Jane was still sleeping when the phone rang in the living room. She opened her sleepy eyes and looked at the clock on the table. It was already nine o’clock! Although Jane was still very sleepy, she knew she had to get up because her mother was working in her office 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 ran to the living room. When she picked up the receiver, on the other end came the warm greeting, “Good morning!”
It was from her father, who was a seaman and rarely came back. Suddenly, 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. They were the pride of the family.
“Good morning, Dad. Why do you call us so early on the weekend?” Jane said and pretended to be annoyed. “Tom and I have been very nice recently.” “My dear, today is your mother’s birthday, and I have ordered a cake online and it will be sent to our home late in the afternoon. Do remember to take the cake. It is my surprise for your mother.”
Hearing her father’s words, Jane felt a little ashamed. How could she forget her mother’s birthday?!
While she was chatting with her father, Jane looked around the room and saw a lot of dirty clothes on the sofa. The floor hadn’t been cleaned for a few days since her mother had to work all this week.
She looked at the clock again and was sure that 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。
Jane hurried to Tom’s room and shared her plan with him.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Happy birthday, Mum!” Jane and Tom shouted when their mother opened the door.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I took up flying more or less on a whim (突发奇想). I had a really difficult time at that time. My mother left me and my favorite cat was lost two weeks later. My life was filled with uncertainties and sadness and I was left feeling terribly down. So when I passed our local airfield and saw an advertisement for trial flying lessons, I decided to book one. It was something I’d always imagined trying, and I hoped it would cheer me up.
I enjoyed my trial lessons and decided to book some more. I found that flying an airplane was attractive, and it took my mind off my personal difficulties. By the end of that summer, I had my private pilot’s license, and I started to do some local flights for fun.
Then I decided to have a go at flying helicopters, and I found that I liked that even more. Despite having promised myself and all my friends that I wasn’t going to take it up, I got my private pilot’s license for helicopters, too. Soon, I was hiring small helicopters and taking friends flying. But helicopter flying is very expensive, and I knew I couldn’t keep doing it as a hobby forever. I knew a lot of people at our local airfield, and many were taking commercial (商业的) flying exams — some with a goal of working as commercial pilots, others wanting to be instructors. I had an idea — I could become a helicopter instructor. That way, I could fly for free, and even get paid for it.
Then I told my friends my thought, but I didn’t expect some of the reactions I got. My friends couldn’t believe that I really meant to do that. “Oh, don’t be silly, Helen. You can’t possibly be a helicopter instructor,” one of my friends said. After all, I was well over forty, which is not the usual time to begin a new career. But I chose to stick to my idea.
注意：
1. 续写的词效应为150左右；
2. 请按照如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1:
Quickly, I went ahead with my plan.
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Paragraph 2:
Soon I found a job at an airfield, not too far from my home.
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One of my leachers once asked my class what our favorite memory was. My leacher asked for the moment in which “you fell the best; you fell that you had the world in the palms of your hand.” Some described amazing awards; other described winning a tournament. My answer, however, invited giggles and hesitant smiles. Why? Because I felt the best when I first learned how to ride my bike at thirteen. I didn’t mind my classmates’ stares and mockery, because I knew there was more to the story.
My elder sister and I shared a typical sisterly relationship: we couldn’t stand each other. I was an annoyance to her. Any sort of conversation we had usually ended up fighting. Gradually, I started to learn to be totally indifferent; perhaps the silent treatment would get more approval. I was wrong. We soon fell into a sad pattern. I avoided her, and she ignored me. Deep inside, it hurt. So that was how it was between us. She was only a sister in name. I truly believed that we would forever be apart, two housemates without conversation, two strangers without warmth.
I still remember the day I learned to ride a bike. I had received the bike that Christmas, which was great, until I realized that I had no idea how to ride it. My mom had long abandoned any attempt to teach me. I had proven to be a frustrating student. I took it upon myself to learn, a little bit each day. It was no different. I was coming to the end of my daily one-hour torture(折磨). I was so frustrated that I threw my bike aside and began to cry.
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:
I guess that was what caused my sister to come outside.
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Paragraph 2:
“I made it,” I shouted with excitement.
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A Great Monday
Monday started out well. I woke up on time, ate breakfast and did some last minute studying for my math test later that morning. I was confident of getting good grades. I left my house and ten minutes later, I sat with my friends on the school bus. We were busy chatting about how we spent our weekend. At the next stop, a student named Ryan got on the bus. He was in a rush and tripped (绊倒) over someone’s foot. There was a loud noise as he fell to the floor.
Every one of us on the bus laughed. Ryan got up, brushed his jacket and went to an empty seat. He tried to laugh with us, but his face was red with embarrassment. The rest of the morning went by quickly. I did well in my math test. I read two more chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird in English class. Soon we heard the lunch bell. I met my friends from the cheerleading team in the dining hall. I noticed Ryan a few tables away, sitting by himself. He caught me looking at him. I smiled at him quickly and looked away.
When we finished eating, we went to the courtyard to practice a cheer we would do at that night’s football game. After much practice, we finally managed to do the cheer perfectly. We decided to practice it again one last time. Just like the rest of my day so far, the cheer was going great. I raised my leg for one last toe touch. That was when I felt my jeans (牛仔裤) split (裂开) down the middle of my backside.
I froze. I had no idea what to do. I heard people burst out laughing and I saw them pointing at my torn jeans. I tried to cover myself with my hands, I tried to laugh too, but I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Then I saw Ryan running towards me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That night, after the cheer at the football game, I found Ryan.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a class I teach adults. I gave the class homework that was to “go to someone you love within the next week and tell them you love them. It has to be someone you have never said those words to before or at least haven’t shared those words with for a long time.”
It doesn’t sound like a very tough homework until you realize that most of the men in that group were over 35 who were less willing to express their feelings. So this was a very challenging homework for some.
At the beginning of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to share what had happened when they told someone they loved them. I fully expected one of the women to volunteer, as was usually the case, but on this evening one of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit shaken.
As he stood up, he began by saying, “Five years ago, my father and I had a sharp disagreement and really never solved it since then. We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to be at family gatherings. But even then, we hardly spoke to each other, So, last Tuesday by the time I got home I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him. It was weird (怪异的), but just making that decision seemed to lift a heavy load off my chest.”
“The next morning I was up bright and early. I got to the office early and completed more in two hours than I had the whole day before. At 9: 00 I called my dad to see if I could come over after work. When he answered the phone, I just said, ‘Dad, can I come over after work tonight? I have something to tell you. ’My dad agreed with reluctance (不情愿).”
“At 5: 30. I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell, praying (祈祷) that Dad would answer the door. As luck would have it, Dad did answer the door. I didn’t waste any time — I took one step in the door and said, ‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.’”
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。
“It was as if a change came over my dad.”
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“But that’s not even my point.
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Finding Niesha’s Courage
Niesha could not forget the way she had frozen in front of the class today. Mr Roberts had divided the class into groups to do presentations. Today had been Niesha’s turn. However, her hands had shaken so badly that she couldn’t read her notes. Her voice had become softer even to silence. Mr Roberts kindly ended Niesha’s part of the presentation even though she had clearly not finished. He had also asked Niesha to stay after class for a moment.
“Niesha, I know you’re shy, but you worked hard on this project. I’d hate to see you give up on yourself.” Mr Roberts had hesitated, “If I give you another chance tomorrow, do you think you can find, your courage?”
Niesha had nodded, grateful for the chance. She had gone as quickly as she could to her next class. She had kept her head down and hoped the school day would end soon.
When she reached her back steps that afternoon, she could see an inviting light coming from the kitchen windows. Momma was baking.
Momma studied Niesha’s face as she came into the kitchen. “What’s wrong, Niesha?”
Tears shone in Niesha’s brown eyes. She told her the whole story. Momma was silent for a moment, her hands still busy with the cake.
“Why is it that you can talk to me about anything and everything, but you can’t talk to your class?” Momma asked. She set the timer and then said, “Let me show you something.”
Niesha followed Momma to her bedroom. There Momma showed her a book filled with newspaper clippings and pictures. In it there was a blue ribbon that said “First Place” and a picture of herself when she was very young, standing with her parents.
“I won it for public speaking. I started the school year as the shyest girl on the speech team, but I ended the year as the blue ribbon winner. It wasn’t easy because I was lacking in confidence—not sure of myself at all. I worked hard, and mostly I faced my fears. You just need to find your courage.”
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
That was the second time someone had told her that today.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next day Niesha again walked to the front of the classroom to give her presentation.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Fourteen Steps
They say a cat has nine lives, and I think that possible since I am now living my third life and I’m not even a cat.
My first life began on a clear, cold day in November, 1904, when I arrived as the sixth of eight children of a poor farming family. Though struggling to make a living, I started my own family. This was when I started to enjoy my first life, happy, in excellent health and I became two lovely girls.
Life was a pleasant dream.
Then the dream ended and became one of those horrible nightmares that cause you to wake in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. I began to suffer from a rare disease of nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side.
Thus began my second life...
Despite my disease, I still drove to and from work each day. And I managed to keep healthy and optimistic, to a degree, because of 14 steps.
Crazy? Not at all.
Our home has 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door. Here hobbled (跛行) a desperate cripple (瘸子), a man who held on because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the backdoor from his garage.
Then on a dark night, I began my third life. It was raining when I started from home that night and drove on one of the less-traveled roads. Suddenly one of the tires burst with a bang. I fought the car to a stop.
Then I remembered that a short distance up a little side road was a house. I drove slowly along until I came to the house. Lighted windows welcomed me as I pulled into the driveway.
The door opened and a little girl stood there. I told her that I had a flat tire and needed someone to change it for me because I had a crutch (拐杖) and couldn’t do it myself. She went into the house and a moment later came out, followed by a man who called a cheerful greeting.
I sat there comfortable and dry. The rain seemed to be easing a bit now, and I rolled down the window to watch.
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
There followed a long interval of noises, but finally it was done.
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He didn’t take the bill and the little girl stepped closer and said quietly, “Grandpa can’t see it.”
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1. 活动的时间；
2. 活动的过程；
3. 对活动的评价。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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The bell rang, announcing the end of the vivid art class Karson loved most. He was delighted that he had created a very satisfying work. So he walked to the back of the classroom to put his work away carefully. There, lying on the carpet in front of the classroom bookcase, was a golden ticket! Karson picked it up. His heat beat faster when he saw that the name line was blank. He couldn’t believe his luck!
The boys and girls in Karson’s class could earn golden tickets by doing well in their study or by being extra helpful or kind. Once a week their teacher drew a ticket out of a box on her desk and let the winner choose a prize.
Today was the golden ticket drawing, and here was another ticket, just for him! Karson looked around. No one else was near the ticket. All his classmates were at their desks, laughing and talking with each other. Miss Evans was engaged in grading the papers collected early in the morning.
Karson decided to write his name on the blank line. Then he could put it into the prize box with the six tickets he’d already earned. With so many chances, one of his tickets would most probably be picked! Then he could choose the pink toy pig for his sister’s birthday, just like he had been hoping.
He smiled and reached for the pencil in his pocket. Suddenly his fingers stopped. There was a strange feeling in his chest, and it wasn’t his heartbeat. “It’s ‘finders keepers’, right?” he wondered. He looked out of the window and tried to figure it out. On the one hand, he did find the ticket, but he hadn’t earned it. Somebody must have lost it. But on the other hand, he did need tis extra ticket for his great plan!
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:
Karson stared at the blank name line for a moment.
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“Karson, I’d like you to have another ticket!” said Miss Evans.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was just another busy day until I met the boy on the bus. He was not a passenger like me. He was, what we call a street child, an 8-10-year-old kid with a worn T-shirt. These poorly dressed kids were seen almost everywhere in Dhaka city. But what was special about that boy was his face. There was “something” in him that caught my attention. That was an angelic(天使般的)baby face with little care.
He got straight into the bus as it stopped at a traffic light. The bus helper shouted at him in the first place. But instead of talking back, the boy kept silent and started handing out a piece of paper to all the passengers. What was written in the paper was, in short, that his father died a couple of years ago. His mother worked at houses. He badly needed money to help his family, so he wished someone warm-hearted to buy chocolates from him.
This was nothing new to people who took a bus every day and I was no different. I had my earphones on, listening to some relaxing music to kill time. When he came to me to get the paper back, I casually gave him some money. Thankfully it brought some smiles on his face. He was about to give me ten chocolates in return for the money I gave to him when I stopped him.
“I don’t like chocolates, brother. So there is no need of chocolates. You can have the money,” I said.
All of a sudden, the smile on his face disappeared.
“I’m not a beggar. Please take the chocolate, or take your money back.”
His straight answer greatly surprised me. I even felt he was slightly angry. I had given money to many kids before, without taking their chocolates. But this time something seemed different. I realized his angelic baby face was not the only thing special about him.
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 boy put ten chocolates on my seat and got off the bus.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having got the boy’s name, I decided to help him.
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