I grew up in southeastern Michigan. I was a fan of Detroit Tigers, a famous baseball team, as a young boy.
My childhood dream was to be like my hero, Al Kaline, and someday play for the Tigers. My Dad would take me to Tiger Stadium several times a year and my hero Al Kaline would never let me down. We never attended a game that he didn’t get at least one hit.
I was crazy about baseball. If there was a game in my high school, I was never absent. I kept practising so that I could achieve my dream of playing for the Tigers, and I was doing well at each level of play. Later, I got a chance to sign up for a strong American Legion baseball program. There I met our coach, Bob Ohm, who knew a lot of baseball and taught each of us the basics as well as more advanced baseball skills. With Bob Ohm’s help and my hard work, I had set new records in many baseball championships.
My dream to be like my hero seemed to draw near. One summer, I went up to play the final season in Marinette. There were scouts who came to find the best players. This was it! My big chance!
Well, as the game progressed I hit the ball very well getting five hits in the game. Unfortunately, I also made four mistakes. The final mistake actually drew laughter from the crowd.
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。
After the game, I knew my dream of playing professional baseball was lost.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Today, I teach baseball in a high school.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“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.
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 next day, with his mother’s help, Jason decided to do something.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hearing this, the old man looked at them with watery eyes.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus (马戏团) . Finally, there was only one family between us and the ticket counter (柜台).
This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of twelve. You could tell they didn’t have a lot of money.
Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean. The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly talking about the clowns. elephants, and other acts they would see that night with their brothers or sisters in a low voice.
One could sense they had never been to the circus before. It promised to be highlight of their young lives. The father and mother were at the head of the pack, standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband’s hand, looking up at him as if to say, “You are my knight (骑士) in shining armor (盔甲).”
He was smiling and responding in pride, looking back at her as if to say, “You got that right” . The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly responded, “Please let me buy eight child tickets and two adult tickets so I can take my family to the circus.”
The ticket lady gave the price. The man’s wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, and his lips began to shake. The father leaned (倾斜) a little closer and asked. “How much do you say?”
The ticket lady again quoted (报价) the price. The man didn’t have enough money.
How was he supposed to turn around and tell his eight children that he didn’t have enough money to take them to the circus?
Actually we were not wealthy in any sense. So I understand how the kids would feel. I felt sorry for them.
注意：续写词数应为80左右。Seeing what was going on, my dad put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That day my father and I went back to our car and drove home without any tickets.
It was a bright and sunny day. Daniel woke up and jumped out of bed, ready for a full day outside. He ran down the stairs and sat down at the kitchen table. His mom was making pancakes: Daniel’s favorite. She made pancakes every Saturday morning.
“What do you want to do today?” she asked Daniel.
“I think I’m going to go exploring in our backyard,” he told her. “It’s so nice outside!” Daniel quickly ate up his pancakes and rushed upstairs to get dressed. He put on a red T-shirt and jeans.
“Alright, Mom, I’ll be back later!”
“Don’t go too far!” she told him.
When he opened the door, Daniel felt a rush of warm air. He smiled at the sun. Perfect hiking weather, he thought. Daniel loved his backyard. There were plenty of tall trees. If he walked far enough, he would reach a lake. When it was really warm outside, he could walk in the water to cool off. The water was always cold.
The leaves were just beginning to grow on the trees after the cold winter. Daniel wandered for a bit. He picked up a long stick and used it to clear a way through the forest.
Suddenly, Daniel saw something in the distance that wasn’t a rock or a leaf. When he got closer, he knelt down to investigate. He found a small injured bird between the fallen leaves. He looked around and saw a bird’s nest sitting on a branch. He carefully climbed up the trunk of the tree with the nest to get a closer look. The nest was empty, and he didn’t see any birds around. Then, he ran back to his house.
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。
“Mom, I found a bird that’s hurt!” He told her as he ran through the door.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________They took the bird to the animal hospital.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I had a trip to New Mexico last year, a trip I still remember very well to this day. I went to a place called Philmont and attended a summer camp. There were thirteen people including me. The entire 10-day hike we took through those mountains went well, except for the second day, because of the terrible weather.
It had been a nice sunny day up until we were halfway to the camp we were staying at that night. Then without a word it started raining gently. There was nothing too bad and certainly nothing we couldn’t handle. We put our raincoats on and continued on our way. It stayed raining slightly for a while, so I decided it would be a good idea to say, “Well, it can’t be much worse than this, right?” And in less than five seconds the thunder crashed around us. It almost sounded like a laugh, as if it was laughing at us. Then the rain started to come down harder, and then, the hail (冰雹) came.
Getting hit with balls of ice in the middle of the New Mexico mountains was not something I had ever thought would happen to us, but here we were. All thirteen of us were wishing at that moment that we could go home. But we quickly abandoned the idea. It was freezing, and my feet felt like they might fall off. Wet, cold, and carrying 40 pounds on our backs, we hiked on.
But soon enough we got lost for about a mile because of a mistake that our “Navi-guesser” made on getting us to our destination. At the same time, one of our boys got a minor case of hypothermia (低温症). We decided to stop for a while, unpacking our tents to get into a nice warm sleeping bag. I don’t know if you know this, but unpacking camping gear (装备) in the rain was not very fun, especially setting up a tent.
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 came up with a solution.
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The rain stopped just as we were about to start.
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1. 调查结果和评论；
2. 你的建议。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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I was awakened by the sound of heavy boots hitting the floor as my grandfather walked across the wooden floor to the fireplace. He added wood to the fire. Soon, the small wooden house felt warm.
It was 5: 30 on a cold January morning, deep in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. I, a12-year-old boy, was here with my grandfather and four other men on an annual deer-hunting trip. My grandfather wanted me to take the adventure to increase my courage and fun.
Looking at me, he smiled, “Could you make some coffee?” To prove that I was qualified to join this male club, I got up and started the work.
After breakfast, we left the warm and safe house and headed out into the dark, snowy morning, walking through deep snow. When we climbed over a mountain and crossed frozen streams, my grandfather told me to be mindful of where we had been and where we were headed. I tried to keep track of our route, but later had no idea.
About mid-afternoon, we made our way down the side of a new mountain to the stream bed below. My grandfather told me to head to the top of the next mountain, walk along the ridge (山脊) for a few hundred feet, and then come back down. If there were any deer on that part of the mountain, I would need to threaten them down to the bottom where my grandfather waited. So, off I went with a gun.
It took me 20 minutes to climb to the top. I walked along the ridge and then headed back down. I didn’t realize I had crossed over the top and had started back down the other side of the mountain. I headed in the wrong direction. After walking for 45 minutes, I realized I was lost in the woods. I was shocked.
After finally calming myself, I sat down and worked out a plan. I would first fire the gun and then start a fire, hoping my grandfather would know where I was by the sounds and smoke.
I looked at my watch. It was 4: 00. The sun would set down soon.
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 held my gun and immediately fired three shots.
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Finally, I found my grandfather and other men walking in my direction hurriedly.
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Last Saturday David was taking a walk in the park near his home when he noticed a woman with a boy of about eight years old. When David passed them, he heard the woman yelling: “How stupid you are! You’re good at nothing.” David stopped and looked at the little boy. The boy said nothing. He just stood there, looking upset.
David was reminded of his English teacher Mrs. Brown in middle school. After he entered middle school, David lacked self-confidence because he was often made fun of by others. He was often told that he was good at nothing, which David believed.
But one day it all changed. That day, in an English writing class, Mrs. Brown asked them to read a novel. They were asked to write a new chapter of the novel after they finished reading it. A few days later, David handed in his story. He didn’t give it much thought. But the next day to his surprise, the comment “well done” from Brown came into view the moment he turned to the page where the story was written. When David read that, he almost burst into tears. He had never expected to be praised. He suddenly gained some self-confidence.
That day after he returned home, he wrote another short story and gave it to Mrs. Brown the next morning. And again he was praised. David became very interested in writing. He often wrote short dories and asked Mrs. Brown to read them and correct them for him. Mrs. Brown always gave him good advice to improve them. One year later, David joined the school newspaper and became an editor of it. He gained his confidence and was hopeful about his future.
He succeeded in entering college and kept writing. Several years after graduating from college, he had his first book published, becoming famous as a writer in his country. And he owed his success to Mrs. Brown’s encouragement. Without her encouragement, his life might be very different now.
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右。2. 请按照如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Inspired by his own life story, David decided to do something for that boy.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The mother was ashamed when she heard that.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Although Emily’s singing was very pleasant to hear, lacking of courage, she never dared to sing in front of strangers.
One summer, the neighborhood where she lived would hold a singing competition. Her best friend, Lucy, came to invite her to participate in the competition, but Emily said. “I’m afraid to take part in it.” Her mother said, “It’s okay, just do it bravely.” Emily followed her mama’s advice and decided to give herself a try. The day came. Emily and Lucy went to the competition site. But she was too frightened to walk onto the stage. She had been waiting until others finished singing. She shakily forced herself to stand on the stage. She started to sing, but her voice was so low. What’s worse, she was so nervous that she forgot the lyrics after singing a few words. Being laughed at by others, embarrassed and shy, she ran away from the stage.
Some naughty boys ran after her and said, “Emily, coward (胆小鬼)! Emily, coward!” Emily didn’t argue with them. What she wanted was to go back home as quickly as she could. Finally, she rushed into the house, hugged her mom and cried sadly.
“Well, my poor girl. Don’t cry. Tell me what happened to you,” asked her mom. Emily looked up at her mother and told her what she had experienced.
Listening to her, her mom cupped her face and said, “It doesn’t matter, girl. As long as you practice singing more in front of strangers, you will become braver little by little. So, my girl, don’t be beaten by a failure. You can go out to practice singing every day. No matter who is listening to you, go on singing and never stop. I believe there will be a harvest for you.”
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
Emily followed her mom’s advice and walked into the park where many people were singing and dancing.
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Paragraph 2
The second year, the neighborhood held the singing competition again.
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When I was a young hairstylist and worked inside a barbershop, a lady came in one day who looked broken and tired. “Can I help you?” I asked.
She was almost in tears as she replied, “My sister is really sick, and her hair is a mess. I’ve been to several barbershops, and no one will help me because she can hardly walk. I’ll have to bring her inside in her wheelchair.” The woman went on to tell me that’s he had managed to wash her sister’s hair before they left home, which was hard for her to do, and she stressed that all she needed was for her sister’s hair to be cut.
“I’ll be happy to help you,” I said. I offered to help her get her sister out of the car, but the woman said, “No, I’ll get her in.” She must have told me “thank you” a hundred times as she headed out to get her sister.
While I was waiting for the women to come in, I walked over to my station and moved my hydraulic (液压的) chair out of its space because I knew it would be easier for this woman to just roll her sister right up to the spot.
When she came back in, I was not prepared for what I saw. The sister was seriously ill.
As I saw the sick girl, I had a hard time holding back my tears, but I calmed myself down. I moved the chair to make things easier for them.
I cut and styled the sister’s hair, and the three of us chatted. It was truly a moment I knew I would never forget. Before they left, the woman who’d originally approached me asked me to write down my name and phone number for her. So I gave her my business card, which already had all the information on 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。
Two weeks after this encounter, I received a bunch of flowers and an envelope with my name on it.
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I put away the money, then turned the card around and wrote that your hearts weren’t the only ones touched that day.
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