Bill and I were far from expert sailors. We’d purchased our 36-foot boat a few years earlier. Since then, we’d taken a number of short trips around Lake Michigan. But Bill and I still had a lot to learn.
It was clear on the first day of this trip, our longest adventure to date—80 miles to Fayette State Park. Not long after we’d left our home port, Menominee, Michigan, on the shore of Green Bay, the sky turned dark, the waves grew and the wind picked up. There had been rain and strong wind forecast, but we weren’t prepared for them. Should we keep going or head for a safe port?
“Escanaba’s not far away if we can make it,” Bill said. I nodded my head. He drew down the sails and turned on the engine. Soon we made it to the port. After Bill gassed up, we cooked up some dinner, made hot coffee and listened to the music of the rain and wind.
The next morning, we awoke to a beautiful midsummer day. The sky was clear. We set sail after breakfast across Green Bay and onto the waters of western Lake Michigan. Twenty miles were left to our destination. For the first hour or so, everything went well. Then the wind, which had carried us along at a steady but gentle pace, suddenly died. Died completely. We had to start the motor.
The engine coughed, and the boat trembled. I looked at Bill. “I pumped in enough gas, so that can’t be the problem,” Bill said. The engine coughed again, and then shut down. Every attempt to start it failed. “I think I know what’s wrong,” he said and raced to the bow. I followed. When I reached there, he was holding the gas cap. He had been in such a rush to fill up the tank the night before to get out of the rain that he had forgotten to fasten the gas cap back on. Now the boat motor was flooded.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
We tried to make a phone call, but there was no signal.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Just as we were desperate, an old boat came along.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________For the first two years in primary school, I was an extremely shy girl. I had a few friends, but it wasn’t easy for me to be very outgoing, even if I knew them well. If I was with strangers, I was even quieter. So I was not good at meeting new people, I was in constant fear that I would do or say something wrong. As a result, on our school’s annual play day, I usually sat in a remote corner to watch the performance alone, although I hoped to sit in the front rows to see the actors more clearly.
One day in the third grade, my teacher Mrs. Sally called me into her office and said, “Oh, Mary, you’re great at memorizing things, and you have such a sweet voice. You are perfect for Jenny!”
But I bowed my head and dared not speak. The teacher saw this and then said, “Of course, plenty of girls would love the role, and I could find somebody else. But I hope you could try it for me. I had you in mind for Jenny while writing the play! If you really don’t want to, you can turn down the offer.”
My mind was running wild when Mrs. Sally, whom I loved and admired, asked me to play the role.
“She believes in me!” I thought.
Just then I looked up and happened to see on the wall a poster I had never noticed before. It showed a shooting star and read, “If you reach for the stars, you might at least grab a piece of the moon.”
Realizing it was time to throw off my shy mask and show the world who I really was, I said firmly, “Okay, I’ll try my best, Mrs. Sally!”
In the following five months, Mrs. Sally taught me how to put on makeup, memorize lines, create costumes and so on.
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。
The big day arrived at last.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At the moment, Mrs. Sally noticed my nervousness and approached me.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Two things changed my life: my mother and a white plastic bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it’s true. I would have been a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a silly bicycle accessory (配饰) into a life lesson I carry with me today.
My mother and father were united in their way of raising children, but it mostly fell to my mother to actually carry it out. Managing the family budget must have been a very hard task, but she made it look effortless. If we complained about not having what another kid did, we’d hear something like, “I don’t care what so-and-so got for his birthday, you are not getting a TV in your room, a car for your birthday, a lavish sweet 16 party.” We had to earn our allowance by doing chores around the house. I can still remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table. My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house. Like the two little girls growing up at the White House, we made our own beds. We had to keep track of our belongings, and if something was lost, it was not replaced.
It was summer and, one day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed — and there it was in the window. White, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers, the basket winked at me and I knew — I knew — I had to have it.
“It’s beautiful,” my mother said when I pointed it out to her, “What a neat basket.”
I tried to hold off at first, and I played it cool for a short while. But then I guess I couldn’t pretend to ignore it any longer: “Mom, please can I please, please get it? I’ll do extra chores for as long as you say. I’ll do anything, but I need that basket. I love that basket.”
I was desperate.
“You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever. “If you save up you could buy this yourself.”
“By the time I make enough it’ll be gone!”
“Maybe Roger here could hold it for you,” she smiled at Roger, the bike guy.
“Mom. Someone else will buy it.”
“There might be another way,” she said.
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 mother bought the beautiful basket but hid it, and I was determined to make enough money.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________However, the unthinkable happened — a neighborhood girl appeared with the exact same basket.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Harry’s reward
Harry didn’t want to learn to swim. He couldn’t figure out what the use of learning to swim was. But Harry’s parents believed it was a great pity for a healthy boy to be afraid of the wind and the sea.
“Everybody, especially every Englishman and boy, should know how to swim,” Papa had said. “There is never any knowing the use it may be of.”
“Isn’t it very hard to learn?” Harry asked.
“It takes some patience,” his father said. “But in three weeks or so, you should be able to swim fairly well, if you have a lesson every day.”
There was no escaping it, however. Papa, though very kind, was very firm, and once he said a thing, it had to be done. So with a rather white face, poor Harry set off every day for his swimming lesson. He was a quick and clever boy, and a strong boy, and his father knew this. After the initial fear was overcome, it went on better and faster than could have been expected. Two weeks later, Harry had the pleasure of hearing his father say to his mother, “He swims already very nearly as well as I do myself.”
Seacliff, the place at which the family was spending the summer, was not a fashionable watering place but a little village. There were a few gentlemen’s houses in the neighborhood, so that in fine weather merry groups met at the little sheltered bay among the rocks.
One day, Harry, having finished his own morning swim, set off to walk home at his ease. Suddenly a sound disturbed his pleasant thoughts. A carriage was rushing wildly along, coming nearer and nearer. The driver, Ann, stood upright in the carriage (马车), hitting the poor horse as if she were mad, while from time to time she screamed, “Help, help!”
“What is it?” screamed Harry too, as Ann passed. She would not stop, but she threw back some words through the wind. “My sister—Alice—is drowning (淹溺). Go to the village to fetch someone who can swim.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Harry ran back to the bathing place at once.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There were plenty of hands to help carry them to land once they were within a safe distance; however, it was Harry who was the true hero.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The only life that Jeffrey had ever known was on the streets. He has been homeless since his parents fell ill and passed away.
As much as he tried, Jeffrey couldn’t find a permanent job when he grew up. He only had a few clothes, blankets and shoes. With no family or friends, he relied on his local shelter and soup kitchen. He would often ask the workers at a local burger (汉堡包) place for their leftovers to survive.
Jeffrey knew many people in the area and would help new tenants (房客) move into their apartments for a bit of money. He desperately wanted to find a job, but he knew he didn’t look the part (穿着与工作相宜). One day, as Jeffrey was looking through the garbage can outside the burger shop for food, he noticed a black object near the surface.
He picked it up and realized it was a wallet. Maybe one of the cooks dropped it, he thought. However, when he looked inside, he could recognize the I. D. picture. The wallet belonged to Alan, an old man who stayed a few blocks away.
Alan’s cards and cash were still inside the wallet, meaning he’d lost it by mistake. There was also a check for $3,000 inside the wallet. “This is life-changing money. I could get some fresh clothes, maybe rent a small studio apartment and finally get a job,” Jeffrey said to himself.
Jeffrey sat down with the wallet in his hands and decided to think about it first. He remembered asking Alan for money a few weeks before. Alan didn’t give him money because he would have an operation soon. Jeffrey knew he couldn’t live with the guilt of knowing a man would suffer if he took the money for himself. Even though he initially felt that the check may have been a gift, he quickly realized that it was more of a test.
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。
Jeffrey walked a few blocks to Alan’s office.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A few weeks later, Jeffrey was outside the burger joint eating some leftover fries.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The wonders of nature, from spiders and butterflies to tiny insects, never cease to amaze me. Sometimes, I feel I’m the only one who notices their beauty. Yet, if it hadn’t been for the crowded dining hall, I wouldn’t have noticed Emily.
Emily was a new student, quiet and unnoticeable. She walked to class with her books against her chest and her head down. She talked only when the teacher asked her a question. At the break time, she just sat on a bench and read. After a month at school, she hadn’t made any friend. If you asked who she was, you’d get a response like this, “She’s in my PE class, but I can’t remember her name.”
During lunch one day, with most tables occupied, I found myself without a place to sit. I was at a loss what to do when I spotted Emily alone, book in hand. I walked over to her and asked. “Can I take this seat?” She glanced up and lightly said “Yes”.
The cafeteria was buzzing with excitement for the upcoming talent show. Merry laughter and lively conversations filled the air, making the place alive with anticipation for the event. But Emily, lost in her book, didn’t seem to mind at all. Silence hung between us and it drove me crazy.
I searched my mind for things to say. “So,” I said, “is that a good book?” Emily gave me a small nod and went back to reading. Curiosity getting the better of me, I continued, “What’s the book about?” She looked at me,eyes shining. Eagerly she shared the story of a musical talent, painting vivid images with her words. “That sounds cool,”I replied, somewhat amazed by the usual quiet girl.
The noisy cafeteria carried on with its hum as students heatedly discussed the talent show. Eager to continue our engaging conversation, I asked, “So, any plans for the show?” Emily paused, setting her book aside, “Oh,” she said, “I don’t know. Maybe nothing.” Her words carried a bit of uncertainty. It seemed as if the idea of showing her talent was still taking shape in her mind.
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。
Time flew by and the day of the talent show finally arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The hall fell into silence as she began to perform.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The woman speaking to me at the basketball game looked quite familiar. She said, “Joe? Is that you?”
“Marci?”
“It is you!” she said, smiling widely, “It’s good to see you again!”
It was good to see Marci, too. Off and on during the past tens of years, I’d wondered about her. I almost tried to find her a few years ago, after a friend told me that Marci had been going through a hard time. So running into her at the basketball game was, at the very least, unexpected.
We spent a few minutes catching up on the business of our lives: kids, work, houses, education and hobbies, etc. We played a little “Have you seen...?” and “Did you know..?” And we talked about the old days, both good and bad.
Then Marci grew quiet for a while, looking out over the people moving around. “You know, Joe,” she said, “I’ve always wanted to tell you...how...you know...how sorry I am for the way I treated you.”
I felt a little uncomfortable, remembering how Marci had broken up with me without any warning.
“It’s okay,” I said. “No big deal.” At least, I thought to myself, not anymore.
“But I was such a bad person,” she continued, lowering her head.
Yes, you were, I thought, “We were both pretty young,” I said.
“I know,” she said. “But that’s no excuse for ...” She hesitated (迟疑), and then continued: “I’ve always regretted it, remembering how mean I was to you. And I’ve wanted to tell you that I’m sorry and ask for your forgiveness. So ... I’m sorry.”
The smile on her face was warm and sincere. And there was something in her eyes — it looked a lot like relief (解脱) — that washed away my anger and hate that may have built up within me during the years since she had broken my heart.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右； 2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。“Okay, apology accepted!” I said.
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We all bear wounds that others have caused us.
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I am a proud mother of three children, my last little one being delivered in the middle of this pandemic (疫情). She was born in August and her name is Aida.
Shortly after having Aida, my mother-in-law Ann showed me something she learned from her friend’s mother in an art class she attended weekly, She had showed me how to knit (编织) a scarf.
I spent a lot of time breastfeeding my sweet little girl, so I had some extra time to do something with my hands throughout the day. I enjoyed making the scarf so I purchased tons of yarn (线) since it was winter. I wanted to make scarves for my three children as Christmas gifts.
There was a new family that moved in down the street. The only daughter of the family was Jane, a shy girl, aged 14, the same age of my oldest son David. It seemed that she came from a financially disadvantaged family, for she always wore old clothes. Worse still, in such cold days, she had no more clothes to wear and trembled with cold.
Due to the pandemic, society was thrown into crisis mode. Schools were closed, food supplies and deliveries were suspended and children were stuck at home. In such discouraging time, however, they became good companions, talking and playing at home or around the houses.
It was dreadfully cold this winter. Every time David came back from outside, with red face, he always cried, “Mum, it is freezing outside!” Then, he came over to see whether I finished the scarf. I could tell how impatient he was to wear my scarf sooner! I had to speed the project to satisfy his expectation. But David comforted me by saying he could wait a few days. What a kind and considerate boy he was! Then my great art project finally was accomplished on the morning ahead of Christmas.
注意：1.续写词数应为150词左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语己为你写好。
Paragraph 1: I wrapped the scarf around David’s neck.
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Paragraph 2: Later that day David came back saying Jane also deserved a scarf.
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I wanted to go to a party. Especially it was a beach party. It had been almost the only thing my friends had been talking about for the last couple of weeks. But My mom had said no. The more desperately I pleaded her case, the more forcefully my mother said no. “I don’t care who’s going,” said coldly my mother, “you are not going.” I was heartbroken. This was my best friend’s party.
Sunday dinner came around and my grandmother joined the family for the meal. Gran noticed my depression but didn’t say a word. It was my turn to wash up and Gran said, “Let me help you.” “What’s up?” asked Gran as I dumped the dishes into the foaming water. Gran wiped a plate with a tea towel. “Mom won’t let me go to my best friend’s party.” I said sadly. “Has mom explained why she doesn’t want you to go?” asked Gran. “No.” I replied. “Then for a moment, put yourself in her position.” said Gran. “If you were mom, what would your objections be?”
I hadn’t stopped to think about my mom’s side. “Well,” I answered, “it’s a beach party. Maybe she doesn’t trust us or thinks we’ll get into trouble.”
“Are there going to be any adults there?” asked Gran. “No,” I said, “who wants their parents hanging around when you’re trying to have fun?” “Might it just be,” said Gran, “your mother doesn’t want anything unfortunate to happen to you.”“Nothing will happen.” I objected. “Maybe you’re right,” said Gran, “but maybe mom’s worried in case it could.”
Gran looked at me gently, seeming to expect my agreement. For a minute or so, I kept silent, pondering for a while about my eagerness for the party. “Maybe, you are right, however, is there no hope?” I inquired. “Not necessarily.” answered Gran, lost in thought.
Paragraph 1: “Then maybe think of a compromise.” suggested Gran.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: The long-awaited beach party finally came.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was a child growing up in the Netherlands, I often begged my mother to tell me this story about an experience her family had at the end of World War II.
During the terrible last winter of the German occupation, food was scarce in the Netherlands. People were so hungry that they began to eat small animals and many things not normally considered edible (可食用的), including tulip bulbs (郁金香球茎), which could be cooked like potatoes.
For centuries, my mother’s family had owned a highly successful tulip business, which provided jobs for many in our village. But the war shut their business down, and during the winter of hunger, my grandfather, Albert, donated all his tulip bulbs to feed the hungriest villagers. For years, Albert had been trying to grow a black tulip. By careful selection, he was very close. So he guarded these few bulbs carefully to prevent people from stealing them for food.
One day, it was announced that the war was over. But there was much destruction and the Dutch people still faced dangers. My grandfather looked at his pale, thin children and realized that the hunger could continue for a long time, so he made his decision. He seized a shovel (铁铲) and went into the garden. There he found my mother, Vivian, who was just seven years old, looking nervous. Over her shoulder, Albert saw a band of Germans coming toward them down the street. He whispered to Vivian to run inside the house and began digging for his bulbs. But it was too late. Someone had already stolen them. Angry and desperate, Albert ran toward the street screaming, “They have stolen my tulip bulbs!” Vivian, watching from the doorway, cried out and ran to stop her father. Before she could reach him, Albert stumbled and fell, badly hurting his leg.
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。
Fortunately, Albert recovered slowly.
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It took some time for Albert to rebuild his business, starting with those few bulbs that were spared by the thieves.
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