Unbreakable
My brother and I were playing a game of tag in the house. “Tag! You’re it!”, shouted Alim and ran as fast as his 5-year-old legs could carry him. I chased closely behind. I watched him jump over the sofa and landed, falling sideways to hit our Mom’s favourite vase, the one late Grandpa gave her on her wedding day, off the side table. SMASH!! Alim burst into tears almost at the same time the vase broke. I was equally alarmed said “Ha! Alim, you are in trouble.” This made Alim cry more, “Mummy is going to beat me!”
He was crying so much that I felt sorry for him. Just then Mom came into the house. I rushed over to Alim’s side. “What is this? Who broke my vase?” My Mom shouted. Her eyes were wide open and bright with terrible anger. Alim tried to say something through his tears but I started to clean his wet face with my hand and I said, “I am so sorry, Mom. I broke the vase and told Alim that I would say it was him.” My Mom pulled me by my left ear and dragged me to our room. Alim followed quietly behind. My Mom said, “That’s it. You are grounded for the rest of the holiday.” As she closed the room door on me, I saw Alim’s face in the corner, his eyes very big, looking straight at me.
The door was shut and I felt very alone in the room as I nursed my painful ear. Why did I do that? I thought. Alim should be the one taking the punishment, not me. Humph. He owes me big time. I fell asleep thinking of the ways I could get back at Alim. I woke up suddenly with the realization that Alim was not in the room with me. He had not come to bed. I tiptoed out of the room to look for him. The house was quiet and dark and I was beginning to worry when I noticed the light through the kitchen 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。
When I got there, Alim was picking out the pieces of the vase from the garbage bag.
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The next morning Mum walked into our room and stopped as she saw the “new” vase.
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The other day, I was driving home, a little upset because I hated working at the weekend. On the way, I decided to buy some vegetables in the nearby greengrocer’s. Since there was still thin ice on the road, I took a glance at the back mirror to make sure no people or vehicles came close, and slowly turned the wheel to the right. Then out of my expectation, my car knocked into an electric bike, giving out a loud noise of metal clash. I came back to myself and saw out of the window screen a teenager lean on one side of the bike, one foot off the ground.
All of a sudden, a familiar scene flashed across my mind.
When I was in high school, I had fun riding my bike along the country road on extremely hot and boring afternoons during summer holidays. Sometimes I carried my little brother to the only grocery store in the neighborhood where we could buy our favorite ice cream.
Once we had an argument about what to buy. Seeing him leave the store in a temper, I jumped on the bike and tried to talk him into going back. Suddenly, he gave me a push and I was pushed towards the middle of the road when a motorbike came in my face. I fell on the ground before I could see anything clearly. Luckily, I didn’t get hurt but still couldn’t rise to my feet. The motorist, a middle-aged man, ignoring his torn jeans, hurried to check on me, "Are you okay? Your leg? Your foot?"
"I am all right, but..."I stared at him, terrified because I was sure he would ask for "big" sum of money for compensation (赔偿). Instead, he just let me go despite his wife’s protests. Guilty as I was, I was happy that I was spared. I was really grateful to the man for pardoning a silly kid who had made such a big mistake by mistake.
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。
Now this boy was in the same situation I was in.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then I took a closer look at the damage to my car.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I used to be very shy and often felt lonely. Although I did well in all academic subjects, I was afraid of physical education. Even kids in the neighborhood would laugh at me that my feet couldn’t leave the ground when I ran. Their words embarrassed me. At school, whenever the teacher organized some competitive games, no one in the class would choose me as their partner or teammate. As a result, I often ended up looking at others enjoy their games.
Things would go on like that if it was not for a sports meet in my middle school. By mistake, my name was put on the list of women’s 1,500 meters race. By the time I knew it, it was too late to change.
In despair, I asked Mary, my deskmate who just moved to our neighborhood with her parents and was assigned to our class, whether she could help me. She declined, “Sorry, I couldn’t run that race in your place. I have already signed up for the same event.”
I nearly broke down. 1,500 meters! Running against the best runners in front of the whole school! It would be the worst thing I’d ever dreamed of!
“Don’t worry,” Mary said, patting me on my shoulder. “You still have time to catch up because there is about one month before the sports meet starts. Besides, it is cool to run for our class!”
I knew this was not just for myself, but for my class. But to me, running 1,500 meters was like climbing Mount Everest for an inexperienced climber. I even had no idea how to start my preparation.
“I have an idea,” she said as if she could read my mind. “We can do training together each afternoon after class.”
During the training, whenever I wanted to give up, I would see Mary running right beside me or cheering for me by the tracks. Her kindness never failed to give me the strength to go ahead.
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。
Time flew by and the big day arrived.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Just then, I heard Mary calling my name.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On a sunny early spring morning, Anna, together with her grandchildren Julie, Fred and Erik, was playing happily in the backyard. While playing, Anna said to the kids, “I am going to plant something in the garden. Who would like to help me?”
“What are you going to plant, Grandma?” asked Julie. “I like pleasant, bright-colored roses.”
“But I like lively, big, yellow sunflowers!” said Fred.
“Well, I’m going to plant some vegetables so that we can have fresh vegetables to eat when they are ready,” said Anna.
“How long does that take?” asked Erik. He liked vegetables sometimes, especially tomatoes.
“It will take several months before anything is ready to eat,” answered Anna. The kids were surprised.
“Several months? Why would you do all that work and then have to wait so long?” asked Julie. “Why not just go to the store and buy them?”
“Patience, my sweeties! Don’t you know food always tastes best when you grow it yourself?” replied Anna. “And if all of you come to help, it won’t be too much work.”
“I’ll help you, Grandma,” offered Erik. He put down the basketball and went to look at the gardening tools Anna had laid out. “What should we do first?” Fred and Julie came over to have a look, too.
Firstly, Anna taught Erik how to use a travel (小铲子) to dig rows of small holes for the seeds. Next, she showed Julie how to pour the seeds into each hole carefully. And then it was Fred’s job to cover up the holes with soil little by little. Finally, Julie wrote the vegetable names on sticks that Erik pushed into the ground. “This way we can remember which vegetable seeds we have planted,” said Anna.
After planting everything, the kids took turns in filling up the watering pot so that Anna could make the soil nice and wet for the seeds to start to grow.
“From now on, we just water them a little each day, and with some time and sunshine, we’ll have some delicious things to eat in the summer,” said Anna.
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。
Every time the kids came to visit, they would rush into the garden as fast as possible.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Eventually, Anna said, “It was about time for the first harvest.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In the small town of Riverdale, life was never easy for 17-year-old Emily. Her family had faced financial struggles since her father’s business went down, leaving them in debt. To make matters worse, Emily's mother had fallen ill, adding medical bills to their list of concerns. Despite these challenges, Emily refused to let adversity define her. She worked tirelessly after school to support her family and kept up with her studies, determined to secure a scholarship for college.
One day, as she was browsing the internet for potential scholarship opportunities, Emily came across an article about a local charity event that offered a full scholarship to the winner of a talent competition. Without hesitation, she decided to enter the talent competition. Emily was an accomplished pianist, having practiced piano for hours every day throughout her childhood. She poured her heart into practicing for the competition, hoping it would be her ticket to a better future.
On the day of the competition, Emily felt a mix of nerves and excitement. She watched as other contestants showcased their talents—some sang, others danced, and a few of the contestants played instruments. When it was her turn, Emily took a deep breath and began to play. Her fingers moved gracefully over the keys, and the melody filled the room. She was nearly absorbed in the pieces that she had practiced hundreds of times. As the last note echoed, the audience erupted in applause.
The judges discussed for a while before finally announcing the winner. To Emily’s dismay, she didn’t win the scholarship. The judges praised her performance but said they were looking for something “different” this year. Emily left the event feeling defeated, wondering when she would ever escape her difficult circumstances.
Despite not winning the scholarship, Emily realized that sometimes, when one door closes, another opens. Her perseverance and determination had led her to a path she never could have imagined.
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。
As she walked home, lost in thought, a stranger approached her.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Emily was overjoyed and gratefully accepted the judge’s offer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I hurriedly made my way through the busy airport, my mind focusing on the adventure that awaited me at my destination. I had been looking forward to this trip for months and had packed everything I needed for my much-anticipated painting trip. Brushes, canvases(画板), and a column of watercolor paints - my most cherished companions on this creative journey - were carefully placed in my carry-on luggage.
As I approached the security checkpoint, a sense of unease began to settle within me. I couldn’t help thinking that I must have forgotten something. I checked my passport and air ticket. Everything was in their place. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat, and I realized I had forgotten about the strict rules on liquids in carry-on baggage. I felt a sense of panic as the realization dawned upon me - I would have to part ways with my beloved painting supplies.
Unwillingly, I handed over my paints to the stern-faced (面无表情的) security officer, knowing that they were victims of my carelessness. I felt as if my creative spirit and good mood for the trip had been swept away in a gust of wind. I couldn't help complaining to him about how important those paints were to me and how much I had been looking forward to this trip. The officer’s straight face provided no comfort as he informed me that I could collect my items upon my return in a week.
Days passed as I silently counted the minutes until I would be reunited with my artistic companions. On the day of my long-awaited return, my heart fluttered with nervous anticipation. As I exited the airplane and made my way to the baggage claim area, a familiar face caught my eye. Amongst the sea of strangers, a security officer stood, holding a package that resembled my beloved art supplies. My eyes widened in disbelief, my steps quickening with each step. Could it be possible that he had gone through the trouble of saving my cherished materials? As I reached the security officer, he met my gaze (凝视) with an unexpected smile.
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 a knowing look, he handed me the package containing my precious tubes of paint.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I left the airport that day, feeling a great desire to share my story on the Internet.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________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.
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2. 观点分析：
3. 你的看法。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
调查结果（人数百分比）
2. 短文题目已给出。
Which Matters More—Major or University?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was the first day of the new school year. Sylvia entered the music room at a high school. The 65-year-old music teacher was known for being strict in class. Many students were afraid of her and not interested in this class. They attended music class only because they needed the credit. But Sylvia took her job seriously.
One day, she walked to the piano in the corner and started leading the students into a song to get them warmed up. And she quickly called out anyone who tried to joke around and punished them, which might explain why some students didn’t like her.
Soon enough, her class was almost over and one student asked curiously, “What do you like to listen to at home?” “Surely, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky,” another student laughed, making some others laugh. “I actually like a lot of pop music, and even some of the things you listen to nowadays. But I prefer to listen to classic music,” Sylvia replied, smiling at the kids.
Some returned the smile and started asking about some singers and bands. But the bell rang before she could answer all their questions and they had to leave. However, it seemed like the fear in her students had been relieved a bit that day. And she was hopeful they would warm up to her, even with her strict ways. Soon enough, the students got used to her and started taking her lessons more seriously.
However, in the middle of the school year, Sylvia’s husband suddenly died. And she wasn’t in the mood for work afterwards. The school allowed her to stay at home for two weeks. At home, Sylvia was sad and hopeless. She didn’t even listen to music anymore.
Before long, her students learned she had lost her husband and that she was sad. Soon, the students decided to practice playing certain music that could be in memory of her husband and cheer her up. When Sylvia returned to their class, they’d surprise her by playing the music.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
After making the decision, the students chose the proper music and prepared music al instruments.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Sylvia entered the music room, the beautiful music sounded.
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