“Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I’ve been saving up for the past month and I’m going to buy my mother a lipstick she loves,” Cherry, my friend, said on the way home from school. “See you tomorrow!”
We waved goodbye as she went into a gift shop. But her excitement reminded me that I hadn’t prepared anything special for my mother yet. I continued walking along the road, carefully thinking about what gift I should choose. I had planned to buy her some flowers and chocolates. Now, compared with my friend’s lipstick, they seemed to be too simple.
“Maybe I should go to the gift shop, too.” I told myself.
I pushed open the door to a nearby shop and tried to find a perfect gift. I picked up a lipstick but immediately put it back after seeing its price. I could never afford that! Then I walked into another shop and saw a very lovely cup.
“It’d be a wonderful gift and Mum would love it!” I thought.
I picked it up and turned it over to see the price, hoping it was not too expensive. Once again, I couldn’t afford it. Feeling sad, I continued to wander around the shops until darkness fell outside. Eventually, I gave up and went home. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the good smell from the kitchen.
“Mum, I am home!” I pretended to be cheerful.
Mom turned around and kissed me lightly on the cheeks, saying, “Dinner is almost ready. Today, I happened to be able to come home a little bit earlier. I have made some of the snacks you loved when you were a kid. I really missed the happy time we spent together!”
注意: 1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Just then and there, I had a good idea.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Early in the morning, I was woken up by the gentle knocks on my door.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The newfound team, now officially known as the Wildcats, started their basketball journey with a mix of eagerness and anxiety. The community center’s basketball court became their arena (竞技场), a place where failures were just stepping stones to success, and every dribble (运球), pass, and shot was a lesson in disguise.
Under Mr. Jordan’s guidance, practices became more than just learning how to play basketball; they were about discovering the strengths within and the power of unity. He had an approach to seeing the potential in every player.
One afternoon, as the team gathered around Mr. Jordan, he introduced a new drill that focused on passing and communication. “Basketball is a language,” he explained. “If you can’t communicate, you can’t win. This drill will help you understand each other without words. ”
The drill was a disaster at first. Passes went wrong, and frustration mounted. Jasmine’s quick passes were too swift for Mia, and Lucas’s attempts at humor during the drill only led to more confusion. Eli, ever the observer, noticed the tension and suggested a simple system of hand signals they had discussed in a previous practice. Gradually, the team began to find their rhythm, learning to anticipate each other’s moves and communicate more effectively.
It wasn’t just basketball skills that the Wildcats were developing; it was a sense of belonging and trust in one another. Each practice ended with a team gathering, where Mr. Jordan shared stories from his coaching days, emphasizing the lessons learned from losses more than wins.
注意：(1)续写词数应为150左右；(2)开头已给出。Paragraph 1: Soon came their first real game against a more experienced team.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: The second half saw a different Wildcats team.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I didn’t like Del so much. He always called me the nickname “Germy”, which meant “dirty”, instead of my real name “Jamie”. Besides, he was known as a trouble-maker in school. So when the head teacher Mr. Smith asked Del to come to his office, I naturally thought that Del had done something mean to someone. Through the window, I caught sight of a smaller boy crying. Del seemed unhappy, too.
He did not return to class that day. All of us were discussing what had happened to him. What else could such an annoying boy do? “He must have hit the boy and was sent home,” I whispered to my friends. Their eyes widened. It felt good to see them so interested in what I said.
The next morning, the whole school was talking about Del being expelled(开除) for beating up a kid. I was surprised that my assumptions were passed on so quickly. So when Del walked into the classroom, all the kids were shocked. The kids next to him shift ed their desks away. “What’s your problem?” Del asked. “I don’t want you to attack me,” one kid said. Some laughed. “Yeah, I might,” said Del. I could tell he was joking, but many kids thought he admitted he did beat up someone.
During recess(课间休息), Del tried to join the kickball game. “Neither team wants you,” one of the players said. “Why?” Del asked, looking confused. “I always play with you guys.” They ignored him and went on playing. Del sat by himself while the rest of the school enjoyed their recess away from him. Del looked lonely and sad, much different from before. I started to feel sorry for him.
Later that day, I learned what really happened. The kid was Del’s little brother and he was crying because their mother fell ill and was sent to hospital. I felt even sorrier for what I said before. I started a rumor(谣言).
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 recess the next day, I saw Del sitting alone watching the kickball game.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now that Del had forgiven me, I decided to do more before the recess was over.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I was an average student in my early elementary years. I came home with a steady flow of B’s, C’s and the occasional F’s in second language subjects. I was told that I wasn’t applying myself and, as every report card I ever brought home clearly stated, I talked too much.
I didn’t write when I was supposed to write. I talked to others while the teacher was giving instructions. That I could recite what she had said to the class while I was talking was not helpful because I had a negative effect on my classmates’ learning. So I regularly brought home disappointing report cards.
My parents and my teachers didn’t know what to do with me. Punishments didn’t seem to work. Rewards didn’t seem to either. And, frankly, I don’t think I knew what I could do to “apply myself”. And I certainly didn’t know how to not enjoy talking with my classmates! What I knew was that I talked too much. Until grade 5.
That autumn, we had a sudden change in teachers as our elderly teacher took a medical leave. In his place, a young substitute (代课老师) arrived — Mrs Royal. She looked like she was freshly out of university and seemed too young to be cast in the role of being responsible for a class of tween, but there she was, charged with a lively group, and me.
I don’t remember many details of that year except the afternoon when I got my first report card from her. She handed out the report cards right after the afternoon break and invited us to look them over. Then she let us know that we could all talk quietly amongst ourselves while she called each student up one at a time, in alphabetical order (按字母顺序), to discuss our report cards with her.
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。
I looked over my report card, expecting the usual result.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then it was my turn to talk with her.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the shrill (尖锐的) ring of the phone echoed (回响) through the living room, Jane was still sleeping. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was already nine o’clock! Though still sleepy, Jane knew she had to get up because her mother had been working in her office day and night for several days and she couldn’t expect her younger brother Tom, who was sleeping like a pig, to answer the phone. She quickly put on a coat and dashed into the living room. As she picked up the receiver, on the other end came the warm greeting, “Good morning, my dear!”
It was the voice of her father, a sea man who seldom returned home due to his duties earning money to support the family. On hearing her father’s voice, Jane’s sleepiness disappeared.
Born in a not-so-rich family, Jane and Tom felt the stress of life, but they were happy to enjoy the family atmosphere. At school, they were straight-A students and took part in various after-school activities, earning the pride of their loved ones.
“Good morning, Dad. Why are you calling so early on a weekend?” Jane inquired, pretending to be slightly annoyed. “Tom and I have been very nice recently.” “My dear, today is your mother’s birthday. I have ordered a cake online and it will arrive at our doorstep in the late afternoon. Do remember to take the cake. It is my surprise for your mother.”
Upon hearing her father’s words, Jane felt a twinge of embarrassment. How could she have forgotten such an important day!
While chatting with her father, Jane’s gaze (凝视) wandered around the room and saw a lot of dirty clothes scattered (散落) on the sofa. The floor hadn’t been cleaned for a few days since her mother had been too busy with work this week to attend to such domestic matters.
Glancing at the clock again, Jane realized she still had enough time to prepare a surprise for her mother.
“Well, Dad, now I’m going to wake Tom up. We will give Mum a surprise, too!” Jane said and hung up the telephone.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Jane hurried to Tom’s room and shared her plan with him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
“Happy birthday, Mum!” Jane and Tom shouted when their mother opened the door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jessica wasn’t doing well enough at school, or at least she wasn’t satisfied with herself. She wished she could do better.
“Let’s review the material we learned in the last unit,” the history teacher said. “Who can tell us what caused the War of 1812?” Jessica sat at her desk, staring ahead. She hoped the teacher wouldn’t call her name. They hadn’t studied the War of 1812 at her old school and she didn’t know the answer.
“Alison?” the teacher asked instead. Oh, perfect, Jessica thought. Of course Alison would have the answer. She seemed to have all the answers. Alison was the most popular girl in school-always surrounded by millions of best friends. She was like a brilliant sun.
Jessica hadn’t made one or two friends of her own so far. Her old school was small and low-key, but a shy person Jessica had a chance there, who always stood out among peers in study and play. This new school, however, seemed as big as an airport to Jessica, and it seemed very hard to get around in it. She still got lost sometimes in the school.
Jessica frowned (皱眉) as Alison answered the teacher’s question. Alison probably never got lost, Jessica thought to herself. You could probably put Alison down in the middle of a desert, and within five minutes she’d be able to tell you the best way to get home.
History class finally ended, and Jessica headed for the gym. The class had been playing basketball. Alison, who was as tall and thin and attractive as a tree, was very good at it. Beside her, Jessica felt like a very small and foolish ant. Today, however, the gym teacher pointed to a thick rope hanging from the ceiling and said, “Everybody! You’re going to climb this rope today.”
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。
Hearing the teacher's words, Jessica smiled.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jessica stepped forward and got close to the rope.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a small town located in the mountains, there was a young boy named Owen. He was crazy about basketball more than anything else in the world. He would spend hours every day practicing his dribbling (运球), shooting and passing. He dreamed of one day winning games on a team.
Owen’s town had a small basketball court that was often empty. Owen would go there every day after school to practice. One day, as he was shooting hoops (投篮), he heard a voice behind him, “Hey, kid! You’re pretty good!”
Owen turned around to see a tall man with a friendly smile. The man introduced himself as Coach Johnson and asked Owen if he wanted to join his basketball team. The team was made up of kids from all over the town, and they practiced every day after school.
Owen was overjoyed because he had never played on a team before. He wanted to start and win games. Owen quickly became the star player of the team.
However, the team never won a game. “I had trained so hard and performed excellently, but we were always losing! Jack should have run much faster towards me and Kris should have passed the ball to me!” Owen kept complaining to the coach.
The complaint seemed understandable! Owen was admired by his teammates because he was fast and had incredible shots. However, Johnson knew Owen lacked something important. He told Owen to learn to play with his teammates as a team instead of just focusing on himself. Owen didn’t quite understand that at first and insisted he just needed to practice harder to win games.
However, disaster struck. Owen injured his ankle one day and had to sit out for several weeks, which let him fall into anxiety. He felt his dream was slipping away.
During his recovery at home, Owen refused to see anyone on the team, except his coach. Johnson handed Owen a phone downloaded with some videos about the best basketball teams and some cards from Owen’s teammates.
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。
Owen couldn’t wait to watch those videos.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After recovering, Owen returned to his team as a changed player.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In 2019, an unattractive package arrived at my front door. Inside was a 2-by-4-foot scrapbook (剪贴簿) filled with candy wrappers over 70 years old. It was sent by Jeffrey S. Green, who was a famous candy company’s vice president. After the company closed down, the scrapbook traveled 2,950 miles to La Verne, California, to the farm my family and I call home.
I’m the founder of the online website “Roadside Attraction: Candy Wrapper Museum”, where I share my 50-year collection of little slips of paper, designed to be tom and thrown away. Why? Because these small objects serve as time machines, opening an emotional door to the past.
I was 15 years old when I started collecting candy wrappers, inspired by friends with cool collections like beer bottles from around the world. Some of their collections are classified either by size and color as well as sports or people. Inspired by these novel collections, I wanted to start one of my own, but of what? I usually spent my few coins on candy at the candy shop. The candy shelves were a wonderland of tasty treats with colorful wrappers in different themes, all shouting: Pick me! Big Bears, Milk Duds, Jujyfruits, Choco’Lite, Lemonhead… How could a girl decide?
Then inspiration struck. Instead of throwing away those wrappers, I would save them. I would create a Candy Wrapper Museum. I hoped that the wrappers would one day be enjoyed as art, nostalgia (怀旧) and humor. It was 1977 when I was a teenager. An idea struck me: I would collect these wrappers throughout my lifetime, then open up the museum as a roadside attraction in my old age. I chose my first pieces, Nice Mice and Cinnamon Teddy Bears, and so began this journey.
My family were the first to leave the candy wrappers to me. Then the relatives. My friends caught the spirit of fun and donated pieces. Collecting became an affordable, novel way to explore the world around me, one that could turn even an ordinary shopping trip into a treasure hunt.
In 2002, inspiration struck again. Why wait until retirement? Why not open the museum right now on the internet, the ultimate “superhighway”?
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。
Building the online museum was a massive six-month, one-person project.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the museum was launched, I doubted whether anyone would be interested.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________16-year-old Lisa hated looking at herself in the mirror. She was not comfortable in her own skin and feared people would label her “ugly” after seeing the burn scar on her face. It hurt her every time she had to recall that tragedy where her face was badly burned in a big fire. She enjoyed being alone, lost in books and melodies on her guitar. Shortly after Lisa’s 15th birthday, Chris, Lisa’s father, was stricken by a severe illness and lost his ability to walk. However, Chris managed to provide for the family. He sent his daughters to school and did everything possible to improve their lives. But their difficulties never ceased, mainly after he had to spend much on his mother’s heart treatment. It appeared as though fate had only terrible plans for this family.
Lisa knew everything, and she couldn’t bear to watch her daddy struggling so much. She wanted to help relieve her family’s burden. “What can I do to improve our lives?” Lisa lost in deep thought. One day, a leaflet promoting a local music contest landed on Lisa’s foot. Lisa’s eyes sparkled with hope when she read it and saw that the cash prize was $25,000.
Lisa secretly registered for the music contest. Over the years, she had been passionate about music, skilled at playing the guitar and mastering numerous musical pieces. Now, she needed to compose an original song, sing it and accompany it with her guitar. Lisa locked herself in her room in her spare time, preparing for the contest. In her original composition, she illustrated the joyful moments spent with her family, and she emphasized her heart felt gratitude for her father’s contribution to the entire household. Her lyrics over-flowed with genuine emotion. She tirelessly worked on the song, determined to perfect her performance. With the date for the contest approaching, Lisa spent more time on her preparations. She seemed no longer afraid to look at herself in the mirror. She often stood in front of the mirror, practiced her song and imagined her performance on the stage. Hopefully, she thought she would give her father a big surprise.
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 big day arrived, and Lisa was nervous.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Despite not winning the contest, Lisa’s performance impressed many audiences, including a musician.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As I went home, my heart was filled with excitement. I had earned a perfect score of 100 on my math test! Mom had promised that a big cream cake would be my reward for such a performance. Bursting through the door, I couldn’t wait to share my great news.
“Mom, Mom!” I waved the test paper. “I did it! I got a perfect score!”Mom’s face beamed (发光) with pride as she took the test paper. To my surprise, her expression darkened, but she quickly regained her smile. With a gentle smile, she said, “Oh, that’s wonderful, honey! I’m so proud of you.” “Can we get the cake now?” I asked eagerly. “Of course,” Mom said. “I’ll just go to the store and pick one up.”
As Mom left, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I switched on the TV, watching my favorite cartoons. Time seemed to fly by as I eagerly awaited Mom’s return. When she finally arrived, we divided the cake, enjoying every bite. The sweet cream melted (融化) in our mouths. It was so delicious.
The following day in class, as we exchanged answers with classmates, I noticed something was wrong between my paper and the answer key. Puzzled, I went to Miss Johnson after class. “Excuse me, Miss Johnson,” I said. “I think there might be a mistake. My answer to question number 15 doesn’t match the answer key.”
Miss Johnson took my test paper and examined it carefully. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, my goodness, you’re right!” she said. Miss Johnson compared my answer with the correct answer key and discovered that I had made an error on question number 15. My actual score was 95. A wave of embarrassment washed over me. “I’m so sorry, Miss Johnson,” I lowered my head. “I didn’t realize that I had made a mistake.” Miss Johnson smiled gently. “Don’t worry about it, honey. Mistakes happen.”
Though Miss Johnson decided that she wouldn’t change my grade, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should tell Mom the truth.
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。
Later that evening, as I got home, Mom was preparing dinner.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________To my surprise, Mom burst out laughing, saying, “Oh, honey, I already knew that.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
