For as long as I can remember. I have spent every Sunday afternoon until I was a teen, around the table at Grandma’s house. As soon as Grandma and I would return from Sunday Morning Mass at St Joseph’s Parish. Grandma got started on the meatball.
Ever since I was just two years old, Grandma would always allow me, her only granddaughter at the time, to sneak a meatball before dinner was served. There was something about that snuck meatball. For some reason, it tasted so much better than the one she placed beside my macaroni, once we all sat down. My Italian Gamma had a way of keeping an eye on all of her meatballs, to make sure no one snuck a meatball but me, who she gave that special VIP sneak. How did she do it? Well, she would make my “before dinner meatball” slightly bigger than the rest.
The meatball stealing games was all fun until Jeanine came along. Allow me to introduce you to my sister Jeanine, my Gramma’s second granddaughter born five years after me, just three years after I fell in love with Gramma’s yummy meatballs.
My younger sister Jeanine was quite the fussy eater. She did not care that her gramma made the world’s best meatballs, or that our mama made almost as yummy meatballs as her mother did. All Jeanine cared about was being done with dinner as fast as possible so she can go back to playing, and so she can get her evening snack, cocoa and popcorn. Jeanine knew the rules. She knew no snack unless you finish your dinner at least 90 percent. Jeanine was not giving up her favourite snack. She knew she had to develop a plan! She did indeed!
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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。
So, one day when she was given a meatball on her plate, she stole that meatball.
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One day my mother noticed that something smelt funny in our closet.
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In our weekly staff meeting, our editor Ashley was not pleased with the quality of our reporting. “Our readership is way down. We need better stories for this Thursday’s school newspaper. Does anybody have any ideas?” she said.
I handed her my article about our basketball team beating Deerfield High School the previous night by one point. “Sports stories are fun,” she said, “but not good enough for the front page. We need something to really get people ‘s attention.”
After our meeting, we left the newsroom together and heard someone screaming, “Perry is missing!” Perry was a big red parrot and had been our school mascot (吉祥物) for ten years. He played an important role in students’ lives, both in and out of class. He had also been a constant presence at school events, inspiring a sense of unity among students.
Everyone gathered around Perry’s empty cage, heartbroken. Suddenly, a student from the crowd came over and showed me a photo. “You’re a reporter for the school paper, right? I happened to take this yesterday,” he said. In the photo was a Deerfield High School basketball player with something large hidden under his shirt around the size of a parrot.
“He must have stolen Perry to get back at us for winning the game!” Ashley cried. We hurried back to the newsroom, agreeing to run the photo on the front page with the headline “Deerfeld Stole Perry.” “This is just the story we need. Everyone will read it,” Ashley said confidently.
After she left, I took a closer look at the photo. The clock in the background read 4:15 pm, but our game against Deerfield hadn’t started until 4:30 pm. Why would the boy have taken Perry before we even played? An uneasy feeling came over me that we might have falsely accused someone.
I went to Perry’s usual caretaker to ask if he knew Perry was missing. ”He’s not missing. He’s retired. He’s ready for some quieter days,“ he said. Learning the truth, I immediately told Ashley and suggested writing a story to say goodbye to Perry.
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2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To my surprise, Ashley insisted on reporting the “Deerfield Stole Perry” story.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On Thursday, the paper came out with the headline “Bye-Bye, Perry” on the front page.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In 1940, I worked in the checkroom of the railway station. I saw everybody that came up the stairs.
Harry was a young man who came to the station and waited at the head of the stairs for the passengers from the 9:05 train.
I remembered seeing Harry that first evening. He wasn’t much more than a thin, anxious kid then. He was all dressed up and I knew he was meeting his sister, who he hadn’t seen for many years.
Well, the passengers came up and I had to get busy. I didn’t look toward the stairs again until nearly time for the 9:18 and I was very surprised to see that the Harry was still there. His sister didn’t come on the 9:18 either, nor on the 9:40, and when the passengers from the 10:02 had all arrived and left, Harry was looking pretty upset. Pretty soon he came close to my window so I called out and asked him what his sister looked like.
“She’s small and dark. She is nineteen years old and very neat in the way she walk,” he said. “She has a face that has lots of spirit. I mean she can get mad but she never stays mad for long, and her eyebrows come to a little point in the middle. She’s got a brown fur, but maybe she isn’t wearing it.”
“I couldn’t remember seeing anybody like that,” I told him.
He showed me the telegram he’d received: ARRIVE THURSDAY. MEET ME AT THE STATION. MAY. It was from Omaha, Nebraska. “Well,” I finally said, “why don’t you phone to your home? She’s probably called there if she got in ahead of you.”
He gave me a sick look. “I’ve only been in the town for two days. We were going to meet and then drive down to the south of the city where I’ve got a job. She doesn’t have my address.”
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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 came on duty the next day, Harry was still there and I asked more about his sister.
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One day, after about two weeks, I thought I could say something encouraging to him.
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Ali heard her sing when she played the piano. And he saw his grandmother diagnosed with disability was singing together with him. He was absolutely shocked. The disease took her legs away as long as he could remember. His grandmother even danced to the music, totally attracted by the piece of music. Out of curiosity, he asked his grandmother what had happened on earth. She giggled and began her story.
Oh, dear, let me share a story with you. When your grandfather went fishing on the boat, I was so afraid of losing him, and I was so afraid that he would never come back. The only way I could stay calm was to dance. I pretended to feel good. However, from my bottom of my heart, I experienced the pain of not knowing whether my love would come back safely. Every day I went home, excited but frightened to read his letters. He always ended his letters with “I love you with my life and God blesses you good health.” And then one day came a letter only with three sentences, “I have lost my arms. I give you back your freedom and you deserve a better one.” Thinking for a long time, I made a decision that I would pretend I was disabled too. I bought a stick and a wheelchair myself. I told my friends and families as well as him that I got a car accident, losing both of my legs, unable to dance anymore. Then I went to see your grandfather. I told him “you are the better one I should deserve; and we are the same, without feeling sorry for ourselves.” I leaned forward and showed him a wedding dress. “Now show me you are still a man,” I said, “I won’t ask again.” He finally smiled and managed it on me, walking towards me and giving a big hug.
Looking at grandmother for a while, Ali was deeply inspired by her. “You are an angel and I will love you forever.” Ali murmured quietly.
注意：1．开头已给出；
2．所写词数应为150左右。
Paragraph 1：
Grandmother smiled at Ali and asked him to make a promise not to tell his grandpa till the end of her life.
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Paragraph 2：
A few years went by and six months after grandmother’s funeral, Ali found grandpa sitting in grandma’s usual chair by accident and sobbing sadly.
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I woke up to the sound of rumbling (隆隆声). At first, I thought it was thunder, but then I felt the ground shake beneath me. I sat up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest. It took a few moments for me to realize what was happening — an earthquake. I had always heard stories about earthquakes, but I had never experienced one myself. I knew that I needed to act fast to ensure my survival.
The room was shaking violently, and I struggled to keep my balance. I quickly got out of bed and tried to make my way to the door. I stumbled and fell a few times, but I managed to make it to the door and open it.
As I stepped outside, I met with chaos. The ground was still shaking, and I could hear the sound of buildings collapsing in the distance. People were running in all directions, screaming and crying. I knew that I needed to find a safe place to take cover.
I remembered reading that doorways were one of the safest places during an earthquake, so I made my way to the nearest doorway and waited there. The ground continued to shake, and I had never felt so scared in my life.
After what seemed like an eternity (永恒), the shaking finally stopped. I cautiously stepped out of the doorway, looking around at the destruction that the earthquake had caused.Buildings had crumbled to the ground, and fires were burning in the distance. I remembered that I had a survival kit in my car, so I made my way to the parking lot.
When I got there, I saw that my car had been crushed by debris (碎片) from a nearby building. I realized that I was on my own. I knew that I needed to stay calm and think rationally. I looked around and saw a group of people huddled together across the street. I made my way over to them, and they welcomed me into their group.
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Together, we worked to find a safe place to take shelter.
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Eventually, after a few days, help arrived, and we were brought to safety.
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Sticking together was always important to my family — especially after my dad left us. I didn’t always talk to my mom about my feelings, because she was busy tending our farm. I talked to my sister, Alana, and I talked to Sister Belle — that’s what we called our cow. She was definitely part of my family, and we loved her very much.
Later on, as we needed to move, we had to sell our farm and all the animals, including Sister Belle. We wanted her to go to someone who would love her like we did, and we thought it was an answer to our hope when a man called. He told he could only pay 300 dollars, but that he had lots of pasture (牧场) and a large barn (畜棚). That afternoon, we went to his place. It looked really nice, and we were happy that we had found the right home for Sister Belle.
The next day we delivered Sister Belle to her new owner. I could feel tears stinging my eyes, but I convinced myself that Sister Belle would be better off in her new home.
A week later, while we were having our moving sale, a neighbor came up telling us she had seen our cow before the cow went to auction (拍卖会). My mom couldn’t believe it and asked who was sell ng the cow. When knowing who it was, I felt sick. We had trusted him, and just a week later he was selling Sister Belle away to make a profit!
We drove to his house. When he answered the door, mom told him what the neighbor had said and he shut the door right in our faces. Alana was crying, and my mom was begging him to sell Sister Belle back to us. But he wouldn’t open the door.
Back home, my mother started calling a lot of auctions and finally found one that had a record of our cow, and told us the cow would be auctioned off the next morning.
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 day we arrived at the auction early.
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Therefore, we decided to join in the auction.
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Frog is a wise and brave frog, living happily with his neighbors as well as good friends – Duck, Pig, Hare and Rat. One day, dark clouds were gathering in the sky, hiding the sun from view. “It’s going to rain,” thought Frog happily. The first drops were already falling on his bare skin. Frog loved the rain. He danced for joy as the raindrops fell thick and fast, which was a bit too much even for Frog.
He ran home dripping wet and made himself a nice hot cup of tea. The raindrops pattered against the window but it was cozy inside. After three days of rain however, Frog began to feel restless. He wondered how his friends were, because he hadn’t seen them since the rain started.
On the fifth day, the river began to rise. It wasn’t long before water came streaming into Frog’s house. Full of worry, he hurried over to Duck’s house only to find it was flooded as well. Wading (蹚) through the watery landscape, they decided to go to Pig’s house. Pig was leaning out of his attic (阁楼) window. “All my things are wet,” he cried desperately. The room was in a mess, with tables and chairs floating around. “Let’s go and see Hare,” suggested Frog.
Hare’s house was on an island in the middle of the water. Hare stood at the door and waved to them. “Come inside,” he shouted. “It’s dry in here.” Gratefully, they dried themselves in front of the stove and told Hare how their houses had been flooded. Hare invited them to stay as there’s plenty of room and plenty of food in the house. So they all sat down to a big pot of stew (炖菜) Hare had made. So hungry were they that they ate everything up. Then they settled down to a cosy evening and stayed there for days, while outside it kept raining.
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。
Then, one day, they found they only had one loaf of bread left.
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Pig, Duck and Hare cheered when they saw Frog return in a boat.
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Sherry Anne Lipski was born and raised in New York City. Sherry loved the city. It was her home. And most of her closest friends lived just a few blocks away. She could call any of them and, in minutes, they could gather together at the ice cream shop, pizza place, or one of the local playgrounds. When Sherry’s friends got a message from her to meet at the playground, they knew what she wanted to do: play handball.
American handball is a popular game, most often played in cities, especially New York. It is kind of like tennis except there is no net. Sherry could play handball for hours and hours. With that much practice, she became the best player in her entire neighborhood, winning every time she walked onto a court. Her friends would challenge her, even though knowing that they would definitely lose, but played anyway just to have some fun.
Toward the end of her fourth grade, her parents told Sherry some very upsetting news.
“Sherry, her mother began, worried that her daughter might cry.” Your father has been given a wonderful new job by the company he works for.
“Yes, Sherry,” her father added. “I’m very excited about it. It’s a promotion, which means we can have a much more comfortable life together.”
“OK...” Sherry was unsure why they were speaking to her in such a way when it sounded like good news. Then it became clear.
“Unfortunately,” her mother said, “we have to move to Pennsylvania where your father has been asked to work.”
“We know that you’ll miss your New York home, Shey,” said her dad. “But you’re a wonderful young lady. We know you will make some new friends there.”
Sherry began to cry right away. Her parents comforted her, but she drowned herself in sadness, especially when she thought of saying goodbye to all of her childhood friends and the neighborhood where she grew up.
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。
Months later, Sherry was still depressed because she missed her hometown.
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“Really?” Sherry was getting excited.
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On February 21, 2018, the news brought Christine Cheers to her knees: “There’s been an accident.”
Her son, 32-year-old Navy flight surgeon James Mazzuchelli, had been injured in a helicopter training mission.
Machines were keeping James alive when Christine arrived at the hospital. The doctors told Christine that what she was seeing was likely his future——that her scuba diving, world-traveling, overachiever of a son was never going to wake up. He would never breathe on his own. He would never smile at her again.
It was time for Christine to honor the spirit of a man who had switched his major from commerce engineering to premed (医学预科) because he wanted to help people. It was time to make her very worst day some stranger’s best one. Christine instructed the hospital to begin the organ donation process.
Mike Cohen was just 18 when he’d been diagnosed (诊断) with a serious cancer in 2004. Doctors warned him that the treatment could cause lasting damage to his heart. At the time, surviving cancer seemed like the more pressing concern. He took his treatment seriously, doing the radiation and chemo(化疗). The risk had paid off — two years after his diagnosis, he was cancer-free. But six years later, his heart was beginning to fail. He would need a new one. He had to hope he survived waiting for a new heart.
Fortunately, on February 24, the hospital said they’d found him a heart. The next morning, Mike woke up in a hospital bed with a new heart beating in his chest.
After two weeks, he was sent home with instructions to report to recovery center, where he was limited for the first few days to slow walking. Across the room he spied a stationary (固定的) bike. And two weeks later, with his doctor’s OK, he threw a leg over and began to ride the bike.
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。
Two months after his surgery, Mike Cohen got a letter from Christine.
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Mike’s letter was a comfort for a wound that Christine felt would never recover.
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I hadn’t spoken with Samantha in months. Perhaps it was because I was jealous (嫉妒的). After all, she seems to have everything a girl could want. I used to admire her too until she proved that she could draw better, run faster, and score higher in every other subject.
My family was going to go camping at the lake on summer holiday like we always do. Only this time, my Mom announced some very unwelcome news. ”Hanna! Guess what? I’ve invited the McCarthy’s family on our camping trip. “How does that sound?” “Terrible,” I groaned. However, Mom wasn’t changing her mind.
At the lake, my family organized ourselves in the cabin (小木屋) while the McCarthy’s set up their tent. I spent the week ignoring Samantha and staying inside reading. I thought I could get away without talking to her, but it wasn’t so.
On the fourth night of our trip, a thunderstorm struck. The McCarthy’s decided to spend the night in our cabin because they didn’t feel safe in the tent. I, of course, had to share a room with Samantha.
I woke up late at night. The storm had gotten worse. I desperately needed to use the toilet. Our cabin didn’t have one, so I had to use an outhouse a short walk away.
I got out of bed, being careful not to wake anyone up. However, when I was reaching for my flashlight, I accidentally stepped on Samantha’s arm. She woke up immediately. Knowing that I would go to the bathroom alone, she insisted to go with me.
Outside, it was raining hard. Lightning flashed across the sky and the thunder was so loud it seemed to shake the cabin. When we went back and rounded the comer to the cabin, we saw a big tree lay across the entrance of the cabin, blocking the door. There was no way to get back in.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“Oh my gosh! What should we do?” she cried out.
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Morning dawned on us and we walked out of the tent.
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