People always say that with exercise, putting on your shoes is the hardest part. But for Emma, this was a lie. The real pain always started when all the students were gathered on the track, ready to run. It wasn’t the fatigue she minded, it was the looks others gave her. Emma was bigger than others of her age. Back in primary school, she remembers her classmates asking her why her thighs (大腿) were so big and her chest so wide. On the outside, she looked big, but on the inside, she felt as small as a pea. And PE class was when she felt at her smallest.
Not all her classmates made her feel uncomfortable, though. It was mainly a group of girls and boys—the loud, outspoken, popular kids. Although they could run faster than Emma, they preferred to jog a bit behind her, bursting out in laughter every now and then, commenting on how Emma jogged.
Just one more year, Emma kept telling herself. One more year and I’ll have graduated and won’t have to take this stupid PE class anymore. She just wanted to survive it.
But everything changed when a new girl called Kit joined the class. She had short, jet-black hair, bright eyes, and a long scar across the left side of her face. Her entrance into the classroom that day was met by dozens of curious eyes.
Although their teacher, Ms Hardy, didn’t ask Kit for a personal introduction, upon putting her bag down on her desk, Kit rose, saying, “Hi, everyone, nice to meet you, I’m Kit. I love boxing, animation and fashion. You might be wondering about my scar. I got it when I was young when I fell off my bike. Luckily, I didn’t get hurt more seriously. It’s now like a cool trademark of all the adventures I had as a kid.”
After Kit’s introduction, Emma simply sat there, her heart pounding and mouth wide open. How could someone be so confident? Even the popular kids were sitting there in shock.
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。
At lunchtime, Emma was sitting at her usual table with a few other classmates when Kit walked over to them.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Friday, it was time for the fearful PE class, but this time, Kit was with her.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Never in my wildest imagination did I picture myself standing on the back of a running horse. I’m not a cowgirl and don’t even ride horses for pleasure.
But I was doing a television fitness show, and someone in the group had the bright idea that we should go to the rodeo (牛仔竞技表演) grounds and ask the trick rider if they could teach me a stunt (特技表演) to do on camera. We could use this short video as the new opening to the show. I agreed the stunt would be eye-catching and prove how flexible a fit person can be.
That was how I ended up at the rodeo grounds with a camera group, watching the remarkable performances of three talented young cowgirls. Once their show was over, we approached them, detailing our ideas for the television show.
The cowgirls asked me which particular stunt I was interested in learning. I especially liked one stunt — one of the girls led a horse to continuously and slowly run around the grounds while one of the other girls ran across the grounds toward a small trampoline (蹦床). It was timed perfectly so that she jumped onto the trampoline, up into the air, and then onto the horse’s back. As she landed on its back, she stood up and stretched her arms outward as the horse continued slowly running. It looked impressive.
They talked me through the necessary moves, stressing the timing since I would need to be in the air at the correct time when the horse ran past. I alone would judge the speed of the horse and my own speed to jump onto the horse on time.
It was clearly difficult. I was a little hesitant, afraid of being unable to do that well and slowing down the filming. But I knew the most important thing for me was to concentrate on the task at hand.
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 first time out, I hit the horse’s back part and fell to the ground.
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At 6: 00 pm, we completed the stunt filming, with my knee injured.
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Sara, my neighbor, and I were sitting in our yard, chatting, and frowning at the wooden house across the street.
Nobody in the neighborhood had met these two young men there yet. The two men had long hair and beards and dressed strangely. They kept to themselves. When they came outside, they never made eye contact with anyone. “They sure don’t fit into the neighborhood,” Sara said, the corners of her mouth turning down as she stared at that house.
Sara said, “What about our street parties? We’ve always included everyone. Should we invite them?” I sighed, “Try being nice, Sara.” Suddenly, Sara sat up straight and her eyes grew wide with curiosity when a government car pulled up before Mrs Swain’s house next door. We hurried over. Mrs Swain was recovering from cancer and lived alone. Sara and I tried to keep an eye on her.
The man from the car put a piece of paper on Mrs Swain’s door and hurriedly left. Mrs Swain looked old, thin, and very tired when she opened the door. We three looked at the paper. It read: “Someone complained your grass’ length is against city rules. Please cut it in five days, or you’ll be fined.”
It was a shame that nobody had cut her grass for her. However, Sara and I lived alone, and we were both pregnant. What was worse, we were on a tight budget, and the other families here were on vacation.
Sara and I comforted Mrs Swain, telling her we’d figure out a way. Mrs Swain blinked in confusion, “Who would complain? Everyone knows that my old lawn mower is broken. And I’ve been sick too.” “It may be those two guys across the street,” Sara whispered, angrily staring at that wooden house.
Just then, a voice that seemed too gentle to be coming from the strange young man behind me said, “What is going on? Is she alright?” He nodded toward Mrs Swain. Sara looked at him coldly and said, “Some guys reported her because her grass is too high.” Her eyes ran over him disapprovingly, but he didn’t seem to notice.
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 young man and his friend quickly made eye contact and nodded seriously.
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After they finished the work, Sara and I walked in shame to apologize for judging them.
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Eight-year-old Kayzen Hunter visits Waffle House every weekend to have breakfast with his family. They always choose to sit in Devonte Gardner’s section, because they get the best care from their favorite waiter.
The family instantly felt close to Gardner, who would greet Kayzen with a high-five every time they entered the restaurant. Kayzen never needed to say his order again, because Gardner already knew it by heart. The family really believes he’s the nicest person ever, which is why they were eager to help him when they learned his story.
One day, while dining at the restaurant with his grandfather John Donofrio, Kayzen discovered that behind Gardner’s kindness and warmth were a lot of personal struggles. At the time, Gardner asked the pair if they knew where he could buy an affordable car to use to get to work. It turned out the waiter had been walking a long distance to and from work every day. He and his family, consisting of a wife and two young daughters, were living in a motel (汽车旅馆) room after their apartment became unsuitable to live in. They had been living in a motel for months.
Kayzen couldn’t erase his friend’s story from his mind, so he immediately told his mom about it when he got home. “We have to start a GoFundMe page and help Gardner get a car!” he kept saying. He didn’t give up on the idea until his mom Vittoria gave in. Their goal was to get $5,000 in donations so Gardner could purchase a car. Vittoria and her husband were eager to help their son achieve the goal, especially since they had the same experience years ago. It took a long time to rebuild their lives, but they were able to bounce back. Now, they wanted to help Devonte do the same.
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。
A local news station picked up the story, and before they knew it, more donations began pouring in.
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Upon discovering what Kayzen had done, Gardner wept.
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Mrowwwwl! The cat meowed angrily as she clawed at Jennifer’s arm, drawing a thin line of blood. Just as quickly as she struck out with her claw, the agile (灵活的) orange and-white cat leaped back to her hiding space under Jennifer’s bed. From the Avec underneath the bed, two green eyes produced bright light, staring back out at Jennifer.
Jennifer was starting to feel discouraged in a major way. She was never one for giving up; but it had been sevetal days like this since she adopted the cat—Darla—from the animal shelter, struggling to win over the young cat’s affection through treats and soft and gentle whispers. It was during her summer break, so she had plenty of time to keep trying to win over the animal. But it wasn’t time that was the issue — it was Jennifer’s emotions that were quickly fading.
It had been two years since Jennifer’s beloved brown tabby (斑猫)-Marlin-passed away. She never could quite get over the shock and emptiness which remained in her heart here childlike joy once thrived. Marlin had been Jennifer’s faithful friend and loving companion rough all the pains and trials of growing up. After Marlin died, things were never quite the same again for Jennifer. It was the first real death to pierce Jennifer’s heart and signaled the end of her carefree childhood.
She desperately wanted Darla to love her the way Marlin had and for ee to love Darla just the same; but what was Jennifer supposed to do now? The cut on her arm was all she had to how for her effort. Jennifer sat on the floor, burying her face in her hands, and her body trembled as she softly began to cry.
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
After a few minutes, Jennifer noticed a strange feeling - fur.
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Jennifer then reached out her hand toward the cat.
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Going to the post office is usually a weekly event for me. I rarely give it any thought other than to drive there, go inside, and drop off my letter or package. However, our world has changed and now I must give careful consideration to this journey, as my age and preexisting condition put me into the “vulnerable” category. I am worried about getting infected with the pandemic. There are decisions that I need to make. Is this a package that must go out now? I conclude that it is. Is there anyone else who can take the package for me? I conclude there is not. So I have made two decisions already. Next, I must determine which of the two post offices closest to me would be the easiest one to accomplish my goal. I realize the larger one would be my best choice. Three decisions have been made!
On the drive over, I determined that I would look to see the number of cars in the parking lot before making my decision to go in. Upon arriving, I concluded that the car population was small enough, so I pulled into an empty space. My next thought was,” Perhaps I should wait for someone to come out and ask them to take my package in? “Then I realized, I would be making contact with a perfect stranger, and what was the difference between talking to that stranger and just going in and talking to the clerk? Next decision made, I walked inside. There were only two people and both were standing at the counters making their transactions (业务). I walked to the front of what was normally a very long line. I was standing alone, waiting for my turn. I was wondering whether this place had been disinfected (消毒) and was safe to stay here.
Shortly, I was called to the window. I could see that the postal clerk was aware of the fear in my eyes. She quietly stepped back from her station and signed to me to come forward. I stepped up to the counter and placed my package on the scale (秤).
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。
She then signed to me to step back.
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As I inserted my credit card, tears started to roll down my cheeks.
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Guyo kicked the ground, a cloud of red dust flying in the air. “What’s wrong, Guyo?” Guyo looked up to see his grandfather. “Father won’t let me drive cattle. He says I’m too little. But I really want to help the family,” said Guyo. “You can help me get honey,” said Grandfather. Guyo’s face lit up. His grandfather smiled, “We’ll gather honey the way our village has gathered honey for years.” He opened his hand. It held a whistle(口哨).“What’s that，Grandfather? ” “It’s a honeyguide whistle. When we use it，a honeyguide will come and lead us to a hidden honeycomb(蜂巢)”. He handed Guyo the whistle. “Call one.”
Guyo blew the whistle hard, creating a beautiful sound. Before long, a gray-brown bird flew to a nearby branch. She called many times. Once she had the attention of Grandfather and Guyo, she flew off toward the west. Guyo was eager to follow. His grandfather picked up a container and said, “Let’s go.” They hurried through the dry brush, always keeping the honeyguide being viewed. “Why do honeyguides help us?” Guyo asked. “They are experts in finding honeycombs. But because they’re small, bee stings(蜇伤)would kill them. They need our help to get what's inside the honeycomb.” Guyo and his grandfather followed the bird for half an hour. Finally, the honeyguide flew toward a hole in a mud wall. “We’re here,” said Grandfather. Guyo’s heart beat faster and faster as they approached the hole. A group of angry bees guarded the entrance, making much noise.
Grandfather gathered some small sticks. “Help me build a fire in front of the hole. The smoke will calm the bees.” When the smoke approached the bees, the noise disappeared. Grandfather tried to push his hand into the hole, but it wouldn’t fit. He said to Guyo, “You should be able to reach the honeycomb.” Guyo was afraid. What if the bees stung him? He looked at his grandfather. He couldn’t disappoint him.
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。
Guyo took a deep breath and stretched out his arm.
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Grandfather put most of the honeycomb inside his container.
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It was freezing cold outside. The biting wind was blowing hard. Rosalee pressed her nose against the window. Then she made a wish. “Ready, set—snow,” she whispered. She looked at the sky, but there was no snow. Rosalee closed her eyes again. “Ready, set—SNOW!” she said louder. She stole a quick glance with one eye open. “Not one flake(小薄片)”.
“Be patient, dear. It will snow soon,” said Rosalee’s grandmother Nana. She was setting a plate of warm pizzelle (芝麻脆饼) on the table. Rosalee loved her grandmother’s cookies. Their fancy shapes looked like snowflakes.
“But Grandpa told me it was supposed to snow today,” Rosalee said. It would be the first snow this winter. She had been filled with expectations.
Rosalee’s brother, Marcus, was sitting at the kitchen table. “Today can mean any time between now and midnight,” he pointed out.
Rosalee seemed a little confused. All the signs of snow were there: It looked like it could snow—The sky matched the grey rooftop next door; It felt like snowy weather—When she walked across the yard to check the mailbox that morning, she’d had to wear her hat and gloves and bury her face in a scarf, which made her look like a moving ball at a distance; It even smelled like it could snow—Nana always made pizzelle in a snowy weather.
The cookies cooled on the table, filling the kitchen with their sweet smell, making her mouth water. Nana smiled at Rosalee and handed her a cookie. Rosalee took a bite. Suddenly, an idea struck her. “I know how to make it now,” she said excitedly, jumping off her seat.
“Impossible,” Marcus mumbled(嘟哝), his mouth full.
“You’ll see!” Rosalee disappeared into her room.
An hour later, Rosalee called to her brother, who was in his room reading. “Come into the kitchen with your eyes closed, Marcus.”
“All right.” Marcus appeared in the doorway. His eyelids were closed.
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。
“OK. Ready, set—SNOW!” Rosalee said.
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“Look!” Rosalee pointed out the window and cried in great excitement.
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It was a privilege for Eloise to have her grandson Josh living with her while he was attending college away from home. Eloise had struggled to keep herself busy since her husband’s death three years ago. But having Josh around was motivation for Eloise to stay active. Now most of her days were spent baking bread and cookies or with friends and neighbors.
When Eloise returned from a get-together with her friends one evening, Josh pointed to a black-and-white picture lying on the table, and said, “Hi, Grandma. 1 found this in my closet (壁橱)，Is that you and Granddad?” Eloise looked at the picture and laughed quietly. “Oh, that was a long time ago. I must have overlooked it when I was cleaning to make room for your things.”
“That’s your granddad and me before we were married. We met at a party. I loved to dance, and he was a good dancer,” Eloise smiled, enjoying the memories that came flooding back.
“After we got married, we rarely had time to go dancing. But every once in a while, after the children went to bed, we’d pull out the record player and dance in the backyard under the stars.”
Leaning back in his chair, Josh appeared to be enjoying the story. “Wow, Granddad was quite a romantic guy!”
“Yeah. He was very romantic. I still miss him dearly.” Eloise shook her head, attempting to get rid of the lonely feeling that was beginning to form.“Well, it’s getting late now. Let’s get some sleep.” “I’ve really enjoyed hearing the story about you and Granddad,” Josh hugged his grandma. Then he went back to his room.
Two hours ago, Mom called to tell him that the next day would be Grandma’s birthday. He eagerly wanted to give a special present to Grandma, but he was short of money. After hearing Grandma’s words and knowing their story, he got a brilliant idea in his mind.
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 morning, Josh started to prepare his “present from the past” secretly.
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After finishing dinner that night, Josh invited and led his grandma to the backyard.
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