“Oh, I must have forgotten my wallet at home. I’m so sorry. I’ll have to come back for these things later,” Mary said to the cashier, who started picking up the items and putting them back. Meanwhile, Mary prepared to walk away when the boy behind her in line spoke up.
“Wait, ma’ am. I’ll pay for them,” he said. He couldn’t be older than 12, and Mary noticed that he didn’t look particularly well-off.
“Oh, no. I couldn’t put you out like that,” Mary said.
“Sometimes, we have to do good things. That’s what my grandmother says all the time,” the boy said, paying for everything that Mary had picked out. Luckily, it was only a few essentials.
“Hey, I’m Mary Cummings. What’s your name?” she said conversationally.
“I’m Mark.”
“Thank you so much for what you did, Mark. It saved me a trip to the store. How about giving me your phone number so I can pay you back as soon as I get my wallet,” Mary suggested, and the kid wrote down his number on the receipt.
“Although I also believe in paying it forward like you and your grandma, we have to pay off our debts,” Mary said, and they said goodbye.
She got home and told her daughter, Anastacia, about the experience. “It was nice to see a young man being so kind,” Mary finished her story.
Mary called the kid to return the money the following day.
“Hello, Mrs. Cummings,” Mark said upon opening the front door. “I would invite you in, but I’m not supposed to have anyone over. My grandma would be mad.”
“Oh, where is she? Maybe, we can come later to meet her.” Anastacia added happily.
“She’s actually at the hospital and won’t get out for a while,” Mark explained with a frown (皱眉). Mary and Anastacia wanted to know more, so he continued. “She needs a huge surgery, and I started a GoFundMe, but it’s not that popular.”
“Oh, sweetie. You shouldn’t have to do that on your own,” Anastacia said, concerned.
“We don’t have anyone else. It’s only us,” Mark shrugged (耸肩).
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Mary and Anastacia looked at each other and came to a wordless decision.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Anastacia started writing everything that happened between Mary and Mark.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the quiet community nestled by the twinkling lake, a unique tradition has taken root, bringing unexpected joy to the residents. The heart of this tradition is a young girl named Emily, whose beauty and kindness have made her a beloved figure among the locals. Emily’s hobby is as colorful and vibrant as her personality: she paints rocks and hides them around the lake for walkers to discover.
Emily’s painted rocks are more than just simple stones; they are miniature works of art. Each rock she selects is carefully cleaned and then transformed into something magical. Some are adorned with complicated patterns, others with creative creatures or inspiring quotes. The vibrant colors and detailed designs make each rock a treasure in its own right.
On a sunny morning, you might find Emily sitting by the lake, her art supplies spread out on a blanket. She often gets lost in her work, her brush moving gracefully over the smooth surfaces of the stones. Her fingers, stained with a rainbow of hues, move with the grace and precision of a seasoned artist. It’s during these moments that Emily feels most at peace, connected to nature and her community through her art.
The residents have come to cherish these painted rocks, seeing them as symbols of hope and happiness. It has become a local pastime to stroll around the lake, eyes scanning the ground for a glimpse of color that signals a new discovery. The joy of finding one of Emily’s rocks is indescribable; it’s as if you’ve stumbled upon a hidden piece of her heart.
One day, Mrs. Thompson, an elderly woman who lives alone, found a rock painted with a sunflower on her usual morning walk. The bright yellow petals seemed to radiate warmth, and a smile spread across her face. She carried the rock home, placing it on her windowsill where it could catch the sunlight. For Mrs. Thompson, that small piece of art brought a sense of companionship and light into her home.
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。
Children are especially enchanted by Emily’s creations.
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Emily’s generosity does not go unnoticed.
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Colin often took his 6-year-old son Ethan to the park in the evenings. While Ethan played with his friends, Colin would sit on a bench watching him. But one day was different.
Colin was buried in his thoughts about his childhood. He was an orphan（孤儿）and was adopted by a couple, Jane and Robert, who took him in as a baby and loved him more than anything in the world. However, tragedy struck when Jane died of a heart attack and he had to go back to the orphanage. Robert assured Colin he'd take him back. But that day never came. In fact, Robert vanished and never came back looking for him. As a child, Colin never understood why Robert lied to him and abandoned him at the orphanage. But he was soon adopted by a new family and managed to lead a normal childhood.
Several years passed,and Colin had a family of his own. However, his past would still bite him, as it did that day in the park. “I will never abandon Ethan. I will never do what Robert did to me!” Colin vowed to himself while still deep in thought.
Suddenly, Ethan came running up to him. “Daddy, daddy! Someone needs help! A man is crying there,” he cried, interrupting Colin's thoughts.
“Huh ... where?” Colin inquired, taken aback by the abrupt distraction.
“There, Daddy!” Ethan said, pointing to a nearby bench where an older man was crying and wiping his tears. “We should help him, daddy!”
Colin nodded and approached the man. “Excuse me, sir,” he said. “Can I help you with something?” The man looked up, and Colin saw his eyes were swollen and red from all the sobbing.
“Can you fetch me some water, son?” he pleaded, his voice shaking. “Sure, sir, no problem,” Colin replied and walked to a local shop to buy a bottle of water for him.
After returning, Colin took a seat next to him. “If talking makes you feel better,just bring it on ... I'm all ears.”
“Thank you,” the older man replied and began to tell his story about his long-lost son.
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。
Colin couldn't fight back his tears as he heard the older man's story.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Before Robert could finish, Colin wrapped his arms around him.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I went out one early November morning last year to walk the dogs, a break from caring for my husband, Dale. Some neighbors were passing by with their dogs too. I told them how weak Dale was. Even though he was finally home from the hospital after suffering two strokes and a heart attack, his breathing still labored from his initial Covid infection in September. I looked down our street, at the homes that would soon be lit in a communal holiday display, and pushed away the thought that this Christmas might be Dale’s last. “We’ll have to skip lighting up this year,” I said. “Dale’s all that matters, and I need to get these dogs walked so I can get back to him.” The couple offered to take care of our Christmas lights, but I turned their offer down because it was just too big a job.
We usually went all out, cleaning the house, wrapping the tree, lining the yard and driveway with candy canes. It was a full day’s work for Dale and me. Actually, Christmas was the reason we’d moved to Ashby Avenue in one of Des Moines’ must- see holiday neighborhoods. For the entire month of December, cars paraded down the streets from 6 to 10 pm. Carolers (唱诗班) and community groups filled the sidewalks. The whole neighborhood took on a festive air. I’d always dreamed of being part of it, and when Dale and I heard the news that there was a house going on the market three years ago, we jumped at the chance.
I returned with the dogs as fast as I could, in the meantime, feeling sad that we wouldn’t be able to celebrate Christmas as we used to do. Dale was lying on the bed awake, his eyes staring out of the window. I helped him sit up. He wasn’t able to talk much, but we only grew closer in our quiet time together.
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 phone rang a few days after I’d run into the fellow dog- walkers.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On the night of Christmas Eve, I pressed the switch to light up the house.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ms. Freebody liked her job as a teacher. She paid attention to every pupil of hers and special attention to kids who needed extra care, like Tammy Harper.
Tammy belonged to a poor family, and he was hard-working but failed in all subjects. To her shock, one day, Freebody saw Tammy doing something strange. He was picking up several dollar bills fallen off the floor and stuffing them back into his locker (锁柜). The teacher’s heart sank. “Where did he get all that money?” was the first question that crossed her worried mind.
The whole school knew Tammy came from a humble background, so the money certainly wasn’t something he got from home. Besides, the boy was so poor that he couldn’t even afford new clothes and shoes. “Oh dear, this child…” Freebody’s heart shuddered (发抖) to think where Tammy could’ve gotten all that money. She couldn’t just turn a blind eye to it as she cared about him. He was a little boy, after all.
Forcing a smile on her face, she decided to approach him. He was busy picking up the bills, so she gave him a helping hand, and he seemed terrified. “Ms. Freebody...You...This is my money!” he said, and Freebody didn’t say anything. She picked up the last of the fallen bills, folded her arms across her chest, and then spoke, “And would you mind telling me where you got them, child?”
Freebody noticed the tears welling up in Tammy’s eyes. “Can... Can you please give me that money back, Ms. Freebody? I …I need it. Please?”
“There you go,” she said, extending the bills to him, and he quickly stuffed them in his looker. Then he said a small “thank you”.
But Freebody wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. “Where did you get that money, Tummy? Are you in any trouble? Did someone force you to get into the wrong kind of things…like stealing?”
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… My younger sister Miley wants to go to school,” Tammy whispered.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hearing that, Freebody said, “Take me to your home. I’ll talk to your dad.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Looking back on my childhood, I am constantly disturbed by a broken blue and white porcelain (青花瓷) bowl, which was from China and handed down from my grandfather’s parents. It was placed high on a wood shelf in the living room and appreciated by all the guests visiting my home. At that time, I rushed to do everything: I was looking forward to growing up, graduating, and showing off everything I knew with all my friends. But my dear grandfather always reminded me: “Garrett, do not show off. You’ll need plenty of patience and modesty, and that is the way to growth.”
Knowing I loved the bowl very much, my grandpa decided to give it to me. But my mother, a lady who worked as a nurse, caring for patients at night, protested. She was afraid I would break it if I showed off. So finally it was still kept on the high shelf, out of my reach.
Soon, it was time for me to enter the new school. Refusing to be sent to school, I rode my new bike to school every day on the winding and tough road. Once I fell over at the bend of the road, but I was happy when my new bike became the envy of my classmates. However, Crawley, one of my classmates, a well-to-do fellow, whose way of impressing others was to parade his possessions before us. His bike was newer; his boots were of the best hide. Actually, what he had was better than ours. until one day he brought a beautiful glass bowl. He said the bowl was from London, absolutely the finest one we had seen.
“I have a blue and white porcelain bowl from China, which is definitely the oldest and finest one that you have ever seen!” I announced. “Yeah? ” said the boy. “Well, show it to us.”
“I will bring it tomorrow morning! And then you will see how beautiful it is!” After school, I rushed home as quickly as possible and waited for Mother to go to work.
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: Immediately Mother left home, I wondered how I could take the bowl down.
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Paragraph 2: 1 eagerly awaited the arrival of my classmates, ready to show off the precious bowl.
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Cooper looked at his mom in disbelief. She was wearing his video game headset and staring at the TV screen. There was a vein in the side of her neck that he had never noticed before. It was pulsing. And the most terrifying was what he heard from her.
“Yesss!” she hissed proudly. “I got the emerald sword! I’m coming for you, Dunder Dragon!”
“Dunder Dragon? Mom, when do you know Dunder Dragon? And who are you talking to?” His brain was full of questions. However, his mother just ignored him, playing as if he hadn’t even spoken.
Cooper backed away from the disturbing scene in the living room. “Daaaad!” he called, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. He walked into the kitchen and stopped dead. The screen of his dad’s phone showed Candy Crunch.
“What are you doing, Dad?” Cooper whispered.
“I don’t know how to tell you this dude, but your old man is pretty OP at this game.”
Dude? OP? Cooper leaned back against the wall, afraid that he might sink to the ground without its support. He looked around the room desperately. His eyes landed on a bright yellow leaflet, which read: Feeling disconnected from your kids? Sick of losing them to screens? Cyber-Parent has the answer. Order your solution on our website today.
He tore down the leaflet and peered into the living room. His mom was working the controller violently while boasting about killing the Dunder Dragon. As her thumbs flicked the buttons, he noticed a bright yellow band on her wrist. His dad also wore one.
Cooper raced to his computer and typed in the Cyber-Parent website. He now knew why his parents were acting so strangely, but he didn’t know how to fix it. Would removing the wristbands be enough? And what if his parents didn’t want to take them off? He returned to the homepage and saw a tab “Taking care of your wristband”. He clicked it and scrolled down until he read “Never expose your wristband to water”.
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。
Cooper said to himself, “I need to wet the wristbands.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later, Copper’s parents woke up, confused about the controllers and headsets in their hands.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bonnie raised her granddaughter alone after the girl’s parents died. She hated her granddaughter’s art and wanted her to stop drawing. But everything changed when Mr. Henderson, a famous cartoonist, appeared at her doorstep.
One day, Bonnie called out to Amy as she took the chicken out. “Dinner is ready, honey! Come soon!” But Amy didn’t answer.
Bonnie finished setting the table and served them dinner, but she still didn’t hear a response from Amy. “Amy? Honey, your dinner is getting cold! Are you coming?” she asked her 10-year-old granddaughter again.
When Amy didn’t respond, Bonnie climbed the stairs to the girl’s room and pushed the door open. Amy sat at her desk, with her headphones on. At first, Bonnie thought Amy was studying, but then she noticed the drawing sheet on the table in front of Amy. Bonnie frowned (皱眉) in anger.
“Amy!” Bonnie screamed, and the girl turned around and removed her headphones.
“Granny? I… I was just…” Amy said.
Bonnie stormed up to Amy’s desk, and the little girl tried to cover the drawing, but it was too late.
“Did you finish your math homework, little girl? Mrs. Warren called me today. And she told me you’ve been ignoring her assignments!” Bonnie said angrily.
“I’ll finish the homework,” Amy said. “I was planning on doing it once I finished the sketch (素描) I was working on, Granny.”
“I’m tired of that hobby of yours, Amy! You’re no longer doing those drawings!” Bonnie went on. “Those things you draw are not going to help you in the future! You finish your dinner, and then you’ll be doing your homework. You’re not leaving the house to play with your friends until you finish your homework. Am I clear?” Bonnie said and stormed out of Amy’s room.
Minutes later, Amy walked into the kitchen and quietly sat at the table. They began eating dinner in silence. Bonnie was already in a terrible mood, so she didn’t ask about Amy’s day like she usually did. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
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。
Amy answered the door and was surprised to see Mr. Henderson.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bonnie hesitated for a long time and decided to ask Mrs. Warren for advice.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Five years ago, a homeless kitten wandered in a park, its fur matted and eyes wide with fear. Hunger bit its tiny body. Accidentally, a kind-hearted woman Shelley Hall spotted the trembling ball of fur and felt a tug at her heartstrings. Approaching slowly, she extended a gentle hand, offering food and warmth. Feeling Shelley’s kindness, the kitten accepted her food and home offer. At home, Shelley named the kitten Sophie. In the warmth of Shelley’s care, Sophie transformed from a scared wanderer to a beloved companion, seeking out affection and purring contentedly in her arms.
For the past two years, Shelley would go for daily walks in the woods with a cat carrier attached to her back and Sophie would peer out. “I tell her that her job is to bring joy - and she does,” Shelley said, recalling how her cat would greet the people they passed. “She’s very sweet and social.”
Sophie was also very confident, until that day last summer when the cat jumped out of her carrier and an energetic dog chased her away. Shelley searched for Sophie all day, but the cat didn’t come back.
“It was the worst day of my life,” Shelley said. She found herself experiencing the worst weeks of her life. After putting up posters, posting on social media, and searching the 565 acres of forest surrounding Royal Roads University every day from dusk until dawn, there was no sign of Sophie. “It is like she vanished into thin air,” Shelley said. “It does get harder and harder to believe that you are going to find her.” But then a former neighbour, Marilyn Hanner, stepped up to help. “There’s nothing to think about,” Marilyn said after being asked why she joined the daily search for Sophie. “You have an animal in danger, you jump in.” Marilyn and her husband also bought four trail cameras to set up around the forest. “If you have the means, why wouldn’t you?” Marilyn 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。
As weeks turned to months, the cameras captured countless other creatures—from slugs(鼻涕虫)to a cougar(美洲狮).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Sophie and Shelley were reunited after being apart for more than three months.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Shelley was a city girl. Her dad would never take his car off a paved road, and her mom would never stay anywhere except in a luxury hotel. Then her class teacher, Ms. McKay, announced they were going on a hiking trip. When they finally got to their campsite, Ms. McKay called the students together. “When you have set up your tents, I want you to explore the woods near camp. Don’t wander too far away. I want you to look closely at what you see. Let yourselves discover the colors, the shapes, the shades, the tones, and the movements.”
Shelley looked up at the trees. Hey, the leaves weren’t all green. Each one was a different shade of green — light green, dark green, yellow-green, blue-green — and they were different sizes and shapes, and moved differently in the breeze (微风). The tree trunks weren’t brown. They were gray and brown, and black and green. Some had smooth bar k over which you could run your hand, while others were too rough or cracked. One tall tree had a hollow (中空) trunk just big enough for a teenage girl to hide in. So she slipped inside. There was something peaceful about her tree-trunk hideaway and she didn’t want to leave her beetle.
Later, Ms. McKay asked them to be aware of the smells around them. The wood s smelled... damp, fresh, clean, fragrant... and definitely green. She would crush some different leaves between her fingers as she walked, letting the pleasant smell toward her nose.
After supper, Ms. McKay asked everyone to quietly sit around the campfire, close their eyes if they wished, and listen to the sounds of the forest. The crackle (噼噼啪啪声) of the fire sounded friendly and warming. The breeze blew the leaves of the trees. Strange, thought Shelley, how she had not noticed it before. Now it seemed overwhelmingly present. Several sort of birds were calling. Despite all the sounds she still thought of it as silence... and it felt good to listen.
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。
“Let us also be aware of our sense of touch,” said Ms. McKay.
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Being a city girl, Shelley surprised herself when she got back home.
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