“MEATLOAF AGAIN?” I stared at the plate with a feeling of disappointment.
My mom knew how to make seven meals. That was all. She kept all seven recipes labeled with a day of the week. That day was Meatloaf Monday. Again.
“It’s just, it had been Tuna Tuesdays and Spaghetti Saturdays for, like, my entire life. Not every meal had to start with the same letter as a day of the week.”
My mom’s eyes flashed. But she said nothing. I knew she didn’t consider learning new recipes due to her overwhelming stress.
The next day I was sitting next to Tania, whose dad was the best cook, in our school’s brand- new- since- six- months- ago kitchen classroom. Everything— the tables, the stove, the pots and pans—— shone and sparkled. I was about to ask Tania about a new recipe, but Mr. Bruin, our teacher, interrupted.
“I’ve got exciting news,” he said. Exciting news? The class stopped talking and looked expectantly at Mr. Bruin. “To finish off our unit on kitchen skills, we were having a competition where you didn’t have a recipe and you had to make something with whatever ingredients the judges gave you.” An eager murmur traveled through the class. “You’ve learned a lot this term— accurate measuring, food prep, cooking techniques. Just add some creativity to the mix.”
“Will there be prizes?” asked Samantha.
“Absolutely! And the first-place prize was the newest book in the Cave of the Dragons series,” said Mr. Bruin, holding up a copy for everyone to see.
The class erupted into squeals and cheers. Cave of the Dragons was the best book series ever! It had been sold out everywhere. During the break, all anyone could talk about was the cooking competition .“I’m totally going to win,” said Tania. “Genes, like, cooking was in my DNA.” And if there was some sort of cooking gene, my mom definitely didn’t have it. So, if I wanted to win, I needed to practise and innovate.
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:
After school, I told my mom my plan.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
The day of the competition arrived, and the kitchen classroom was filled with activity.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.简述该环境问题的现状；
2.分析该环境问题的成因；
3.解决该环境问题的措施；
4.恰当结尾。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.开头语已为你写好。
Nowadays our environment problems are becoming more and more serious.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Kerry and Tyler were orphans (孤儿). They met each other after college and got married. Unfortunately, after they had a baby daughter, Tyler lost his legs in an accident. Money became so tight. Since the pregnancy, Kerry had quit her job. Now, she had to go back to work. And Tyler tried to take care of the baby.
Kerry found a job at a restaurant. One colleague, Jane, became Kerry’s good friend. She was a cheerful old woman and often joined Kerry’s family for Sunday lunch at their home. One Sunday, after they finished lunch, they began chatting. Kerry said, “I want to buy a stroller (婴儿手推车)，but it’s so expensive.” “Yes, it’ll cost you much if you buy a brand-new one. But my neighbor’s daughter bought a pretty stroller at a flea market just for $50. How about going to such a market together next weekend?” said Jane. Kerry nodded happily.
During the following days, Jane thought about how she could help Kerry’s family. Then she made a big decision: to leave much of her wealth obtained throughout the years to Kerry. But she was afraid that Kerry wouldn’t accept it. Then one night, Jane secretly went to House 8, an abandoned house on Third Avenue, and buried her wealth under the apple tree there.
After returning home, she wrote a letter. It read, “If you’re reading this, you’re probably a struggling young mom like I was. I had a beautiful daughter. But she died young and my husband didn’t survive the loss. She would be your age if she were alive. I hope you are happy, my dear. I can bring some positive changes to your life. Go to House 8 on Third Avenue and look for an apple tree, and you’ll have some surprises. You needn’t know who I am. I’ll soon leave this city and move to my hometown to spend the rest of my life alone.”
The next weekend, Jane and Kerry went to the flea market (跳蚤市场). And Kerry found a lovely old stroller. When Jane helped check it, she secretly put the letter in the stroller.
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。
Kerry paid for the stroller and wheeled it home happily.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Knowing Jane had helped her, Kerry decided to thank her.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On a Friday evening in December, two weeks before Christmas, I lost my job. I hadn’t seen it coming. I was excited for the weekend, when my daughter, Kristil, then 12, and I planned to get our Christmas tree. Then I listened to my voicemail: “We’re sorry but your work assignment has ended as of today.” My heart sank.
I wasn’t just a single parent; I was the only parent. My paycheck was survival.
The next day as we searched for our tree, I struggled to be cheerful as I eyed each price tag.
“Is everything OK?” Kristil asked. “You seem worried.”
“I got some bad news yesterday,” I told her. “I lost my job.”
“Oh no,” Kristil said. “Well, I have $100 from Grandma I can give you.”
“Absolutely not.” I told her.
In the following days, I furiously applied for jobs as my bank account grew smaller. I felt as if the world was closing in on me. One afternoon, I dropped Kristil in a wealthy gated community for a birthday party. I watched as she went in, surrounded by all the nice things we couldn’t afford. I drove home defeated.
Back at home, I glanced out the window. It had been snowing on and off all morning. I noticed a thin woman with short white hair struggling to open her car door against the wind. As she got out, I realized it was my old professor, Esther Heffernan. I hadn’t seen her since we met for lunch three months ago.
I rushed to the front of my building. “What are you doing out in this weather? ”I asked as we hugged. “Well, I tried to call last week but couldn’t get through. Then I called your job and they said you weren’t working there anymore, so I thought I would come by.” Esther said, “I have gifts for you and Kristl.”
I made her a cup of tea, and we talked. Just being in Esther’s presence gave me hope that things would be all right. As she got up to leave, she handed me a Christmas card. “This is for you.” I walked her to her car and waved as she pulled away.
注意：(1)续写词数应为150个左右;
(2)请按照如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When I opened her card, hundred- dollar bills fell onto the table.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Christmas Eve, I decided to pass on the goodwill.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A group of poor people live in a village of Africa. The people there relied on corn farming for their livelihood. However, the harsh natural conditions often resulted in poor harvests. Droughts were the biggest challenge, while sudden downpours during the rainy season would flood the fields. Despite these difficulties, there was a young boy in the village named Steven who had a deep love for science. He dreamed of using knowledge to change the fate of his community.
From a young age, the boy was fascinated by the wonders of science. He spent his days exploring the world around him, eager to know its mysteries. While other children played in the fields, he could be found conducting “experiments” and thinking about his future under the shade of a tree. He wanted to develop a dam to store rainwater and then pump (用泵抽运) the water from the dam to water the corn when there would be a drought. But to build the dam was a big problem.
His passion tor learning was undeniable, but his father, a traditionalist who valued hard work above all else, did not understand or support his son’s ambition at first. To him, the only real way to help the family was through manual labor on the farm.
Despite his father’s disapproval, Steven remained determined in his pursuit of knowledge. Steven believed that education held the key to a better future, not just for himself but for the entire village. Seeing his son’s firm determination, the father changed his mind. The father realized that perhaps there was more to life than working in the fields. With a heavy heart, he emptied his savings to send Steven to school, hoping that one day his son would make his own dream come true.
Years passed, and Steven tirelessly worked on his studies. His efforts paid off when he graduated with top honors from university. Armed with a wealth of knowledge and a burning desire to make a difference, he returned to his village with a mission.
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。
Upon returning to the village, Steven immediately started to solve the problem.
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After knowing the project, all the villagers joined in the construction of the dam.
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When I was in middle school, my family moved to Seattle, where my parents started their new business — a small grocery store downstairs my house. As a girl of shy and reserved nature, I had to take a fresh start to fit into the city life.
One sunny day, my school announced an exciting event, a talent show for the local food bank. Students were encouraged to show their unique talents in front of the public in the city hall on National Day. A buzz of excitement filled the school as everyone began preparing for the big day. Deep down, I felt a spark of curiosity and a desire to join in. However, my self-doubt held me back, “I don’t have any special skills to share.”
Days turned into weeks, and the talent show drew closer. I couldn’t shake the upsetting feeling until one day Emma, one of the most popular girls in my class, came to me while I was helping in the grocery store after class. “How about singing together in the talent show?” She smiled, “I heard you singing a tune, along the way back home. I can’t help following you here.” Gosh, I couldn’t believe my ears. Emma, with personality and popularity, acknowledged my little talent. Since Emma had the world’s prettiest voice, I felt like being favoured by fortune.
“You two? The talent show for the food bank?” My mum bent towards us and her face lit up. “A big occasion.” Then a light bulb seemed to go in her head. “Why not practise right now upstairs? I bet you’ll be a perfect match.” Winking at us, she seemed to know we were thinking alike.
Emma and I started to rehearse (排练) almost every single day after school. We brainstormed, exchanged ideas and rehearsed the scene. As the days rolled by, I was feeling pretty good about our act. But the day before the performance, Emma called that she had an acute stomachache and was not in any shape to perform.
I was completely knocked out by the news. Disappointed and sad, I sat silently in the room for what seemed like ages, unsure of what to do next. Then I started to pace up and down like a caged animal, debating with myself whether or not to go on stage alone. “How can this be possible?” I thought to myself. Fear and anxiety coursed through my veins (血管), and it seemed that all our hard work was in vain (徒劳地). But then the thought of the support and encouragement from Emma and my mom came flooding back to me. It was at the moment that I realized that I couldn’t let self-doubt hold me back. Filled with determination, I resolved to proceed with the performance by myself.
注意：1. 续写词数应为80左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Finally came the big moment.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Be proud of doing something honorable that you think might bring you shame at first,” Grandma always told us before telling us this favorite family story.
In 1918, Grandpa worked in a shoe repair shop. He labored on the night shift so that he would be free to take care of the children in the daytime, allowing Grandma to attend school and receive an education.
On the morning of her first class, Grandm a excitedly rushed to dress for school. As she excitedly took out all her old socks, Grandma became sad. She discovered all had many holes. “Forget it, dear. We have no time to repair them now,” urged Grandpa. “You’ll be late for class. And, anyway, I have a surprise for you!”
A moment later, Grandpa handed Grandma her old high-button shoes. But she could hardly recognize them, as they had been repaired and looked beautiful. While she was sleeping that night, Grandpa secretly repaired the shoes.
Grandma's eyes welled with tears of gratitude, “I'll look like a fine lady in these wonderful shoes!” she said. “Hurry! Put on a pair of long socks and the beautiful shoes, and no one will suspect you have honey socks. They’ll be our little secret,” Grandpa promised. Grandm a nodded and rushed out when Grandpa handed her two one-dollar bills for her tuition.
Arriving at school, Grandma felt uneasy in a classroom filled with strangers. Standing ahead was a serious-looking teacher called Miss Peabody. That morning, Miss Peabody passed an empty bowl around the classroom and instructed each student to drop the fees into it. Every student did that. One student paid his fee with a bright two-dollar gold coin.
After collecting all the money, the teacher placed the bowl on her desk. Later that afternoon, when Miss Peabody counted the money, the small gold coin accidentally slipped out of the bowl and fell into Grandma’s shoe. Unaware of it, Miss Peabody discovered the coin was missing. She felt quite anxious and searched around, but in vain.
注意：(1) 续写词数应为150个左右；
(2)请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Meanwhile, Grandma felt convinced that the thing in her shoe must be the coin.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hesitant but determined, Grandma removed her shoe, feeling everyone's gaze on her honey sock.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________参考信息：关于库尔勒（Korla）
be rich in fragrant pears; be known as Pear City; serve as an important stop on ancient Silk Road;
a multi-ethnic city (多民族城市); Pear Flower Festival ; watch minorities unique dance;
Kongque River, be dotted with swan (天鹅), Hu poplar trees (胡杨), pilau (抓饭), kebab (烤羊肉串)......
Beautiful Korla and its Traditions
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One afternoon after school, Mary and her brother, Keith, were eating at a cafe near their home. That afternoon, they had to share their table with another person. That person was a young lady in her twenties. After eating, she went to the restroom. Without realizing, she had left her handphone on the table. Five minutes later, she came out and walked out of the cafe without looking back.
Mary saw the handphone on the table. She quickly told Keith, “Keith, the girl left behind her handphone.”
Keith looked at the handphone. It took his breath away. It was one of the latest models on the market. Keith had always wanted a handphone. But his parents had told him, “You don’t need one. You can always use the house phone.”
He stared at it for some minutes. Then he said slowly, pausing on every word, “I want to take the handphone.”
Mary could not believe her ears. She merely stared at her brother. “You can’t! What if the owner comes to look for it?”
Having made the decision, Keith quickly grabbed the handphone and put it in his schoolbag. Then, he took Mary’s hand and led her out of the cafe quickly.
Once back home, Keith locked his house door with trembling hands. Inside his room, he took out the piece of beauty. Oh, he liked it so much. Now he had his own handphone. Soon, he was polishing it happily.
But Mary told him, “Keith, you cannot keep the handphone. What will you tell Father about this? He will ask you how you got the handphone.”
Keith said quickly, “I will say a friend lent it to me.”
Mary said, “Now you are lying too.” Oh dear! When had Keith turned so dishonest?
Then Mary saw a house phone number on the plastic cover of the handphone. “This is the girl’s phone number. Why don’t we just call this number? We will talk to her and ask her to come and take back her handphone.” She was trying to talk some sense into him.
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。
注意：1. 续写词数应为 80-100 词；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
That night, Keith turned over in bed from time to time.
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