When my sister, Dona, and I were little kids, my parents both joined the army. They stayed far away from our town and hardly returned home. My grandpa took on the big responsibility of taking care of us. Still, without our parents by our side, Dona and I sometimes felt lonely and sad, especially one winter.
One morning in that winter when Dona and I were sitting in our bedroom, dull and quiet, Grandpa said, “My dear, how about trying skating for fun?” Our faces immediately lit up and we answered together, “Great, we surely like it, Grandpa!”
He smiled and quickly set about building us a skating rink (溜冰场) in our yard. The process of building a skating rink was not easy. First, Grandpa laid out long wooden boards around the yard. Next, he made the base of the rink flat. Grandpa then began spraying the water, lightly at first, until the first layer of ice was established. He would then put some water onto the ice each night. And thus, the ice became thicker and thicker.
In the darkness of the night, from the kitchen window Dona and I watched Grandpa with great expectations. His back and shoulders rounded to protect him from the freezing wind. He stood alone, busying himself creating a perfect skating rink for us. The only light was from the moon and stars.
One night, Grandpa suddenly pressed his waist and the look on his face showed he was painful. Quite concerned, Dona and I rushed out and asked, “Grandpa! What’s wrong?” “My waist is painful. Don’t worry! I’ll be fine just after a little rest,” he smiled. Dona and I offered to help create the rink. But he said it was too cold outside at night and that building the rink needs much experience and lots of skills. Then, we gave up the idea of offering him a hand, but demanded he build the rink a few days later. Seeing we were determined, he walked into the room with us and had warm tea. Before long, Dona and I were tired and went to bed.
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。
When we fell asleep, Grandpa quietly walked out into the yard.
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Amazed, we hurriedly put on the skating equipment and rushed out._
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“I look like a clown (小丑)!” Winston thought sadly. He pulled his cap down, thankful for the cover it provided. He wanted to escape the attention of the people outside the barbershop (理发店). He looked around before hurrying away into the darkness to put some distance between himself and the curious eyes of others.
As he moved quickly down the street,Winston wondered why he hadn’t spoken up to prevent the terrible haircut. He felt sad and questioned why this had happened to him. Did the barber give him this messed-up haircut on purpose? Winston didn’t believe it because the barber looked very friendly. But it seemed so crazy! Could he have unknowingly offended the barber,and this disastrous hairstyle was the barber’s way of getting back at him?
Winston was also worried that Jack would laugh at him. Jack was his cousin and liked playing jokes. But maybe he wouldn’t; he was understanding too. Winston kept thinking about it.Upon entering his new home, ,Winston’s mom greeted him from the kitchen. She called out to him,asking to see his new hairstyle. Winston walked into the kitchen, his cap still on, and slowly took it off.
His mother looked very surprised. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Oh déar,” she shouted. “What happened?” Winston stood silently for a moment before letting out his anger. He blamed his mom for bringing him to this place, torcing him to attend a new school where he believed everyone would make fun of him. He also said he hated this terrible hairstyle, and his hair was beyond fixing.
Just as his anger was about to grow, the doorbell-rang. Winston’s mom calmly told him to answer it. As he opened the door, he forgot to cover his terrible haircut, and there stood his cousin Jack. Since it was Saturday today, they had planned to go skating together. Winston felt extremely embarrassed.
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。
Jack looked at Winston in disbelief.
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That afternoon, Winston returned to the barbershop, hoping to find out the truth.
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It was a typical Monday morning for Jenny, a diligent high school senior. The sound of her alarm clock woke her up, a rude awakening from her sweet dreams. She unwillingly opened her eyes, knowing what waited for her-another 5 long days at school.
Dragging herself out of bed, Jenny went through her usual morning routine. She hurriedly got dressed, grabbed her backpack, and rushed to the kitchen for breakfast. Her mother had prepared a nutritious meal, but Jenny had no appetite. She was too occupied with thoughts of an upcoming exam in her most challenging subject, mathematics.
As Jenny walked to school, her mind wandered back to the countless hours she had spent studying and practicing equations (方程式). She had put in lots of effort, hoping to improve her grades. However, despite her dedication, she was struggling to achieve the desired results. Doubts started crawling in, and anxiety stayed in her mind like dark clouds.
As students settled into their seats, Mr. Johnson, their math teacher, announced that the exam would take place that afternoon. Jenny started to feel afraid. She suddenly realized that she had forgotten her calculator at home, an essential tool for the exam. Panic turned into hopelessness, as she knew that borrowing one during the test would be strictly prohibited.
Jenny’s friends, Emma and David, noticed her worry and approached her after class. They offered their help. Emma suggested that Jenny be honest to Mr. Johnson and explain her situation. David, however, had a different plan. He proposed sneaking (偷偷给) his calculator to her during the exam, risking punishment for cheating.
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。
Jenny’s heart sank.
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The exam started.
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It was my very first trip to Africa. We were driving along a track that skirted the southern bank of the Chobe River, when my friend suddenly noticed something up ahead — a large shape jammed in-between a couple of big trees, right beside the road. We edged the car closer and, to our surprise, found ourselves looking at a young calf snuggled (偎依) up against a sizeable elephant (most probably its mother).
Our dilemma now was this: Was it OK to just drive slowly past the pair of elephants on that narrow track? Or would that cause the mother to become upset and charge, in which case we should either wait for them to move on or turn the car around? A bit unnerved by the close encounter, we chose to head back the way we’d come.
In the following days, I had a number of conversations with national park staff and fellow travelers about what to do when you suddenly come across an elephant while driving in the African wilds.
Sometimes people told me it would be OK to slowly drive past the mother and calf, because the wild animals of Chobe have become pretty used to humans in cars. Elephants seldom pose a threat to us. So there’s no need to adopt an attitude of permanent near-panic calm decisiveness is your true ally (助手) in such situations.
But then sometimes I was told to switch off the car and wait until the elephant had departed the scene. The idea was that the rumble (隆隆声) of an automotive engine could be interpreted by the animal as a kind of challenge. Keeping silent would reassure the elephant that you weren’t going to cause any trouble, and eventually it would go on its merry way. OK, that also sounded reasonable enough.
A week later, my friend and I were driving by a river, watching elephants meet on the water for a drink, and were driving back to our lodge (度假小屋) when we found our route blocked by a young male elephant. As surprised as we were, the elephant planted his feet in the dirt and seemingly prepared to fight against our car.
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。
The track was narrow and bordered by thick bush, so we couldn’t go around him.
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The elephant walked right up to the car.
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Every morning before going to school, Galen would stand in front of their bookshelf in the living room, focusing his sights on one book titled “The Greatest Explorer That Never Was”. It was kept on the top shelf. His mom would always read it to him when he was feeling sad. And lately, he’d always been feeling sad. His mom died.
He would try to think of a way to get the book. He’d thought about asking his dad for help but his dad had been spending more time in his office. Galen was on his own for this one and he saw it as a challenge he needed to overcome. This was his test.
At school, he would draw up plans on how he would do it. First, he planned on using the ladder they kept in the shed (小屋). So when he got home, he threw his bag on the couch and carried out the plan. But when he had his hands on and tried to carry it, immediately he realized that the plan was a failure-the ladder was too heavy for him to carry to the living room. He left the shed, defeated. He took out the notebook that he’d written his plans on. He crossed out using a ladder. He went to bed that night determined to come up with a new plan that would work.
His next plan was to use his mom’s old trampoline (蹦床). Using it would allow him to jump high enough, reach the top of the shelf, grab the book, and land on the ground. He did this about four or five times before deciding that this plan, like the one before, wouldn’t work.
Galen started coming with other plans as the days went on. After the unsuccessful mop and broom plan, he stayed up late that night hatching a new plan, which had a higher success rate than the others. It was to climb to the top of the shelf until he could just take the book. He’d just have to hold on to the sides a little tighter so that he wouldn’t fall off.
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。
But it wasn’t the easy climb he expected.
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Down to the ground with the book, he turned around to see who the ally (同盟)was.
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In the spring sun, my aunt and I headed for her flower shop. Normally I would be delighted to help in her shop, but not recently because of Rosa. Rosa was my sister, just one month old, who was settled in my old bedroom. For ten years, the small room was full of my toys and books. But now it was transformed into her baby room, decorated like a garden with pinks and yellows. My space, my old life, was gone.
“Here we are!” We arrived at the shop, a wave of colour and sweet smell washing over me. My aunt said I could pick some flowers for Mum and Dad. I used to love this, but today I was so overcome with tiredness and envy. Why bother to bring them flowers when they were enjoying Rosa at home without me?
Silently I helped my aunt arrange flowers. “Your mum told me there hasn’t been much shut eye recently for any of you.” “Not much, since Rosa the alarm clock was installed (安装).” I complained with a huge yawn (哈欠).
“I remember having to creep (蹑手蹑脚地走) around like a worn-out mouse when your mum was a baby. I spent the first months hating her so much.” “But you and Mum seem so close,” I said, guiltily hiding away my envy of Rosa.
“Now we are. But it took me years to grow into the role of big sister. Few flowers blossom (绽放) overnight, you know.” She pulled me in for aside hug, glancing up at the clock, and suggested I take a walk outside.
Behind her shop was a field dotted with spring flowers. Stepping into the field, I began to pick little flowers. It was like gathering my childhood memories. I remembered how I’d sit with Dad, making flower chains, crowning (授予) each other with the silliest titles: Queen of Junk Food and King of Mess. My smile grew wider. The shining yellow flowers reminded me of the color in Rosa’s baby room. Was she awake? I wondered.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
Suddenly I saw two familiar figures walking towards me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Rosa was wide awake in her baby basket beside the picnic blanket.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mohan was excited. His father had finally declared him old enough to help take the sheep to herd. It was no ordinary herding, though. Mohan and his father and other shepherds (牧羊人) moved high up into the mountains and stayed on the pastures (牧场) with their flocks for six long months.
It was not an easy life. Far away from home, the men were surrounded by forests that were filled with dangerous animals, such as bears, tigers, and leopards (豹) .
As Mohan bid his mother and sister goodbye, he tried to look as grown-up as possible. Mohan, his father, and their sheepdog, Sona, set off along the dusty track with their sheep. Soon they were joined by other shepherds and their flocks. The group climbed for three days until they reached the half-dry bed of a river. “Let’s part up here,” said the oldest shepherd.
Mohan and his father, along with Kishan, a neighbor, took their sheep northward. As night fell, everything seemed peaceful. Mohan sat closer to Sona for warmth. His father and Kishan had taken their flocks to different ends of the pasture.
Suddenly, Sona started to bark. Mohan looked up to see his father’s sheep rushing down the slope. Something was wrong. He waited for the sheep to reach him. Then he turned to Sona and said, “Stay and guard the sheep. I must look for Father.”
Mohan picked up a lantern and his shepherd’s stick and hurried in the direction from which the sheep had come. “Father, where are you?” he called out. Then came another sound that froze Mohan’s blood. Mohan shouted,” Father!” A steady voice answered, “I’m here.”
Mohan rushed up a slope and almost fell into a ditch (沟) on the other side. He stopped just in time and found himself looking straight into the eyes of a snow leopard. Mohan was frozen with terror.
“Mohan, use your lantern.” His father’s voice shook Mohan’s fear out of him. Mohan looked down and saw his father lying in the ditch, holding a lamb.
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。
Mohan knew he had to act fast.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mohan put out the fire and then climbed into the ditch.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Netherlands is a country where much of it is below sea level. Dikes (堤坝) are great walls that stop the North Sea from rushing in and flooding the country. For many centuries the people of the Netherlands have worked to keep the walls strong to keep their country safe. Even little children there are quite aware that a small hole in the walls can cause big damage in the country. There was a boy who was named Peter. His father was one of the men who would open and close the gates in the dikes for the ships to pass out of the Netherlands’ canals into the great sea.
One cold afternoon when Peter was eight years old, his mother asked him to deliver some cakes she baked to his blind friend who lived across the dike. Peter stayed with him for a while, shared his experience of the walk and described the sun, the flowers, and the ships far out in the sea.
Then he found it was dark totally. So he said goodbye to his friend and set out for home immediately. On his way back, as he walked beside the canal, he noticed that the water had risen a lot because of rain and it was beating against the dike violently.
As Peter was walking along, he suddenly heard a noise of trickling (滴流的) water. He stopped and saw a small hole in the dike through which a tiny stream was flowing. Peter knew the danger that could be caused as the little hole would soon become a larger one and the whole country could be flooded. So he climbed down the side of the dike and put his finger into the tiny hole. The flowing of the water stopped in no time.
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。
Peter shouted for help, but in vain (徒劳).
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Early the next morning, a man going for work heard Peter’s groan (呻吟).
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Once upon a time, there was a farmer named Rakesh. He had purchased a farm in a village. One year, it happened that it rained very little in the village. There was no river nearby either. So, the farmer was worried how he would get water for his crops.
Incidentally, there was a well near his farm which had water. However, the well belonged to another farmer named Raghu. So, Rakesh persuaded Raghu to sell him the well so that he could apply the water for his crops. Raghu was a very greedy farmer. He said to Rakesh. “Sure, I will sell you the well. But once sold, I will not take it back. Anyway, it is of no use to me. So you can have it,” Then the well was sold to Rakesh.
The next day, Rakesh went to the farm and decided to take out the water from the well. However, to his surprise, Raghu was present there and stopped him from taking any water from the well. He said, “I have sold you only the well and not the water in it. If you want the water, then you will have to pay more for it!” On hearing this, Rakesh tried to reason with Raghu, but to no end.
Feeling cheated and trapped, finally, Rakesh decided to approach the local authority for a solution to this matter. When hearing Rakesh’s story, the officer Birbal said he would help to solve the problem and get him justice from Raghu.
The next day, Birbal came to the well along with Rakesh. He told Rakesh to draw water from the well. Then Raghu appeared and stopped them from taking the water from the well. Raghu said, “I have sold only the well to Rakesh, not the water in it. If he wants to use the water, then he has to pay extra for it.” Everyone fell in silence. Birbal thought for a while and came forward.
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。
Birbal said, “If the water is yours, please empty the well of your water.”
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Hearing that, Raghu was scared.
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It was Christmas Eve morning, and I awoke with a mission: to find my lost cat, Baby-Girl. As I got ready, I could hear icy rain pelting the windows. Baby-Girl was out there somewhere in the storm; I could just feel it. Sure, it had been a couple of weeks since she’d gone missing, but I still had faith. This was the season for miracles, after all.
About two weeks ago, my sweet kitty disappeared from my parents’ house in my hometown. Baby-Gil had been staying with them while I was between apartments. At the time, I lived and worked in another city. I was staying with friends until I rented my own house. Baby-Girl had gotten out of my parents’ house the day before I was set to drive back home to pick her up.
My dad and I had spent that entire visit searching for her. Dad was a “realist”, which meant he spent a whole lot of time trying to prepare me for the worst. “She’s either been hit by a car or been taken in by someone who found her,” he said. I rolled my eyes. He could do with a little more faith!
Besides, though I couldn’t explain it, I knew I’d see Baby-Girl again. She could survive all on her own. If any cat could do the impossible, it was my Baby-Girl. Even after I returned to my house without her, deep down I had this undeniable feeling that we would be reunited one day.
Now, home again for the holidays, I was determined to pick up my search right where I’d left off. I grabbed Baby-Girl’s cat carrier and loaded it into the car, and then asked my dad to drive me to the shelter.
At the shelter, a staff member took us to see the cats. We walked through rows of cages. My eyes scanned cats of all colors and sizes. None of them was my Baby-Girl. Then I noticed a room farther back. I pushed ahead. “Sweetheart, that’s where they keep the cats that just came in,” Dad said. “Your cat wouldn’t be in there.”
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。
I insisted it didn’t hurt to look and stepped into the room.
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Sensing their doubts, I was ready to prove she was my cat.
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