As I approached my fortieth birthday, I realized that my life was quite meaningless in the larger scheme of things. I had friends and a loving husband and yet something was missing. With no children, I felt that I hadn’t done anything that would help mankind or change the world. I would have no legacy to leave.
One day I was watching TV and I thought of my desire. It was to be someone who mattered. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people and in the lives of animals. After all, dogs had always been a large part of my life, from the time when I was a little girl growing up in central Oklahoma. I thought that my “purpose” would somehow include my love of singing, writing, travel, and of course, working with animals.
Then, something happened that shook my entire core. The “love of my life” dog, my Nicholas, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He died thirteen months later. I became quite concerned for Bear, our remaining dog, who was six years old. Bear had been Nicholas’s shadow and now that Nicholas was gone, Bear wouldn’t even eat. Our vet suggested that we get another dog to see if that would encourage Bear to eat.
I found an online advertisement for a Bichon Frise （卷毛比熊犬） and when we arrived at the place, it was a nightmare, like one of those puppy mills （工厂） you read about or see on the television news. I decided to delay my search for my “purpose” as I needed to tell the world about the horror I had discovered right in my own backyard.
I had even a bigger fight ahead of me than Nicholas’s cancer. This was a fight that would take years. I did research and then I spread the word on the Internet. People began to listen and we formed a small group of Bichon Frise lovers called Small Paws Rescue.
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I started out sending the latest news on our rescue efforts to about twenty-five people.\
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My achievement made me reflect on the past.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I lived in Portland, Oregon, I taught English as a Second Language at a local community college. I had adult students in my class from Vietnam, Mexico, Russia and many other countries. Although they came from many lands, fighting for a better life, they had one thing in common: a desperate yearning(渴望) to learn English well.
Many of the students worked in a factory for twelve hours throughout the night and hurriedly took a bus in the morning straight to our 8:00A. M. class. They attended my class on time whatever the weather. And they waited until after class to go home and sleep. Sometimes I would see them struggling to keep their eyes open in the beginning. However, their active participation in class drove away their physical tiredness as well as livened up the atmosphere. Some students even raised a bunch of questions by gesture after class. They were always there working hard, earnest and eager to learn.
Despite their lack of sleep and long hours at work, the level of attendance and attentiveness in class was always excellent. No one called in sick. No one was absent-minded. Some of the students had as many as three jobs and took the bus everywhere they went because they couldn’t afford cars.
To teach the course, I needed to use a lot of pictures and hand gestures, since I didn’t know all their respective languages. One of the things I taught was a simple dialogue called “Shopping for a New Coat”. They enjoyed standing up and acting out the gestures that accompanied the text of the story.
Sometimes I wondered if I was really teaching my students in the best way possible. But I gave my all to this class, and they gave their all to me. If nothing else, they would always remember what to say if they ever went “shopping for a new coat”. Soon, the language course came to an end.
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On the last day of class, they held a wonderful party that was filled with good food and laughter.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I lifted from the box a beautiful, new, full-length coat.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was an average student in my early elementary years. I came home with a steady flow of B’s, C’s and the occasional F’s in second language subjects. I was told that I wasn’t applying myself and, as every report card I ever brought home clearly stated, I talked too much.
I didn’t write when I was supposed to write. I talked to others while the teacher was giving instructions. That I could recite what she had said to the class while I was talking was not helpful because I had a negative effect on my classmates’ learning. So I regularly brought home disappointing report cards.
My parents and my teachers didn’t know what to do with me. Punishments didn’t seem to work. Rewards didn’t seem to either. And, frankly, I don’t think I knew what I could do to “apply myself”. And I certainly didn’t know how to not enjoy talking with my classmates! What I knew was that I talked too much. Until grade 5.
That autumn, we had a sudden change in teachers as our elderly teacher took a medical leave. In his place, a young substitute (代课老师) arrived — Mrs Royal. She looked like she was freshly out of university and seemed too young to be cast in the role of being responsible for a class of tween, but there she was, charged with a lively group, and me.
I don’t remember many details of that year except the afternoon when I got my first report card from her. She handed out the report cards right after the afternoon break and invited us to look them over. Then she let us know that we could all talk quietly amongst ourselves while she called each student up one at a time, in alphabetical order (按字母顺序), to discuss our report cards with her.
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I looked over my report card, expecting the usual result.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then it was my turn to talk with her.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Liam, a fifth-grader, moved with his mum for a new apartment in a relatively cheaper area of the city after his father’s unexpected death, and began attending a neighbourhood school.
Since he was an introvert (内向的人), the thought of making friends always made him feel nervous, and moving into a new neighbourhood meant he had to face his fears. On his first day, he didn’t talk to anyone or try to make friends, and during the mealtime, he sat at the corner table in the cafeteria and ate his lunch alone. No one in the class stepped forward to welcome him. Instead, they ignored him and refused to sit next to him in class.
The next day, he was sitting alone in the classroom when a boy approached him and asked, “Can I sit next to you?”
“Sure,” Liam smiled.
“I’m Joel. And you? ”
“Liam.”
“Is it your first day today?”
“No, it’s my second day. I recently moved into this neighbourhood.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that. I skipped (逃避) school yesterday, so I thought it was your first day today.”
As days passed, Liam and Joel discovered that they lived on the same street. After school, they often played catch in the nearby park, a game they both loved playing. It only took Liam a few weeks to become best friends with Joel.
One day, Joel skipped school, and Liam had to sit alone in class, wondering why. Feeling worried, he went to ask his class teacher.
“Liam, I’m so sorry, but your best friend got into an accident last night,” the teacher put her hand on Liam’s shoulder. “He lost his parents in the car crash.”
“Oh no!” Liam covered his face with his hands.
Two months later, Joel was allowed to go home after a spinal (脊柱的) surgery. However, he couldn’t walk and was restricted to a wheelchair. The day he arrived home with his grandmother, Liam rushed to Joel's house with a candy bar and the ball they used to play catch with Joel’s eyes lit upon seeing Liam. The boys talked to each other for hours before Liam’s mother came to pick him up at night.
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。
While he was happy to see his friend after months, he felt terrible knowing Joel could never walk again.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ten days later, Liam asked Joel to play catch with him outside and he agreed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Be Like Dad
Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.
I was in my study on a cold Sunday in May 2020 when I glanced out the window and saw my dad’s car parked in our driveway. He was walking from my front door to his car, about to leave. Why would he drive all the way to my house, only to turn around and leave? Had the doorbell stopped working? I raced downstairs, opened the door and yelled “Dad! What are you doing?” I shouted.
My dad lives forty minutes away, and I hadn’t seen him since COVID-19 because we were following the health-department guidelines to self-isolate and not leave the house, so it’s strange that he would show up.
He smiled and pointed beside the door, where I could see a bright yellow begonia (秋海棠) plant.
“I know it is Mother’s Day, but... I’m not a mother,” I was puzzled.
My dad smiled. “But I think you should get flowers, too, my dear son.” With that, he winked and drove off.
That evening, I called to thank him and told him how touched I was that he had driven such a long round trip just to leave begonias on my doorstep.
That’s when he let me in on his little secret. It turns out I wasn’t the only receiver of an act of kindness from him. To keep away from the loneliness during epidemic he decided to do acts of kindness to remove the social isolation (隔离，孤立), and it made him so happy to see the smiles on people’s faces.
“But why?” I continued.
It just had started a couple of weeks before, when a friend of his was having a tough day and called him to talk about it. He knew she loved ice cream, so after ringing off, he went straight to the grocery store, bought a huge ice cream, drove to her house and left it on her doorstep. Then he called from the driveway to tell her to look outside.
“She just beamed when she saw it. I don’t think leaving her a million dollars would have made her happier.”
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After listening to story after story like this, I was inspired.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One morning during the summer vacation, a teenage boy named Alex was sorting out his snacks when the wildfires not far from the place where he lived started.
Alex’s parents got the bad news from the Internet. His mother. Sofia, came up to him and showed a video of the horrible scene to him. When Alex saw the condition of the victims, his heart sank. Some had minor or serious injuries. Others lost homes and had to live in shelters temporarily. Although the government was providing relief, food couldn’t reach all the victims for a short time.
“Turn it off, Mom. The video makes me too sad,” Alex said. Sofia realized that her son, sympathetic and caring, was really concerned. They needed tq reach out. But what could they do? She felt lost,
“Why not put up a lemonade stand (柠檬水摊)?”Alex suggested. He told his parents that he wanted to have one stand, supplying lemonade and other food for free. His parents thought it was time to teach him how to help others and a good chance to provide some support for the place they loved.
Finally, Alex put up the lemonade stand with the help of his family in the disaster area. The family offered a range of items, including rice, fruit, candies, sandwiches, lemonade, fresh water and even Alex’s snacks to the stand, which the victims could help themselves to.
The great support quickly went beyond the physical lemonade stand. Alex’s good behavior soon attracted the attention of others. Neighbors first rushed to donate to the stand, making sure that there was always enough food and drink for everyone in need. The stand soon turned into a center of charitable activities and a symbol of teamwork and hope,with donations pouring in from all directions. People from all walks of life came together, united by a common goal: to help those affected by the wildfires and bring hope to their lives. Most amazingly, as word about Alex’s selfless actions further spread, more and more children were inspired to join and support the cause (事业), including his friends and their parents.
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。
Alex’s friends admired him very much and tried their best to help.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later, the children’s parents also joined the cause.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Araguaia River is one of the biggest rivers in Brazil. It is home to thousands of animals, including bright blue and yellow macaws. River dolphins swim and play in the water, and there are many different colored fish.
In one town, a 13-year-old boy named Rhenan would walk along the river every day. But looking at the river made him worry because there was rubbish everywhere. He saw plastic bottles, old clothing, and empty food packages. The water looked dark and ugly.
At school, Rhenan asked about the dirty river. “You wouldn’t want trash in your house,” said his teacher. “Think about the poor animals!” For days, Rhenan couldn’t stop thinking about the river. It didn’t seem right to him that this big, powerful river was filled with trash. “It’s hurting the animals in my area,” he thought. “And it’s also hurting the families who live here.”
Then Rhenan had an idea. The next morning, Rhenan talked to his mother about his plan for the river. He wanted to go around his town and ask for everyone’s help. Maybe if they all worked together, they could clean up the river! Rhenan’s mother loved his idea. “I believe the most important thing for you, Rhenan, is learning how to change things that you care about. That will stay with you forever,” she told him. She told him she would help him all along the way.
The next day, Rhenan went to the police department. Then he went to the Mayor’s office. He visited other schools, offices, and businesses. Soon he had a very big group of people who liked his idea!
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。
Over an entire day, they all worked together to clean up the rubbish.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Looking at the clean river, Rhenan decided to stop this problem from happening again.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bonnie raised her granddaughter alone after the girl’s parents died. She hated her granddaughter’s art and wanted her to stop drawing. But everything changed when Mr. Henderson, a famous cartoonist, appeared at her doorstep.
One day, Bonnie called out to Amy as she took the chicken out. “Dinner is ready, honey! Come soon!” But Amy didn’t answer.
Bonnie finished setting the table and served them dinner, but she still didn’t hear a response from Amy. “Amy? Honey, your dinner is getting cold! Are you coming?” she asked her 10-year-old granddaughter again.
When Amy didn’t respond, Bonnie climbed the stairs to the girl’s room and pushed the door open. Amy sat at her desk, with her headphones on. At first, Bonnie thought Amy was studying, but then she noticed the drawing sheet on the table in front of Amy. Bonnie frowned (皱眉) in anger.
“Amy!” Bonnie screamed, and the girl turned around and removed her headphones.
“Granny? I… I was just…” Amy said.
Bonnie stormed up to Amy’s desk, and the little girl tried to cover the drawing, but it was too late.
“Did you finish your math homework, little girl? Mrs. Warren called me today. And she told me you’ve been ignoring her assignments!” Bonnie said angrily.
“I’ll finish the homework,” Amy said. “I was planning on doing it once I finished the sketch (素描) I was working on, Granny.”
“I’m tired of that hobby of yours, Amy! You’re no longer doing those drawings!” Bonnie went on. “Those things you draw are not going to help you in the future! You finish your dinner, and then you’ll be doing your homework. You’re not leaving the house to play with your friends until you finish your homework. Am I clear?” Bonnie said and stormed out of Amy’s room.
Minutes later, Amy walked into the kitchen and quietly sat at the table. They began eating dinner in silence. Bonnie was already in a terrible mood, so she didn’t ask about Amy’s day like she usually did. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
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。
Amy answered the door and was surprised to see Mr. Henderson.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bonnie hesitated for a long time and decided to ask Mrs. Warren for advice.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________For more than 20 years I have been traveling the world, preferring often to spend a year or two in different countries rather than to just visit as a tourist. It has become an important part of my personality as I grew older and shaped the way I saw the world and myself.
My little taste of this amazing life was when I was 19 years old. I was selected among a small group of college classmates to spend a year abroad. This was long before people could travel the world through social media like Facebook and Twitter. In order to see a place, you had to go there and experienced it.
I was raised in a middle-class family and couldn’t afford to travel around the world the way I wished I could. The only way I knew about the world outside was through letters I wrote to pen pals from over a dozen countries as a kid, and from television. Growing up, I always loved the very funny British comedies that were shown on local public television every Saturday night. So when I got the chance to apply for a study abroad program, I chose London.
Living abroad can be exciting, scary and challenging. I thought it would be easier because I spoke the same language as the local people did. But I also like to relish (享受) the little differences between the British and American culture and language. I also learned that in England, they spell words differently than in the U. S. In British spelling, they put a “u” in words like favor to make it “favour” and an “s” in words like analyze to make it “analyse”. I was able to adapt quickly to this new way of writing since I was submitting papers all the time for my classes.
Academically, I got to take classes that weren’t offered at my college back home. For example, I had a course in sociology and learned about the native people of Papua New Guinea.
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: But there were also challenges that year too.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Sometimes the difficult times made me sad and homesick.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________During winter, Leo noticed that of all the houses on the block, there was one with a messy, dirty yard that looked unattended. One day, after all the snow had melted and the trees were starting to bloom (开花) just in time for spring, Leo couldn’t help but stare at his neighbor’s messy yard a little longer. The melted snow showed all the buried leaves and other trash.
He went back home and brought the tools he needed. It took Leo the entire afternoon to clear the yard. He moved the melting snow out of the pathway and swept the leaves from the ground. He also trimmed (修剪) the bushes and left them as neat as he could.
The following morning, the old woman, Abigail, opened her door with joy. She had quietly watched the young man clean up the yard the day before, much to her relief.
Abigail had not left her house in months. She relied totally on her caregiver for her basic needs and was eager to get fresh air. After sitting in her wheelchair in her front yard for a couple of minutes, her neighbors started to notice her. They walked toward her to say hi, and soon, the crowd grew.
“It’s so lovely to see you outdoors, Abigail! How have you been?” one of them asked.
“I’m so happy to be breathing some fresh air for a change. I couldn’t leave the house for months because of the snow. It was too deep, and I couldn’t afford to hi re someone to help me with it,” Abigail admitted.
“But yesterday, I saw a kind young man cleaning my yard the entire afternoon. I wanted to thank him, but I had no food to offer him because my caregiver had not arrived yet,” she shared. “He is such a blessing. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him!”
When Abigail praised the “kind young man” who helped her, they immediately knew it was Leo. The neighbors looked at each other, with guilty all over their faces. They realized they had been so blind to Abigail’s problems that no one thought to help her by cleaning her yard.
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。
They decided to thank Leo by visiting his house.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When he opened his front door, Leo was surprised to see his neighbors bearing gifts.
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