In the town of Willowbrook, young Sarah was in a state of great excitement. Her school was putting on its annual play, and she had been offered a principal role. The school hall had been abuzz for weeks with rehearsals, prop (道具) preparations, and the students practicing their lines. Sarah had spent countless hours rehearsing, wanting to get every word and movement absolutely right.
However, underlying her anticipation was a growing sadness. Sarah’s dad, Mr Thompson, worked as an engineer in a big city, and his job often kept him away from home for a long time, which meant he frequently missed out on most of the special moments in Sarah’s life. This play seemed to be another addition to that growing list. He had a vital business meeting on the same day, and Sarah, although understanding, couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Her classmates talked excitedly about their families coming to watch, increasing her sense of loss.
It was bright and sunny on the day of the play. The school’s hall was noisy with students. Students in costumes rushed about, teachers gave last-minute instructions, and the air was thick with anticipation. Sarah peeped out from behind the curtains and saw the hall filling up with eager parents, siblings, and friends. Every seat was taken, except one — her dad’s.
The play started on time with Sarah and her classmates’ performance being the first. The actors delivered their lines with passion and the audience responded with laughter and applause at all the right moments. Sarah played her part with a mix of excitement and longing, wishing her dad could see her shine.
Halfway through, the host called for a surprise guest to enter. He described him as a “mysterious stranger” whose brief appearance would provide a turning point in the plot. As the lights dimmed slightly and suspenseful music played, a tall figure stepped onto the stage.
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Sarah’s heart jumped faster.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the final scene concluded and the curtains drew to a close, applause thundered through the hall.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was a 15-year-old girl when my beloved grandma Rosie was placed in a group home in Brookfield because of sharply declining memory. I can vividly remember the unpleasant environments inside the nursing home. That impression has ultimately impacted me in a very great way, even after I graduated from university with a degree in architecture.
Grandma Rosie was the heart of our family. Her little two-bedroom home was truly where all her children and grandchildren gathered. She was also an amazing cook and her specialty was fried pork steak. Most of my nephews and nieces were fans of her specialty. She lived alone after my grandpa passed away but was cared by many relatives and friends. When she was in her late 60s, we began to witness a significant memory impairment (受损) in her. Everyone started checking up on her. A frequent question that people would ask her, “What did you have for dinner?”, almost always brought the same answer — fried pork steak. Every day she would report making fried pork steak. One day a group of us went to her house secretly, and found she was making fried pork steak!
After some lengthy consideration, our family were concerned for her condition and ultimately decided to place Rosie in a group home in Brookfield. A year later, Rosie caught heart disease and her condition required her to be moved to a nursing home in Oconomowoc. Her memory also declined sharply and she no longer remembered our names. It was heartbreaking for our family to know that.
By that time, I was in high school and thinking about plans for college. Seeing the cold, sterile (呆板的) long hallways and unfriendly surroundings in the nursing home, I was determined to become a professional architect concentrating on senior care and health care design. I wanted to design living space where seniors can not only live but benefit from lovely environments.
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Bearing this goal in mind, I worked extremely hard.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, Grandma Rosie moved into a senior living community I designed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Alice had been optimistic and the heart of her family. Unfortunately, one day cancer attacked her brain. Although suffering from illness, Alice remained a source of encouragement, especially for Jenny, her 12-year-old daughter. Alice often read inspiring stories to her, helped with her homework, and cheered her up to solve difficulties bravely. When Alice’s condition worsened, the family’s daily life was enveloped in the shadow of uncertainty and sorrow.
In her final days, Alice made a video without letting Jenny know, and handed it to her husband John. She wanted Jenny to remember her when she grew up, not as the woman weakened by illness, but as the loving and optimistic mother she had always been.
After Alice’s passing, Jenny put her mother’s photographs in a box and locked herself in her own room. For her, going into the empty living room where she and her mother read together was heartbreaking. Even the routine of going to school, once a joyful activity shared with her mother, now became an unbearable pain. John tried his best to ease the pain left by Alice. He cooked Jenny her favorite meals, read bedtime stories, and even tried braiding (编) her hair, just the way Alice used to do. But Jenny, lost in sorrow, found little comfort in these efforts.
“Dad, I won’t go to school. I just want to be left alone,” Jenny shouted, her voice full of anger and hopelessness, when John asked her to prepare for school. John understood her pain but felt helpless. That was when he decided to show Jenny the video Alice had made. He hoped that hearing her mother’s voice might bring some comfort to Jenny. Gently walking upstairs and knocking on Jenny’s door, he entered with a video player. “Your mom left something for you,” he said, trying to mask his own sadness with a hopeful smile. Jenny, still teary-eyed, hesitated but eventually pressed the “play” button.
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Immediately, Alice’s smiling face appeared on the screen.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jenny stepped out of her room with a smile on her face.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One sunny afternoon, I was playing in the backyard when I noticed a beautiful shiny piece of paper lying on the table. It was leftover aluminum foil (锡纸) from a package my mum had opened. I picked it up and was immediately attracted by its sparkling appearance. Curiosity got the best of me, and I couldn’t help but ask my dad about it.
“Dad, what is this paper called? It’s so shiny and beautiful!” I inquired, holding the aluminum foil up for him to see.
My dad chuckled and replied, “That’s. called aluminum foil, and it has many uses.”
Naturally, my curiosity was piqued (激发), and I eagerly asked, “What can it be used for?”
My dad smiled and said, “Why don’t you research it yourself? It’ll be a great opportunity for you to learn something new. ”
With a sense of excitement, I grabbed my phone and started researching on the Internet. I found out that it is a type of metal paper called aluminum foil, which is moisture-proof(防潮的). As I looked through the information, an idea popped into my head. What if I put some water in a small aluminum foil container and heated it in the microwave? Would the water boil?
Unable to resist the urge to experiment, I cut a piece of aluminum foil and folded it into a small square container. I added some water into the container and placed it in the microwave. With my eyes wide open, I anxiously watched the aluminum foil container, filled with anticipation. But before I could see any changes in the water, suddenly a burst of fire erupted from the microwave, surprising me. I quickly rushed to unplug the appliance and collapsed onto the floor, feeling a great fear.
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My dad, hearing the sound, hurried over and asked, “What happened? ”
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My dad’s comforting words sank in, and I made a promise to myself to become more careful in my life.
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“Mom, I’m ready to go,” called Jason.
Every Saturday, Jason looked forward to going to Chinatown to shop for food because his mom let him pick his favorite snacks: roast pork buns and bubble tea.
The streets in Chinatown were crowded with cars and pedestrians. His mother could not find the same exotic vegetables in the local supermarkets, so they always came here to shop. What fascinated Jason was tasty roast pork, even the whole pigs hanging on big hooks in the windows, their skins roasted to a glistening brown. Jason’s mouth would water just looking at them.
As they passed the newsstand carrying Chinese newspapers and magazines, Jason spotted an old man sitting on the sidewalk. His hair was long, white, and messy. The face beneath was lined, dirty, and unshaven. Frayed and torn clothing wrapped around his thin frame, and in this kind of cold weather, he even wore sandals, his feet blue with cold. He banged an empty can against the sidewalk. As Jason walked by, he could smell a musty odor and pinched his nostrils together. The old man reached out and touched Jason’s left leg. Instinctively, Jason gathered all his strength to jerk(猛拉) his leg away and kick the old man’s hand heavily. Frightened, he hurried to catch up with his mother without looking back.
“Mom, the old man touched me,” he cried, “He touched me with his dirty hands. It’s disgusting! And he smelled too.”
Jason’s mother glanced back at the man with a look of understanding and said gently, “Jason, he can’t help it. He’s homeless. He didn’t mean any harm.”
Mom’s words made Jason look back at the old man with regret, who now was looking up at other passersby, still banging his can.
On their way home, Jason asked, his voice filled with concern. “Why is that old man homeless? Where does he sleep?”
“I don’t know. It’s tough to be homeless, especially in this cold weather. He did look quite weak,” his mother replied.
Mom’s words made Jason’s regret deepened. He confessed his heavy kick to his mother, who reminded him that it was crucial to acknowledge his mistake and try to make up for it.
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The next day, with his mother’s help, Jason decided to do something.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hearing this, the old man looked at them with watery eyes.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was a boy, I always wore turtleneck shirts because I was so sensitive and shy. I worked hard to earn exceptional marks and always tried to behave well. I was younger than everyone else because my good marks had allowed me to skip second grade, but this added nothing to my already low self-confidence.
When I was 14, my parents divorced (离婚). I moved in with my dad in a new neighborhood, but he was always so busy and had little time for me. It seemed the only time he ever spoke to me was to be demanding or critical. I began to hate coming home from school every day. I sank further into my low self-esteem (自尊心) and was overwhelmed with feeling unappreciated and alone.
One day, my aunt called. This seemed like a miracle (奇迹) to me. Aunt Ginette usually only called once a year, on my birthday. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest, and she thought I should try it, too. She told me she firmly believed I could perform on stage like the other kids since she had seen me do skits (幽默小品) for the family at Christmas.
I was a little surprised. Me? Onstage? In a public speaking contest? I was hesitant. But Aunt Ginette was so confident and seemed really serious. Feeling her strong belief, I went against all odds and agreed to enter the contest.
All that winter, twice a week after dinner, I took three different buses for the three-hour round-trip to practice in Ville d’Anjou, where the competition would take place. Although my dad really did love me and wanted the best for me, he disapproved of this new dream, fearing it would take away from my homework time and impact my academic performance. But I remained a top performer in school and never missed a day.
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。
Four months later, the big night arrived.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I saw my father’s face, his eyes were shining－he was so proud.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was October and we were attending the fire hall’s open house with our five-year-old son Henry. He was especially drawn to the collection of model fire trucks in the large glass display case. The firefighters were more than happy to answer his many questions about each piece of equipment. “When do you get to play with those?” Henry asked the accompanying firefighter.
The firefighter hid his amusement and pretended to be serious as he answered. “We don’t get to play with them. The chief keeps them locked away in that box.”
Henry was lost in thought as we walked home that evening.
With colder weather setting in, our thoughts turned to the upcoming New Year’s Day. It was important to us to educate Henry about the true spirit of New Year celebration. The last thing we wanted was our kid seeing the festival as merely a time to receive love and gifts.
We sat Henry down and explained that there were many children that didn’t have toys to play with. Some children didn’t have their mommy or dad for company during the festival because their parents were busy doing their jobs when we were on holiday. We explained that every one of us can be of some help to those in need.
Henry’s eyes shone! “Can we take presents to the firefighters? They aren’t allowed to play with all those fire trucks! We can take them toys to play with on New Year’s Day!”
At first we didn’t know how to respond. We had long since forgotten about the model fire trucks at the fire hall! Apparently Henry had not. His dad cleared his throat. “Well, that is a good idea, but they don’t really have time to play with toys because they are too busy keeping us safe during the holiday, just like those policemen and doctors.”
Henry became very serious. He knew his dad was right. Being a firefighter was a very important job.
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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。
“Or maybe we can bring them something else...” Henry murmured to himself.
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I posted those photos online.
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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.
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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.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When my daughters reached the third and fourth grades, I occasionally allowed them to walk to and from school alone, if the weather permitted. One warm spring day, a small friend followed them home after school. This friend was different from any other friends they had brought home. With a yellowish coat and tiny brown spots dropped across her nose, she was the cutest puppy I had ever seen.
When my husband got home that evening, he recognized the breed——a beagle puppy (猎兔犬), not more than twelve weeks old, he guessed. She ran to him right away and after dinner climbed into his lap to watch TV. By now the girls were both begging me to keep her.
She had no collar or identifying marks of any sort. I didn’t know what to do. I thought about running an ad in the lost-and-found but I really didn’t want to. It would break the kids’ hearts if someone should show up. Besides, her owners should have watched her more closely. I tried to find seemingly logical reasons to explain my behavior.
By the end of the week, she was part of our family. We had named the puppy Molly. She was very intelligent and good with the girls. This was a good idea, I thought. It was time for the girls to take responsibility for another life, so they would learn the nurturing skills they’d need if they decided to become mommies when they grew up.
The following week, something told me to check the lost-and-found section in the local paper. One particular ad jumped out at me and my heart pounded with fear at what I read. Someone was asking for the return of a lost beagle puppy near our grade school. They sounded desperate. My hand shook.
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: Instead, I pretended I hadn’t seen the ad.
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Paragraph 2: I knew in my heart I had to call that number and see if our Molly was the puppy they were desperately seeking.
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It was a chilly Friday night, and I had just returned from climbing one of the red rocks of Sedona. My father telephoned me as I walked through the arches to my dorm room and told me that my mother had been in a terrible car crash and had been taken to the intensive care unit (重症监护病房) of a nearby hospital.
When I got to the hospital, my father led me down a wide hallway with machines all around. A strong smell of medicine brought a sick feeling to my already tuning stomach. As I turned into my mother’s ward, the cadaverous (形容枯槁的) condition of her body shocked me. Her face had swollen, her eyes had huge dark bruise, and she had tubes down her throat and in her arms. Gently holding her cold swollen hands, I said “hi” in a calm voice, controlling my urge to cry out.
She kept looking at me as she pounded her hand against the bed, looking painful. I turned my face away from her, trying to hide the tears that were rolling down my face. That was when it struck me that I really might lose my mother.
From that night on, my life completely changed. Up to that point, I’d had the luxury of just being a kid, having to deal with only the exaggerated melodramas of teenage life. As my mother struggled first to stay alive and then to relearn to walk, my sense of priorities changed sharply. My mother needed me. The trials and trouble of my daily life at school, which had seemed so important before, now appeared insignificant. My mother and I had faced death together, and life took on a new meaning for both of us.
After a week of treatment in intensive care, my mother’s condition improved enough to be moved to a regular hospital ward. She was finally out of danger but, because her legs had been crushed, there was doubt whether she would be able to walk again. I was just grateful that she was alive. Two months later, a sort of hospital suite was set up in our family room, and she was allowed to come home.
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My mother’s return home was a blessing for us all, but it meant some unaccustomed responsibilities for me.
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My mother’s reliance on me changed our relationship.
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