My fear of performing started early on in my life. I was a shy child who preferred staying in the background and avoiding attention. However, as I grew older, I realized that I had a hidden desire to express myself creatively and share my talents with others. This desire led me to find out various art forms, including music, dance, and theater.
But I used to struggle with stage fright. Whenever I was asked to perform in front of others, I would feel a sense of dread (惧怕) and anxiety, and my body would tense up. I would worry about making mistakes, forgetting my lines, or embarrassing (使尴尬、难堪) myself in front of others.
I remember very well my first audition (试演) for a school play. The play was a musical adaptation (改编) of a classic fairy tale, and I was excited about the chance to be a part of it. However, as the audition day approached, my excitement turned into anxiety. I started to doubt myself, and I started to question whether I was ready to take on such a demanding (要求高的) role. Despite my doubts, I decided to go through with the audition, hoping to overcome my fear and prove to myself that I could perform.
The day of the audition arrived, and I stood nervously in front of the audiences. I could feel my heart racing and my palms sweating as I prepared to sing my song and deliver my lines.
However, as I started to perform, something excellent and unusual happened. I fully put myself in the role I was playing and felt a sense of freedom and joy that I had never experienced before. I began to lose myself in the moment, and didn’t feel nervous and anxious. When the audition was over, I was surprised to learn I had been chosen to play a leading role. I was both excited and worried at the same time, but I knew I had to push through my fear and give it my all.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为90左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Since then, performing became an important part of my life.
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The Right Thing to Do
“Today’s test score will decide who has topped the class, so be ready,” Miss Natasha announced to the class.
Miss Natasha collected everyone’s test papers, and then cleared her throat to announce the results as she distributed the test papers among the students. Everyone was nervous about what their scores might be.
Ali and Bob had been competitors since class one and each year it was always one of the two that came first in the class. This year, there was tough competition between them both, and they eagerly awaited the results.
“Peter, 18,” announced Miss Natasha as she handed him his paper, “Eric, 16, Ali, 20, Bob, 19… and lastly Alia, 15.”
Once Miss Natasha had distributed (分发) all of the test papers in class, everyone soon realized that Ali had beaten Bobby one mark and topped the class. Everyone congratulated him and Ali was happy.
As Ali was about to put his paper in his bag, he noticed that by mistake Miss Natasha had given him two marks for an incorrect answer. He was shocked. He rechecked his answers and realized that all his answers were correct except for that one. However, if he informed Miss Natasha about it, he would not only lose two marks but also his first position.
After considering the situation, he decided to keep quiet and went home. However, he kept thinking about it all evening. Should he or shouldn’t he tell Miss Natasha about it? He thought that it had been already done, and no one would notice if he didn’t tell anyone, but then another thought crossed his mind. If he didn’t tell the teacher about it and stayed top of the class, he would have taken a title that should have belonged to Bob.
This situation put Ali in a hard position. His parents always taught him to do the right thing, but doing the right thing here meant he would no longer be top of the class. He remembered how everyone cheered for him and congratulated him in class.
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 knew that by informing the teacher about it, he would lose it all.
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After hearing his mother’s words, he finally made up his mind.
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That was the night before Christmas, and all through my head, were the three words my friend Julia said, “Santa’s not real.”
It was 1994, and at age nine I was way too old to still believe in Santa Claus. And yet, blindsided by Julia’s response to my deep love for Santa that year, I doubled down and branded (加污名于) Julia a liar. After all, movies had taught me that Christmas magic was more important than what I’d already begun doubting as fact. What did she know, anyway?
But by Christmas Eve, I realized that Julia wasn’t wrong; that there was no way the Santa I was looking at while standing next to my parents could possibly make it to the North Pole and back to Cambridge, Ontario, by nightfall.
My dad headed off to buy a new suit for the holidays, and my mum led me to Shoppers Drug Mart. I looked at the chocolate while listening to the Christmas music playing over the store speakers. With each mention of Santa Claus or red-nosed reindeer I started to feel warm. I silently followed my mum up to the check-out counter, and felt the words rising, knowing there’d be no turning back once they came out.
“Mum,” I said, as the cashier rang us through. “Are you and Dad Santa?”
The cashier began scanning (扫描) items faster and faster, her widened eyes stuck to the digital display. I didn’t wait for a response before pressing on. “Is Santa real?”
The cashier was moving at record speed, and couldn’t wait to get me away. My mother, forever honest, simply looked at me. “Well, sweetie, what do you think?”
That was enough. I wan’t stupid. “SANTA’S NOT REAL!” I cried. By the time we made it to the car, I was crying quietly, looking out of the car window, vowing (发誓) never to forget the pain their lies had caused.
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 home, I sat sadly on the living room floor.
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I certainly didn’t want to ruin my little cousin’s Christmas.
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I was studying for a huge science test when my little brother and sister burst into the kitchen, singing at the top of their lungs: Squirrels (松鼠) in the garden, Squirrels in the tree, I’m a happy squirrel, Look at me. . . Then, just as soon as they finished, they started singing all over again.
“Wow! That’s a pretty catchy song, ” I said after the third time around. But I asked them to stop singing as I was trying to study.
“Sorry, Zona, ” said Indi. “But we really do need to keep singing it. Our music teacher said so!” “Yeah, ” said Tex. “Our class is putting on a squirrel play for Parents Night, and we have to memorize every single word by Friday!” Indi added that they had to make their own tails and ears and dumped (倾倒 ) out a bag full of furry costume parts. “Can you help us?”
“Maybe in a little while, ” I said. “Right now, I need to read my book. ”
Tex and Indi sang that song while they were making their costumes, while they were doing their housework, and even while they were brushing their teeth!
Since Tex and Indi squeaked (吱吱叫) and sang every day that week, I wasn’t as prepared as I wanted to be for my test on Friday. And in the middle of taking my test, the squirrel song started playing over and over in my head. It was almost impossible for me to focus on the last few questions.
When I got home that afternoon, all I wanted to do was a rest on the couch. The only thing was, Tex and Indi had beaten me to it.
“Can you please let me sit too?” I complained. “I had a bad day!” “We had a bad day too!” said Tex. “Yeah, ” said Indi. “A group of kids in our class got sick, so tonight’s play is canceled!”
We were just three unhappy persons sitting in silence for a really long time. Even though I had been complaining about their singing, it broke my heart to see them disappointed. They had been so excited about the show. I said after a while, “I can’t let all of your practising go to waste. ”
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。
“We don’t want to waste it, either, but what can we do?” Indi asked helplessly.
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As the lights went up, two cute little squirrels scampered ( 蹦蹦跳跳) into the middle of the stage.
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A SPECIAL DAY
When the 6 a. m. alarm went off on Father’s Day, Helen’s parents were awakened with a loud bang as she smashed (打碎) the piggy bank with hammer. “What’s wrong?” exclaimed by Helen’s mother, but Helen said it was a secret. She picked up the money on the ground, and rushed to the shoe cabinet to find father’s shoes secretly. Ten minutes later, Helen came out of the door with a piece of paper in her hand without telling anyone.
Helen hurried to a shoe shop and said to the salesman, “I want to buy a pair of shoes for adults. Can you recommend one for me?” The salesman said, “What size do you want?” Helen immediately took a piece of paper out of her bag and gave it to the assistant. “Why are there shoes prints on the paper?” asked by the clerk curiously. Helen said, “It was my little idea. I drew a picture of my dad’s shoes with a pen, and it was a great way to get the right shoes for him without letting him know.” At the salesman’s recommendation, Helen chose a pair of shoes, because her father had not bought a pair of good shoes for a long time, and his shoes were worn out and always wet on rainy days. The salesman took different sizes of shoes to make a comparison with the shoes on the paper, and finally decided on the right size. Then he smiled and handed it to Helen.
Helen took out a pile of one-dollar coins from her bag, and said to the clerk, “Here is all the pocket money I have saved.” The salesman was amazed by this 6-year-old girl when counting the coins. He said to Helen, “Your money is just enough, you are a good girl and your father will be very happy for that.”
注意：
1、所续写短文的词数应为150词左右;
2、续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
When Helen returned home, she found her father standing at the door, angry but worried.
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Paragraph 2:
Helen took out the new shoes for her father from her bag.
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In 1989, just out of high school, I was faced with the tough job of deciding my own course of study, which was only three months away from university. In those days in Pakistan, there were limited choices: becoming a doctor or an engineer or entering the financial world after obtaining a business degree. I didn’t have any interest in engineering, so all I had to do was either medical or commercial work. I couldn’t decide.
My uncle, an influential member of the family, recommended that I spend a month in an international company and then a month at a hospital. Then I could make a decision. I thought it was a great idea.
I was accepted for a month’s placement (实习工作) at a foreign bank in Karachi. I had some insight into how the financial world worked, met new acquaintances, and enjoyed the general relaxed atmosphere of the office.
The month passed quickly, and I was soon employed at one of Karachi’s premier hospitals. The experience could not have been more different. There was a tense atmosphere at the hospital. Days began sooner(at seven as opposed to nine in the morning at the bank), and they were full of interminable (无止境的) chores and late-night visits! It was insane (疯狂的), working all day, all night, and then another.
I was starting to think about both of my experiences. The bank had offered a more relaxing environment, better working hours and less pressure. It was exciting and unpredictable in the hospital, but it was hard to learn and practice. It looked like the business choice would win.
Near the end of my month in the hospital, I was on my way back from a particularly hectic (紧张忙碌的) evening call, and there was a public bus in front of me, and there were some kids in it. While the driver threaded his way through the cars, I saw that the boys were swaying left and right.
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。
All of a sudden, a boy fell from the back of the bus.
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When I visited him at the hospital the following morning, all his family members stood up with grateful smiles on their faces.
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Beth was in hospital with viral pneumonia (肺炎). She felt down and she missed her parents terribly, who were far away in Europe on business. She lay in her bed crying when one nurse came in and recognized her sadness and loneliness. The nurse looked at the pale little girl worriedly, knowing that one of the greatest setbacks to recovery is often depression. Like the rest of the medical staff, she was overworked and couldn’t sit and keep Beth company all the time. Then she had a brilliant idea! Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone! Just at the end of the corridor (走廊), she had a patient who was just as lonely as Beth...
The nurse walked into Georgiana Halston’s room and smiled, “Didn’t you tell me you have a granddaughter, Mrs Halston?” Georgiana, who was lying on the bed and looking listlessly (没精打采地) out of the window, sighed. “Yes. I have a 7-year-old granddaughter, but she is in Canada. And she hardly calls me, because I don’t know what she like and she think it boring to chat with me.”
“Well,” the nurse said. “I have a 7-year-old down the corridor who is very lonely and needs a friend. I wonder if you could cheer her up a bit and be that friend?”
“But my leg hurts,” Georgiana said. “I can’t walk. You know that.”
“I know that your doctor want you out of bed and to walk around,” the nurse retorted. “If you don’t move, you’ll end up bedridden!”
Georgiana had been diagnosed with a form of bone disease and got a big operation. She was still in bed, but she should be up to exercise her leg. However, the truth is that she was afraid her leg would suffer terrible pain. After the nurse left, Georgiana lay on her bed for a long time, feeling sad for herself. Georgiana looked at the walker next to her bed and sighed. The matter of the lonely little girl haunted her.
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。
Then Georgiana picked her walker and headed for the girl’s room.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A while later, the nurse appeared in Beth’s room.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My teacher gave us an assignment that should have been easy. “OK, class,” he said. “For the month of November, we will turn this wall into our Thanksgiving art gallery. For tonight’s homework, I want you to create a picture of one thing you’re thankful for, and we’ll hang it here.”
We were supposed to spend the last part of class figuring out an idea for our “thankful” picture. But the more I tried to think of the one perfect thing, the more panicked and puzzled became! Finally, the school bell rang, and it was time to pack up and go. “I’m going to make a picture about fishing with my grandpa,” my friend Imani said as we walked home. I told her that this project was making me nervous and that I was worried if I chose one person, everyone else felt left out.
Imani suggested that I should pick a random awesome thing instead. I was surprised and confused because I was thankful for a billion random things. How was I supposed to choose one? Imani smiled. “It’s the ‘just close your eyes’ trick.” I could write down a bunch of choices on separate pieces of paper, spread them out, close my eyes and pick one. I was still worried that I would pick the imperfect one.
“That’s the whole point,” said Imani. “There’s no perfection. Here, I’ll show you!” I followed Imani across the street to a giant tree with beautiful and attractive fallen leaves. So many leaves had fallen onto the grass that it looked like a rainbow-colored carpet. The orange one with green-and-yellow edges was incredible. Those fiery red ones were also amazing. She urged me to pick the very best leaf.
“There are too many,” I said. “It’d be impossible to find the very best.”
“Exactly!” she said. “It’s just like the thankful assignment. There are way too many choices. So just close your eyes and pick one.” I closed my eyes, picked up a leaf, opened my eyes -and we both started laughing our heads off.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Looking at the rotten and sad little leaf in my hand, I was lost in thought.
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Paragraph 2:
The next day in class, when appreciating our pictures on the wall, everybody had questions about mine.
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“What will we be singing for competition this year?” a student from my high school choir asked eagerly. I was really worried about this moment. “I was thinking,” I said, “maybe we’ll skip the competition and just work hard on the concerts this year.”
“NO!” the kids disagreed. “We want to compete! For the First Place! It’s a tradition!”
This was true. Medals on the front wall of the music room were won by my former excellent students. But they had graduated, leaving me with only twenty-two young students, inexperienced kids who couldn’t read music, and could sing only a simple melody (乐章).
“Maybe we could win the Second Place this year,” I suggested. I knew even that would be a near-impossible task, thinking our competitors: two famous schools with fifty members each. “No!” the kids screamed. “The First Place!”
I shook my head. “First Place is extremely difficult.”
“We can do it!” they shouted. “We can do it!”
“I’ll think about it,” I said, hoping their eagerness would die off in a couple of weeks.
But that didn’t happen. Instead, the class became more determined. Every day they asked and begged. As a teacher, I couldn’t tell them they weren’t good enough. To cool their eagerness, I showed them a difficult piece of music from the competition list, but it simply ended with “It’s okay, Mrs. Pliszka. We’ll make it. ”
I struggled to make a decision. If I destroyed their hope, would I destroy their spirit? I remembered one of my college professor’s saying, "Every child will learn if the teacher is willing to try his or her best as the student.” I wasn’t afraid of hard work, and I enjoyed a challenge. But I wasn’t a magic worker. And so, I think seriously over this challenge.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Finally, one morning I made the decision.
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Paragraph 2:
When my group stepped on the stage, I could clearly notice distrust from the audience saying my group was so small.
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On November 27th last year, I was waiting to check out at a local store.
The clerk(售货员) was very busy because it was Thanksgiving Day. Besides usual snacks and daily necessities, people were buying kinds of food and flowers. It was about 5 p. m. and still light outside, but people seemed to be hurrying back to their cars. As it was the rush hour, with people anxious to get home from work, few of the people in line responded(回应) to the clerk’s greetings(问候). Even fewer people wished the clerk a nice evening.
Surprisingly, one elderly woman who was paying for ice cream and some snacks smiled at the clerk who was taking what seemed to be the woman’s last 20 dollars and 21 cents. The elderly customer nodded in the direction of the flowers and said to the clerk, “I hope someone will bring you some flowers tonight.” The clerk smiled, saying a bit regretfully, “That would be nice, but I don’t think it’s likely to happen. My husband and I both have to work till midnight today.”
Hearing that, the customer seemed to be lost in thought. She accepted her bag, thanked the clerk and then headed towards her old car outside the store.
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。
After a while, the elderly customer returned with a few coins in her hand.
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The clerk looked at the elderly customer, surprised.
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