Earlier in the year, as a group of young and ambitious men, we set out plans for a butterfly garden on an area of greenspace right in the heart of the village. We intended to provide a place for students from nearby schools to learn about nature.
I, the group leader, first drew up a plan showing my ideas and thoughts, where we would depend on donation for us to buy wildflower seeds. As it turned out, my partners, the other group members, had other plans.
While we were waiting to see if our funding would come through, Butterfly Conservation Scotland offered us enough wildflower mix seeds to cover the whole of the area which we’d marked on our plan. But the problem was that the seeds would have to be sown (播种) within the next two weeks, which also meant that the weeds in the area should be removed before we could sow seeds. Then I went to ask the nearby farmers whether they could use their machines to remove the weeds, but no one had time to lend a hand.
It was suggested that we buy a machine. But without much money, where could we find a machine to remove the weeds? When we didn’t know what to do, a teacher called Lily from a nearby school approached us and asked if we needed some help. I told her the truth about the situation. “My father is a farmer and has his own machine. Don’t worry, I can get him to help,” she said. We thanked her several times for it.
On Sunday, as expected, Lily’s father brought a weeding machine and removed the weeds in person. Meanwhile, all the group members including me were busy in the field. Considering the tight schedule, I sent out a call on the Internet for volunteers to help. One of my partners joked, “No one will have the time to help us for free, so let’s pick up the weeds ourselves.” I believed there were many helpful people around us, so I just smiled back.
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。
Just then, Lily came, followed by her students.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next year, I gathered Lily and her students in the garden.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sam Hensen was celebrating his ninth birthday at summer camp. The counselors and fellow campers came together to throw a party for him, complete with cake and gifts thoughtfully sent by his parents. But Sam was not a popular boy. He was mentally disabled and couldn’t move around like the other children, setting him apart from his peers and causing unease among parents. But things were about to change on his ninth birthday. At camp, he was about to discover that there were people who genuinely cared about him.
One boy reached out to Sam and extended a warm hand of friendship. His name was Bobby, an eleven-year-old, and he had a younger brother who was mentally challenged. Sam’s presence reminded Bobby of his beloved brother, and their bond was unique, unlike any other.
Bobby’s kindness didn’t stop at a friendly gesture; every morning, he went to Sam’s cabin to help him prepare for the day. Their friendship extended to sports, especially baseball, which Sam adored. Bobby, with strong determination, took on the incredible challenge of teaching Sam how to bat.
The hours and days they spent practicing seemed to point to an impossible task. The camp counselors had also tried their best to teach Sam, but progress had appeared to be hopeless. But Bobby was not ready to give up on his friend, but Sam began to feel anxious.
One restless night, Sam couldn’t sleep as he thought of Bobby’s kindness and the counselors’ tireless efforts to help him. He felt the burning desire to practice more, despite the late hour. He decided to take action. With determination, he made his way to Bobby’s cabin and woke him up, whispering, “Come on, Bobby! Wake up! I need you to pitch (投掷) the ball.” Bobby, rubbing his eyes, was initially puzzled by Sam’s late-night visit. But as Sam pulled him out of bed, he realized the importance of this moment. Sam assured him, “It will only take a moment, and we’ll be right back.”
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。
With their counselors sound asleep, the two friends sneaked out, making their way to a poorly lit parking lot.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sam fell asleep that night with a smile of accomplishment on his face.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, which I knew deeply from my grandson. As a result of a rare disease, I lost most of my hair. Being hairless felt strange, I tried to cover my head. I experimented with each of my hats to find a proper covering. Unfortunately, they were all either too warm or too tight. It was really painful.
During the day, I usually put on a scarf at home. However, wore is away from the house. The wig certainly improved my appearance, but it wasn’t comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.
When my grandchildren visited me some months later, I wore my wig all the time. I put it on when I got up in the morning and didn’t take it off until bedtime. Since the piece looked similar to my natural hair, the kids weren’t aware of the difference.
All went well until my four-year-old granddaughter unexpectedly walked into my bedroom one morning. I was taking a shower and had temporarily placed my wig on top of a lampshade to keep it from flattening. My granddaughter saw the wig hanging over the lampshade and cried in terror (恐惧). She tore out of the room, sounding the alarm that something terrible had happened to her grandma. She grabbed her brother and dragged him back into my room to investigate.
Wondering what was happening outside, I walked out of the bathroom, with a bathrobe but nothing on my head. I couldn’t understand why my granddaughter was looking at me as if I were a monster (怪兽) from outer space.
She continued to stare at me in panic, as if wondering why this hairless creature was wearing her grandmother’s clothes. Where had her grandmother gone, and who was this strange person with the hairless head?
My grandson, who was seven and had heard about my disease, understood a few things about wigs. He tried to calm his sister, but she was still too upset to recognize me.
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。
I explained to her that the wig was fake hair.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Several weeks after my grandchildren returned home, I received a small package.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The scene of firefighters in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia being frozen into “icemen” while braving the fierce snowstorm to rescue people moved many to tears.
On March 12, Qi Yuehua, head of the Baerhu Road Station of the New Baerhu Zuoqi Fire and Rescue Brigade in Hulunbuir, said in an interview that the team members worked continuously for nearly five hours two days ago, saving 8 people trapped in 3 cars. The temperature at the time was around minus 30 degrees Celsius, so there was later a scene of firefighters being frozen into “icemen”.
“At 12:46 on March 10, we received a call for help, saying that a vehicle was trapped in the snow 35 kilometers away in the direction of National Highway 332. A driver was trapped in the car waiting for rescue” said Qi Yuehua. “By noon, a fierce snowstorm had formed, and it was blowing strongly and the temperature was very low. Obviously, it was dangerous to drive out, but everyone must immediately go to the scene.”
The two rescue vehicles with 12 firefighters set out at 12:50. The visibility was less than 5 meters that day, and the snowy road was slippery, making driving very difficult. It was hard to tell which way it was to the rescue site, and the rescue team could only move slowly based on previous driving experience. Consequently, it took more than an hour that day to drive for a journey that usually takes only ten minutes.
At 14:18, the rescue team eventually arrived at the scene and found the location of the trapped driver. Due to the heavy wind and snow, the door of the vehicle could not be completely closed. The driver hid in the car, trembling violently with cold. The firefighters found that two other vehicles with seven people were also trapped there. They were involved in a traffic accident due to slippery roads and poor visibility.
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。
Without any delay, the firefighters started their rescue effort.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When asked if it was too hard and too risky to be firefighters, Qi smiled.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The situation seemed hopeless.
From the first day he entered my junior-high classroom, Willard P. Franklin existed in his own world, shutting out his classmates and me, his teacher. My attempts at establishing a friendly relationship with him were met with complete indifference. Even a “Good morning, Willard” received only an audible grunt (嘟哝). I could see that his classmates feel no better. Willard was strictly a loner who seemed to have no desire or need to break his barrier of silence.
Shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday, word came that the annual Christmas collection of money for the less fortunate people in our school district was about to come. “Christmas is a season of giving,” I told my students. “There are a few students in the school who might not have happy holiday season, by contributing to our Christmas collection, you will help buy food, clothing and toys for these needy people. We will start the collection tomorrow.”
When I called for the contributions the next day, I discovered that almost everyone had forgotten, except Willard P. Franklin. The boy dug deep into his pants pockets as he strolled up to my desk. Carefully, he dropped two coins into the small container.
“I don’t need milk for lunch.” He mumbled. For a moment, just a moment, he smiled. Then he turned and walked back to his desk.
That night, after school, I took our meager (微薄的) contribution to the school principal. I couldn’t help sharing the incident that had taken place.
“I may be wrong, but I believe Willard might be getting ready to become a part of the world around him.” I told the principal.
“Yes, I believe it sounds hopeful,” he nodded, “And I think we might do well to have him share a bit of his world with us. I just received a list of the poor families in our school who most need help through the Christmas collection. Here, take a look at it.”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: As I gazed down to read, I discovered Willard P. Franklin and his family were the top names on the list!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: A flicker of joy, gratitude, and shyness danced across Willard’s face as he heard my words.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Darkness had already blanketed the city as Mr. Chen, an engineer, arrived home exhausted from his demanding job. He couldn’t help but notice the absence of his son Lei, who was still out for his evening study sessions. The intense pressure of Lei’s senior high school studies and Mr. Chen’s busy work schedule had gradually eaten away at their precious time together, turning their once-frequent badminton games into mere memories of the past.
On those better weekends, Mr. Chen and Lei would eagerly head to the nearby court, rackets in hand, bathing in the joy of the game and each other’s company. But as life got busier, their heartfelt conversations were reduced to hurried greetings and silent nods.
That particular evening, Mrs. Chen observed Mr. Chen’s unusual early return. With a warm smile, she handed him a steaming cup of tea, gently bringing up a topic close to her heart. “I’ve noticed you and Lei haven’t played badminton in a while. I miss the sound of your laughter and chatter,” she expressed softly, her voice filled with nostalgia.
Mr. Chen’s eyes momentarily lost their tiredness as he thought of the cheerful times spent on the badminton court with Lei. Those moments weren’t just about the sport; they were about the bond they shared, a bond that now seemed to be slipping away. “You’re absolutely right,” he agreed. “We need to bring those moments back and reconnect with Lei.”
Determined, Mr. Chen crafted a plan to carve out two hours per weekend for family bonding, starting with reestablishing their weekly badminton games. Mr. Chen also decided to have more open conversations with Lei, discussing ways to handle academic pressures and the importance of maintaining a health y balance in life. As he awaited Lei’s return that night, Mr. Chen pictured their upcoming game, not just as a physical activity, but as a stepping stone to rebuild their relationship, a chance to laugh, talk, and simply be together.
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。
When Lei finally arrived, Mr. Chen greeted him with a hopeful smile.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That weekend, they played on the court as planned.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rising to reach for the book on the desk in the living room, Gudrun fell over her little brother, who had crawled out from underneath her chair. “Arnar! Why do you always have to be right under me?”
The five-year-old giggled. “I was hiding,” he said, “and you found me.”
“I’m not playing,” Gudrun scolded. “I’m knitting. And it’s time for you to go to bed.” Her parents had gone out for the evening, leaving Gudrun in charge.
“Let me hide once more,”Arnar begged. “Then I’ll go to sleep, I promise.”
Gudrun couldn’t help smiling. “Oh, all right.” She turned back to her knitting. “I’ll look for you when I’ve finished this row.”
“Here’s a clue,”Arnar called as he skipped away. “Look for me where I always am.”
But Gudrun was already absorbed in her work.
Gudrun wasn’t sure what had awakened her in the middle of the night. Was it the urgency in Mamma’s voice or the frightening and low rumble that rolled through her room? Gudrun found herself suddenly wide awake, drawn to the window by a strange and unfamiliar brilliance outside. “An eruption,” Mamma said as she began to gather Gudrun’s clothes. “Maybe Helga fell, maybe a new volcano. We must leave the island quickly.”
“Tonight? How?” Gudrun asked, her heart pounding. “Where will we go?”
“We’re lucky. The fishing boats will take us to the mainland.” Mamma turned to face Gudrun.“Pabbi has already gone to the harbor. I’m going to help Margret.” Their elderly. neighbor lived alone. Mamma proceeded, “can you dress Arnar and take him to the harbor by yourself?”
“Of course,” she declared. Everyone would help tonight. Icelanders had always worked together to survive in a land ruled by volcanoes, glaciers, and ocean.
Gudrun dressed and ran to her brother’s room.“Arnar!”she cried, “Wake up!” Hearing no response, Gudru n hurried to the bed and pulled back her brother’s thick cover.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150 左右;
2. 开头已给出。
Paragraph1:
Arnar wasn’t there!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph2:
There, curled around a worn stuffed bear, was Arnar, sound asleep..
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Daniel’s mother, Debbie Ashworth struggled to raise her two kids. As the older child at home, Daniel was a good help to his mother, cleaning the room and caring for his younger brother, Tony.
On a cold winter morning, Debbie asked the kids to go to the supermarket for some groceries. A toy panda on the she If caught Tony’s eyes. It was so adorable that he could hardly tear himself away from it. Knowing that they couldn’t afford it, Daniel told his brother to put it back. But Tony really wanted it and was unwilling to leave. “Please, I can wait until Mom’s salary came in on June 15th,” Tony said. Daniel hesitated for a while, then took out a pen and wrote a note, which read, “Please keep the toy panda for my little brother until June 15th, when my mother gets her salary to pay for it. Thanks.” Placing the note on top of the box, they left the supermarket relieved.
One of the staff spotted the note, who then showed it to the manager. The note melted everyone there and they decided to do something thoughtfully. They put away the toy panda so that it wouldn’t be purchased by other shoppers. After that, they tried their best to search for the two boys, but in vain. There was no other clue(线索)on the note to identify them. It appeared that they had no alternative but to wait until June 15th, which was about half a month away.
The big day finally arrived. Unexpectedly, the two boys didn’t show up. “Maybe they have forgotten all about the toy,” one clerk whispered. “Impossible. A toy animal might not mean much to an adult. But for a child, it could mean the world,” the manager said. “We must come up with a way to contact them.” They decided to turn to the Internet by posting the note and their phone number online, hoping it could bring a surprise.
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 post eventually attracted the attention of Debbie.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I lost my job last month,” Debbie sighed(叹气).
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
