I’m used to people staring at me: Strange looks because of the strange sounds my brother makes.
Public places have been difficult places for my family to deal with ever since Myles was diagnosed with autism (诊断为自闭症) at the age of two. I built a wall around my heart, a shell to protect my weakest parts from other people’s opinions about my family. It hurt too much when they didn’t understand, so I told myself it didn’t matter.
So when I found myself at a restaurant with my brother, who started screaming and hitting the table, I looked up with cautious eyes at the middle-aged woman approaching. Her face was perfectly peaceful as she assessed the situation at the table with my brother and me. I readied my comeback. If she had a complaint about my brother’s behavior, I was prepared to pull the trigger and give her the piece of my mind I had held onto before.
“Hi, how are you doing?” she asked, her tone kind, her eyes steady. “I’m fine,” I said carefully. “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” she continued. “But does your brother have autism?” I was surprised. “Yeah, he has autism,” I replied to the lady, who was waiting patiently. “Well, I raised a child with autism,” she began. Great. Now she really felt like she could tell me how to take care of my brother. I didn’t want to hear it. “I know you don’t know me, but my name is Pam,” she said, reaching to touch Myles’ shoulder.
“Like I said, I raised a child with autism, and if you ever need any help, please call me.” I looked at the hand she offered, holding a piece of paper with her name and number on it. “I can help you,” she said. “If you ever want me to watch him for you. Give you guys a break.”
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 couldn’t speak because I got emotional and was about to cry.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I did call her, and she became as close as family and taught us a lot.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Title: A Day of Unexpected Adventures
One sunny afternoon, Lily, a curious and adventurous girl, decided to explore the mysterious old forest near her house. She packed a small backpack with some snacks and a map, and set out on her adventure.
As she walked through the dense trees, she heard rustling leaves and the chirping of birds. The air was filled with the scent of fresh earth and wildflowers. Suddenly, a bright flash of color caught her eye. It was a rare butterfly, its wings shimmering with iridescent blues and greens. Lily slowly followed the butterfly, her heart filled with excitement.
As she followed the butterfly deeper into the forest, Lily realized that she had lost sight of it. She looked around, trying to orient herself with the map, but the dense foliage made it difficult to navigate. Suddenly, she heard a strange sound coming from a nearby bush. Curious, she cautiously approached and peeked inside. To her surprise, a small fox was looking back at her with big, round eyes.
The fox seemed friendly, and Lily slowly reached out to pet it. The fox nuzzled her hand and then led her through the forest, as if guiding her to somewhere. Lily followed eagerly, her curiosity piqued. They passed through a clearing filled with wildflowers and came to a small stream. The water was clear and sparkled in the sunlight. Lily knelt down to take a sip, and the fox seemed to smile at her, its tail wagging happily.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 部分分为两段, 每段的开头语已为你写好。
Para 1. After refreshing herself with the stream water,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para 2. As the sun began to set, Lily realized that it was time to return home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It all started after a routine doctor visit. I’d been planning on getting healthy, but the number s showed that my vague efforts weren’t working at all. Weijing 325pounds, I found my blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure were all way over target. Things had to change. Dradically.
But I was definitely not doing another diet of cramming (塞满) denial and shame down my throat until I hit some number on a scale. I was tired of watching the weight return again and again. bringing with it more guilt and shame. Clearly, I needed to make lifestyle changes.
It occurred to me that I knew a lot about what didn’t work, since all my previous attempts had led me to this sorry state. I needed to get healthy, but in a slow, steady, rest-d-my-life kind of way.
I’ve been a software developer for twenty-five years, so naturally I went to that skill set. I thought. “What if the system I need to redesign is me?” I decided to reboot (重启) my own system. Could I make it easy? Make it fun?
That idea seems radical (过激的). It goes against diet culture and the advertising messages we’ve been bombarded with our entire lives. We’re told over and over that getting health y is difficult. No pain, no gain, right?
But I found out it doesn’t have to be that way. I started upgrading my system by reviewing all the times I tried to get healthy in the past. I made a list of what didn’t work. Then I wrote down what did work, or at least worked for a while, and why it stopped working. There were some surprises. My membership at 15-Minute Fitness, for example, was a huge success. I worked out with a trainer for an intense fifteen minutes twice a week and saw huge gains.
One by one, I went through every failed attempt. I realized that the consistent elements across all of them were guilt, shame and internal bullying.
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。
Then I came up with new rules.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After my first 100 days, I sat e big improvements.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My dad was more than a father to me; he was my friend and confidant (知己) and one of the most amazing people in my life. So when he passed away suddenly from a stroke at the age of 51, my world fell apart. I was lost, along with my mother who had been with my father since age 16, two brothers, and everyone who knew him. We were thrown into a thick fog of anger, sadness, and shock.
I cried every night and tried to hold onto all my memories of him. I replayed every moment I could remember — writing down thoughts, printing out old e-mails, reading old birthday cards — anything I could hang on to because I didn’t want to forget. As I was going through all these old memories, I began to wonder about all the things I had missed. My dad was a quiet man who was known for his listening skills, his patience, his humor, and his smile. He was often the one listening instead of telling stories. I wanted to know what stories I had missed by losing him so soon. So I decided to compile (编纂) a memory book as a surprise Christmas gift for my mom and brothers.
I started my project in November, contacting everyone I knew who was close to my dad or had been in the past. I sent e-mails and letters asking for friends and family of Gary Force to send me their thoughts and memories of him. I asked them specifically to share funny stories about my dad and the stories that maybe no one had ever heard or had long forgotten. I told them to respond no later than one week before Christmas. I waited and waited and got very few responses by December. I began to wonder if this was a horrible idea or if anyone even cared.
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。
And then the responses started pouring in.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I gave it to my family as the last gift on Christmas Day.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The dog days of summer in Central Texas are hot and damp. It was a pity that our home didn’t have air conditioning. Momma and I were just trying to get through this August afternoon the best we could. Reading helped take our minds off the heat. Momma was stretched across the sofa, a pillow (枕头) under her head, reading. I sat on the floor, leaning (倚靠) back against the sofa, a curious nine-year-old in shorts sharing a fan’s flow. My book rested on the floor.
I looked at the thin hardcover my mom was reading, Ed Nichols Rode a Horse. There was a cowboy riding his horse on the front cover, but otherwise the book appeared plain and unimpressive. Before I settled, I asked, “Momma, what’s your book about?”
“It’s a story about a man, his horse and the hardships he encountered in Texas. Some of it takes place in Bosque County,” she answered.
With that, my mom returned to her story. I knew Bosque County was near where Momma had grown up. And I also knew it was best if I didn’t ask any more questions. My mom took her reading seriously.
We’d been reading for the better part of an hour-the only sounds were those that came from the fan and an occasional turn of a page — when I heard something unfamiliar. The sniffling (抽鼻子) back of tears.
I turned in her direction and saw something I’d never seen before: my mom crying. Something big — really big must have happened. My mom did not cry.
“Momma, what’s wrong?” I got up on my knees, staring directly into her face. “Are you all right?” “Jennifer, I’m fine.” Momma sat up and wiped (擦) her eyes. “You don’t need to be concerned.”
I wasn’t buying it. This was not normal behavior. “Why were you crying?” I asked in a whisper. She looked at me hard. “The book made me cry,” she replied.
I was trying to figure out how that plain-looking book could make my mostly no-nonsense momma cry when she said the most amazing thing. “The story made me sad when the horse got hurt.”
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。
That’s when I learned the truth that stories affect us.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I read Ed Nichols Rode a Horse from cover to cover with a big plan forming in my mind.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I drew in a breath, let it out against the backseat window, and scratched the word AWFUL on the fogged glass.
Dad glanced at me through the rearview (后视镜) mirror. “Alex, this will be a nice opportunity for you to see your grandparents.”
The car turned onto a familiar dirt road. We’re-getting farther from the city. Farther from Internet access. Farther from the computer camp.
“Cheer up, Alex! There will be another computer camp soon,” said Mom. “Probably even this summer.”
All my programming friends would be coding at the computer camp this week while I was stuck on the farm. I didn’t say a word. Finally, the car pulled into Granny and Granddad’s driveway. A thin line of trees came into sight.
I liked visiting the farm on’ spring breaks before I started doing coding camps…and before I knew how badly I could mess things up.
The car engine wasn’t off when Granny bounded (跳跃着跑) toward us. I watched from the backseat as Dad and Mom hugged Granny. I slowly dragged myself out of the car. Gravity seemed abnormally strong.
”You two deserve a vacation,” Granny was saying. “Alex will be fine — he loves being on the farm.” She meant loved. Alex loved being on the farm.
During lunch Granny asked, “Why so sad, Alex?” I kept silent. Why? They’re really acting as if nothing had happened during my last visit. For a second, my eyes caught Granny’s. Could I ask her if her goats had destroyed all her next-door neighbor, Mr. Jackson’s flowers because I lifted the latch (门闩) and let out the goats? Was Mr. Jackson still angry with me for having brought him such a great loss?
“I’m fine,” I mumbled (咕哝). “Just missing the coding camp this week. Coding’s just something I’m good at.”
Mummy nodded. “Ahhh. That sounds disappointing, but the farm will bring you something different.”
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。
After lunch, I was on my own when, out of nowhere, there’s Mr. Jackson.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Instead, Mr. Jackson yelled, “Great to see you here, Alex! I need your help with a lamb’s birth.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Cheating Incident
Raj looked into the teacher’s stony face as she raised an eyebrow. With his forehead bathed in sweat, he attempted to hide the book beneath his desk, but in vain. The watchful teacher had already caught sight of his behavior. She swiftly snatched the book away and ordered him to stand till the time was up, a period that seemed to stretch endlessly.
To Raj’s regret and disappointment, he had forgotten to study for the important quiz. It was CAI, the crucial stage of his academic year, and Raj was having his Science paper. He closed his eyes as he tried to recall. Then, it dawned on him. A week earlier, his Science teacher had clearly informed the class, “Next week, we’ll be having a quiz focusing on Interactions and Matter. Make sure you study these topics thoroughly.” Raj blamed himself for letting such vital information slip his mind among the chaos of daily school life.
With the clock ticking, he was briefly glancing through the pages of his textbook, desperately trying to absorb any last-minute knowledge before the quiz began. However, just as he was doing so, the teacher severely instructed everyone to pack away everything except their pencil cases. Raj let out a low sigh, despair settling heavily in his chest.
As the teacher handed out the papers, he felt nervous and his hands grew icy and slick with sweat, showing his anxiety. Drops of sweat stood out on his forehead as he tried to focus. Thoughts of being a failure ran through his mind. He moved his body from side to side in his seat as he thought of the notes he had secretly hidden in his pencil case.
Finally, the teacher announced, “Class, the time is 10: 00 a. m. We will stop at 11: 00a. m. sharp. You may begin, now.” The noise of flurrying papers was heard as students attentively turned to the first page. Raj rapidly filled out the multiple-choice section without much consideration, his heart pounding faster with each tick of the clock.
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。
When he came to the open-ended questions, he sighed desperately from the bottom of his heart.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once the time was up, the teacher took him to the headmaster’s office.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When I was a young father, every weekend and festival, my wife and I would take our kids to her family gathering. It always took place at a picnic area on the side of a mountain. On the top of the mountain was her family’s house. The road to the top of it wasn’t quite smooth. Even when the weather was fine, it was a difficult ride with a dirt road full of potholes, sharp turns, and sticking rocks that could break the bottom of your car if you hit them wrong.
If it had recently rained, you had to go quick, or you ran the risk of getting your car stuck in the mud. Cars would roar up the road fast, and then look for parking spots along the side of the hill in the grassy areas. You always had to keep your eyes on the road even when you were stepping out of your car.
On one of these gatherings, I remember seeing a small tortoise (乌龟) enjoying sunlight on the top of a rock near the end of the road near a small wood, which belonged to my wife’s family. I watched as one car sped by and almost hit him on the right. Then another car ran past even faster and nearly knocked him off the stone on the left.
The small tortoise pulled his head into his shell (壳) both times, thinking that would protect him, but I knew if one car ran over the little tortoise, he would be dead. I quickly walked over and picked him up before the next car came speeding up the hill. Then I walked him deep into the nearby woods. Finally, I found another stone where he might enjoy the sun in safety and left him there in peace.
Unfortunately, on this road, I often found dead or injured small animals.
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。
Once I found an injured little rabbit lying on the roadside.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I decided to take measures to protect the small animals in the wood.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Preparing for the upcoming Christmas season was truly annoying. Schedules to meet and deadlines to attend were pounding at the doorstep. The stores were jam-packed with people. The freeways, highways, main roads, and back roads seemed to fill as quickly as the opening of Disneyland’s theme park.
This was supposedly the season of giving and loving. Something needed to change — but what?
Suddenly, a request from the local radio station playing in the background caught my attention. “This year, they’re forecasting a record for cold temperatures. The local homeless shelter is in desperate need of clothing — hats, scarves, and gloves especially. A three-day window has been set up to receive donations into the late hours of the night. ”
Something pulled at my heartstrings that very moment — a tinge of a feeling almost forgotten. This is the answer! I immediately thought. Then, as if flying on wings, I packed up my three-year-old son and headed out to the local discount store.
The crowds in the store didn’t change my determination. Four sets of hats, gloves, and scarves were found within a matter of minutes and purchased.
Back in the car, the same radio station was playing holiday music, but this time it seemed to capture my senses. My attention was again brought to the present as my patient three-year-old son finally asked where we were going. I explained that certain people needed warm gloves, hats, and scarves. They didn’t live in a house of their own and needed us to help. His face held a look of puzzlement. How does one explain such a thing to a three-year-old?
My son carefully took his very first dollar bill from his pocket. It had been given to him a few days earlier — a possession so precious that if anyone even looked at it, he immediately retreated out of sight with the dollar in hand. It had become his priceless treasure.
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。
An hour later, we reached the entrance to the drop-off center.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With a wish of “Merry Christmas,” I turned to go back to the car.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My wife and I were at a wonderful birthday celebration yesterday for a dear family friend, and the party was filled with many friendly faces, some of whom I had not seen for a while.
Among those faces was a man, who is now an accomplished and highly-regarded lawyer. I interacted with him in a professional sense about 20 years ago. At that time, he and I worked closely together over a period of about six months. We spent some time together, and I got to ask him lots of questions during that time. I don’t think about that time of my life often anymore, but every time I do, I think of him fondly. He was smart, competitive and a great guy.
When we ran into each other yesterday, it became a wonderful opportunity to catch up with the old days. We spoke a lot about the life 20 years ago. We also talked about kids, family and updates on professional pursuits... all the usual stuff. After seeing him, the memories of that time came back vividly. At that time, we were working together on the preparation for a case he was going to handle. We had many conversations about how to prepare for the case. And how he and I got through the difficult period came to my mind immediately.
On the way back home from the party, I thought about the many conversations we had. And then I remembered that he had sent me a book that he said was very important to him but unfortunately, I placed it in the basement without reading. So when I got home, I went into the basement, where I kept all sorts of things from my life.
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。
And thankfully, I was able to find the book.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Immediately, I found his address and drove to his home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
