The Cry of a Woman’s Heart
The poor children who attended our church-supported Christmas party feasted on Christmas foods, enjoyed wonderful shows and received various gifts from Santa. When all the children had gone, we breathed a sigh of relief with tiredness.
Pointing to the extra gifts left in Santa’s black bag, Jean asked, “What are we going to do with all these toys?” As we were lost in reflection, Bobbie said, “Remember the three sisters who were at the party? Why don’t we deliver the toys to their house on Monday while they are in school to give them a surprise?” Everyone agreed. Since I lived closest to the three little girls, I volunteered to deliver the gifts.
On Monday, I drove to their home, confident their mother would be there. As I got out of my car a small dog appeared. He barked (吠叫) loudly and followed dangerously close to me as I hurried to the front door. With one large bag of toys, I knocked on the door. No one answered. I knocked repeatedly for several minutes. Still no answer.
Disappointed, I said, “Okay, now what am I supposed to do? I can’t carry these presents around all day!”
Managing to stay a few steps ahead of the barking dog. I returned to my car. After I calmed down I remembered hearing one lady at the church mention some needy children, who didn’t attended the party, had no toys. They lived in a wooden house not far from where I sat.
As I approached that location, I saw three shabby (破损的) wooden houses side by side. “Oh, no,” I whispered. “How am I supposed to know which house is the right one?” I pulled into the large dirt yard shared by all three families. As I got out of the car, I thought to myself, “Well, I’ll try the middle one first.” I knocked on the door. As I prepared to knock again, the door opened halfway.
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。
A tired-looking young woman with reddened eyes stood in the doorway.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Knowing that this was just the house I wanted, I was secretly relieved.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Summer vacation had finally arrived, and David’s family were eagerly looking forward to their beach getaway. David, the youngest of four siblings (兄弟姐妹), couldn’t hold back his excitement as they packed their bags and loaded up the car. Little did he know, an unexpected turn of events would leave him alone at home.
As the family hurried around, getting ready for their trip, David quickly went back into the house to take his favorite book. But his careless dad didn’t realize that David hadn’t come back to the car yet. With a quick wave, the car pulled away, leaving David standing alone in the driveway.
Realizing he had been left behind, David’s first surprise quickly turned to fear. He tried his best to catch his family’s attention, but the loud car drowned out his shouts. With no other choice, he went back into the empty house, feeling abandoned and unsure of what to do next.
Hours passed, and David’s hunger grew as he anxiously waited for his family to return. His stomach growled loudly, a clear reminder of his situation. Just as he was about to give up hope, his phone rang. It was his mother, calling to see how he was doing.
David felt annoyed and mad as he answered the call. He couldn’t get why his family forgot about him. His mom sounded worried and sorry, but it didn’t really make him feel better. “David, I’m really sorry,” she said, “We didn’t know you weren’t in the car until it was too late. Please forgive us.”
Angry and depressed, David struggled to find the words to respond. But as he listened to his mother’s apology, a sense of determination began to take root within him. He realized that he couldn’t rely on others to take care of him — he had to learn to tend to himself.
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。
He decided to make lunch for himself.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________His mother woke him up and asked, “Did you have lunch?”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My family had only recently moved into a new neighborhood. All of my neighbors have been very friendly and helpful since we moved in.
However, Mrs Davis, an elderly lady living in the last house on the other side of the road, escaped associating with us, or anyone else. When I asked around the neighborhood why, they warned me not to go after her because they thought she was insane (精神失常的) and preferred staying alone after losing her husband and only daughter in an aircraft crash. After that, she stayed isolated (孤立的) from all the neighbors, refusing all the care and help.
I often saw her on the streets during the evening, but she was always by herself. She appeared weak and I always wanted to help her, but after hearing what my neighbors had said about her, I wasn’t sure whether I should.
One day, when I was on my way to the supermarket, our paths crossed. I was walking past her and overheard her singing a tune. It immediately drew my attention because my parents used to sing the same song with me. I began to sing along with her, and she smiled at me for the first time. But when I smiled back, she quickly hurried her pace and went home.
She seemed very different to me that day. I refused to trust my neighbors’ claims that she had cut herself off from the rest of society because she was insane, so the next day, I knocked on her door. Mrs Davis was home, and instead of letting me in, she just looked at me silently through the window. I noticed her staring at me and was about to walk to the window when she quickly closed the curtains.
The next day, I revisited her house. “Hello, I brought you something,” I called out to her. “It’s the record of the music you were singing yesterday.”
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 door opened and Mrs Davis’ eyes widened in surprise at the sight of me standing there.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Several days later in the morning, the doorbell rang at my house.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“And that’s ‘The Ray of Hope’ for you!” Asta said as she ended her book review. She took a deep bow and was given thundering applause. I, too, gave applause. I was happy for my friend. Well, I was pretending to be happy for her. Deep down inside, I was rather feeling envious of Asta. She was always the one who makes speeches, debates and tells stories to others. Me? No! I had stage fright and was always the shy, quiet one who was never courageous to speak in front of others. I had never managed to do a presentation without stammering(结巴). Every time I saw someone making a speech, I would imagine myself in his or her place, receiving the applause and praise.
I was walking to the canteen with Asta. She, as usual, was looking at the script. She had been chosen to be the presenter for the National Day Celebration. I sighed to myself. Why could I not be like her, always loud and brave? If only there was a way to prove myself...
Just then, I caught a glimpse of a poster on the noticeboard.
“Minute to say it?” I read the poster out loud.
It was a competition where one has to prepare a speech about a particular topic and summarize it on the stage within one minute. This could be my big chance to overcome my stage fright! And the best part was, if I won the competition, I would receive a mini-trophy (小奖杯).
Without thinking twice, I grabbed a form and filled in it. I took a seat in the canteen with Asta and told her what I had done, after which she said that she had also signed up for the competition. Suddenly, regret hit me like a 20-pound hammer. I was competing against Asta who was the best speaker in the school! I was bound to lose! Why was I so ill-fated? I just wanted a chance to prove myself that I could overcome my stage fright.
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 finally arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Next, it was Asta’s turn.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As we stepped off the plane in Pucón, the lively atmosphere of the town immediately lifted our spirits after the long flight from New York.
The contrast between the freezing Big Apple and the warmth of Pucón was striking. The climate was delightful, which was a welcome change from the busy New York City.
“Feel that?” my friend said proudly, bathed in the gentle sunshine. “This is what I call a vacation!”
Our guide, Herman, was waiting for us with a broad smile. His English was limited, but his enthusiasm was boundless. He greeted us with heartiness, “Welcome to Pucón! I have everything ready for you.”
We spent our first day settling into the luxurious house he had arranged for us. The unique design of the house deeply attracted us. The house was a combination of modern luxury and traditional charm, neat and tidy, with tall windows framing the greenery outside.
Herman insisted on taking care of our every need. He would not even let us lift a finger in the house, which was above and beyond his duties.
One evening, as we wandered along the beach, the sky transformed into a canvas (画布) of rich colors. We were placed in a world of wonder. My friend turned to me, eyes sparkling, and said,“This is why we travel, isn’t it? Moments like these make everything else fade away.”
As we planned to go to another town to admire the unique architecture, something unexpected happened. I got a fever.
Our explorations were cut short. Lying in bed, I could hear my friend pacing outside my room, worried. And our travel plans were put on hold as there was no choice but to rest in the hope that I would recover soon.
The next morning, my fever worsened. Being new to the area and struggling with the language barrier, we felt helpless.
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。
Just then, Herman appeared.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With Herman’s help, I began to recover.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On rainy days, Juanita liked to climb the attic (阁楼) stairs and play with her stuffed animals (毛绒玩具) under the roof. Here she could hear the drumming sound of the rain. The attic was dark on stormy days, but Juanita thought it was comfortable to have only one light bulb (灯泡) on.
Today, Juanita was pretending that her stuffed animals were Olympic athletes. The event was the high jump, so Juanita threw them into the air to see how high they could fly. Tom, her stuffed monkey, flew so high that he hit the ceiling and went over into a dark corner.
When Juanita went to find Tom, she saw a box on the floor in the corner. It was dusty (布满灰尘的), with gold corners and a metal lock that held it shut. Its key was lying just beside it. She had never noticed this box before. What could be inside?
Juanita brought the box and the key over to the middle of the attic, under the light bulb where she could see better. She opened it carefully and looked inside. Inside the box were a lot of black and white photos. Most of them were of a small girl with her hair braided (编辫子).
The girl looked just like Juanita! This was confusing. “I’ve never been to that house,” she thought as she looked through the photos. There was a gray farmhouse in the background of each picture. How could Juanita be in pictures of a place she had never been to?
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。
Juanita ran downstairs with the photos to show her mom.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Juanita asked her mom to take some photos for her and hang them up with Grandma’s.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a small Chinese village, a young girl named Mei lived with a deep love for painting. Her artworks, filled with lively colors, caught the beauty of her surroundings. Despite her talent, Mei often battled with self-doubt. She wondered if her skills were truly excellent or if she was just fortunate.
One day, Mei heard about a painting contest in the town called the “Sunlit Art Challenge”. Determined to prove herself and remove the doubts, Mei quickly signed up for it. The contest stirred a mix of excitement and nervousness in her. Mei spent countless hours perfecting her painting technique, pouring her heart and soul into her works.
For the contest, Mei painted a beautiful sunrise over the sea. The sun just started to rise above the horizon (地平线), its bright light beginning to shine over the ocean. The sun’s rays looked like golden light, spreading across the water and making it shine like a giant mirror. As the sun rose higher, it looked like a bright ball of fire, warming the sea and making the waves shine brightly. The sky changed colors too, from a soft blue to bright oranges, pinks and reds. It was like watching the day begin right there on her canvas (画布). Mei s painting captured the peaceful yet lively scene of the sun’s first rays touching the vast ocean, symbolizing hope.
On the day of the contest, the village square was filled with excitement. Artists from near and far displayed their works. Mei set up her painting, feeling both proud and anxious. As the judges evaluated (评估) Mei’s painting, her heart raced with nervousness. Since their expressions were hard to read, Mei felt like her doubts were right, that she wasn’t as good as she hoped.
When the host started to announce the winners, Mei listened with hope and curiosity. But sadly her name wasn’t called. Disappointment washed over her, and she forced a smile, applauding (鼓掌) the winners. After the contest, Mei felt disheartened. She thought her painting had failed to impress anyone, and she lost her motivation to lift her brush. At that time, Mr. Zhang, a villager, approached Mei.
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。
Mr. Zhang told Mei that Mei’s painting was excellent and moved him.
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Mr. Zhang’s recognition of Mei’s works renewed Mei’s interest in painting.
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The new year was coming and my family began to make this year’s plan for it. “The weather report says this unseasonably warm weather will continue through the week. We could shake things up and celebrate the new year with a picnic party in the backyard!” said my mum.
“Our San Francisco weather can be pretty unpredictable,” said my dad. “Maybe we should come up with a sensible indoor plan.” Then he continued, “Hey! Why not start this year with something different? ”
“Yeah!” my little brother, Tex, agreed.
“It’ll be a great!” said Mom. Then she turned to my cousin, Mareya, who was staying with me, “Mareya, we’d love to have you and your family join us. And how about we invite Ollie and Grandma? ”
We all cheered. And after the fastest kitchen cleanup in history, Mareya and I raced over to Ollie’s. Grandma was also excited and suggested we get out the instruments and make a little music.
Grandma’s music suggestion got us thinking. Ollie, Mareya, and I made up a simple song, and somehow, it turned into an idea for a play! Later that afternoon, we went back to my house to find out the costume box. Naturally, my little brother and sister joined right in.
We made up a play, in which the forest animals threw a party to celebrate the arrival of the New Year Queen. Fast-forward to New Year’s Day when we worked all morning to set up our backyard stage. We prepared some flowers and a basket of pine nuts (松子) to greet the Queen when she stepped on the stage.
Unfortunately, the weather that morning was so windy and cold that we all felt freezing. Mum suggested us giving the performance indoors. But we insisted on showing the play outside, as we had all set up for it in the yard. Mum then said that we could start with the play outside, and then had the food inside. Everyone agreed.
Once our audience were seated, Ollie opened the show. When we were half way through the performance, right in the middle of our song-and-dance scene, a strong wind blew! Suddenly, there was a mess as everybody hurried to pick things up. But afterward, the air was calm again.
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 show must go on!” Grandma called from the audience.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Attracted by the smell of pine nuts dropped on the ground, two real squirrels (松鼠) ran onto the stage.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a warm Sunday. 16-year-old Stella settled down with a book, enjoying her quiet moment when her friend Bog came over with his 6-year-old sister. “Stella, please! I need you to help to watch Hazel! I have a lecture to attend this afternoon,” Bog begged.
Stella frowned, not thrilled with the idea of babysitting a little girl. However, Bog didn’t offer her any other choice. He dropped Hazel off with Stella and quickly ran away before she could react.
With a heavy sigh, Stella unwillingly turned her attention to Hazel. “Fine, just stay there and don’t cause any trouble,” she grumbled (嘟囔). To her surprise, little Hazel smiled and obediently sat by the table, drawing quietly without making a single noise.
For the next hour, Stella was quietly engaged in reading without being disturbed by Hazel. Gradually, her annoyance disappeared and she got accustomed to the company of Hazel. After a while, Hazel cautiously approached Stella, holding a picture. “Look, it’s you and me,” she said in a low voice. It was a simple drawing of two girls, hand in hand, smiling.
Stella’s heart softened as she looked at the drawing. She felt guilty about treating Hazel impatiently. Setting her book aside, Stella smiled warmly and said, “I love it. Thank you!” Then Stella began to join Hazel to create it together.
Just as they were lost in a world of colors, a sudden phone ringing broke the warm atmosphere. It was a phone call from her friend, reminding her about the long-awaited plan to go skating on the ice rink (溜冰场). Stella’s heart sank because she had forgotten all about it. She was torn between the desire to go skating and her duty to look after Hazel. She was also worried that taking her to skate would prevent her from enjoying gliding (滑) freely on the ice.
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。
As Stella hesitated, Hazel looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hazel admiringly watched Stella and her friends gliding on the ice.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I didn’t question Timmy, aged nine, or his seven year-old brother Billy about the brown wrapping (包装) paper they passed back and forth between them as we visited each store.
Every year at Christmas time, our Service Club takes the children from poor families in our town on a shopping tour. I chose Timmy and Billy, whose father was out of work. Their mother was still in poor condition. Besides, they also had two younger sisters to care for. They lived a hard life.
After giving them the allotted (指定的) four dollars each. I began the shopping trip with the two boys. One store after another, they could find their desired gifts. At different stores. I made suggestions on what they should buy, but always their answer was a polite shake of the head, no. Finally I asked, “Where would you suggest we look? What on earth do you want to buy for this Christmas?”
“Could we go to a shoe store, sir?” asked Timmy, I felt confused about his question, so I asked why.
Timmy replied, “We’d like to buy a pair of shoes for our Daddy so that he can go to work.”
In the shoe store, the shopkeeper asked what the boys wanted. Out came the brown paper. “We want a pair of work shoes to fit this foot,” they said.
Billy explained that it was their Daddy’s footprint. They had drawn it while he was asleep in a chair. The shopkeeper held the paper against a measuring(测量的)stick, and then walked away. Soon he came with an open box. “Will these do?” he asked.
Timmy and Billy held the shoes with great expectation. “How much do they cost?” asked Billy.
Then Timmy saw the price on the box. “They’re $16.95,” he said, feeling downhearted. “But we only have eight dollars. It is far from enough to buy them for our Daddy. What should we do? If only we could get a discount (折扣)!”
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 that moment, I looked at the shopkeeper and asked, “Can you give us a discount?”
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The boys went back home with the shoes happily.
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