9-year-old Igor lived in a huge forest in the north of Russia. His father was a woodcutter and his mother a tailor. The boy liked playing with animals in the forest, and knew the names of different birds and their songs. One freezing winter Igor was seriously ill and the doctor from big cities told his parents that only surprise could save him. Lying all day in bed, Igor only wanted his father to catch a bird and played with it. But in winter there were no birds in the forest. “You could make him a bird out of wood,” suggested the anxious mother.
The first finished birds were fat and too heavy to fly. He threw them into the fire, head in hands.
It was snowing heavily, and he really didn’t know where to find a bird. Then an idea occurred to him, “The bird needs two pieces of wood.” Eventually, he made it and showed it to his wife. “Beautiful!” she said, taking a needle and some thread (细线) and sewing the two ends together, like a real bird. She tied a long thread to the bird’s back. And it could be hung above Igor’s bed. Quietly, the woodcutter hung the bird above the boy’s bed.
At daybreak, his son was watching the bird carefully. There was a light in his eyes for the first time in many weeks. “Beautiful!” said Igor. “I’ve never seen it before in the forest. What’s its name?” “That’s a good question. I’ll find out and tell you.” The next morning, when the father entered Igor’s room, he found the boy sitting up in bed, trying to touch the bird. The last time Igor sat up in bed was many weeks before. “What’s it called?” the boy asked. “Oh, dear, I’m still not sure.”
Late on that night, Igor’s father went into his son’s room quietly and made the thread a little shorter. Then the bird was hanging a little higher above Igor’s head. Three days later, he found Igor kneeling on the bed, trying to touch the bird. His hand was very near it. “Have you decided on the name?” “Not yet. My son.” his father replied.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
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Again, at night the father went into his son’s room.
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Several days later, Igor’s father was cutting wood when he heard a scream from the house.
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Mash Assadollah was the grocer at our corner store. Standing behind his glass display case, he tore out a page from a book. He twisted the page into a cone-shaped envelope and then filled it with tobacco. He then weighed the tobacco. He folded the envelope of tobacco closed and handed it to me. I was also buying sugar cubes and tea. Mash Assadollah calculated the amounts on an abacus (算盘). I paid him and left.
When I got home, Grandmother took the goods I had purchased, emptied the envelopes of their ingredients, handed me the wrappers, and asked me to throw them away.
It was summer vacation, and I didn’t have much to do. To keep myself busy, I sat down in a corner of the room and started to read the wrappers, which had once been eight consecutive (连续的) pages of a book. How well written and attractive the words were! It was a good story. I sat there until I had read all eight pages. Honestly, I had never read a book before, except for my textbooks. But when I read those eight pages, I realized that I now loved reading! The only problem was that the story stopped right at the best part, right at the end of Page 22, which was the most important and exciting point in the story.
It was about a boy who wanted to run away from home and escape his father who was always spanking (打屁股) him, but the boy was afraid. He finally left home but didn’t know where to go. I was excited to find out where he would go and what would happen to 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。
I decided to go back and get the rest of the book from Mash Assadollah.
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Mash Assadollah didn’t know what I was talking about.
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Standing in the craft (工艺) store, I looked at the painting supplies in awe (敬畏). There were so many items that I had no idea where to start. I saw various tools for painting and several things I had no idea what to do with.
I held gift cards and coupons (优惠券) in my hand. My friends and family had asked what I wanted, and I was very clear this year. I had thought over the idea for months, but I would need supplies. Instead of replying modestly with“I’ll be happy with whatever you choose”, I said pointedly, “Gift cards for the craft store.”
“Are you sure this is what you want for your birthday?” my husband asked hesitantly.
“I’m very sure. I really want to give it a go,” I replied. I was smiling with anticipation (期盼). “I’ve never painted before, and I think it’s time to expand myself.”
He looked at me doubtfully and shook his head.
Truth must be told—this was a secret I’d kept for a while. Every day, he packed up for work and left. I would take care of my son and get him off to school, clean the house, go to the grocery shop and prepare dinner before they both walked in the door at the same time.
It had been a decade since I took any time to follow my own pursuits. I used to love to read; now my books collected dust from lack of time. I used to love to hike; now my boots sat neglected in the back of my closet. I used to love to sew, but my machine was in a state of disrepair for longer than I owned it.
I missed doing all those things, but somehow I never found my way back to them. I had become a drudge (苦工). I wanted excitement and creative expression, but mostly I wanted color.
I selected the most interesting supplies. “Are you really sure about this? I have a feeling you’re going to store all these in the back of a closet and never touch it again.” I almost listened to him. For a split moment, I doubted my commitment.
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。
Squaring up my shoulders, I marched myself to the checkout.
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My hand rested on the handle of the vacuum (吸尘器), but I’d been staring at my painting tools far longer than I realized.
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I was drawing crazy and I drew my first picture at the age of two.
When I was four, my life as I know it now began. I was struck by a disease called Selective Mutism. This is a rare childhood disorder in which children stop speaking in certain social situations. I spoke normally to my parents, my brother and certain other people, but was silent at school and in social situations. I went days, weeks, months without a sound at school. At best, I might quietly whisper to a friend.
Normally, children with Selective Mutism will not speak in the presence of others; even to a person they normally talk to. There is a lot of whispering in ears, so that others don’t hear. We have normal or above average IQs and usually no speech pathology (病理). The most key factor in this disorder is, we cannot speak. We do not do this purposely or willfully, it feels impossible to speak. As you can imagine, many children are blamed, punished and psychologically harmed, especially at school. The disorder is believed to be anxiety related and treatment is difficult, but not impossible.
My parents searched for a cure. At the moment, we did not even have a name for what I had. I suffered silently through school until I was ten when one in a long string of psychologists had an idea. Having discussed his plan with my parents beforehand, one day in my therapy (治疗) session I was asked by the psychologist what I wanted more than anything in the world. He explained that I was going to be given an opportunity to work for what I wanted. I couldn’t believe my good luck, but I could not answer. I just stood there struggling to gesture what I wanted. Finally, I was permitted to whisper in my mother’s ear. “Drawing,” was all I could say.
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。
My parents without delay offered me a set of drawing tools.
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I am a fully participating member of society these days.
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Shannon St. Onge, who is the director of finance at First Nations University of Canada, received a call about a check that needed her signature around 3 p.m. She rushed to the city of Regina, which is about 15 miles from her home in Pense, to get the job done. She finished her task quickly and began heading back home because she knew a huge snowstorm was coming.
However, the storm hit hours earlier than predicted, and before she knew it, she was driving straight through a snowstorm! The determined woman kept driving slowly. But eventually, as night fell, she was forced to stop the vehicle entirely.
“There was no visibility, and there was no way I was going any further, because it would have been far too dangerous,” she later said.
She called 911 for assistance, but the operator told her that because of the heavy snowstorm, many people needed help, and all the rescue workers had been sent out. What she could do was to wait on the spot. Hearing this, Shannon started to worry, “Would the gas tank last long? What if I fell asleep and the tailpipe was blocked?”
Looking around for clues about her location, Shannon made out a sign that said Bouvier Lane. She shared the location with her friends. As luck would have it, one of her friends recognized a farm near where Shannon was stuck, and said, “I know that family. I’ll contact them.”
While waiting for the rescue, Shannon saw two cars struggling on the road. She hurried forward and asked them to stop and wait.
Andre Bouvier Sr., an 80-year-old retired farmer, was enjoying a quiet evening with his 70-year-old wife when he got the call from Shannon’s friend. He didn’t hesitate before throwing on his bright yellow jacket and snow boots and headed out into the big storm, carrying an LED flashlight.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
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Shannon breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Andre heading her way!
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Once inside the house, the family welcomed their unexpected guests.
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As Good As You
When Jenna’s taekwondo (跆拳道) instructor, Ms. Baroni, introduced Marti, Jenna’s best friend, to everyone, Jenna, was so excited that Marti would be taking lessons with her.
Class started with warm-up exercises, and then Ms. Baroni divided everyone into color-belt groups. Seeing Marti become red in face and play with the edge of her shirt, Ms. Baroni told the friends to work together, even though Jenna was a yellow belt and a level above Marti, making Marti less nervous on her first day. It suited Jenna fine. She couldn’t wait to demonstrate some basic kicks to Marti. Marti copied her kick as high as Jenna’s shoulder. “Great job, Marti!” said Ms. Baroni, who had walked up behind them. She then spent the next five minutes working with Marti, teaching her how to straighten her leg and snap her foot out to make the legs form a square. Jenna collapsed against the wall and watched Marti copy everything Ms. Baroni did.
The more Marti did, the more praise she earned from Ms. Baroni, and so the more half heartedly Jenna practiced. What if Marti became better than her? What if Marti became Ms. Baroni’s favorite student? “Watch your form!” Who is Ms. Baroni scolding? Jenna wondered. She turned and saw Ms. Baroni looking directly at her. Nothing could have been worse. “Jenna, your side kick could be better than that”, said Ms. Baroni with a slight frown, “You’ve memorized your form perfectly, but your moves are sloppy (马虎的). Make the legs fully extended, point the toes downward, and try again.”
At the end of the class, Jenna grabbed her bag and hurried outside to find her mom. She had planned to wait and say good-bye to Marti, but now she wanted to be alone. For the next several weeks, Marti continued to impress their teacher with her skills. And as Marti turned into a star student, Jenna became less and less excited about taekwondo.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右
One day, Marti excitedly told Jenna that Ms. Baroni wanted her to be tested for a new belt. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
When Marti finished her form, Jenna thought it looked perfect. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This holiday season, millions of children will soon open presents containing the latest computer chip-operated toys, but many lucky children will be thrilled to find timeless classics under the tree-wooden toys.
Although traditional wooden toys have been around since ancient times, they have been, rare since the introduction of computerized, high-tech toys. But the popularity of wooden toys appears to be making a comeback, says Betsy Komes, associate publisher of Playthings magazine, a 105-year-old trade publication serving all aspects of the toy industry. She and her associates have seen an increase in demand for these traditional wooden toys.
Traditional wooden toys are among the top themes her company focuses on as part of their move toward more eco-friendly toys to appeal to the environmentally conscious consumers. But Komes thinks that the environment isn’t the only reason for the increased demand. Many parents are looking for toys that encourage more creative play.
“In today’s market where toys are often computerized with a lot of lights and sounds, many parents feel the traditional wooden toys encourage children to be creative and imaginative,” Komes says. “And sometimes there’s a fear with electronic games that play is often too individualized and doesn’t encourage interaction with other children. Parents don’t want their kids to sit in front of a computer all day and are looking for toys — like wooden blocks, for example — that encourage group play.”
There is also a nostalgia (怀旧) factor: “Given everything going on in the world, there are a lot of parents and grandparents right now who see the traditional toys as things that remind them of their own childhoods,” she says. “I think it’s their way of sharing the memories they have of a time when the world seemed less complicated.”
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A few years ago someone gave us a robot cleaner as a gift. We already had a lady who cleaned our house regularly and I didn’t really see us using this new machine, so it just sat in its box for quite some time.
One family in our neighborhood were moving away the next week to a new house and I thought of asking the mother whether this robot cleaner might be something she could use. And it turned out that she eagerly replied YES! Her new place had hardwood floors and her daughter was asking if they could get a robot cleaner but she said they would have to wait and see…and now they didn’t have to buy one!
I couldn’t tell you how overjoyed I was to see the daughter’s cheerful looks when she came over to get it. And she was even more excited about the flower seeds I gave her from our backyard. I hoped they would plant the seeds in their new home so that they would always have a piece of our circle with them. She was really touched. She also told me how moved they were when they saw a big pink heart on the front wall of our house while they were having their going-away party. I told her I wouldn’t wash it off even after they moved. I liked being reminded of how our hearts were connected to everyone.
The nice thing was that the daughter would still be working in our town, and I told her that if she ever needed to stay over instead of driving 45 minutes to the new house, our home would be always here for her. Soon after, a snowstorm hit our area and blocked all the roads.
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。
I felt worried about the daughter.
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The next spring, the family invited me to their new house.
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On my way to the park, I saw Ollie sitting on the steps of his house. “It’s finally nice spring weather,” I called. “Want to skateboard?” “Shhh,” he said softly. “You’ll scare him away!”
I was about to say “Who?” when I noticed the cutest little bird in the world just sitting on Ollie’s shoulder. “Whoa!” I whispered. “Where did he come from?” “He landed on this flowerpot,” said Ollie. “And when I bent down to make sure he was OK, he just jumped right onto my shoulder!” “This one definitely acts like someone’s lost pet,” I believed. “I agree,” said Ollie. “His owner must be so worried!”
“Hi,” I said to the bird in a gentle voice. “I wish you could tell us your name. And right then, the bird chirped (叽喳叫) back. Ollie smiled.” I don’t exactly speak bird language, but I’m pretty sure he just said his name is Blue. “Is Ollie right?” I asked. “If your name really is Blue, will you sing us a song?” And I know this sounds unbelievable, but Blue seemed to understand—because right then, he chirped a lot more!
When Ollie’s grandma, Abuela, stepped outside and saw the bird, she was very astonished. “This is a big adventure for such a small bird!” she said. “Let’s get you a nice drink of water and give the animal shelter a call.”
Abuela brought out a dish of water and the phone. Soon we got through to the animal shelter. “Sorry,” the man said. “No birds have been reported missing this week. You may as well put flyers up in your area and you can also check the Found Animal recordings every day.”
Luckily, Abuela’s friend Michiko, knowing all about birds, came over with a spare cage. “His name is Blue,” Ollie told her, “you know, until we find his owner.” “What an adorable bird!” Michiko screamed.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 开头已给出。
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That afternoon, Ollie and I made lots of Found Bird flyers.
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Another week passed before Ollie got a call from the animal shelter.
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An impossible peace
Once upon a time, on a piece of land there lived giants and dragons, who had been enemies for years on end. However, after years of bloody fights, they had learned a lot. They were no longer so foolish as to wage wars with terrible battles in which thousands died. Now, every year they held bowling matches instead. A giant competed against a dragon. Whoever lost would become the winner’s slave. If a dragon won, he could use the giant’s muscles for all that heavy lifting. If a giant won, he would have free flights and fire for the whole year.
That was how they prevented their deaths and yet with the match going round and round, they hated each other more and more. Every year the winners were so cruel to the losers, in revenge (报复) for the time they had lost. The losers would be at the mercy of the winners, giants tired from lifting loads while dragons worn out from constant flying and breathing fire. There came a time when what mattered most was not winning the bowling match, but not losing.
Yonk the Giant was the best bowler, and the most afraid. He had never lost. Many dragons had been his slaves and they were dying to see him lose so they could get their revenge. This was why Yonk was terrified of losing. Especially since last year’s match, when he missed his first ever strike, he had decided that something had to change.
The following year he won again. When he arrived home, his slave dragon feared the worst but Yonk did nothing bad to him, for he had a different idea in mind.
“This year you will not be my slave. We will go bowling and I will teach you all of my techniques and secrets. But you must promise me one thing: when you win your match next year, you will not be cruel to your giant. Do the same as I am doing with you.”
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 dragon gladly accepted.
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Much later Yonk lost his first bowling match but he was no longer afraid of losing.
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