Jack was new to Woodberry Forest School this year. He carried a secret burden: a stutter (口吃) that often brought about laughter from his classmates. This made him very upset. Shy and reserved. Jack chose to fade into the background rather than draw attention to himself. He felt like an outsider, never quite fitting in.
Jack was eager to exchange ideas with his classmates, but afraid of getting into trouble. Jack's science teacher, Katherine, a warm and caring woman often wearing a smile, noticed Jack's stutter and shyness. She observed how Jack struggled to express himself in class and how he would shy away when called upon to speak.
Determined to lend a hand, Katherine took Jack under her wing, encouraging him to embrace bravery and believe in his own abilities. Subsequently, Katherine adopted a set of systematic methods to help him. She was glad to find the potential in him, the intelligence and creativity that lay hidden beneath his stutter. Whenever possible, Katherine was always ready to praise his efforts, always declaring, "You are so great!” Whenever Jack stumbled over his words, Katherine always smiled at him encouragingly, providing him with the strength to continue. Day by day, Jack found himself speaking with greater confidence and fluency.
One day, Katherine announced that each student should give a presentation of a science project in front of the class. Jack's heart sank, the familiar fear and anxiety wrapping around him. How could he possibly stand before his classmates to give his ideas clearly, knowing that they would laugh at him? As the presentation drew near, Jack's anxiety mounted. Then came the big day. He watched his classmates take turns to walk up to the front. They gave their presentation with confidence and backed to their seats with satisfaction. However, while Jack was waiting for his turn, his heart beat so violently that he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
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:
It was finally his turn.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
When Jack finished his presentation, the room erupted into applause.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was never “that girl” — the one who had charming appearance, and who enjoyed a colorful social life. I was another girl entirely, one who was considered “nice girls”, and the top student in class. Not that I didn’t care about friends or fun, I just didn’t think it was worth putting lots of time and effort into changing how I looked, how I acted, even as I started high school.
Marissa was “that girl” — fun to be around, good to know. We are different, but our friendship began the first time we met at an exciting soccer match, on the second day of freshmen year. The excitement of the game and our shared interest in soccer connected us, I was deeply impressed with her enthusiasm, while she admired my calm. Our conversations went smoothly, and our relationship quickly turned into a close bond.
However, as the school year progressed, Marissa’s outgoing personality began to conflict with my reserved nature. She stood out in social situations, constantly asking me to attend parties and social events. While I appreciated her efforts to include me, I felt awkward and uncomfortable to be forced into unfamiliar surroundings. Our once harmonious friendship started to crack, I tried to turn down her invitations, but in vain.
One evening, Marissa persuaded me to attend a large party at a classmate’s house. Surrounded by loud music and strange faces, I felt uneasy and upset. Marissa was the queen of the party, leaving me feeling extremely lonely. Her personality attracted others to her, creating a barrier between us.
注意:1.续写词数应为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
At that moment, I realized the growing divide between us.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Since then, we worked together to find a balance of our personalities.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was seven years old, my family moved from Mexico to America. In Mexico, I was a cheerful girl who loved making people laugh with my jokes and inventing fun games to play with my friends. However, when I arrived in America, I found it hard to fit in, and I became quieter.
We lived in a small house with a modest yard where we grew vegetables—my responsibility. While I took pride in watching them grow, there were times when I dreamed of having a beautiful garden like my schoolmate Luella’s, with its delicate tulips (郁金香). Although Luella lived in the same neighborhood as me, we barely knew each other.
It was after a tornado that Luella and I finally became close friends.
The tornado struck on a Sunday afternoon.The gentle breeze transformed into a strong wind, and thick gray clouds filled the sky. Gradually, the tornado took shape, starting as a thin rope and growing into a large black funnel (漏斗). My entire family gathered in the bathroom, seeking shelter from the storm. Terrified, I sat close to my mom, knees in my chest. After the storm had passed, our worries and fears were replaced by relief that we were unharmed and that our house had remained undamaged.
As I stepped outside, I witnessed the extent of the damage the tornado had caused to our neighborhood. Across the street, a tall tree had fallen, crushing Luella’s garden in front of her yellow house. We hurried over to check on it. Fortunately, her family seemed to be away at the time, and no one was injured. However, her once-beautiful garden was in ruins, with the fallen tree destroying the tulips and debris (碎片) spread everywhere. I could only imagine how heartbroken they must feel seeing this.
Then my mom’s usual words rang in my ear, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and my family started to think about how we could help.
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 at that moment, Luella’s family returned in their car.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella’s sorrow for her lost garden.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was several days before Christmas.Gray clouds covered the sky. The air was cold. The temperature was below freezing. It was snowing heavily. And the internet was out. Now I found that having the internet out could be a blessing for me. I decided to prepare my turkey meat for dinner, and get a few things done.
After the regular housework was done, I pulled the air conditioning units out of the windows and put them up for the winter. Next, I walked into the storage closet and pulled out the Christmas decorations and the artificial(人造的) tree. I unpacked my new picture and placed it lovingly on my old record player.
Then I set up my Christmas statues of Santa and Dickens’ books on the shelf along with the Christmas angel.Next I unpacked, fitted and put up the tree. After that I pulled out the lights, metal wires and decorations. I put each one on the tree gently and with great care while my son Marvin played Christmas music and decorated his own room.
In no time at all, everything was done. I looked at the tree and then outside again. This time, however, it didn’t seem so cold, gray, and gloomy. Instead, it felt warm and Christmas seemed to be in the air. Even the snowflakes floating in the wind felt more like a gift from Heaven. I heard “Away in a Manger" coming from my son’s CD player and hummed along (跟着哼唱).
This life certainly can seem full of pains at times. It is up to us, though, to make each one a blessing(祝福) in our life. Since there are benefits without the internet, we can turn it off for a while now and then.
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在下面作答。
I proposed to discuss how it felt to be without the internet at dinner.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We made it a rule to have Sunday meal without the internet and we did it this weekend.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Have you ever been so depressed that you can’t sleep? You also can’t eat. You can’t read. You have no friends to call up and nothing is good on TV. So you sigh, press your face down harder into your pillow, and shed a few tears.
This was my life two years ago. I had just turned 14 but already found life a struggle. As I lay in my bed one Saturday, Mom peeked (瞄) into my room to make her regular “Is Emily still alive” check. I knew that if I spent more time like this, she would begin dusting me. After suggesting a few things for me to do that I immediately rejected, Mom made her move, “Emily! Get dressed! I’m taking the dog out for a walk, and you’re coming with me!” “Why?” I protested. “Because it’ll make you feel better.”
The thought of moving was unbearable. I felt as if all of my body parts were weighed down by tons of bricks I couldn’t remember the last time I had gone outside. Somehow I found the strength to slip on a pair of jeans and a black sweatshirt. Mom was waiting at the door, leash (狗绳) in hand and dog at her side.
Then, we stepped outside. It was a warm March day and it had been a long time since the warmth of the sun had touched my cheeks. Mom led the dog and me down some dirt paths, through a big field and reached Halsey Pond. But the signs of spring had yet to appear and the scene was rather colorless throughout the entire journey.
“I’m tired! It’s boring, Mom! When can we go home?” “Not yet,” she’d say. Mom stopped to say hi to every jogger, dog walker, runner, and bicyclist who passed us. Sometimes she would get into a conversation. They would talk about weather, dogs, and all small talk topics. She seemed happy, and was literally glowing (容光焕发). After walking for what seemed an age, Mom finally said it was time to go 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。
Paragraph 1: When I got home, a new feeling seemed to be awakened.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: A new Saturday found me asking Mom if I could take the dog out.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mr. Thompson dragged his feet slowly down the hallway, burdened with the weight of a hundred ungraded papers on his shoulders. It was Teacher’s Day, and colorful posters were pasted around. Despite scattered (零散的) “Happy Teacher’s Day” greetings from some students along the way, Mr. Thompson felt a familiar emptiness settle in his heart. Teacher’s Day usually meant an apple and a chorus of “thank yous” from his own class. Today, he expected nothing different.
The morning had been quite tough, filled with a host of math problems and forgotten homework excuses. One troublemaker in the class had again “accidentally” set his biology project on fire(thankfully contained). By the time the lunch bell rang sharply in the air, Mr. Thompson felt like a deflated (泄气的) balloon, the air of enthusiasm slowly leaking out of him.
After lunch, he entered his classroom. The whole class was in chaos. The usual pre-class chatter sounded like a dull roar in his ears. All of a sudden, a scream cut through the air. Mr. Thompson’s heart was in his mouth. Fights were a rare, but terrifying occurrence in his classroom. He cast his worn leather briefcase onto his desk, the forgotten pack of papers scattering like frightened pigeons.
“What in the world is going on here?”
His voice hoarse (嘶哑的) from shouting, Mr. Thompson rushed forward, envisioning images of black eyes and bloody noses. He struggled to make his way through the desks, the classroom suddenly deathly quiet.
“Break it up! Now!” he shouted, trying to control the situation.
Finally, he reached the center of the apparent fight, only to find himself staring at...a far more delicate, fragrant affair. Ethan, the class clown, was on one knee with a bunch of sunflowers and smiling at him.
Para 1: The whole class looked at Mr. Thompson excitedly.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Para 2: By the end of the day, Mr. Thompson’s voice was hoarse from laughter.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Near daybreak the previous day, my friend Jess and I set out on a journey southwest from our snow-covered home in Ottawa, bound for Arizona, a warm place to escape the freezing winter. After loading our equipment and my dog Bailey into my old car, we drove along the freeway with the radio playing lively tunes. Bailey, comfortably sitting on the back seat, added to the joy of the moment. Life couldn't have felt more perfect.
As the miles accumulated behind us, by noon the following day, we pulled off at a rest area with spring-like temperatures. It was an ideal setting for a picnic-style break outside the car. After a refreshing walk, we ate salads and cheese with the sun shining brightly on us. However, the road called us, so unwillingly we headed for the car.
Once the food was stored in the trunk, I opened the back door, throwing my keys onto the front seat, and settled Bailey on the back seat before shutting the door with force. However, as I reached for the driver's door handle, a sudden realization struck me.
“Oh, Jess, the door is locked.”
“What do you mean 'locked'? How did that happen?” Jess questioned with concern.
A wave of fear washed over me as I pieced together the situation. The remote likely triggered (触发) the lock when I threw it onto the driver's seat. Inside the car were our purses, keys, and most importantly, Bailey. The rising temperatures now posed a serious threat to her-being trapped inside a hot box without water.
Assessing the problem with a clearer mind, I instantly reached out to a local auto repair service for assistance. Unfortunately, they couldn't guarantee their arrival time due to staffing shortages, leaving me anxious about Bailey's well-being. The danger of heatstroke (中暑) weighed heavily on my mind, fueling my urgency to find a solution. Breaking the window, which had been my last choice, seemed to be the only one.
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 a large truck approached.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally Bailey was saved and my car remained whole.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“When I grow up, I’m going to travel on my own,” said my little daughter, Sophia, reading her favorite picture book in the sunshine. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the beautiful pictures. “Well, I think you can!” I said, believing in her ambitions.
Being a hard-working and reliable child, she could help do the housework skillfully. She had the potential to make her dreams come true. However, we were poor farmers, and all profit had to go back into the farm to keep it going.
When Sophia was ten, a tornado (龙卷风) struck Texas, destroying our farm. We were forced to deal with everything that we faced. This disaster completely changed our lives. My husband, Steve, was disabled by the tornado. After trying and failing at several methods of earning income, finally he decided to become a baker (面包师).
We purchased a small bakeshop, fully equipped, and moved it onto our farmland. In fact, our bakeshop business did very well. Regrettably, Steve did not. His disability was so severe that after several months of trying he simply could not continue. The bakeshop closed.
While our family was going through difficult times, the dream and spirit of Sophia was not lost. She was doing well in school, and I smiled the day I read Sophia’s essay entitled, “Things I would like to do.” Topping the list were these words: I want to travel someday. Again I whispered, “Maybe you can someday.”
A few years later, Sophia started high school and enrolled in a foreign language class in her second year. This class occasionally organized a trip abroad. One day, she came home from school, hardly able to control her excitement, and said, “Mum, our class will arrange for us to travel abroad.”
“Fantastic!” I said. “You can achieve your dream!”
“But it would probably cost a lot of money to go,” she said.
She was right. My salary paid the bills, and nothing was left. Steve was still unable to work. Our hearts sank deeply.
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。
Sophia’s face lit up the moment she thought of her father’s bakeshop.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Orders came flooding in.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Special#2，Please
My flight arrived in San Diego around midnight, and by the time I drove home and got into bed it was nearly 2:00 a. m. I was tired and jet-lagged when I dragged myself out of the bed. Nevertheless,I had to be up bright and early that morning: I was the opening keynoter(主旨发言人) at a national conference.
In short, I needed to recover quickly. A hearty breakfast in the early morning sun was what I needed. I headed for Carlos & Annie’s, a popular restaurant located in the heart of the seaside town.
“I’d like steak and eggs, please,” I said to the waitress after I had finally found a table in the restaurant. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she apologized. “We're out of Special#2. We've served the last of our steaks. How about Special#14?” “Oh, no steak and eggs?” I couldn't seem to accept it.
I'm not sure if it was my heartfelt sigh that caught Carlos, the owner's attention. His warm, caring brown eyes seemed determined to pinpoint the best solution. He then said, “You know, I think I did see one final steak back
there.”Pressing my luck,I quickly declared, “Wow,that would be great. But you know, I’m not sure if I want a breakfast stenk at all. What I really want is a steak—one that’s two inches thick, tender and juicy, served medium rare.” “Not to worry,” Carlos assured meand left. The young waitress gave me a wink(眨眼) and said with a knowing smile, “Carlosis being Carlos again!” I did not give her words much thought.
Then, I noticed Carlos as he left the restaurant through the side door and walked into a neighborhood grocery store across the street. Carlos exchanged morning greetings with everyone he knew and even helped the owner of the bookstore next door by holding the items that filled her arms. Then he reentered the restaurant with a bag in his hand.
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: Within minutes，an exact Special#2 was in front of me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: I was about to leave when I learned Carlos had already sold the restaurant.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
