My parents would not let me go to school that morning. “Why not?” I argued. “I have exams. I have work in Spanish class that I can’t miss!” My mother gave me a sad look. “You have to get a checkup (身体检查),” she explained. I screamed, “NO!” My father pulled me over to the couch. “Alison,” my father said in a tone that was quiet but powerful. “You’re in the state of malnutrition (营养不良). And you know that. You can have all in the world, but if you don’t have your health, you have nothing.” For some reason, I believed him. I hadn’t wanted it to be this way.
I was a girl who didn’t like doing sports but was fond of snack food. I weighed 50kg at my age of 14. Most of the time, I avoided parties with my friends, afraid of how ugly they would think I looked. One day, I found a slim girl on TV was so attractive that I wanted to look like her. I forced myself to do exercise and started going on a diet for a good-looking body shape. During the summer, I did weekly weigh-ins (称重) and kept a strict diet. I memorized the calories of almost everything that I may eat. My only goal was to lose weight. Later, when it became too cold to run outside, I restricted my calories even more to make up for not being able to burn them.
Gradually I lost my weight a lot. But things turned out to be worse. My hands were especially dry, peeling and wrinkled. My sister called them old people’s hands. Once, I went shopping with my mom.While we waited in line to pay for our items, I felt I was going to faint (昏厥). I felt dizzy and standing was getting harder and harder.
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。
As my mom tried to figure out which exit we should go through, she noticed my pale face.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Incidents (发生的事情) like the one in the store were in my thoughts as my parents had a talk with me that morning—the morning when I refused to see the doctor regularly.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Once upon a time there lived a poor but cheerful shoemaker. He was so happy that he went on singing all day long. Upstairs lived a very rich man. He was so rich that he could not sleep at night because he was always trying to count his money and keep it safe. So this rich man lay awake all night and always went to bed in the morning. But no sooner had he fallen asleep than he was awakened again. It was not his money that woke him this time; it was the shoemaker, who was sitting at his door making shoes and boots and singing as happily as a bird. The rich man went to a friend and asked, “I can’t sleep at night because I keep thinking of my money, and I can’t sleep in the morning because I hear that shoemaker’s singing. What am I to do?” His friend was a wise man and gave him a plan. The next morning, while the shoemaker was singing as usual, the rich man came to his door. He was holding a bag filled with something that jingled. “Here, shoemaker,” said the rich man, “I have brought you a present of 1,000 pounds because you’re always so happy.” The shoemaker was surprised. He took the money and thanked the rich man. He had never seen so much money in his life, but somehow he worried that it might be stolen by someone. So he went to the darkest part of his house to count the money and hid the bag under his bed. He went in two or three times an hour to make sure that the bag was all right. When his wife asked him what was the matter, he became angry and shouted at her, something he had never done before.
The shoemaker’s life was changed from then on.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Recalling the good old days, he made up his mind to do something.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Every Sunday, the competition started. The three of us would set our alarm clocks to wake up earlier than anyone else. I had set my alarm clock to six in the morning, hoping that my brothers wouldn't start before me.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Groaning, I reached over to my nightstand and slapped the top of my alarm clock. “Too early on this cold winter day,” I murmured. I curled back into my warm blanket and fell asleep again.
My eyes blinked open to the whirring sound of the vacuum cleaner. “They chose their chores first!” I thought with despair. I jumped up from my bed and rushed to the bathroom, where I started the only chore that was left for me. I would definitely be shoveling (铲) the driveway while they built an igloo (冰屋) , I thought cheerlessly, rubbing and wiping madly at the toilet bowl.
When I finished cleaning the toilet and sink, my brothers came into the bathroom to watch me clean the bathtub as they mocked me about how I'd overslept and got stuck with the longest chore. “Whoever finishes last has to shovel the driveway, remember?” my older brother reminded me with a triumphant smile when we put on our big coats and snow pants to go outside.
The three of us stepped outside into the knee-deep snow and shielded our eyes from the brightness. My brothers wasted no time and dashed off to play in the yard, leaving me behind to tackle the frustrating task of shoveling the driveway. With a heavy sigh, I inched through the thick snow to the driveway, my boots sinking with each step. I grunted (嘟哝) with effort as my brothers yelled with joy. Sunday would never be my day, I sighed.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a shovel rubbing against the driveway concrete.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After we finished, we sat inside the igloo, laughing about our morning adventures.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jessica and I wanted a dog more than anything else on Earth. At night, after Mom and Dad had gone to bed, Jessica and I would sneak out our bedroom windows and we’d sit together on the roof and talk about dogs. Sometimes, we had an argument about what our ideal dog would be. But it didn’t really matter — any dog or puppy (小狗崽) would do.
One summer night, as we sat together on the roof, Jessica saw something. “What’s that?” She pointed down toward a dark shadow on our driveway. The moon was up, and everything looked either black or milky. All I saw was darkness. Then the shadow moved. For one astonished second, Jessica and I just stared at each other. Then we scrambled down onto the porch. There in our yard stood a dog. A big, black dog with long hair. Jessica made a little kissing noise and held out her hand. And the dog came to us slowly, taking a few steps forward, then a step back, not sure whether to trust us, I guess.
“She’s a female,” said Jessica.
“Oh,” I said, pulling back and looking. The dog was so skinny and her coat was full of dirt. She must be a homeless dog.
“What can we give her?” I asked. Then I had a thought. “Bread! I’ll get her a big loaf of bread.” So, Jessica waited with the dog, and I sneaked into the kitchen to fetch the bread.
The dog got the bread and ran into the shadows and disappeared. We smiled at each other in the moonlight, our insides full of excitement. “We’re going to have a dog!” I whispered.
On the following nights, the dog, who we named “Shadow”, would come and Jessica and I would prepare food for her. But we never saw her eating anything, and each time she got the food she would run away into the darkness quickly.
“Why didn’t she eat?” I was curious. “And she is still so skinny.”
“We can look into the case,” Jessica said. So, we decided to find out the truth.
One night, we followed Shadow secretly at a distance.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, we had a dog in our home and it was one of the puppies.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A young boy, named Timmy, lived in a small town. He disliked doing any work; he found it boring and would always come up with a reason to avoid it. His room was always messy with toys thrown everywhere, socks under the bed. Books and clothes piled up like a small mountain. Homework often remained untouched on the desk, buried under comic books and game controllers.
Timmy avoided chores, finding them less exciting than his digital universe. Day and night, Timmy tapped buttons, lost in virtual battles, his eyes glued to the screen. Socializing means chatting with fellow games online rather than meeting friends outside.
One Saturday morning, Timmy’s mom asked him to clean up his room. Timmy frowned and ignored his mom, diving deeper into his video game. His mother sighed and went on with her chores. That afternoon, as Timmy was standing by the window, he noticed his neighbor, Mr. Jenkins, working tirelessly in his garden, repairing the wooden fence (栅栏).
At the sight of Timmy, Mr. Jenkins smiled and called out, “Hey, Timmy, I need a helper to hold the wooden strips (木条). And could you lend me a hand for a moment?” Hesitantly, Timmy walked over. Mr. Jenkins showed him how to do it. He continued to help do gardening work such as watering and weeding(除草) in the garden. As they worked, Mr. Jenkins shared his adventurous stories when he was a soldier, and Timmy listened with respect.
Hours passed, and to Timmy’s surprise, he enjoyed helping out. His hands were dirty, but he felt delighted and meaningful. As they finished, Mr. Jenkins thanked Timmy and showed him the result of their teamwork: a neat garden full of colorful flowers and fresh greenery. Timmy felt proud and realized that work could be fun and rewarding.
注意：1.续写词数为150 词左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The next day, Timmy decided to give his own room a change.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later, when his mother entered his room, she was astonished.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jason was a 10-year-old football player who lacked a little speed, yet he made up for it through his good attitude. Jason never missed a practice, even though he was a substitute (替补队员) on my team and had few chances to attend the game. Even so, Jason was never discouraged, and always made a sincere effort.
One day, he didn’t come to practice. When he didn’t show up on the second day, as his coach, I called his home to check on him. One of his out-of-town family members informed me that Jason’s old grandfather had passed away and that the family was making funeral (葬礼) arrangements. When his grandfather was alive, he never could see Jason play; it made Jason feel bad. Now his grandfather had gone; I felt sorry for Jason.
Two weeks later, Jason returned to my team, ready for practice. Only three days of practice remained before our next game. This was an important game because we were against a very strong team. And we only had a one-game lead over them. This was a critical game at a key point in the season.
When the big day rolled around, my top players were ready to rush onto the field. It was a summer evening and the sky was filled with beautiful shiny stars. Before the game, Jason and other players lay on the grass to relax. Jason, who lay beside me, stared at the sky all the time. Suddenly, he whispered to me with excitement, “Coach, look at that shiniest star! My grandpa is on it. He said he would be on the shiniest star in the sky after he was gone.” Touched, I said, “Sure, boy!”
Minutes later, the game started and my top players ran to the field. Jason together with me and a few other substitutes watched on the bench. To my disappointment, my team didn’t perform well.
注意：1.续写词数应为 150 左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
When the other team scored two goals while my team scored none, I was so anxious.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Motivated by Jason, my team played with more enthusiasm.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a small village located amidst rolling hills, there lived a boy named Arjun. Arjun came from a family of farmers who worked day and night to make ends meet. Despite their poor circumstances, Arjun had a fire within him that burned brightly with dreams of a better life.
From a young age, Arjun displayed a natural curiosity for knowledge. He was a dreamer, and his dreams were vast and limitless. However, education was something that seemed out of reach for Arjun. His village lacked proper schools, and his family could barely afford to feed themselves, let alone pay for his education. But Arjun’s spirit remained unbroken. He knew that education held the key to unlocking his dreams, and he was determined to find a way. With the support and encouragement of his parents, Arjun started a challenging journey. He walked for miles each day to reach a school in a neighboring village. There, he would sit on the ground, carefully absorbing every bit of knowledge that came his way.
Arjun’s hunger for education caught the attention of the teachers. They recognized his potential and did everything in their power to support him. Arjun excelled in his studies, doing better than even the richest students. As he advanced in his education, Arjun faced new challenges. The lack of resources and opportunities in his village limited his growth. But he refused to let such things define his future.
Arjun’s determination paid off. He secured a scholarship to a famous school in a nearby town. Leaving behind his family and his familiar home, he welcomed this new chapter in his life with gratefulness and a burning desire to succeed.
Life in the town was in great contrast to the simplicity of his village. Arjun encountered challenges he had never faced before. The fast-paced environment, the pressure to excel, and the distance from loved ones weighed heavily on him.
注意：1、所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2、请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
However, Arjun’s journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered a love for scientific research.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As Arjun’s achievements grew, he never forgot his roots.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When we were finally dismissed from the last class of the day, the students streamed out of the classrooms. It was another boring day after school. I dragged my feet home as I sighed. Yet another uneventful day, I thought. Little did I know that the day would take a turn for the worse.
The lift lobby (电梯间) of my flat was old and dirty. The walls, which were painted white, had been dirtied over many years. I reached my flat’s lobby, and pressed the lift button and went in. Just then, Mrs Lim, my elderly neighbour, hobbled (蹒跚) in. She looked ancient with tissue paper white hair, wearing a faded old-fashioned dress. I held the lift door open, flashing a friendly smile, and politely greeted her. I asked her how she felt that day and pressed the buttons. She thanked me for being so polite, then we were silent for the rest of the ride.
The lift fell down increasingly fast. There were loud clanking sounds here and there while the lift grew slower and slower. My heart beat hard and fast as my hands turned cold and wet with sweat. Unfortunately, the lift came to an abrupt stop at the fifth floor. I pressed the buttons hard several times, but it was of no help. The lights on the buttons had gone out. It soon dawned on me that we were trapped. An icy fear crept up my spine. Mrs Lim was hysterical (歇斯底里).
Paragraph 1:“We will never get out!” she cried with her face pale.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Bang! My hopes were lifted when I heard the firefighters on the other side of the lift door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It’s a great pity that I had not put forth the amount of effort required. I had spent too much time playing with my friends instead of improving myself. I had let down my teacher, who was the kindest, sweetest, and prettiest one I had ever known. She laughed often, and never threatened any of us, yet she was able to “read” the children, control the class, and teach effectively. Miss Pratt put a lot of herself into her work. Every day near the close of school, she would read to us, or even better, tell us stories about when she was a little girl. Most importantly, she made us feel that she cared about us and that we were important.
Because of a serious car accident when I was three and a half years old, I had a sear (伤疤) below my nose that was the result of a torn upper lip. Everything else had healed up without any after effects physically, but my emotions remained scarred. Meanwhile, having been called “Chief Running Nose” and “Scarface” by many children, my confidence had suffered. Although my parents and relatives referred to me as pretty, I did not see myself that way.
Focusing on my scar, I could not appreciate any redeeming features (可取之处). At the end of one school day, I remained in my classroom, waiting for the arrival of my mother, who was coming to take me to an appointment close to the school. Miss Pratt sat at her desk with a fellow teacher and chatted.
I glanced at the clock and realized it was time to get ready to leave. I put on my wool coat and hat. The teachers looked at my clothes and seemed to admire it. I was able to read their lips a little and my ears perked up to hear, “Who is she? She is really cute.” My teacher Miss Pratt answered, “I agree. Bernice is quite pretty.”
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。
“Pretty” caught my attention since it was almost my favorite word.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________About two months later, the final exam result was announced and I got the first place.
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