With my youngest, 11, it’s Tik Tok and FaceTime with her friends. With my middle one, 14, it’s SnapChat with his classmates. And with my eldest, 18, it’s Tinder with, well, God only knows.
What I do know, is that my kids’ reliance on their mobile phones is becoming pathological (病态的). They all wander around the house with smart phones permanently in their hands.
They walk in and out of the toilet staring at the screen, they come down to dinner staring at the screen and only put it down because they can’t feed themselves using the screen. God knows what their screen time weekly report notifications would read.
However, one house rule that I managed to enforce was that they weren’t allowed their phones in their rooms overnight and there was a bed time phone amnesty (赦免) in place where they would all, very reluctantly, hand over their device for overnight charging.
Now, I must confess that, occasionally, I “forgot” to charge one of the phones, so that at least I would get one of them to be a little more present the following morning at breakfast and I might hear something about their upcoming day, rather than being completely ignored.
I never forgot to charge the same phone twice in one week and so no one seemed to get wise to my tricks, however this emboldened me to take my cheating to new levels.
Any phone left unguarded would be quickly kidnapped and whisked away to an undisclosed location, only to mysteriously reappear when I deemed that its owner had engaged with the real world for a sufficient amount of time.
Then one night in February, it happened. A big storm hit our rural village and we had a power cut. “Dad!” They screamed, ignorant of the sudden lack of light and heat and only concerned with the sudden lack of Wi-Fi. It began to dawn on them that they were faced with the living hell of being off line and off their phones for an amount of time.
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；2．请按如下格式作答。What followed was a peaceful period without the addiction to their phones.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________And so I tried it a few weekends later to see what the reaction might be.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My dad worked in construction. His day started early and ended late. All he wanted to do was crash on the couch and relax when he got home. For the most part that was what he did. No one complained; we were just happy when he was home.
But one hot and muggy summer, when my parents’ nineteenth anniversary was coming up, they made plans to go out, just the two of them. The big day finally arrived and Dad got home at seven. Mom had fed me early. She was dressed in her finest and wearing her favorite pair of high heels when he came in. He came through the kitchen and headed for the family room. It was obvious he was hot and tired.
“Honey, I just need a thirty-minute nap and then we will go out to eat,” he said as he sat down on the couch. Mom was already on her way over to the couch to give him a fresh cup of hot coffee. She bent over and kissed him on the head and said, “I’ll be ready whenever you are.”
I knew how important this evening was to my mother, but before long Dad was fast asleep. Then I watched my mother do the strangest thing. She reached into the refrigerator and took out eggs and bacon. Soon she had a batch of biscuits baking in the oven.
Before my eyes she piled a plate full of his favorite foods. As she set another fresh cup of coffee on the end table she bent down and kissed him while whispering in his ear. “It’s time to wake up.”
He sat up on the edge of the couch. As he looked up he found my mom standing in front of him with his dinner. “Honey, I promised you I would take you out to dinner and I meant it.” he said sincerely.
Mom sat down beside him on the couch as he took the plate of food. She said, “I know you would, but I also know you’ve had a hard day and you’re tired. What’s important is that we are together. We can go out any time for dinner.”
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。
My dad sat there, holding the plate of dinner prepared by my mom.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and I knew my special package for them came.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Like many kids, last summer I learned to ride a bike. Only I am in my 30s. When I was a child, I had no one to teach me. My mum never learned. My parents divorced (离婚) when I was 4, and in an attempt to perform parental responsibility, my father bought a bicycle for my brother and me to share.
My mum later remarried. When my brother and I were laughed at because we were the only kids past 6 years old who still relied on training wheels, my stepdad removed them, but in doing that, I lost interest and trust in the activity. I was so scared—I was quite tall for my age at 7 and I was worried I’d fall off. I thought I was too old to learn too.
Not knowing how to ride didn’t bother me initially, until we moved to the suburbs, where bicycles were popular. On trips to the convenience store to buy candy with my friends, I was always the last to arrive, on foot. By then, I was 12 years old.
In my early 30s, I remember feeling envious as I watched children as young as 3 learn to balance on bikes. Among them were my neighbours, whom I would occasionally babysit. Then something changed. The fear within was still there, but something much stronger was taking over.
I decided to join a women’s bike-riding workshop. There, I stood in an urban park, determined to overcome my fear. Meeting women from diverse backgrounds, all seeking cycling skills for various reasons, strengthened my determination. The first thing I noticed was how different each person’s learning curve (曲线) was. Some were balancing in no time, while others, like me, needed a bit more time. The workshop was a safe space, full of encouragement and support. Each time I fell, there were hands to help me up, and every time I made progress, there were cheers to celebrate it. Several weeks later, I learned to ride.
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 enjoy the joy of riding, I bought my own bike.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Learning to ride a bike in my 30s taught me that it’s never too late to learn something new. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I was making my morning coffee and wondering how I would get through the day, especially with the rain coming down, when I caught sight of Tony’s photo on the wall, which showed Tony posing with a group of hunting dogs. I stared out the window, thinking of Tony. If only he really were still here.
Tony served in the Navy and we moved around a lot, every three years to a new naval base（海军基地）.It didn’t matter where we lived as long as we were together. After Tony retired, we moved into a farmhouse in north Georgia. I imagined a lifetime of sipping sweet tea on the back porch（门廊）, while Tony shared stories about hunting. His dream was to raise a hunting dog. Meanwhile, I had my heart set on getting a sweet Yorkie, a little dog that could fit in my handbag.
We had so many plans, so many dreams. But some months after we’d moved in, I found Tony on the porch, looking unsettled. “Doctor says my liver is failing,” he said. “I’ll need an operation.” In my eyes, he’d always been invincible（不可战胜的）. I didn’t want to believe he could die. I was overcome with grief when Tony died two months after the operation.
Our farmhouse, which had once been so lively and filled with laughter, was terribly quiet. So dark and empty. There was no one to greet me when I came home from work, no one to sit with on the back porch and no one to walk with around our property.
I stared out the window at the rain, which was coming down even heavier now. I was about to head back to the kitchen when I happened to notice movement.
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。
Something small and furry emerged from the woods in the backyard.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I stared at the dog in amazement.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Grace and Ellen, both promising in their school’s dance competition, were fierce competitors. They both had great passion for dancing and dreamed for bigger stages. They were both friends and competitors. They had similar taste in music, and had similar dressing styles. They had both devoted themselves to preparing for the upcoming contest.
Grace’s journey to the competition was marked by countless hours of practice and determination. She would rise before the sun, and the studio lights were her only company. Every movement was perfected with unwavering mind. She knew that this competition wasn’t just about personal success; it was also about upholding her school’s honor. “Grace, you’re incredible!” Grace’s dance instructor, Mrs. Anderson, often praised her. “Your hard work will pay off.”
Ellen had been practicing hard for this competition as well. Her love for dance was her driving force. After school, she would head straight to the dance studio, tirelessly perfecting every step. Her dance shoes had become a part of her feet, and her heart burned with a strong desire for victory. “Ellen, you’re a natural,” her fellow dancers would often say. “You’ve got this!”
The day of the competition finally arrived, and there were five competitors fighting for the championship title. Ellen was scheduled to perform before Grace.
As Ellen stood backstage, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to have turned into a whirlwind. She practiced every move once again but suddenly broke her dress with a sharp movement. Panic set in as her mind raced for a solution.
“Ellen, you’re up next!” the stage manager announced.
In the dimly lit backstage area, Grace overheard Ellen’s whispers to her friend, Sarah.
“I broke my dancing dress, Sarah,” Ellen’s voice trembled. “What am I going to do?”
Grace’s heart sank as she overheard the conversation.
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。
Grace knew her dress would fit Ellen perfectly, but she hesitated.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tears of thanks welled up in Ellen’s eyes as she put on Grace’s dress.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On a cold winter day at the Palisades Tahoe ski resort, many skiers and snowboarders were skiing happily in the snow. Janet He and her husband, Joseph Lu, were among them, gliding gracefully through the snowy peaks with joy.
Unexpectedly, things took a scary turn. As they went down the mountain, a loud noise filled the air, making the skiers panic. A huge avalanche (雪崩) was rushing towards them with strong force.
Janet tried hard to keep up with her husband, skiing desperately to find safety. But the avalanche was too strong, and quickly covered her. She was swept down the mountain, unable to control her movements under the heavy snow.
The weight of the snow pressed down on her, ruining her hopes of pulling herself up. She was buried, her face buried in the snow. She was lucky she had the face mask and had some air in the face mask. She fought against the heavy pressure, thinking of her husband and their life together. Just as darkness was about to take over, she found her determination.
She focused on calming herself down, knowing that panicking would use up her air. With every passing moment, she held onto hope and found the strength to endure the cold.
Meanwhile, Joseph crazily looked for his wife, calling her name but with no response. Time seemed to go so slowly as he worried about what would happen if he couldn’t find her in time.
Just when he felt despair, a stranger’s voice cut through the chaos (混乱). The words “Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” filled Joseph with relief and hope.
The stranger fearlessly made his way through the dangerous snow, carrying the heavy responsibility. Guided by determination and skill, they finally found Janet buried in the snow.
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。
The stranger worked quickly to free Janet from the heavy snow.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once she was rescued, the couple walked down the mountain with no injuries.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My heart sank when I received the news—no salary again. How would I manage the increasing bills, the groceries and my children’s needs? The future seemed hopeless. With a heavy heart, I hurried to pick up my two children, my mind racing wildly.
That’s when I saw it—a wallet, lying on the sidewalk. It was as if fate had thrown me a lifeline (救生索). Hope came to me as I approached it. The wallet was large, and when I opened it, my eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of a large amount of cash inside it. I hesitated for a moment, torn between the immediate relief that this money promised and the morality (道德) of keeping it.
Curiosity led me to search through the wallet. The things it contained were a photo and a couple of business cards. No matter how much I wanted to take the contents, my moral principles and inner voice told me not to do this. The decision became clear; I couldn’t keep this money. It wasn’t rightfully mine.
I picked out a business card. The name and number were there. With a deep breath, I dialed the number and explained my find to the voice on the other end. The voice came, completely emotionless, warning that they would come to me. He hung up without even saying “thank you”. I was angry with the impoliteness. I even regretted my decision, but my conscience (良知) did not allow me to go back on my choice. I had told the voice where I lived and went to get my children.
Shortly after we arrived home, a large black car suddenly pulled up to our house. The driver got out and knocked on the door. When I opened it, the driver told me that the owner of the wallet wanted me to personally hand over his wallet.
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 didn’t want to do so, but I agreed to go with the driver at last.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________He wanted to reward me for my honesty and kind act.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was Thursday morning. Phil was on a mission. Hurrying along the Primary 3 corridor, he was looking for his younger brother Jimmy, who had left the house early to walk to school with a friend and had forgotten his pocket money. As a Primary 6 boy, Phil had been asked to make sure that Jimmy had it in time for break.
Phil was about to enter his brother’s classroom when he thought he saw the back of his brother’s jacket further ahead. It must have been Jimmy. No one else in the school had a jacket like that one. “Hey Jimmy!” he called out but his brother did not stop. Phil rushed forward and grabbed hold of the boy. But it wasn’t Jimmy. It was someone Phil had never seen before and he was wearing Jimmy’s jacket. As the boy struggled to break free, Mrs. Atkins came towards them. Immediately, sensing the teacher’s presence, Phil released his grasp. Staring at both boys, Mrs. Atkins ordered them to follow her. Once they were at the school office, Mrs. Atkins asked the younger of the two to explain.
“I was walking along the corridor when this boy grabbed me. I didn’t do anything!” explained Daniel.
“He stole my brother’s jacket,” explained Phil.
“Liar!” Daniel immediately jumped to his feet and faced Phil, his fists tightly closed. “I have never stolen anything! This jacket is from my mother. Stop saying that!”
“Boys! I am sure this is a simple misunderstanding. Isn’t possible that this is just an identical jacket, Phil?” Mrs. Atkins reasoned.
Phil shook his head forcefully. “My mother got that jacket for me when she was overseas some years ago. Go on, look at the label inside the collar. It will say ‘Di Roma’. That’s because she got it in Rome. That is my jacket which I’ve outgrow n so Jimmy, my younger brother, has been using it.”
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。
Hearing that, Mrs. Atkins asked Daniel for permission to look at the label.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A short while later, Mrs. Atkins explained that she had called Daniel’s mother.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Weeks into my student exchange program, my autoimmune (自身免疫性) condition worsened. This time, it showed in the form of deep vein thrombosis (静脉血栓), which was a blood clot in my left leg muscle. One day, I woke up and realized that I couldn’t move my left leg. I panicked and used my right leg to hop to the nearest clinic for an assessment. The doctor assessed that my condition was serious and I needed to seek immediate medical attention at the nearest hospital.
As I was all alone in a foreign land, I reached out to my friends I met through the student exchange program. The problem in Hong Kong was the language barrier, as most people were comfortable to talk in Cantonese (粤语). I boarded a cab to the Accident and Emergency department of the nearest hospital. I still remember, it took me 6 hours of waiting to see the doctor. After a few hours of waiting, some of my friends from the student exchange program joined me.
For the first person who came, he resided in Singapore previously but re-located to Hong Kong with his family, and therefore conversant in Cantonese, English &Mandarin. How lucky I was! With him around as my translator, he paved the way for me to be properly understood and smoothly warded.
Then, there was this special friend who selflessly lent her assistance to me when I was completely helpless in the hospital, worried about the huge hospital bills. She notified the university and all my lecturers of my admission to hospital, got my insurance plans, credit cards, clothes and necessities for my stay in hospital. She also later coordinated (协调) for the university staff to meet me personally in the hospital to bridge any gap that I may have in a foreign land. Thanks to her, I secured a space in the university hostel to shift to after I was discharged. I didn’t have to worry over anything, because this kind friend took it upon herself to sort them out for me.
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。
There were other human angels who would visit me from time to time.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The whole experience was memorable because of the presence of these human angels.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pimple on the Nose
“Nooo!” screamed Asha as she saw a huge pimple(痘) on her nose. She didn’t have time to cover the pimple as she was running late to school. She gobbled her breakfast, grabbed her bag and got into her school bus just in time. As soon as she entered, kids started laughing. Nobody was willing to make her sit beside them. Even Anita, her bus mate acted a bit differently with her.
Asha was lost in thoughts. A new thought popped in her mind every second. Once she thought “Great! As if homework and exams were not enough, I have to worry about my pimple as well.” The next minute another thought popped in her mind. “I am tired of using that face wash. I still wonder how I agreed to use that horrible thing! How can…” Mr. Shetty, the bus driver said “Asha, do you want to miss the class?” Asha was so lost in her thoughts that she did not even notice that everybody had got down the bus except her.
She did not want to step into the campus. She thought, “What will my teachers think? What will my friends think?” After some time, she gathered courage and entered her class expecting that she would be laughed at.
It was a very hard day at school for her. As soon as she got home, she hugged her mother tightly. As she did so she felt all her worries were not even a dot in front of the warm and loving hug.
Later that day, she went to the supermarket with her mother. While coming back she heard people commenting on her pimple. A small child cried, “Daddy! My cherry is on her nose! Get it for me.” She heard some boys murmuring, “If she would have been in our school, she would definitely be chosen as the joker in the dance.”
Asha wondered why people cared so much about her appearance.
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。
Finally it was time for bed story, and mom asked her to choose a book.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Her mother asked her never to judge a book by its old cover but to pay attention to the details.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
