Peter sat at the kitchen table, having breakfast. It had been another bad night for his baby sister, Lily, and his parents were arguing in the sitting room. He heard his mother mention Tom, an old man who lived in the forest. Peter often explored the forest and knew Mr. Tom was a kind herbalist (草药医生). Was it true that he could help Lily? Peter wouldn’t rest until he found it out.
After breakfast, Peter immediately set off. It was a short walk from his home to the forest’s edge. Peter was so focused on his thoughts of his sister that he didn’t notice the strange crying sounds in the distance until he got close enough. He followed the sounds until they led him to a cave.
A flashlight lit up suddenly in the cave, and Peter saw a little boy lying on the dirt-covered stone. Peter learned that the boy called Cliff came to this forest with his mother but ran off by himself. Cliff was injured and didn’t see his mother. Peter decided to take Cliff to Mr. Tom. When they saw Mr. Tom and told him everything, Mr. Tom treated the injury with a bandage (绷带) and helped contact Cliff’s mother over the radio.
Peter moved closer to look at Cliff’s bandaged ankle and felt a sense of relief. Then Peter turned to Mr. Tom and said, “Mr. Tom, my baby sister is very sick. I overheard Mom mention you, so I came out here today to ask you for help...” Before Peter finished his words, Mr. Tom said, “I had tried to help, but your sister needed to be sent to a big hospital and a lot of money...” Peter realized his parents had argued because they couldn’t afford Lily’s treatment.
Mr. Tom was trying to comfort Peter when someone knocked on the door. Mr. Tom opened it and saw a lady, who claimed herself as Cliff’s mother.
“It’s you!” Mr. Tom shouted excitedly.
“You’re a fan?” the lady said. “I came to this area to spend a holiday with my son. Thankfully, you have saved him. Where is he?”
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。
Mr. Tom nodded and led the lady to her son.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning, in his bedroom, Peter was woken up by a joyful scream.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was a single parent of four small children, working at a minimum-wage job. Money was always tight. It was Christmas time, and the big excitement for the kids was the fun of Christmas shopping at the mall. I had saved $120 for presents to be shared by all five of us.
The big day arrived and we started out early. I gave each of the four kids a twenty-dollar bill and reminded them to look for gifts about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered. We had two hours to shop; then we would meet back at the “Santa’s workshop” display.
Back in the car driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, laughing and teasing each other with clues about what they had bought. My younger daughter, Ginger, who was about eight years old, was unusually quiet. I noted she had only one small, flat bag with her after her shopping. I could see enough through the plastic bag to tell that she had bought candy bars—fifty-cent candy bars! I was so angry. What did you do with that twenty dollar bill I gave you? I wanted to yell at her, but I didn’t say anything until we got home. I called her into my bedroom and asked her what she had done with the money. This is what she told me:
“I was looking around, thinking of what to buy, and I stopped to read the little cards on one of the Salvation Army’s ‘Giving Trees’. One of the cards was for a little girl four years old, and all she wanted for Christmas was a doll with clothes and a hairbrush. So, I took the card off the tree and bought the doll and the hairbrush for her and took it to the Salvation Ar-my booth.”
“I only had enough money left to buy candy bars for us,” Ginger continued. “But we have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
Paragraph 1:I was deeply moved by Ginger’s unexpected act of kindness.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
We determined to fulfill the wishes of the little girl on the Salvation Army’s “Giving Tree”.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Twenty-five years ago,our neighborhood had a new family: a six-year-old boy called Tim, his little sister Cassie and his mother. They lived in a tiny house next door to us. They wouldn’t live there long — perhaps four or five months, extending through the up coming Christmas that year.
Things were difficult for the family. They were struggling to make ends meet, and it was usual to find them without electricity because of unpaid power bills. I tried to do what I could, but it wasn’t much because I was on a tight budget myself.
That Christmas, like others, my children Lily and her little brother Tom were up early opening gifts, running around the neighborhood, and showing off their gifts. As I handed my neighbors my usual spread of Christmas baked treats over the fence, Cassie walked by with her new baby doll.
Tim,smiling proudly, waved his only Christmas gift — a race car he had been dreaming of. These two kids spent hours on that Christmas day playing with their beloved toys. I was surprised when Lily noticed and said sadly, “Mom,they both only got one toy.”
The following morning, after breakfast, I prepared to go to the cinema with my kids, who had looked forward to it for a very long time. I had been saving money for the movie tickets, and finally I could afford them.
When I was preparing for the trip, I saw Tim’s mother put a box in the backseat of the car. Tim stood there crying as the car pulled away. I wasn’t sure what had happened until Lily told me the truth later.
“Mom, Tim told me his mom took his race car back to the store. His mom said they needed the money,” Lily said, taking pity on Tim. “Did his mom take Cassie’s doll back, too?” I asked. “No,just Tim’s,” Lily answered again. I felt upset but helpless.
Later, when I asked my kids to catch the bus to the cinema, I found Tim sitting before their door.
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 empty hands, he looked down at the ground.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was struck by my children’s big hearts.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As an educator, I have discovered that the life lessons that students bring with them to school are the ones that I truly need to learn.
One story that describes this awesome responsibility starts with a second year college student. Every day, he would come into my math class, sit in the very back and avoid eye contact. When I would ask the class questions, I could hear a deep voice coming from his direction saying the correct answer every single time. I immediately began to investigate and found that he had high standardized test scores but his report card in school did not match his performances. I knew something had to change.
Through our school mentoring (辅导制) program, I asked him if he would like to be a part of a support team that was specifically designed to help him graduate on time with his classmates. This program required me to visit all of his classroom teachers, help him complete every assignment, provide him with materials to finish projects, and constantly remind him that success could be achieved if he stayed on this path. In his senior, he was able to make the Honor Roll (光荣榜).
This student had been living with his great-grandfather instead of living with his mother and six siblings (姊妹). The concept of family had not been demonstrated in his life. However, at school, this program provided him with a team that focused on his academic needs as well as celebrated his successes. The idea of family, where he was cared for and was seen as important, was able to become a reality.
Unfortunately, during his senior year, his great-grandfather passed away, which terribly influenced his newly positive view of life. But because of the bond that was established over the past two years through the program, I was able to keep him focused on what he could control to achieve his goal. He showed determination and perseverance, and he became a senior with his original class and had the opportunity to graduate with his friends.
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。
Sadly, when graduation day approached, he refused to attend the ceremony.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I can still remember his smile face as he walked across that stage to receive his diploma.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Laughter is said to be the best medicine in our life. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Laughter lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you more focused on the positive. I like to laugh and be happy whenever there is a reason for it. Cracking jokes usually makes us happy and light-hearted after a day of hard work, and so do many funny incidents which we may sometimes experience in our daily life.
However, today, I would like to talk about a funny incident that happened to me a few years ago, when I was still a student at primary school. That very incident took place at a birthday party held at my aunt’s house. In fact, it was a birthday party held for one of my little cousins.
On that special occasion, everybody, including all of my family members, close relatives and some of the little friends of my cousin’s, was invited to the party on a lovely summer evening in order to enjoy the party. By the way, the party was supposed to be concluded as early as possible, because all the little guests, friends of my cousin’s, needed to return to their homes safely before it was getting too late at night. So, after several hours of busy preparations, the party formally started at around 8 pm. The adults and the kids all came up to the table and gently opened up the various colorful gift boxes one by one with a formal ceremony. Once we were done with opening the gift boxes, the time came for us to sing the “Happy Birthday to You” song in chorus, and we all sang the song in order to wish a very happy birthday to my little cousin. Finally came the moment we all had been waiting for eagerly. And we were ready to open the cake box and cut the birthday cake.
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。
To our surprise, the cake had already been cut!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Hearing what my aunt said, we expressed our willingness to give our share to the homeless.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My kitchen was a mess. Clouds of flour dusted the counters, the floor, and the aprons of the women gathered there.
Peels from 40 pounds of apples were piled in the corner. Mixing bowls sticky with cinnamon and sugar tipped messily in the sink. The wrappers from 12 pounds’ worth of butter spilled from the trash. But, wow, it did smell sweet.
Six of us had gathered that Saturday morning to make apple pies. Once colleagues, now simply friends, we shared an intense curiosity about all sort s of things, and we loved to chat.
Today our curiosity and chatter were directed to pie-making. While I was no top chef, I knew how to use a rolling pin and I’d had years of practice serving up strawberry cakes, coconut cream, and sour cherry pies to my family.
Pie-making is a lot of work. Whoever coined the phrase “easy as pie” must have meant consuming, not creating. We spent hours peeling, coring, slicing, measuring, and learning to handle delicate dough (面团).
“It’s sticking to the rolling pin,” one of them said, her voice full of depression.
“Oh no, it’s cracking!” came another cry. I assured them the patched crust (皮) would simply serve as a reminder that these pies were home-made.
Outside, an October snowstorm struck heavily. Inside, though, it was all steamy windows, soft music and happy laughter as we finally put our pies into the oven.
When planning “Pie Day”, we decided that we would each make two pies: One for our families and one to donate to someone else.
By early afternoon, 12 pies had been placed on the counter, their perfectly imperfect crusts shining goldenly. We rushed to prepare for delivery, packing the pies messily in boxes and bags. We marched down the driveway. The snow had melted (融化); the roads were clear. It was time to deliver.
Then, disaster struck. One of the painstakingly crafted pies melted through the bag it was packed in and fell onto the driveway. Screams of horror followed.
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。
One friend ran back into the kitchen and returned with forks.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The best part was still to come: Handing out pies was even better than eating pies.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On a sunny afternoon, my friend Ollie and I were enjoying skatcboarding at our local park. Our mood was light until Olle spotted a poster for the upcoming Harvest Fair. The idea of attending it was thrilling, but the ticket price of $50 quickly iced our enthusiasm.
While we were thinking over the cost, our attention was drawn to the list of attractions. Among the various activities, we noticed that our favorite band - Eagles was going to perform. We couldn’t help but break into singing our favorite song by them. What added to our excitement was the pie contest in the poster, a delightful reminder of our shared memory. It used to be the most popular event in our community. But thinking of the expensive tickets, which seemed to be a shadow over our excitement, we all sighed. Then I suggested going to my parents’ store to see if they could help.
Upon arriving, my dad told us he had some good news, showing some tickets to us. They were the very ones we had seen in the poster! My dad explained that his old partner had made a request to hang a poster here for the Harvest Fair, and in return, he offered us free passes. Much to my delight, there were six tickets for five people in our family and an extra one for my friend! The news was like a breath of fresh air, bringing unexpected joy into our day. We could all set out to experience the fair together, no one missing out.
Just then, Mrs. Smith, out awesome 80-year-old neighbor, walked unsteadily towards us.“I just saw the poster in your window. How I used to love going to fairs!” She paused, with her eyes dropping before she continued. “But it’s hard for me to get around now, and tickets cost so much these days...”
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。
Ollie approached me, seemingly to say something.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After the fair, I came up with a plan to make up for Ollie’s absence.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Amy’s youngest child, 2-year-old Jenna, wouldn’t go to sleep until Amy read her a story while rocking her. Rocking and reading became their favorite nighttime routine.
Jenna awoke one night screaming in pain. Hospital tests later revealed that she had cancer, but luckily she had a successful operation.
During Jenna’s first week in the hospital, Amy stayed with her day and night. The nurses put a rocking chair in her room so they could continue their nighttime routine. After Jenna was asleep, Amy got some rest in the hard armchair by Jenna’s bed. Jenna was doing well, and Amy began sparing time to help her husband Joe take care of their little boys. She would go home in the evening, have dinner with the boys, and then return to the hospital until Jenna was asleep. Then Amy would come home for the remainder of the night.
It was pouring rain one evening as Amy hurried home to make dinner. By the time the meal was done, the roads were dangerous. Joe stood nearby as she looked out of the kitchen window. He firmly stopped Amy from going out in such weather.
“Joe,” Amy cried, “I have to read Jenna a story and rock her. She won’t be able to sleep if I don’t.” “Honey,” he said, “be reasonable. What if you have a bad car accident? The roads will be better tomorrow. Then, you can go.”
Amy finally nodded and called Sally, a middle-aged nurse who worked a twelve-hour shift from 8 am to 8 pm. In tears she told Sally that it was the first time since Jenna was born that she hadn’t rocked her at bedtime.
Sally comforted Amy in a calm voice. She promised that she would go in to see Jenna before she left and tell her that when she woke up her mommy would be with her. “Thank you, Sally,” Amy said.
When it was time to go to bed, Jenna couldn’t find her mom and got panic.
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。
Just when her tears welled up, Sally came in.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next morning Amy opened the door, finding Jenna was sleeping peacefully in Sally’s arms.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a particularly dark and stormy night, with the fierce wind shook the windows wildly, as if some unseen force was beating them from outside. The clouds had gathered in a dense mass, blocking out the moon and the stars. Contrasting dramatically with the outside, the air in the house was filled with joy and warmth as family members gathered together, all eagerly anticipating the festival. The children were laughing and playing, chasing each other around the living room. Their laughter and chatter filled the air, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. The adults who sat around the dining table, sharing stories, were infected by their energy, finding themselves wearing smiles all the tire. It was New Year’s Eve and our annual party is in full swing.
Unexpectedly, our hearts skipped a beat as loud explosions echoed through the night, sending shivers down our spines. We rushed to the windows, hearts pounding, and looked out into the hills, where a terrifying sight awaited us. The electrical transformers (变压器) were now erupting in a chaotic display of sparks and flames. One by one, the lights in the surrounding areas began to flicker and fade. The darkness swallowed up the hills and just in a minute only a few scattered lights remained, twinkling weakly in the distance. And then, without warning, came a deafening explosion, and our own house went dark too.
I quickly gathered all the candles we had and lit them, casting a soft glow that transformed the room into a cozy atmosphere. However, we faced a challenge. With fifteen people gathering around. we still needed to prepare dinner. How could we possibly cook without electricity? The question hung in the air, but we knew we had to find a way to make the most of our situation and ensure everyone had a memorable New Year’s Eve.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
The barbecue!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the clock ticked closer to midnight, the excitement in the air reached a feverish pitch.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a cold, snowy evening. Tommy was running as fast as he could, focused on nothing but his destination —the shop on the street corner. Two weeks ago he saw figurines (小塑像) of Marvel superheroes on the shelves and felt he had to have one. He has been walking the neighbor’s dog ever since then to earn money to fulfil his little dream. He was so excited and barely noticing the world around him. Maybe that’s why he tripped over the legs of a homeless woman, who was sitting on the pavement, her back against the wall. He said “sorry” and moved on to his destination.
Once he entered the shop, he went straight to the shelves with figurines. Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, and many more — all of his admired heroes. With his heart pounding like crazy he reached for Spiderman.
“You like these, true believer?”
Tommy turned around. An old man was standing behind him with a wide smile on his face.
“Y-yes,… Yes, they’re awesome! ”answered Tommy. “They’re strong and fast and help other people a lot ...” the boy looked at figurines in admiration. “I wish I could be a superhero too.”
“Then become one!” said the old man.
“How?” Tommy asked in surprise “I don’t have any superpowers.”
“And why would you need them?” the old man smiled. Seeing the confusion on the boy’s face, he put his hands on Tommy’s arms. “Did you know that shopkeeper lady over there has a disabled husband? She has been working hard and taking care of him for years. I have never heard a word of complaint from her. And this person...”he pointed at a redhead man, who just entered the shop. “He’s a firefighter; he’s saved countless lives. He never gives up, no matter how dangerous the situation seems to be.”
The old man looked Tommy in the eyes and smiled. “You don’t need a superpower to be a hero for someone else. The path of a superhero starts not in the mind, not in the muscles, but in the heart.”
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。
Tommy listened intently, his eyes wide with wonder and realization.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Tommy stepped back out into the snowy evening and approached the homeless woman.
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