Emily White was born seventeen years ago with so many birth problems in her body. Some of her organs, bones and muscles were out of shape. No one expected her to survive. She did make it but with her strange body figure, everyone could recognize her, even from a distance.
In Emily White’s hometown, there was a yearly outdoor performance in the school auditorium (大礼堂). It had been performed for so many years and actually had become one of the most important events of the Christmas season for many of the town’s people.
Many people tried out each year for it, but so many were turned away. It can only include the most excellent people in the field.
Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens — her music teacher to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a look at Amy’s body and said, “Child, you just don’t fit. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”
Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.
This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Buttler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.
Emily didn’t want to be rejected again, so she hesitated a little about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Buttler called, “Emily, you’re next.” Although kind of nervous, Emily did as Mr. Buttler told her to do. Mr. Buttler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Buttler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.
Emily couldn’t sleep that night. She was suffering from the feelings that she didn’t fit and the great need to be accepted. By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain because of stress.
注意：续写词数应为150左右Paragraph 1: The next day, Emily nervously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mary Lee seemed to have everything. She was very beautiful with a wonderful figure and an attractive face. She was very rich. Her clothes were better than anyone else’s and she had more of them. Her books were always new and expensive as were her pens, school bags and bicycle. She was very clever too and without appearing to do very much work. She was always the first in all the examinations and always answered all the questions, while the rest of the class were still thinking.
With all this, or really because of all this, no one liked Mary Lee. She was too good, too clever and she was also very proud. No one was quite good enough to talk to her or to be seen with her or to be her friend. And so, with all her proud ways and riches and brains, she was lonely but she did not care because she was always the best in everything. She was like a princess in the class. She always thought that the other students kept their distance from her because she was too excellent. “Lions and tigers are always lonely, and only the weak get together,” she told herself.
As the end of term drew near, the pupils including Mary Lee began to think about the most important prize of all. This was the prize, offered by the principal, for the best essay to be written on one of two subjects: Happiness and Friendship. All the teachers and pupils paid close attention to the prize, for it was really a great honor. “I needn’t worry about that,” thought Mary Lee, as the others began to read and to think about the essay. “I shall easily win. After all, my compositions are always better than the other students’.”
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。
“Pride goes before a fall,” they say and it certainly did in the case of poor Mary Lee.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mary Lee suddenly realized that how silly she had been.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Teenagers around Steve were interested in playing video games and they often shared their experience about how to play well. Steve was a very clever boy. He was good at playing games. He would win at any game he played. He won so many times that everyone around him saw him as champion.
In fact, Steve not only became an expert at all kinds of skills but he was also good at cheating because he couldn’t stand losing to anyone. He became so skilled at cheating that he could play practically and win any game by cheating without even being noticed. Every time he beat other boys, he would be proud to see others admiring him and praising his excellent skills. He enjoyed that feeling.
No one wants to play with someone who is always going to win. As time went by, almost no one around Steve wanted to play with him. But there was one poor boy named Tom who would always play with him. At first, Tom had few skills and Steve beat him easily. Gradually, Tom learnt more skills. It was still a piece of cake for Steve to beat him. One day Steve found that Tom became more skilled and it was a challenge to win the game with Tom. In order to win, Steve used his tricks. Tom was defeated. Since then, the tricks helped Steve win any game. Although Tom lost face, he would always accept Steve’s challenge. Champion Steve enjoyed himself at poor Tom’s expense and always made that poor boy look funny as he lost.
One day, Steve got bored with just playing around and thought that he could win bigger games. So he decided to apply for video game championship as he thought that there he would find some top players that could match him.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At the Cham pionship, he was excited to have a chance to show off his skills.
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Finally the competition ended and the champion name was called out.
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Missus Sommers one day found herself the unexpected owner of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money. For a day or two she walked around in a dreamy state as she thought about her choices. Her daughter Janie was wearing worn shoes and needed new ones. She would buy cloth for new shirts for the boys. Her daughter Mag should have another dress. And still there would be enough left for new stockings for her children. The idea about how to spend the dollars made her restless with excitement.
On the day she planned to go shopping with the money, she ate a light meal—no! Between getting the children fed and the house cleaned, and preparing herself to go shopping? She forgot to eat at all!
When she arrived at the large department store, she spotted a pile of silk stockings at the entrance. A sign nearby announced that they had been reduced in price. A young girl behind the counter asked her if she wished to examine the silky leg coverings. She smiled as if she had been asked to inspect diamond jewelry, and started to feel the soft，expensive items. Missus Sommers picked up a black pair and looked at them closely. Two red marks suddenly showed on her pale face. She looked up at the shop girl and said proudly, "Well. I will buy this pair."
Missus Sommers changed her cotton stockings for the new silk ones in the ladies9 rest area. She had let herself be controlled by some machine-like force that directed her actions and freed her of responsibility. How good was the touch of the silk on her skin! Then she put her shoes back on and put her old stockings into her bag. Next 5 she went to the shoe department where she tried on a pair of new boots. Her foot and ankle looked lovely. She could not believe that they were a part of herself.
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After buying a pair of new boots, she walked into the clothing department.
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She was about to leave the store when a kid running around reminded her of something.
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Carter Druse was born in Virginia. He loved his parents, his home and the south. But he loved his country, too. And in 1861, when the US was divided by a terrible war, Carter Druse, a southerner, decided to join the army of the north.
He told his father about his decision one morning at breakfast. The old man looked at his only son for a moment, too shocked to speak. Then he said, “Please don’t tell your mother about your decision. She is sick, and we both know she has only a few weeks to live. ”
Carter’s father paused, again looking deep into his son’s eyes. “Carter, ” he said, “No matter what happens, be sure that you always do what you think is your duty. ”
Both Carter Druse and his father left the table that morning with broken hearts. And Carter soon left his home and everyone he deeply loved behind.
One sunny afternoon, a few months later, Carter Druse was sent to guard a road which was only a few miles from an enemy’s base. It began in a forest, down in the valley, and climbed up the side of a huge rock. Anyone standing on the top of this high rock would be able to see down into the valley.
Hidden in the valley’s forest were thousands of Carter’s fellow soldiers. They had marched for thirty-six hours. Now they were resting.
Their plan was to attack by surprise their enemy on the other side of the valley. But if their enemy learned about the army hiding in the forest, the soldiers would find themselves in a trap with no escape. That was why Carter Druse had been sent to guard the road and it was his duty to be sure that no enemy soldier spied on the valley, where the army of the north was hiding.
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, he saw a man on horseback standing on the huge rock.
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At that instant, the horseman turned his head and looked in Carter’s direction.
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Yesterday a heat wave hit the town. “It’s too hot! Let’s go for a swim after we finish our chores (家务活) at home!” Joseph complained to his little brother, Loren. As the boys walked toward the Little Colorado River, they saw Sam and Frank, who ran to join them. “Swimming’s just what we need to cool off!” Sam said, kicking a rock.
“Sure it is,” Frank agreed. Then he looked at the field they were passing. There were many round watermelons in Farmer Davis’s patch (小块地). “Hey, Joseph” Frank said, “do you have the courage to climb over that fence and get us a ripe (成熟的) watermelon?”
“I don’t know. ” Joseph said.
Loren looked uncomfortable. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Come on,” Frank said, pushing Joseph toward the fence. “No one will ever know.”
Then Frank started to climb the wooden fence. Joseph felt bad but climbed the fence and jumped with Frank into the watermelon patch.
Joseph took the closest melon and raced back to the fence. The other boys laughed and took turns carrying the heavy melon as they ran to the river. Finally they broke open the watermelon. The sticky sweet juice was delicious! But Joseph regretted what they had done and wished he hadn’t taken the melon.
On the walk home, they finished off the last piece of the melon just as they passed the watermelon patch again. Joseph lowered his head quickly when he saw Farmer Davis in the field. He waved at the boys, who quickly threw the melon rinds (皮) to the side of the road. Davis looked upset as the boys hurried by. Joseph felt terrible. It was wrong to take the watermelon. He knew he had to tell Farmer Davis what they had done and ask for forgiveness (宽恕).
That evening Farmer Davis visited Joseph and Loren at their house. “One of my biggest watermelons went missing,” he said, “I was wondering if you boys happened to see anyone in my field as you passed by today.”
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。
Joseph looked at his shoes and said in a low voice.
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Farmer Davis thought for a minute.
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The easy way out isn't always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat my father to a special meal. I glanced through the cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as he left for work.
As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Dad loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks. Realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face him laughing at my work.
I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Dad got home, we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice. He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing.
Looking out, I saw Dad standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in the rubbish bin. Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder.
Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the. fermenting yeast (酵母) made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the "living thing" was and why it was there. I don't know who was more embarrassed by the whole thing, Dad or me.
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。
My dad tapped me gently on the shoulder, and we went inside.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At a party three months later, everyone wanted to try my bread.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As we get older there are certain gifts standing out in our memories for a variety of reasons.
One gift I was given and treasured most was a doll named Patsy. She wasn’t originally mine but was my younger sister’s Christmas gift, but on holding Patsy I immediately fell in love with her and couldn’t bear to part with het. Luckily, my sister was quite happy to exchange dolls. From then on Patsy was my baby and I continued to love her dearly and would have died for her.
Another gift I offered my Mom has been shining in my mind. On a Saturday, I was on my way to the local cinema when I happened to glimpse(一瞥) at the window of the gift shop at the corner of our street. There were lovely gloves, pretty flowered handkerchiefs, and rose patterned teacups and saucers, all in pretty boxes. Seeing all these lovely gifts reminded me that it would soon be Mother’s Day and my mother’s birthday. Wouldn’t it be nice, I thought, if I could give my mother something really special, something I’d bought myself? So I stepped inside the shop and admired a dressing table set, which was a green cut glass with ornamental tray(装饰托盘) and several matching pieces. I was sure my mother would love it.
The lady must have seen my disappointment when she told me the price. But she had a suggestion which immediately lifted my spirits. She pulled out a large notebook and wrote my name in it and the gift I wanted to buy, and in return I paid her a penny from my pocket money. It meant no sweets that day but I didn’t care. At the age of nine, I’d made my very first lay-by(分期付款)…and felt like a grown up. From then on, every Saturday I dropped in at the shop on schedule and paid a penny, which the lady dutifully recorded in her notebook.
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。
The day before Mother’s Day I paid the last two pence.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Too excited to wait till Sunday, I excitedly presented the gift to my mother.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One Saturday morning, I got a call from my aunt. She told me that she had to go with my uncle on a business trip for the day, and she wondered if I could look after my little 6-year-old cousin, Max. I knew that for them, leaving their dearest son for a day was the last thing in the whole world they would do, because they were what is known as “helicopter parents”, who keep watching everything their kids do. As a high school student, I knew exactly that children who were brought up by helicopter parents could end up having many problems and I hoped I could do something to improve the situation, so I accepted her request. Actually, I was honored to be trusted by such parents.
When I arrived there, my aunt and uncle were just ready to go out. The last thing my aunt said to me before they left was “Don’t let him hurt himself while we are away.” She repeated it several times until she thought I took it seriously. After they left, I tried to teach Max to play some games that might be against my aunt’s will, but failed. Max seemed not to be interested, and even frightened. I didn’t want to push him, so I decided to slow it down.
Around lunch time, Max asked me what was for lunch. I said, “I don’t know, what do you want?” He said, “Can you cook scrambled eggs?” I replied, “Of course I can!” “Well,” said Max, “I want some.” I asked him if he could cook. He looked at me in amazement, and said, “Of course not. Mom won’t allow me to approach the kitchen. She thinks I’ll be burnt if I try to do that, but I think it would be amazing to cook what I like on my own.”
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Suddenly, I had an idea.
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When my aunt and uncle returned, they saw Max cooking a dinner in the kitchen.
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“Want to go to the pool tomorrow?” Rosa asked Stephanie during recess. The pool at the YMCA was one of their favorite places, where they learnt and practiced swimming.
Rosa and Stephanie did everything together. They rode the school bus together. They sat together during lunch. They took dance lessons together and they even went to the same summer camp. Their classmates called them “twins”. They were best friends. Most of the time.
Sometimes, though, when Stephanie was with other friends, she ignored Rosa or treated her like a little kid, even though they were the same age. Rosa and Stephanie had played together since they were babies, but sometimes Stephanie didn't act like a friend.
Today was one of those times.
“Sorry. I’m already going to the pool,” Stephanie said. “Toni and Vanessa and I are going.” She gave a broad smile, but in Rosa’s eyes, it wasn’t her nice smile. Saying nothing more, she walked straight away to join Toni and Vanessa, and Rosa was left standing alone, with her face burned and an angry tension coming into her limbs.
After school, at dance class, Stephanie talked and giggled with the other dancers as they stretched in front of the mirror. When Rosa came in, Stephanie didn’t say hello to her, but just another smile. Rosa hesitated for a while about whether she should join them, but she still felt too upset.
Then she noticed Kiara, the new girl. Rosa joined her and began stretching, too. Kiara smiled and Rosa smiled back. The two girls began to talk. Rosa discovered that Kiara was not the quiet girl she had thought she was. Kiara talked a lot — about her little brother, about the tree house her uncle had built and even about swimming. “I love swimming,” Kiara said. “I will hold a pool party at the YMCA. Would you like to come?” “Yes. It’s awesome.” Rosa responded. She tried not to check the mirror to see if Stephanie had noticed. She hoped Stephanie felt left out.
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 the dance class, when Rosa boarded the bus, Stephanie was waiting in their usual seat.
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When Rosa saw Stephanie in low spirits, her heart sank.
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