For as long as I can remember. I have spent every Sunday afternoon until I was a teen, around the table at Grandma’s house. As soon as Grandma and I would return from Sunday Morning Mass at St Joseph’s Parish. Grandma got started on the meatball.
Ever since I was just two years old, Grandma would always allow me, her only granddaughter at the time, to sneak a meatball before dinner was served. There was something about that snuck meatball. For some reason, it tasted so much better than the one she placed beside my macaroni, once we all sat down. My Italian Gamma had a way of keeping an eye on all of her meatballs, to make sure no one snuck a meatball but me, who she gave that special VIP sneak. How did she do it? Well, she would make my “before dinner meatball” slightly bigger than the rest.
The meatball stealing games was all fun until Jeanine came along. Allow me to introduce you to my sister Jeanine, my Gramma’s second granddaughter born five years after me, just three years after I fell in love with Gramma’s yummy meatballs.
My younger sister Jeanine was quite the fussy eater. She did not care that her gramma made the world’s best meatballs, or that our mama made almost as yummy meatballs as her mother did. All Jeanine cared about was being done with dinner as fast as possible so she can go back to playing, and so she can get her evening snack, cocoa and popcorn. Jeanine knew the rules. She knew no snack unless you finish your dinner at least 90 percent. Jeanine was not giving up her favourite snack. She knew she had to develop a plan! She did indeed!
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。
So, one day when she was given a meatball on her plate, she stole that meatball.
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One day my mother noticed that something smelt funny in our closet.
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One day, a boy transferred to my class. He walked to the front of the class and introduced himself. “I am Brady, from California. I like basketball and dance.” “Dance!?” Steven yelled. “That’s for girls.” The whole class laughed. Brady’s face turned bright red. At lunch, Brady walked to an empty seat at my table. He was about to sit down when Steven put his foot on the chair. “This seat is taken,” he said. “Sit with the girls.” The others laughed loudly. Brady lowered his head and walked away.
After school, Brady sat alone on the school bus. I felt sorry for him. I thought about sitting with him, but I didn’t want to be made fun of. I remembered how everyone laughed at me when I, a boy, knitted a scarf for my favourite teacher. I didn’t like being laughed at, so I gave up knitting.
But what would have happened if I’d stood up for myself? An overwhelming sense of regret and guilt was lingering in my mind all night. So, I was determined to stand by Brady.
The next day, we had gym class. The coach announced that we would have a basketball game and Steven and I were the captains of the two sides. When I picked teammates, I looked around and noticed Brady. I had butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t want to get laughed at again. But soon I knew what I should do.
注意：1. 词数应为120个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“I choose Brady!” I said firmly.
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Steven lowered his head and walked to Brady.
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I grew up in New York City. Over the years, my family have explored many notable landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. However, the one we never attended was the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City. My father worked as a baker, so purchasing tickets for six of us was considered a too high expense. How I wish I could see the show! I was always attracted by the long line of Rockettes that would dance across our television screen, so I decided I’d see the iconic show in person one day.
Then I found myself at the age of twenty-eight heading to Radio City to buy tickets to the show on Christmas day. My husband Jay was driving the car. His sister and I were sitting in the back seat. I prayed to God, just as I always did, that everything would go well.
Our plan was to park the car and head directly to the box office. After parking our car, we enjoyed the walk to Radio City. By the time we got there, there were long lines and people everywhere.
I went to wait in one of those long lines. I saw people walking away disappointed in front of me, but I told myself that it was probably too expensive or the show was at the wrong time to fit in with their plans. Finally, I reached the cashier. “Good morning,” I greeted her cheerfully. “I’d like to buy three tickets for the next show.”
“I don’t even need to look. The last seven people asked me the same thing. They’re sold out,” she responded.
“OK, so how about tonight’s show?” I said.
“Um…girl, they’re sold out for this day, this week and this month. I might be able to get you in the middle of January,” she replied.
I was shocked. It was worse than I could have imagined. I stood alone in the building, not knowing what to do. I even wanted to try from the scalpers (票贩子).
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。
At that moment, a man approached me, asking me, “Are you looking for tickets?”
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I looked down at the paper, wondering why he gave me the tickets for free.
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Emily was a shy and quiet student in Greenfield High School. Emily was known for her quiet behavior and her love for literature, often found lost in the pages of a book during lunch breaks.
One day, as Emily walked through the hallway, she noticed a colorful poster announcing an upcoming English poetry competition. Her heart raced with excitement at the prospect of showcasing her talent, but her mind was immediately flooded with doubts. “What if my poem is not good enough? What if everyone laughs at me?”she thought to herself, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
As the days went by, Emily found herself caught between her desire to participate and her fear of failure. She talked with her best friend, Sarah, who had been by her side since they were little. She was known for her outgoing personality and her ability to make everyone feel included.
“You have a gift, Emily, ”Sarah said reassuringly, her blue eyes filled with encouragement. “Don’t let your fears hold you back. You never know what might happen unless you try. ”
With Sarah’s support, Emily decided to take a leap of faith and submit her poem for the competition. As the day of the event drew near, she felt a mix of nervousness and expectation. She spent hours perfecting her poem, carefully choosing each word and line to convey her emotions. She practiced her poem in front of the miror, trying to perfect her delivery and expression.
But despite her newfound confidence, Emily couldn’t shake off the feeling of doubt in her mind. These thoughts consumed her, making it difficult for her to focus on anything else.
It was during one of these moments of self-doubt that Sarah came to her rescue once again. “You’re an amazing writer, Emily, ”she said, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity. “Your poem is going to be incredible. Just believe in yourself. ”With Sarah’s words in her mind, Emily felt a renewed sense of determination.
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:
On the day of the competition, Emily took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.
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In the end, Emily’s poem won first place.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Growing up in Colorado, I prefer being outdoors. During my spare time, I enjoy swimming, climbing mountains and water-skiing. Although skiing was the sport I had never learned, I wanted to have a try. So when I recently got an invitation to a skiing trip in Deer Valley, I jumped at the chance. I didn’t think it would be that hard to learn. After all, I was fairly fit, and I used to waterski —that had to count for something, right?
It turned out that there was not so much help. I told the coach I was “beginner level”, and I was grouped with some women who had skied only a couple of times before. At first, I learned how to put on my ski suit and control my speed and direction. With the help of the coach, I started to practice.
Once we mastered the basic skills, my coach led us to the green run —the easy slope (斜坡)for ski beginners. When I reached the top, I started down an easy green run with others in our group. “OK, this isn’t so bad! I'm doing it!” I thought at the start of the run. Then came a harder slope. I wanted to quit. However, my pride didn’t let me stop.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为100个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I began to ski down the hill.
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But the accident would never stop me.
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Monday morning started out like any other school day. Ms. Castle assigned topics for the school science fair. Anxious, Anna silently begged not to receive the bugs topic. Ms. Castle stopped in front of Anna’s desk and placed the piece of paper on it.
Science topic: Beetle (甲虫)
Partner: Tali Perkins
A small sigh escaped Anna’s mouth. Beetles and Tali, known for her know-it-all attitude, are two things Anna feared. Throughout the day, she couldn’t shake off her worry about them.
On Tuesday morning, Tali ran up to Anna before class started and said, “I told Ms. Castle we’d catch a beetle and put it on display. She approved our proposal so we’re good to go.” Hearing this, Anna shouted, “Why didn’t you ask for my opinion? Weren’t we supposed to make decisions together?”
“I didn’t think you’d mind,” Tali said. “I know you’re not good at science.” Before Anna could say anything, Tali turned and walked away. Anna took a while to cool down and wrote an email to Tali.
Tali,
I’m a little upset that you chose our project without my input. I think it was unfair. I know a lot about science. I just don’t like beetles. I’ve had beetles crawl (爬) over my feet, and it was NOT FUN!
Your partner,
Anna
The next morning, Tali brought a collection of beetle photographs, which she thought could help Anna get used to beetles. And then Tali invited Anna to collect beetles in the woods that night. Unwillingly, Anna joined Tali and was amazed to find the beetle interesting. She even built a home for their beetles, realizing Tali had helped her overcome her fear.
Finishing the beetle display, Anna invited Tali to prepare the class talk together. Tali hesitated, but Anna insisted they were a team. Later, Anna received an email from Tali.
Anna,
You’re afraid of beetles, but I am afraid to speak in front of a group. That’s a million times worse. Help!
Your partner,
Tali
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。
Anna decided to help Tali overcome her fear.
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When the presentation day finally came, Tali still seemed nervous.
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Elisa studied her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a green top and blue ieans.
Moments ago she was wearing a pink top and a brown skirt. For a moment. Elisa considered
changing clothes again but decided against it. “What’s the use?” she asked herself as she sat back on the bed.
At that moment, her mother called her from downstairs. “Elisa! Hurry up, honey! You don’t want to be late for your first day of school.”
“Don’t remind me.” Elisa thought to herself. It was not just the first day of school. It was Elisa’s first day at a new school. Picking out clothes for the first day of school was hard enough when you already knew your classmates. It was even harder when you would ever meet them for the first time.
“Elisa!” her mom called out. “I see the bus coming down the street!”
“This is it.” Elisa said to herself. She jumped off the bed and ran downstairs. Her mother stopped her at the bottom of the steps.
“I know you’re nervous about starting the first day at a new school.” her mother said.
“Remember my words: Be friendly to others and soon they will too.”
Elisa had her doubts. but she did not mention them. She put on a brave face and said. “It will be okay.” Then she hugged her mom and ran outside. where the bus was already waiting.
As she climbed on the bus, she was surprised to discover that she was the very first person on board. Elisa was happy to avoid other people for as long as she could. but she knew it would not last long. She took a seat near the back.
As the bus continued on its way, Elisa watched with a growing sense of anxiety as other kids filed on the bus. It seemed like everyone already knew each other. She had spent the past week worrying that other kids would make fun of her, but being ignored felt just as bad.
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。
Suddenly, Elisa noticed a girl sitting silently in front of her.
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“Really? I just moved here, too!”Elisa said, hardly believing her ears.
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Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks (盯着他们).
One day, Ali took Zahra’s shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali’s running shoes. Zahra’s school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.
Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.
The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache.
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。
He looked forward and found three boys running ahead of him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Ali came to life, he was already at home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I used to hear about the story of Ella’s father. He sacrificed his life to save the villagers from flood when Ella was a baby. Therefore, the statue of her father was built at the edge of our village and also a large warning bell was fixed there.
One day, all the kids gathered at the statue to play hide-and-seek. Sam, the biggest and loudest boy, loved making jokes at others’ expense, and Ella was his favorite target. He watched Ella with a sly (狡黠的) smile and said to her, “I bet your father wished he’d had a boy to follow in his footsteps.” Holding her fists tightly, Ella was about to hit Sam when I patted her on the shoulder. “Enough,” I shouted. “Let’s begin our game while it’s still light out. I’ll count first.” Then I leaned my head against the statue and started to count.
In no time, the rest of the kids ran away to seek hiding places. Sam looked annoyed because his fun had been interrupted, and Ella’s cheeks also burned with anger. But they both didn’t want to be left out. Sam dashed away from the village to hide in the woods, while Ella headed back into the village and hid behind the grassy wall.
Soon most kids were caught, waiting for a new round to begin. Sam had yet to be found, so we thought he must be staying perfectly still and quiet, enjoying the scream and laughter of the game.
Suddenly, the large warning bell for thick fog began to ring. We all sensed the danger and immediately ran to our regular gathering place to seek shelter.
I threw the door open wide, waiting for other kids to arrive. Ella was one of the last to be back. I started the head count, only to find Sam was missing. All kids insisted on shutting the door, but Ella shook her head firmly. She rushed away toward the edge of the village with a torch to look for Sam. She swung it back and forth, until she reached the statue of her father.
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 heavy fog blocked her path but she made her way into the woods.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next day, we gathered at the statue again, Sam standing beside Ella.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There are many things in senior middle school that I still remember clearly. I studied three years in a country school, which is faraway. However, it has a good environment and strict but kind teachers, so I loved the school and all my teachers very much.
One Friday, just as we began to read books in reading class at our desks, our teacher, Mrs. Hill, said that she needed to be out of the classroom for a few minutes. She asked the class to read in silence while she was gone. And she said that those who didn’t read books in silence would have to be punished when she returned. It was well-known that Mrs. Hill was strict. So we had to be on our best behaviour.
But that Friday, Mrs. Hill hadn’t been gone for ten seconds before some students in the classroom started to talk. From one corner of the room I heard Josh ask Nick, “Can I trade my candies for your toy?” At the other end of the room I heard Samantha tell Kayla, “Let’s sit together on the bus for the museum field trip tomorrow.” And so it went all around me, until about half of the students communicated with each other.
After a while, I, too, forgot about Mrs. Hill’s instructions. I turned back and asked my friend Liza, “Can I borrow your storybook and keep it for a day?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Mrs. Hill walked into the classroom. The whole class returned to silence immediately. And we were full of fear.
Mrs. Hill slowly looked around the classroom and said, “If you were talking while I was gone, then please stand up.” The guilt (内疚) suddenly weighed heavily on me. “I shouldn’t have talked while she was not in the classroom. And now I should be honest and admit my mistake bravely. This is what my parents have always told me.” I thought. Then, I summoned up (鼓起) my courage to stand up, worried about the punishment that waited for me. Then I looked around.
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。
To my surprise, no one followed me and I was the only one in the classroom standing.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With Mrs. Hill’s encouragement, another student stood up.
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