly a month ago). To calm down, I reminded myself that I was one of the best spellers in my class. Even though I was not ambitious enough to want to go to the National Spelling Bee—I just wanted to win the bee at our school. I could beat my arch-enemy (死敌), Nathan.
Nathan thought he was a better speller than me, but he didn’t even study words. He just read tons of huge science and math books. I could say safely that Nathan and I had nothing in common except being good spellers, but since he was a good speller without even trying, it didn’t count. I bet if you gave Nathan a literature word like “denouement” (it took me FOREVER to remember that one), he’d be out on the first round.
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 went downstairs, only to find Dad was already up, reading a newspaper.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally came the contest.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jackson Merle was exhausted (筋疲力尽的) . He had been knocking on door after door，looking for work, but no one would even listen to what he had to say. No one wanted to talk to him. He stood in front of the biggest house in the block. This was his last chance for the day.Every homeowner on the street had run Jackson off,without even listening to him,but maybe this one would be different? Jackson rang the doorbell. Within minutes a pretty young woman opened the door.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully,“What can I do for you?”Jackson was heartened by her sunny smile and friendly attitude. “Good morning,” he said, “I’m a handyman (杂务工) , and I'm here to offer you and your family my services.” “What kind of work do you do?”she asked. Jackson answered,“I do some woodwork, painting and cabinet making. I fix small appliances and do some gardening, and my rates are very reasonable.” “Come on in,” the woman smiled, “I have a table with a wobbly (摇摆的) leg that needs fixing,and maybe you can paint my guest room?” Jackson couldn't believe his ears. He walked into the woman’s beautiful house,toolbox in hand.
First, he fixed the table, while the woman who introduced herself as Ruth-sat watching him work and chatting to him. Then he looked at the guest room. Ruth gave him money to buy paint so he could paint the guest room the next day. She also paid him twice what he’d asked for the table. Jackson said,“You've given me too much money!” Ruth told him firmly, “My daddy always told me to pay a fair price for a job well done, and that's what I'm doing!”
Over the next few weeks,Ruth’s neighbors were surprised to see the elderly man coming in and out of her house with his toolbox in hand. Somehow Ruth always found something that had Jackson coming back.
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, Jolene, Ruth’s neighbor, decided to find out what was going on.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jolene was moved by Ruth’s kindness and thoughtfulness.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On a bright morning in Beijing, young Mei Lin was on her way to the park with excitement. In her arms was a doll, not just any doll, but one her late grandfather had given her. This doll, with its soft smile and warm, comforting eyes, was Mei Lin’s treasure, a good reminder of her grandfather’s love.
However, a terrible thing happened when Mei Lin returned home. The doll, usually held safely in her arms, was gone. Panic and a deep sadness washed over her as she realized her treasured partner must have slipped out of her hands during her park visit. Heartbroken, Mei Lin couldn’t help but feel a part of her grandfather’s memory had disappeared with the doll.
As the evening light began to fall, Mei Lin’s home was filled with a heavy silence. Her mother, with a heart equally heavy, wrapped her arms around Mei Lin tightly. “Remember, my dear, the love your grandfather had for you is not gone. It lives in every memory, every story, and even now, it surrounds us,” she whispered gently. “This doll is a symbol, but your grandfather’s love is eternal (永恒的). We will do everything we can to find it, I promise you.”
The next day, they retraced (沿原路返回) their steps back to the park. Together, they examined every path and bench carefully, and their eyes searched every corner, but their efforts were in vain (徒劳的). The doll was nowhere to be found.
Refusing to give up, Mei Lin’s mother asked the park’s staff for help. Understanding the great value of the lost doll, they took immediate action. One park employee immediately turned to social media for help. He shared Mei Lin’s story accompanied by a heartfelt request, “Lost treasure: a beloved doll given by a loving grandfather having passed away. If found, please help restore a piece of a young girl’s heart.”
The response was immediate and touching. Words of comfort and offers of help flooded in, showing Mei Lin and her mother the kindness and care from strangers.
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。
Then one day Mei Lin’s mother received a call.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The reunion (团聚) of Mei Lin and her doll was moving.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Shelly was a teenage girl full of energy and curiosity. She found herself in a familiar yet exciting situation as New Year’s Eve drew near. Her parents, busy doctors in the emergency department, were eager to spend the festive occasion with family at her grandparents’ house. Jason and Judy, Shelly’s loving grandparents, were excited to host the joyous celebration.
In the midst of the busy preparations, Shelly found herself alone in the attic(阁楼) , filled with old trunks and forgotten relics. As she searched through the dusty relics in the attic, her eyes caught a bronze item among the forgotten treasures. It was a Scout badge(童子军徽章) , her father’s from his youthful days as a Scout. This badge held a profound meaning, symbolizing her father’s adventurous spirit and dedication to service.
Eager to share her find, Shelly carefully put the badge into her pocket and rejoined the celebration. As the evening progressed, she proudly showed off the badge to her friends in the neighborhood, sharing tales of her father’s Scouting adventures. However, time flew by with laughter and joy. It was then that the badge slipped unnoticed from her grasp, disappearing into the dark night.
Panic stricken and heartbroken, Shelly quickly searched for the lost badge, checking every corner she had been. But the badge was nowhere to be found. Tears streamed down her face as she knew how disappointed her father would be if he knew she had lost his precious Scout badge. The loss of the badge was not just a physical loss, but a symbol of the connection she felt with her father and his past. Shelly’s world felt incomplete, and she prayed that somehow, she would find the badge and restore the broken bond. She decided to search the neighborhood again.
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。
But as time passed, Shelly’s hope of finding the badge began to fade.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Together, father and daughter set out for the search.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I’ve been saving up for the past month and I’m going to buy my mother a lipstick she loves,” Cherry, my friend, said on the way home from school. “See you tomorrow!”
We waved goodbye as she went into a gift shop. But her excitement reminded me that I hadn’t prepared anything special for my mother yet. I continued walking along the road, carefully thinking about what gift I should choose. I had planned to buy her some flowers and chocolates. Now, compared with my friend’s lipstick, they seemed to be too simple.
“Maybe I should go to the gift shop, too.” I told myself.
I pushed open the door to a nearby shop and tried to find a perfect gift. I picked up a lipstick but immediately put it back after seeing its price. I could never afford that! Then I walked into another shop and saw a very lovely cup.
“It’d be a wonderful gift and Mum would love it!” I thought.
I picked it up and turned it over to see the price, hoping it was not too expensive. Once again, I couldn’t afford it. Feeling sad, I continued to wander around the shops until darkness fell outside. Eventually, I gave up and went home. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the good smell from the kitchen.
“Mum, I am home!” I pretended to be cheerful.
Mom turned around and kissed me lightly on the cheeks, saying, “Dinner is almost ready. Today, I happened to be able to come home a little bit earlier. I have made some of the snacks you loved when you were a kid. I really missed the happy time we spent together!”
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。
Just then and there, I had a good idea.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Early in the morning, I was woken up by the gentle knocks on my door.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Mark was five years old, his father died and his life fell apart. His mom Jane and he lived a hard life. They had to move from California to Arizona and live with Mark’s grandmother, Moria. That meant Mark lost all his friends and his carefree life.
It could have been the end of Mark’s childhood, but then he met 76-year-old Mr. Kelsey, Moira’s next-door neighbor. One day, he was kicking a soccer ball around the yard when one kick sent the ball over the fence into Kelsey’s yard. Mark came to Kelsey’s home, feeling a little nervous.
“Grandpa, can I get my ball back?” Mark said cautiously. “Of course,” Kelsey said gently with a smile. “Come over and have a talk with me, will you?” Then they had a pleasant chat.
Kelsey lived alone but had a loving and patient heart to children. Over time, the two of them gradually established a deep friendship, enjoying each other’s company.
Half a year later, something unexpected happened. Mark learned Kelsey had a serious eye disease but he couldn’t afford the $3,000 surgery (外科手术). Without timely treatment, he would go blind completely. However, Jane and Moria were also on a tight budget, unable to spare any money for Kelsey.
Mark made up his mind to wash cars at the parking lot of the shopping center on the weekends to raise money for poor Kelsey. He offered to wash each car for one dollar. Mark knew he had to wash a lot of cars to make up the money, but he was determined.
A few days later, one of his customers, named Jason, asked curiously, “What do you do this for, kid?” “My neighbor, Mr. Kelsey. He needs an eye surgery. I’m raising money for him. I badly need $3, 000,” Mark replied. “You’re a kind boy,” Jason said softly. “Where do you live?” Mark told Jason his address. Deeply moved by what Mark was doing, Jason decided to help him another way.
注意：1.续写词数应为80个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Jason shared Mark’s story online, appealing for donations.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The real pain for Emma always started when all the students were gathered on the track, ready to run. It wasn’t the fatigue (疲惫) that she minded but the looks others gave her. Emma was bigger for her age. On the outside, she looked big, but on the inside, she felt as small as a pea. And PE class was when she felt at her smallest.
Not all her classmates made her feel uncomfortable, though. It was mainly a group of girls and boys, bursting out in laughter every now and then, commenting on how Emma jogged.
Just one more year, Emma kept telling herself, “One more year and I’ll have graduated and won’t have to take this stupid PE class anymore.” She just wanted to survive it.
But everything changed when a new girl called Kit joined the class. You couldn’t mistake Kit. She had short, jet-black hair, bright eyes, and a long scar (伤疤) across the left side of her face. Her entrance into the classroom that day was met by dozens of curious eyes.
Although their teacher, Ms. Hardy, didn’t ask Kit for a personal introduction, upon putting her bag down on her desk, Kit rose, saying, “Hi, everyone, nice to meet you, I’m Kit. I love boxing, cartooning and fashion. You might be wondering about the scar on my face. I got it when I was young when I fell off my bike. Luckily, I didn’t get hurt more seriously. It’s now like a cool trademark of all the adventures I had as a kid.”
After Kit’s introduction, Emma simply sat there, her heart pounding and mouth wide open. How could someone who looked so different from the others be so confident? Even the popular kids were sitting there in shock.
注意：1. 续写词数应为120左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At lunchtime, Emma sat at her usual table when Kit walked over to her.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Friday, Emma’s feared PE class came.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jessica wasn’t doing well enough at school, or at least she wasn’t satisfied with herself. She wished she could do better.
“Let’s review the material we learned in the last unit,” the history teacher said. “Who can tell us what caused the War of 1812?” Jessica sat at her desk, staring ahead. She hoped the teacher wouldn’t call her name. They hadn’t studied the War of 1812 at her old school and she didn’t know the answer.
“Alison?” the teacher asked instead. Oh, perfect, Jessica thought. Of course Alison would have the answer. She seemed to have all the answers. Alison was the most popular girl in school-always surrounded by millions of best friends. She was like a brilliant sun.
Jessica hadn’t made one or two friends of her own so far. Her old school was small and low-key, but a shy person Jessica had a chance there, who always stood out among peers in study and play. This new school, however, seemed as big as an airport to Jessica, and it seemed very hard to get around in it. She still got lost sometimes in the school.
Jessica frowned (皱眉) as Alison answered the teacher’s question. Alison probably never got lost, Jessica thought to herself. You could probably put Alison down in the middle of a desert, and within five minutes she’d be able to tell you the best way to get home.
History class finally ended, and Jessica headed for the gym. The class had been playing basketball. Alison, who was as tall and thin and attractive as a tree, was very good at it. Beside her, Jessica felt like a very small and foolish ant. Today, however, the gym teacher pointed to a thick rope hanging from the ceiling and said, “Everybody! You’re going to climb this rope today.”
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。
Hearing the teacher's words, Jessica smiled.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jessica stepped forward and got close to the rope.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the shrill (尖锐的) ring of the phone echoed (回响) through the living room, Jane was still sleeping. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was already nine o’clock! Though still sleepy, Jane knew she had to get up because her mother had been working in her office day and night for several days and she couldn’t expect her younger brother Tom, who was sleeping like a pig, to answer the phone. She quickly put on a coat and dashed into the living room. As she picked up the receiver, on the other end came the warm greeting, “Good morning, my dear!”
It was the voice of her father, a sea man who seldom returned home due to his duties earning money to support the family. On hearing her father’s voice, Jane’s sleepiness disappeared.
Born in a not-so-rich family, Jane and Tom felt the stress of life, but they were happy to enjoy the family atmosphere. At school, they were straight-A students and took part in various after-school activities, earning the pride of their loved ones.
“Good morning, Dad. Why are you calling so early on a weekend?” Jane inquired, pretending to be slightly annoyed. “Tom and I have been very nice recently.” “My dear, today is your mother’s birthday. I have ordered a cake online and it will arrive at our doorstep in the late afternoon. Do remember to take the cake. It is my surprise for your mother.”
Upon hearing her father’s words, Jane felt a twinge of embarrassment. How could she have forgotten such an important day!
While chatting with her father, Jane’s gaze (凝视) wandered around the room and saw a lot of dirty clothes scattered (散落) on the sofa. The floor hadn’t been cleaned for a few days since her mother had been too busy with work this week to attend to such domestic matters.
Glancing at the clock again, Jane realized she still had enough time to prepare a surprise for her mother.
“Well, Dad, now I’m going to wake Tom up. We will give Mum a surprise, too!” Jane said and hung up the telephone.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Jane hurried to Tom’s room and shared her plan with him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
“Happy birthday, Mum!” Jane and Tom shouted when their mother opened the door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
