Recently, I volunteered with Interact, my school's service group at Read 2 Me, an activity that gives volunteers the opportunity to read to little kids and interact with them.
I walked with other volunteers into a large room in which there was a large variety of books. Some were picture books, such as Cifford or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Others were chapter books with pictures in them, such as the Berenstain Bears and The Wimpy Kid series. For the extremely talented kids who like to be challenged, we provided chapter books that required imagination to understand. Just after I had gathered some books together, someone announced that it was almost time for the activity to start. All at once, a burst of voices was heard. The doors opened, and the children rushed in, beginning to look for a reading buddy（伙伴）. They all looked so eager to read, just like mice eager to taste a piece of cheese. I was sitting there waiting and glancing at the books that I had picked out for the lucky kid I would read them to.
Just then, a boy about six years old began to come my way, and I knew that I had found my reading buddy. "Hi, I'm Max. Would you like to be my reading buddy?" "Sure," I responded. And then, I let him search for a book of his choice.
"I like this one," shouted Max. I looked at the book that he had chosen. It told an adventure story of a little girl with her dog, and it seemed that it would be a good one to read to 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。
Paragraph 1: "Can you tell me why you want this book?” I asked.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Then came the after-reading activities in which we interacted with each other.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As I opened the door, my two little girls squeezed past me, and hit the fridge for their after-school snack. A bag full of research papers begging to be graded fell down heavily from my shoulder onto the table. After a tiring day’s work, I still had to face the mess that was bothering me, including my husband’s doing-nothing and my daughters’ constant talking noisily. While scolding them, I reached for a cup of leftover morning coffee. As I turned towards the coffeepot, I noticed that the morning dishes weren’t in the sink and the counter was clear except for an envelope with my name on it. My heart pounded, as my husband hadn’t written me a love letter since we were engaged. Then I replayed the casual comment I had made that morning “Since you’re working evenings this week, it would be nice if you’d do something to help out around the house while you’re home.”
I picked up the letter, expecting an apology. But when I read the first line, my heart sank. “I’m tired of being accused of not helping around the house. I am tired of you scolding children every day. Yesterday, I washed the windows. Did you notice? I also picked up your car from school and took it for an oil change. I bet you didn’t notice that either, did you? Of course nor did you notice our daughters prepared coffees well every morning.”
The letter continued in the same tone—a little anger, a lot of hurt—and I deserved every word. The truth was when he worked evening shift, I envied the solitude (独处) he enjoyed by day. He spent hours alone in a quiet house while I took on the parenting role for both of us at night—dinner, homework, baths, bedtime. Then I graded papers or made lesson plans while losing my temper occasionally before I collapsed into bed. But who had time for clothes washing? For dirty floors? Not me, because my husband did.
注意：1. 写作词数应为150左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I folded the letter and slid it inside the envelope to hide his words and my shame.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hardly had I finished writing the letter when our younger daughter skipped in.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A young boy, named Timmy, lived in a small town. He disliked doing any work; he found it boring and would always come up with a reason to avoid it. His room was always messy with toys thrown everywhere, socks under the bed. Books and clothes piled up like a small mountain. Homework often remained untouched on the desk, buried under comic books and game controllers.
Timmy avoided chores, finding them less exciting than his digital universe. Day and night, Timmy tapped buttons, lost in virtual battles, his eyes glued to the screen. Socializing means chatting with fellow games online rather than meeting friends outside.
One Saturday morning, Timmy’s mom asked him to clean up his room. Timmy frowned and ignored his mom, diving deeper into his video game. His mother sighed and went on with her chores. That afternoon, as Timmy was standing by the window, he noticed his neighbor, Mr. Jenkins, working tirelessly in his garden, repairing the wooden fence (栅栏).
At the sight of Timmy, Mr. Jenkins smiled and called out, “Hey, Timmy, I need a helper to hold the wooden strips (木条). And could you lend me a hand for a moment?” Hesitantly, Timmy walked over. Mr. Jenkins showed him how to do it. He continued to help do gardening work such as watering and weeding(除草) in the garden. As they worked, Mr. Jenkins shared his adventurous stories when he was a soldier, and Timmy listened with respect.
Hours passed, and to Timmy’s surprise, he enjoyed helping out. His hands were dirty, but he felt delighted and meaningful. As they finished, Mr. Jenkins thanked Timmy and showed him the result of their teamwork: a neat garden full of colorful flowers and fresh greenery. Timmy felt proud and realized that work could be fun and rewarding.
注意：1.续写词数为150 词左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The next day, Timmy decided to give his own room a change.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Later, when his mother entered his room, she was astonished.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Eight-year-old Evan stood by the sidewalk watching as Mrs. Carter opened her flower shop. He felt relieved that the shop hadn’t closed forever. Two days ago, when he passed by, there was a closed sign on the door and a note saying Mrs. Carter was sick. Evan was worried that he would never be able to get his “dream job” if the shop remained closed for too long.
Mrs. Carter, an 85-year-old woman, spotted Evan looking in her shop’s direction and waved hello to him. Excitedly, Evan ran up to her and expressed his desire to work at the shop. Mrs.Carter laughed quietly, finding it amusing that an eight-year-old wanted a job. Evan confidently explained that since his dad passed away, he had learned how to do various tasks, like taking out the rubbish, making sandwiches, and assisting his mom, Stacey, with groceries. He didn’t want any payment for his work; instead, he simply wanted a bouquet (花束) for his mom’ s upcoming birthday. He believed in working hard for what he wanted, just as his mom had taught him.
Impressed by Evan’s determination, Mrs. Carter agreed to hire him. She asked if he knew how to tie ribbons around flowers, and when she heard Evan’s affirmative(肯定的) response, they got down to making bouquets. Evan was excited to assist Mrs. Carter every evening for a whole week, and his presence brought joy to her boring work.Customers found Evan adorable and entertaining, which resulted in increased flower purchases and booming business for Mrs. Carter.
On Evan’s last day, Mrs.Carter felt emotional. Their bond had grown strong, and she saw him as a grandchild. As she prepared a splendid bouquet for Evan’s mother, tears welled up in her eyes. She invited him to visit her shop in the future, and Evan promised to tell his mom about her.
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。
With the bouquet in hand, Evan rushed home to celebrate Mom’s birthday.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As Evan handed his mom the bouquet, they were surprised to discover an envelope with several hundred-dollar bills inside.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The school’s hall got very noisy with excitement as students, teachers, and parents filled the seats, eagerly awaiting the start of the annual school talent show. Backstage, the performers paced nervously, their hearts pounding with anticipation and their minds filled with a mixture of excitement and fear.
Among them was Sarah, a shy but talented singer whose passion for music burned brightly within her. Ever since she was a lonely young girl, Sarah had found comfort in music. With nothing but her voice to accompany her, she would sing for hours on end, pouring her heart and soul into each note, each lyric, each breath.
Sarah’s talent did not go unnoticed. One day, while she was singing softly to herself during a lunch break at school, Mrs Caroline, the choir director, happened to overhear her. Immediately, she saw something special in Sarah—a talent that deserved to rise and shine.
Over the following weeks and months, Mrs Caroline took Sarah under her wing, offering guidance, support, and encouragement every step of the way. She encouraged Sarah to step out of her comfort zone, to embrace her gift, and to share it with the world.
Under Mrs Caroline’s instruction, Sarah began to push herself harder than ever before. She spent hours each day practicing her singing, honing her skills, and perfecting her craft. She sought out opportunities to perform in front of others, gradually building up her confidence and overcoming her fears.
When the moment finally came, with a deep breath, Sarah stepped out onto the stage, the spotlight blazing down upon her like a thousand suns. For a moment, Sarah was frozen in place. But then, with a determined smile, she raised the microphone to her lips and began to sing.
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答题。
Paragraph 1:
Then a sudden technical failure caused her background music to cut out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
When she stepped off the stage, Sarah recognized a familiar figure among the crowd.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.要点：
1)你喜欢学校里的什么?
2)你为什么喜欢它(们)?
3)你的感受是什么?
2.要求：
1)文中不得出现真实姓名和学校名称；
2)词数100左右。
What I like about my school
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My husband Ralph and I were living in a house in Staten Island in a lovely country-lane area where we enjoyed taking walks. One evening, as we were passing the gardens of an ancient church, I saw a gray cat being followed by a tiny black-and-white kitten (小猫). As I looked at them, the kitten stopped and stared at me with large golden eyes.
About a month later, I ‘saw the kitten again. As I was passing a neighbor’s doorway, it sleepily lifted its head out of a large flowerpot. Clearly, this was where it slept every night, and I told Ralph about it when I got home.
From then on, whenever Ralph and I passed that house, we saw the tiny creature sitting in the flowerpot or sunbathing happily on the front steps.
One morning, I met Jim, the owner of the house, and asked about the kitten and why it seemed to be living in the flowerpot. He told me, “His name is Oreo, and he’s the only one not adopted from a local feral (流浪的) cats’ litter that I rescued.”
“But why does he have to sleep in a flowerpot?” I asked.
“We tried taking him into the house, but my wife and I already have three very large older cats, and they were not nice to him.”
That was the moment when I decided that perhaps Oreo would be a happy addition to our lives. So, the next time Ralph and I were walking by Oreo’s home, I called to him. “Oreo! Hey, Oreo!” His head popped up from the flowerpot. Ralph was charmed, and he joined my chorus and called, “Oreo! Hey, Oreo!” To our delight, the little cat hurried down from the doorway to greet us. However, as he limped (跛行) down the steps, I noticed for the first time that he had a missing back leg.
Jim explained, “He was born that way. That’s why nobody would adopt him. All the other kittens were taken right away. I kept the little guy because I didn’t care about his missing leg.”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Paragraph l: The next day, I found Jim, saying to him firmly, “Well, I want him!”
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Paragraph2: Upon arriving home, I placed the carrier at the entrance of our house and called Ralph out.
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When I was a kid, my parents and I lived near the forest. They often told me that our family was a team that needed to work together for the household to function smoothly. There was always an abundance of work to do — cooking, cleaning, and walking dogs. I volunteered to walk our dog, Max, who had been adopted one month before. I never dared let this giant dog off the lead (牵狗绳), just in case he took off.
One morning, we were walking along in the forest when Max started pulling on the lead. At first, I was able to hold on despite the wet ground from a recent shower. But the more I tried to stop him pulling, the more it turned into a tug of war. And thanks to the slippery ground, I lost.
Pulling his lead, Max shot off like a bullet, leaving me screaming behind. I chased him but lost my footing and fell face-first into some mud. I stumbled (踉跄) to my feet, but looking ahead, I found him running back towards me. I thought he was going to stop and give me his “Sorry” look. But instead, the dog shot past me and returned after a while.
As soon as we got home, my mother immediately attended to Max with a warm towel and a doggy treat. I thought seeing me stumbling and covered in mud, I would also get a warm cup of tea and a motherly kiss. Instead, I got a very loud lecture about letting the dog loose in the forest.
I felt frustrated. It wasn’t fair that she didn’t understand how difficult it was to control Max. I fought back, “Stop lecturing me! Why is everything my fault?” With these words, I stormed into my bedroom and slammed the door shut.
In the evening, I heard my mother call Max and take him out. It wasn’t long before I heard my mother screaming and the door opening 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。
I walked out of my room.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dad stepped in, suggesting that we work together to train Max.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ethan was a young man living in a small town. He was a bright soul with dreams, but he was also trapped by the chains of fear and doubt.
Ethan worked at a small bookshop, yet deep within, he had a strong desire to become a painter. Every evening, as the setting sun painted the sky in orange and pink, Ethan would sit by his window, a blank canvas (油画布) before him. Yet, no stroke (笔画) graced the canvas. The fear of failure and the whispers of doubt prevented him from painting. “What if I’m not good enough?” he often thought.
One cold autumn evening, an unexpected visitor came knocking at Ethan’s door-Mrs. Wilkins, an elderly well-known woman of wisdom. “Ethan,” she began gently, “I’ve noticed the light in your room night after night, and yet, I’ve seen no color grace the world from your hands. Why is that?”
Ethan sighed, the weight of his unspoken dreams heavy on his shoulders. He whispered, “I’m afraid that I’ll never be good enough and that my work will never touch the hearts of others.”
Mrs. Wilkins smiled, a kind, understanding smile. “Ethan,” she said, drawing closer, “let me tell you a story of a young bird, much like yourself, afraid to leave its nest. The little bird was always scared at the thought of flight. Day after day, it watched other birds fly into the sky, while it remained where it was, full of fear. The bird feared the unknown, feared failure, and most of all, feared that its wings were not strong enough to carry it. But then, one day, a storm approached, and the little bird had no choice but to jump into the storm. It was not an easy journey; the winds were very strong, and the rain blinded its eyes. Yet, with each flap (拍打) of its wings, the bird realized that it was able to fly.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 开头已给出。
Ethan felt a sense of warmth and hope wash over him as Mrs. Wilkins spoke.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That night, for the first time in many years, Ethan picked up his brush.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“When I grow up, I’m going to travel on my own,” said my little daughter, Sophia, reading her favorite picture book in the sunshine. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the beautiful pictures. “Well, I think you can!” I said, believing in her ambitions.
Being a hard-working and reliable child, she could help do the housework skillfully. She had the potential to make her dreams come true. However, we were poor farmers, and all profit had to go back into the farm to keep it going.
When Sophia was ten, a tornado (龙卷风) struck Texas, destroying our farm. We were forced to deal with everything that we faced. This disaster completely changed our lives. My husband, Steve, was disabled by the tornado. After trying and failing at several methods of earning income, finally he decided to become a baker (面包师).
We purchased a small bakeshop, fully equipped, and moved it onto our farmland. In fact, our bakeshop business did very well. Regrettably, Steve did not. His disability was so severe that after several months of trying he simply could not continue. The bakeshop closed.
While our family was going through difficult times, the dream and spirit of Sophia was not lost. She was doing well in school, and I smiled the day I read Sophia’s essay entitled, “Things I would like to do.” Topping the list were these words: I want to travel someday. Again I whispered, “Maybe you can someday.”
A few years later, Sophia started high school and enrolled in a foreign language class in her second year. This class occasionally organized a trip abroad. One day, she came home from school, hardly able to control her excitement, and said, “Mum, our class will arrange for us to travel abroad.”
“Fantastic!” I said. “You can achieve your dream!”
“But it would probably cost a lot of money to go,” she said.
She was right. My salary paid the bills, and nothing was left. Steve was still unable to work. Our hearts sank deeply.
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。
Sophia’s face lit up the moment she thought of her father’s bakeshop.
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