Once upon a time, in a remote village, there lived two friends, Jack and Tom. They were inseparable, sharing every joy and sorrow, and always ready to start up new adventures together.
One day, they heard stories of a hidden treasure buried deep in the forbidden forest. Motivated, they decided to start up a search to find the treasure and make their fortune. Equipped with only a map, a compass, and their courage, Jack and Tom entered into the dense and dangerous forest. The trees towered overhead, blocking out the sun, and the undergrowth was thick and messy. They had to crawl and climb their way through, facing all sorts of barriers and creatures.
As they dug deeper into the forest, they encountered a fierce wolf that bared its teeth at them. They managed to escape by climbing a tall tree, but not before the wolf had torn their bag-pack to pieces, leaving them with only the essentials.
Determined and fearless, they pushed their way onward, following the clues on the map. They crossed swamps (湿地) and scaled cliffs, despite hunger and thirst. Their feet were bleeding and their clothes torn, but their spirits were high and their determination unshakable.
Finally, after days of hardship and danger, they hit on a clearing in the forest. In the center stood an ancient stone altar (祭坛), and beside it, a chest (箱子) that glowed with a mysterious light. They knew they had found the treasure.
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。
But as they approached the chest, they heard a deep sound from the earth beneath their feet.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the two friends realized that the true treasure of their journey was not the gold and jewels.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I heard the door open and knew it wouldn’t be long before my husband Paul would come through the door. I feared his arrival. Don’t get me wrong —I love him dearly, but recently he had started to ask too many questions. He was really getting on my nerves.
“Hi baby, I’m home,” came his voice. “Where are you?”
“In here,” I replied. I was lying on our bed watching the five o’clock news in my pajamas（睡衣）.
“You’re still in your pajamas, again? You would feel better if you got dressed.”
“Why? I’m not going any place,” I replied testily. He just sighed and started changing his clothes.
We weren’t fighting but we weren’t exactly getting along famously either. My early retirement had come unexpectedly and although it was due to health issues, they weren’t severe enough to “allow” me stay in pajamas all day.
Everyone kept telling me it took time to adjust, that I would be very busy if I gave myself a chance. I didn’t want to be just busy; I wanted a purpose. Meanwhile, as I searched for meaning in my life again, my husband stepped in and suggested we get a dog.
The next Wednesday morning he said, “Hey, get dressed. Today we’re going to the dog-shelter.” “Oh, no…I can’t.”
“Why not? You going, somewhere?” he asked.
“Well, um; I’m not ready for that commitment,” I replied.
“Sallie, we’re getting a dog, not adopting a baby!”
We went to the shelter and returned with a Beagle-Doxie mix. I named her Mollie, spelled with an “ie” just like my name.
I bounded out of bed the next morning, eager to take care of Mollie. I was greeted by doggie kisses and unconditional love. Mollie didn’t care that I didn’t have a career or that I have health issues. She just needed me. I fed her, bathed her, and started our daily routine of walks. Mollie and I were two needy souls who had found each other.
A funny thing happened: my energy returned.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One recent winter evening, Mollie and I took our usual walk.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Melody of Self-Discovery
Sitting at the grand piano, Sarah was picturing her first piano performance in her mind, only to find herself lost in thought. The annoying doubt again crept into her mind. She just couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty that lingered within her. What had driven her to take up piano lessons in the first place? Was it simply a short-lived urge, or had she harbored a deeper passion for music all along?
As her fingers idly traced the keys, Sarah reflected on her journey thus far. She remembered the excitement she felt when she first sat down at the piano, the thrill of producing her first few notes. But as the weeks passed and the lessons grew more challenging, doubts began to seep into her mind like cracks in a dam.
“Sarah, do you have a clear goal in mind?” Mrs. Thompson’s words echoed in her memory. The gentle encouragement from her piano teacher only served to deepen Sarah’s sense of unease. Did she genuinely love playing the piano? What was she playing for? And most importantly, did she truly have what it took to succeed in the world of music?
During her practice, Sarah found herself wrestling with these questions, her fingers pausing and hesitating over the keys as her mind wandered. She couldn’t help but compare herself to her classmates, who seemed to effortlessly master each new piece while she struggled to keep up.
The weight of self-doubt grew heavier with each passing day, weakening her passion for music altogether. But a midst the darkness, a flicker (隐约) of hope remained. Deep down, Sarah knew that her love for the piano burned bright, even if it was dimmed by clouds of uncertainty.
As Sarah sat at the piano, the answer to Mrs. Thompson’s question slowly became clear to her. With each practiced note, each perfected passage, she realized that she didn’t just love playing the piano—she needed it. The music was a part of her, an expression of her deepest emotions and desires.
Driven by this newfound clarity, Sarah threw herself into her practice sessions with renewed energy. Day after day, she poured her heart and soul into her music, determined to showcase her passion and talent to the world.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。As the day of her first public performance approached, Sarah’s nerves threatened to overwhelm her once again.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the final chords rang out, Sarah held her breath, waiting for the audience’s reaction.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jameson Lobb, a 24-year-old investment banker from Toronto, was just one week into his new job on Wall Street. Over the past month, he’d been settling in to the New York City apartment he was sharing with his friend, an artificial intelligence engineer named Raphael Jafri.
Now, on Oct.4, the two were taking a quick lunchtime workout on Pier (码头) 15, overlooking the East River, when Lobb froze. “Somebody’s in the water,” he said. Before Jafri could respond, Lobb climbed over the rail at the edge of the pier and jumped into the cold, polluted water without taking the time to remove his shoes. What Lobb had heard was an alarming shout from Pier 16, nearly 50 yards away, “Help! He’s in the water!” And what he’d seen was a person floating (漂浮), motionless.
Approaching the victim, Lobb saw that it was a middle-aged man. He was big, around 200 pounds, respectably dressed and sinking fast. He was 3 feet below the surface by the time Lobb reached him. The rescuer dived, felt around, grasped the man and kicked upward until they both resurfaced.
Jafri was in water now. The two friends used all their strength to float the man on his back, even as the water threatened to overtake them. As Jafri put his arms around the man’s shoulders and Lobb supported him, the pair struggled back to Pier 15. Their lungs cried out for air and their muscles burned as they pushed and pulled the immobile figure through the freezing and fast-moving water.
The man was breathing shallowly, his face pale. When at last they reached Pier 15, they faced a new uncertainty. How to get out? The pier’s decking (甲板) stood an unreachable 10 feet above their heads. It is unlikely for them to climb onto the pier.
Suddenly the man made a slight move, struggling confusedly.
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。
On the pier, a crowd had gathered.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As Lobb and Jafri climbed onto the pier, they were met with cheers and applause.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Though traveling is not a big deal for me today, before my trip to the mountains, I used to be a homebody. I had friends to hang out with, several hobbies, and I felt completely comfortable spending weeks or even months in my hometown — or sometimes even on my block — without going anywhere. All my demands of novelty were satisfied by the Discovery and National Geographic channels, and I seriously thought there was no difference between seeing something on the TV and with one’s own eyes.
The situation changed when one day David, my best friend who always has a couple of colorful bugs in his head (or, in other words, was always carrying out several crazy plans at once), walked into my room and declared his disgust (厌恶) for civilization. I will not describe how he managed to persuade me to join him on his journey to the Rocky Mountains; all I will say is that we departed in five days. This was my first time in the mountains, so I was turning my head in all directions. Unfortunately, the weather was foggy most of the time, and the higher we got into the mountains, the worse the visibility was.
Even despite this fact, I still enjoyed the hike — I felt like I was Bear Grylls, whose show I used to watch with excitement: in the wild, with food and water in my backpack, carrying a flashlight and a knife. On the first day, we were making our way along the foothills; but the next day, we started to climb on one of the peaks. Though it was not that steep and high, I was still excited. I regularly hastened, and because of that, I ran out of energy long before we got to the top; David, on the other hand, was more well-paced.
When we finally got to the top, nothing had changed. The same fog was covering the surroundings, and even though I was filled with positive emotions, I felt disappointed, because I counted on seeing the view from above and perhaps being able to take some photos.
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。
We spent a couple of hours on the top, and decided to turn back.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Seeing all this scenery with my own eyes was truly an eye-opening experience for me.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Beside the sink, there was the flour bin and a bottle of buttermilk, the pale box of baking soda (发酵粉), a box of dried grapes, a box of salt, and a tin of caraway (葛缕子) seeds. On the small table beneath the window, a bowl and a spoon and the measuring cup. There was as well a narrow card on which she had written in her careful hand the recipe for soda bread.
It was time, my mother said, that I learned a few things about cooking. I stood in the kitchen doorway, all unwillingness. Why? I wanted to ask.
My mother tied an apron (围裙) around my waist. “All right,” she said. She node toward the table, the bowl and the spoon and the recipe card. I looked at her. The morning sunlight through the single window lit the down on her cheeks. It showed her brown eyes had some green in them, too. And that on either side of her tall forehead her dark hair was turning gray.
“Go ahead,” my mother said. “Get started.” And when she saw me hesitate, she put her hand on my shoulder and turned me toward the table and the bowl and the spoon. “Read the recipe over and then gather your ingredients,” she said slowly. “They’re all right here. I’ll watch and help.”
“Read it over,” my mother said. And I nodded, pretending to. The sun through the single window was bright in my eyes.
“Now gather what you need.” I picked up the flour bin and brought it to the table. I picked up the buttermilk and the dry grapes. I went back for the salt and the tin of caraway seeds and then stood before the bowl and the spoon and the measuring cup. Beyond the window, beyond the gray bars of the fire escape, the wash my mother had done this morning was waving on the line-sheets, my school blouses and my father’s shirts, which were hung upside down, their arms waving in a way that made me grow dizzy in sympathy.
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。
“Haven’t you forgotten something,” my mother said behind me.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Twenty-five minutes later, I took the bread out of the stove.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Title: A Day of Unexpected Adventures
One sunny afternoon, Lily, a curious and adventurous girl, decided to explore the mysterious old forest near her house. She packed a small backpack with some snacks and a map, and set out on her adventure.
As she walked through the dense trees, she heard rustling leaves and the chirping of birds. The air was filled with the scent of fresh earth and wildflowers. Suddenly, a bright flash of color caught her eye. It was a rare butterfly, its wings shimmering with iridescent blues and greens. Lily slowly followed the butterfly, her heart filled with excitement.
As she followed the butterfly deeper into the forest, Lily realized that she had lost sight of it. She looked around, trying to orient herself with the map, but the dense foliage made it difficult to navigate. Suddenly, she heard a strange sound coming from a nearby bush. Curious, she cautiously approached and peeked inside. To her surprise, a small fox was looking back at her with big, round eyes.
The fox seemed friendly, and Lily slowly reached out to pet it. The fox nuzzled her hand and then led her through the forest, as if guiding her to somewhere. Lily followed eagerly, her curiosity piqued. They passed through a clearing filled with wildflowers and came to a small stream. The water was clear and sparkled in the sunlight. Lily knelt down to take a sip, and the fox seemed to smile at her, its tail wagging happily.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 部分分为两段, 每段的开头语已为你写好。
Para 1. After refreshing herself with the stream water,
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Para 2. As the sun began to set, Lily realized that it was time to return home.
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Ryan Swift was a bright and thoughtful boy with a big heart. He lived in Adams County, Colorado, and attended a small primary school. His teacher, Mrs. Miranda Green, was a kind and dedicated educator who always spend extra time with the kids to help them.
At home, the Swifts often expressed gratitude for Mrs. Green’s daily emails, which provided them with ways to help Ryan improve. They sometimes mentioned that the teachers were not fully rewarded for the contributions they made in developing children into responsible adults. Kids were always listening to their conversations, and they were quick to model adults’ behaviour.
As Ryan’s birthday drew near, a sense of excitement grew inside him. He would get this year’s birthday money from his parents, but this time, he wanted to do something truly special rather than spend the money on toys or treats for himself. Ryan decided to give Mrs. Green, his beloved teacher, a well-deserved pay rise.
The next morning after his birthday, Ryan arrived at school with a big smile on his face. Holding his school bag to his chest, he had a secret of his own — he had carefully placed $15 in bills along with a heartfelt note inside a plastic zip-lock bag.
Dear Mrs. Green,I don’t think that you get paid enough for what you’ve done for us, so will you accept this gift?
Ryan Swift
He was the first to arrive at the classroom and tiptoed up to Mrs. Green’s desk. With a bit of anxiety, he placed the zip-lock bag on her desk, making sure it was hidden under a pile of papers. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he quickly returned to his seat, trying to act as usual.
Throughout the morning, Ryan stole glances at Mrs. Green, wondering when she would find the surprise. The anticipation was almost unbearable, but he knew that the joy on her face would be worth it. “Mrs. Green must be thrilled to have this pay rise!” Ryan couldn’t help smiling to himself when picturing the scene in his mind.
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。
Mrs. Green finally discovered the zip-lock bag when her class finished.
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Learning about it, a local newspaper decided to interview the Swifts and the teacher.
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My dad was more than a father to me; he was my friend and confidant (知己) and one of the most amazing people in my life. So when he passed away suddenly from a stroke at the age of 51, my world fell apart. I was lost, along with my mother who had been with my father since age 16, two brothers, and everyone who knew him. We were thrown into a thick fog of anger, sadness, and shock.
I cried every night and tried to hold onto all my memories of him. I replayed every moment I could remember — writing down thoughts, printing out old e-mails, reading old birthday cards — anything I could hang on to because I didn’t want to forget. As I was going through all these old memories, I began to wonder about all the things I had missed. My dad was a quiet man who was known for his listening skills, his patience, his humor, and his smile. He was often the one listening instead of telling stories. I wanted to know what stories I had missed by losing him so soon. So I decided to compile (编纂) a memory book as a surprise Christmas gift for my mom and brothers.
I started my project in November, contacting everyone I knew who was close to my dad or had been in the past. I sent e-mails and letters asking for friends and family of Gary Force to send me their thoughts and memories of him. I asked them specifically to share funny stories about my dad and the stories that maybe no one had ever heard or had long forgotten. I told them to respond no later than one week before Christmas. I waited and waited and got very few responses by December. I began to wonder if this was a horrible idea or if anyone even cared.
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。
And then the responses started pouring in.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I gave it to my family as the last gift on Christmas Day.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Meles Mauro fled from his village near Addis Ababa to the Nigeria capital because he had nowhere else to go. He was five years old and both his parents were dead. He’d headed to his aunt’s, but she had seven children and couldn’t take him in permanently. Soon Mauro was participating in the street economy, along with roughly 10,000 other orphaned kids in Addis. To survive, he shined shoes, sold peanuts and begged.
Then, when he was about nine, Mauro met Kelsey Golden. A year earlier, in 1996, Golden had flown from Germany to her hometown of Addis to visit her mother for the first time in well over a decade. Accompanying Golden were her husband, Scott Smillie (a social worker), and their two children. The family had come with the intention of helping street-involved children, but without a set target.
When they were walking on the street of Addis, their children found something confusing. “Why aren’t they wearing any shoes?” “Why do they just sit there aimlessly on the street without going to school?” Golden was constantly asked about the kids in the street, bringing her back into the memories of her childhood. Golden had left Nigeria in 1981 on a scholarship to Germany, where she finished her bachelor of science degree at the University of Alberta, began teaching, met Smillie and started a family.
Deep in her heart was the words by her father, a general who had passed away. Her father’s final wish was for his children to someday return to help their country and get orphaned street-involved children to class.
“Mom, do you see that boy, who seemingly looks hungry and wants my hamburger?”
Golden’s mind was drawn back to the present. Following the direction of her son’s finger, she noticed a boy, barefoot, in rags, sitting on the ground, eyes fixed on the hamburger.
Instantly she walked over to the boy, bent down and asked gently, “what’s your name?”
“Mauro, Meles Mauro.” the boy answered, eyes still on the burger.
“Would you like to have a lunch with us together?
“Can I?” Mauro’s eyes fell on Golden, wide open in disbelief.
With the firm nodding from the woman, the boy’s face cracked a radiant smile and had the most delicious meal ever in his life.
注意： 1.续写词数应为150 左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡得相应位置做答。
With the help of the couple, Mauro enjoyed a wonderful life.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Aged 29, Mauro had a job as a professor in a college and he still stayed in touch with Golden.
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