The past summer in Antarctica, Elaine had spent long hours inside the plain, practical buildings of the MeMurdo research station. Her job was to look after the fire-fighting equipment and fire alarms of this remote outpost. But on her days off, Elaine loved to go skiing and explore the ice and caves beyond the station.
With winter coming, she’d be heading home soon. But before she left there was one more thing Elaine wanted to do. She was determined to see a penguin (企鹅) — up close. She’d heard interesting tales from the biologists, about how penguins played and took care of one another, how they were curious and often approached people. She had spotted a few, but only from far away. But that night after dinner, someone said there was a lone penguin on the ice on the far side of the station. Elaine rushed out, hoping to get a closer look.
Now she was filled with excitement.... and cold. The day had been sunny and warm (for Antarctica, meaning around 20°F or-6℃, still below freezing). But a sudden storm could drop the temperature by 50°in just a few minutes. The glacier’s (冰川) huge pressure created crevasses (冰裂缝) — deep blue holes in the ice beneath the snowy surface, If someone dropped into the crevasse, nobody would ever find him.
A frosty wind blew, and she reached up to cover her bare ear. Oh no, where was her hat? Elaine had left her backpack — with her warm coal, hat, and emergency radio — back at MeMurdo! Normally, she carried that orange pack everywhere. But hearing about the penguin, she’d rushed out without her backpack and she was out on the ice alone.
Maybe the cold had slowed down her brain, but Elaine didn’t consider the danger. All she could think of was the penguin. Watching the penguin coming closer, she spied a flash of yellow. It was an emperor penguin! Elaine followed the bird farther out on the ice, away from the base.
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。
Soon the penguin stood right in front of her.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Suddenly, a strong wind knocked her off. She was lying on a thin skin of ice above a deep hole.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My mum died on a cold and rainy December morning. The dark clouds and constant light rain over her Cape Cod neighbourhood fit our sadness as my brothers and sisters and I arranged with the local funeral (葬礼) home for Mum’s last departure from her beloved house on the edge of the river.
All five of us were there, having been alerted (警觉) earlier that week. As soon as we had gotten “The Call”, we had immediately flown or driven from our homes in California, Florida, Georgia and New York to the house by the river.
As I joined my brothers and sisters at the house on the Cape, I felt oddly peaceful. Though I was afraid to lose my mother, I wasn’t anxious about the process. I knew that Mum had prepared well for her death. All we had to do was be present for her and each other during this final stage. She had done everything else.
Mum was a born teacher and a natural organizer. When she had received the diagnosis (诊断) of incurable cancer that September, she had planned her death as practically as she had planned her busy life as a wife, mother and professional.
Mum did think fondly of her neighbours and friends. Even though she had declined to share her remaining time with them, she wanted to acknowledge their friendly care and express her lasting affection for them. So Mum had asked my older sister to purchase, on her behalf, a case of wine. The small bottles were to be decorated with ribbons (缎带) and delivered by us in person, after Mum’s death, to those neighbours who had been her favourite local companions.
Accordingly, in the early afternoon, as the cold morning rain gave way to a watery blue sky, all five of us set out to walk through the neighbourhood together, braving the cold air. Taking turns carrying the heavy boxes, we visited every house. Together, we carried the news of her death, that final gift of beribboned bottles, and her instruction to her friends: “Please use this Champagne to toast to our friendship.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
We hugged, and cried, and laughed, with neighbour after neighbour.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the five of us returned to the house, we saw, against the backdrop of the grey sky, a breathtakingly beautiful rainbow.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Once upon a time, there lived a very lazy man named Harman. All day long, he would almost lie on his bed in the backyard and would not lift a finger to do any work.
One afternoon, a sage (智者) was meditating (冥想) under a tree near Harman’s home. As usual, Harman was lying on his bed when suddenly he spotted a snake with its head raised at the meditating man. Alarmed, Harman quickly ran over to kill it. The sage was saved and promised, “I will grant you a boon (恩惠), young man. Tell me, what is it that you want?”
Hearing this, Harman expressed his wish to get wealthy within a short time, without having to work much. “Very well,” said the sage. “Beginning from tonight, each night, you shall have a dream describing the troubles of someone, the solution to which will be visible to you alone. If you save the concerned person, I am sure you will be rewarded.” Harman thanked the sage and went home.
He told his wife, Shanta, about what had happened. However, his wife was doubtful. “Come on, dear! The vital way to become rich is through hard work.”
That night Harman dreamt of the King. He saw that his adviser had stolen bags of gold. When Harman woke up in the morning, he immediately set out for the King’s palace and helped the King find the gold. The King rewarded Harman handsomely with a rich sum of money.
Another time Harman dreamt of a rich landlord whose daughter was seriously ill. Harman saw a particular plant in the landlord’s garden, whose leaves would help in curing the girl. The next morning, Harman requested some leaves from the landlord and told him how to use them to cure his daughter. The landlord’s daughter was saved soon with the leaves. Harman was once again given a handsome reward.
Days passed. Harman continued to have dreams every night and act upon them in the morning. Soon, he became a rich man in the village. However, his health worsened and he was in low spirits. Since he dreamed of people’s troubles every night, he didn’t have a sound sleep. Shanta grew worried.
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。
“Well! Why are you unhappy when you have got what you wanted?” Shanta asked.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Harman learned that the sage had moved to the neighboring village.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I still remember my first day of school in the USA. It was on that day that I got to know a wonderful teacher, Mrs. McDonalds.
In 2001, my family and I moved to the USA from India. I was placed at 6th grade in elementary school. The first day of school for any student can be hard, but even harder for a shy student whose spoken English is poor. Finding the class location according to the map was quite hard for a 6th grader, especially for a student that5 s in a new country and a new school like me. After a long time, I found that I was lost. I stood there helplessly, waiting for someone like an angel to come.
Then, a nice lady teacher came and I showed her my class number. Somehow, the nice lady named Mrs. McDonalds turned out to be my headteacher and could speak a little Hindi. She realized that I needed help. So she comforted me and took me to class.
The first day of school was about the teachers introducing themselves and going over the class rules, and every student introducing themselves to the class. Mrs. McDonalds started with talking about herself and also about what we were going to do that school year. After her it was the students’ turn, one by one each student stood up and told the whole class their name, their interests and favorite things to do. I anxiously wondered what I should say when it was my turn. Then all of a sudden everyone started staring at me. When Mrs. McDonalds called me, my mind went blank. I was too nervous to say a word. Then I stood quietly while the whole class started to laugh because of the awkward situation. Mrs. McDonalds asked them to keep quiet, looked at me with tender eyes and asked my name and hobby in Hindi. What I could hear at that moment was only the word “name”, so I quickly told her my name.
After the embarrassing self-introduction, the teacher started to talk about our first assignment.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
We had to work in groups to write an essay with at least 500 words.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I just couldn’t wait for the class to end.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Many of us come across certain situations that make us laugh in the future. The similar thing happened to me on 12, July 2010. It was rainy season. My parents needed to go to the nearby city to attend a marriage ceremony. They decided to keep me at home because I too should understand housekeeping in the absence of parents. I agreed on their thought with full confidence. This incident made me completely alone at home. Therefore, I got complete freedom to enjoy the cartoon shows on TV and many other fun activities. I looked outside the window of my house. It was raining heavily. Suddenly the electricity supply went off.
I was a little scared but the words of my parents encouraged me to face the situation. Unexpectedly, I heard someone knocking at the door of my house. I went near to the door and stole a look through it. No one was there! Then I opened the door to make sure.
I have the habit of watching horror movies. This incident created the thoughts of ghosts and evils in my mind. I felt that a ghost might be willing to enter my house. I was completely shocked. I lit the candles in my room. Again, I heard the knocking sound. But this time, I didn’t dare to open the door. Instead, I preferred lying on the bed and wrapping myself with blankets.
The electricity supply started after almost one hour. I speedily turned the TV on and played devotional songs. I switched on the lights of all rooms. I am a curious person who loves science. My curiosity brought me to check out the incident. So I went near to the door and opened it.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To my surprise, I found that a small dog was standing outside the house.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My parents saw the dog, confused.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Summer vacation was finally coming, and Rose couldn’t wait to have a trip with her parents. She recalled the joyful experiences they shared last summer, which filled her with excitement for the upcoming holiday.
“Girls!” Rose heard her father calling. She raced to her big sister’s room, telling her that Dad was calling them, and they rushed downstairs log either. Dad put his arm around Mom and told them that they were going on a trip to the Virunga Mountains of Africa. There were three national parks that they would visit.
Rose and Gina looked at each other. “What?” they said with one voice. Mom told them it would be really exciting to go there on a trip. At 12 years old, Rose would prefer going to an amusement park or a beach. She thought it important to let her parents know she didn’t want to go there but to the beach for a week or two.
“Well,” said Dad, “I have to go for an assignment for the paper. We’re covering the mountain gorillas (大猩猩) because they’re critically endangered these years. So, I thought it’d also be a great place to take a vacation. I’m sure it’ll be very educational for you girls.”
Gina let out a sigh, unable to contain her disappointment. She wanted to say something but Mom interrupted and announced that the trip was set on the next Monday.
“Sit down, both of you.” Dad had on his severe look. “Girls, it’s important for you to know about the world around you. This is a wonderful chance for you to experience and learn an amazing place. Do you know anything about the mountain gorillas?”
The sisters shook their heads.
“Well, get your laptop computer, Gina. I want you to look them up right now,” said Dad, “Rose, there is a book on the bookshelf about the cute mountain gorillas. Find it and read it.”
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。
The girls dragged their feet upstairs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next Monday came and the family set out excitedly.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was 40 years ago. One day, Emma came back to their apartment from work and realized that her husband, David, was extremely ill. He was throwing up and slurring (发音不清) his words. Immediately, Emma grabbed her purse and took him by taxi to the nearest hospital, on the Lower East Side of New York City. The minutes slowly passed as they waited to see a doctor.
They sat there for a couple of hours, and it was pretty clear that nobody was going to pay attention to David. So they rushed to a second hospital, where they were also ignored. Emma knew something was very wrong with David, so they went to a third hospital. As she told the receptionist what was happening, Emma sensed the person wasn’t going to treat their case with urgency.
Emma was on the edge of a breakdown. After three failed attempts to get help, she had reached her limit. She started to shout in the lobby (大厅). That’s when her unsung hero appeared.
That person was a young man with dark hair and a white physician’s coat. He came to Emma and said, “How can I help you? What’s going on here?” Emma explained what was happening to David, and that she was afraid it was serious.
The young man said, “You know, I just got done with my neurological residency (神经系统的实习期) up at Lenox Hill Hospital. I’ll take him in the back and look.” Within two or three minutes, the young man came out and said, “You are absolutely right. Something is very seriously wrong with your husband.”
The man told Emma to take her husband to Lenox Hill Hospital, and that he had called the doctor with whom he had done his residency.
“He’ll be waiting for you,” said the young man.
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 Emma began to cry, realizing she had no way of getting there, because she didn’t have any more cash for a taxi.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Soon Emma and her husband arrived at the hospital.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Arnold and Iris were sitting outside the office of the children’s home, excited and nervous. Then the office door opened, and Mrs. Ronald appeared. “Mr. and Mrs. Arnold, please come in.”
Arnold and Iris entered the office. Arnold handed Mrs. Ronald a folder of documents. She carefully reviewed them. Finally, she looked up at the couple.
“Here’s the thing,” she began to say and Iris felt her heart quicken. Mrs. Ronald’s tone sounded unpromising.
“I’ve read your application to adopt Patrick,” Mrs. Ronald continued. “You are indeed a great couple, with no legal issues, but your income is, frankly, not the best for guardianship. Mr. Arnold is a repairman. Besides, Ms. Arnold, as a nurse, doesn’t have enough time. Last week, we found the boy suffered from depression(抑郁) because of the loss of his parents in an accident and may need regular visits to professionals, which adds to the expenses. In my opinion, you are not suitable as guardians.”
“We can provide Patrick with a loving home,” Iris said, trying to hold back tears. “We have interacted with Patrick for several times. We’re the only family that Patrick is willing to interact with! We love him and will do everything to make him happy.”
“But we’re doing what’s best for Patrick. I’m so sorry we can’t allow you to take Patrick home,” Mrs. Ronald said.
“Who will take care of Patrick then?” “We are looking for his only relative, his aunt. Although she is really busy, maybe she can look after him.”
Iris asked, “Can I see Patrick?”
“Of course,” Mrs. Ronald replied.
Patrick was sitting at the desk in a room, drawing something.
“Hey, Patrick, it’s me, Iris. What are you drawing?” she said softly. Patrick handed her the paper.
“Is this your father and mother?” Patrick nodded. Iris felt really sorry for the poor boy, thinking he needed a warm family.
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。
Leaving the children’s home, the couple decided to continue to take good care of Patrick while working hard to earn money.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day, they heard Patrick’s aunt could no longer look after him due to work change.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Kelly is a nurse. Her kidney (肾脏) proved to be a perfect match for her cousin, Dana, who is a teacher. Her kidney had worsened to the point where she required a transplant (移植). As Kelly told Dana, “I’m in good health and I almost never get sick or ill. It seems that I can be a donor for you.” Dana was wild with joy.
Later on a Thursday afternoon, after spending the first of two days undergoing tests to confirm her kidney was a match for Dana, Kelly got a call from a Cleveland Clinic caregiver. They were canceling the second day of her tests. A CT scan revealed the presence of a tumor (肿瘤) on Kelly’s right kidney.
Kelly was shocked about the discovery and concerned she might no longer be a donor available for Dana. That meant that Kelly had to have an operation to remove the tumor, unable to donate her kidney. Meanwhile Dana had to wait for some other donors for a matchable kidney, which was really hard to find. Dana was thrown back to desperation.
The cousins were at a loss. But their doctors wouldn’t give up. They tried every possible means to find a solution that could satisfy both sides, treating Kelly’s illness and offering Dana transplanting. But the bad news was that there had been few such reported cases.
Determined to solve this difficult problem, Dr. Wee, director of the Kidney Transplant Program, held meetings with a team of specialists to discuss over details of the case and best steps to move forward. They worked day and night to search for related information and make analysis. Seeing the devotion of the experts, Kelly and Dana felt the flame of hope returning to their hearts.
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 many meetings, the medical team felt confident to treat the two patients at the same time.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The cousins recovered from their surgeries.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I’m Franklin G. Takata, better known as “Find-It Frankie” due to my exceptional tracking abilities. I will say that there’s nothing out there I can’t find. I am fortunate to have a loyal and skilled partner, Munchy, by my side. He was selected especially for me from an animal shelter by my parents on the occasion of my fifth birthday.
One Thursday afternoon, Munchy and I were playing in the garden when Mom revealed that her cherished diamond ring had disappeared, entrusting us with the task of locating it. Had I known how tricky the case would be, I might have thought twice. But I said then as I’d say today, “I assure you that there’s nothing we can’t locate”
Whenever an item disappears, my initial inquiry to Mom is, “Do you recall the last place you saw it?” “I was occupied making cookies in the kitchen,” Mom replied, “when I removed my ring and set it on the counter. However, after taking a call from your aunt, I returned to discover the ring missing!” “Hmm. Well, it couldn’t have disappeared all by itself,” I said. “Munchy, let’s go take a closer look.” Munchy led the way to the kitchen.
The counter bore no indication of the ring’s whereabouts(下落); however, the flour betrayed faint paw prints, which pointed toward the criminal’s identity. “The cat” I said. “Mr. Jingles must have been playing with the ring, causing it to drop to the ground!” Crawling on the floor, I searched high and low for the ring. My efforts were in vain.
注意: 1. 续写词数应为150左右;2. 请按如下格式在答题卷的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: “Munchy, you’re up! Go find Mr. Jingles.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: I was about to give up when I took a bite of the warm cookie Mom handed me.
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