The newfound team, now officially known as the Wildcats, started their basketball journey with a mix of eagerness and anxiety. The community center’s basketball court became their arena (竞技场), a place where failures were just stepping stones to success, and every dribble (运球), pass, and shot was a lesson in disguise.
Under Mr. Jordan’s guidance, practices became more than just learning how to play basketball; they were about discovering the strengths within and the power of unity. He had an approach to seeing the potential in every player.
One afternoon, as the team gathered around Mr. Jordan, he introduced a new drill that focused on passing and communication. “Basketball is a language,” he explained. “If you can’t communicate, you can’t win. This drill will help you understand each other without words. ”
The drill was a disaster at first. Passes went wrong, and frustration mounted. Jasmine’s quick passes were too swift for Mia, and Lucas’s attempts at humor during the drill only led to more confusion. Eli, ever the observer, noticed the tension and suggested a simple system of hand signals they had discussed in a previous practice. Gradually, the team began to find their rhythm, learning to anticipate each other’s moves and communicate more effectively.
It wasn’t just basketball skills that the Wildcats were developing; it was a sense of belonging and trust in one another. Each practice ended with a team gathering, where Mr. Jordan shared stories from his coaching days, emphasizing the lessons learned from losses more than wins.
注意：(1)续写词数应为150左右；(2)开头已给出。Paragraph 1: Soon came their first real game against a more experienced team.
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Paragraph 2: The second half saw a different Wildcats team.
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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.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I met Gunter on a cold, wet and unforgettable evening in September. I had planned to fly to Vienna and take a bus to Prague for a conference. Due to a big storm, my flight had been delayed by an hour and a half. I touched down in Vienna just 30 minutes before the departure of the last bus to Prague. The moment I got off the plane, I ran like crazy through the airport building and jumped into the first taxi on the rank without a second thought.
That was when I met Gunter. I told him where I was going, but he said he hadn't heard of the bus station. I thought my pronunciation was the problem, so I explained again more slowly, but he still looked confused. When I was about to give up, Gunter fished out his little phone and rang up a friend. After a heated discussion that lasted for what seemed like a century, Gunter put his phone down and started the car.
Finally, with just two minutes to spare we rolled into the bus station. Thankfully, there was a long queue (队列) still waiting to board the bus. Gunter parked the taxi behind the bus, turned around, and looked at me with a big smile on his face. "We made it," he said.
Just then I realised that I had zero cash in my wallet. I flashed him an apologetic smile as I pulled out my Portuguese bankcard. He tried it several times, but the card machine just did not play along. A feeling of helplessness washed over me as I saw the bus queue thinning out.
At this moment, Gunter pointed towards the waiting hall of the bus station. There, at the entrance, was a cash machine. I jumped out of the car, made a mad run for the machine, and popped my card in, only to read the message: "Out of order. Sorry."
注意：（1）续写词数应为150个左右；
（2）请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
I ran back to Gunter and told him the bad news.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Four days later, when I was back in Vienna, I called Gunter as promised.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Look!” I said to my husband, Roger, pointing to the branches. “The doves (鸽子) have built a nest.
On a chilly April day, we watched with horror as a hawk dived down and took one of the doves. By the next morning the other parent was gone too. Roger climbed up a ladder to take a look into the nest. Was it possible the hawk had spared the young? Yes, there sat a newly hatched baby dove! We brought him inside and set up the nesting box with the heat lamps we had used for raising chickens. Then we rushed to the pet shop to buy the formula (配方奶) which needed to look like the mother’s milk. But even with our care and prayers, we knew that the dove’s chances were slim. We were especially worried that our little bird, whom we’d named Hawkeye, hardly cooed (咕咕地叫) at all. That had to be a bad sign.
But to our surprise, Hawkeye not only survived but also thrived. Within a month, he was able to stand on the edge of a bowl and eat out of a baby spoon. And before we knew it, he was eating the seeds we gave him. Having the opportunity to nurture this new life brought me a greater measure of peace with each passing day.
As Hawkeye grew, we noticed that unlike all the other doves in our yard, he had a double breast with a line dividing it. When I did some research on the doves, I found out that females don’t often coo.
“We got it all wrong,” I told Roger. “Hawkeye is a girl!”
We realized that we’d have to teach her to fly. First, we urged her to fly from a finger to the bottom rung (梯子的横档) of a six-foot ladder, and in no time she was moving quickly to the top. She lit out (逃走，溜掉) for the kitchen whenever she heard the click of the spoon on her bowl. By mid-June she’d gained full confidence in her wings.
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。
Paragraph 1: At that time, we knew it was time to set our Hawkeye free.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: But one May morning, Hawkeye and the other dove landed on the rooftop.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I first moved to the south of America in the summer holiday before middle school, I realized that I was stepping into a completely different world. New Orleans, Louisiana, was unlike any place I had ever been to. In the French Quarter, tourists walked around all year with long skinny cups in their hands, and there was a popular game going on the streets which were crowded with cars but had few people. What surprised me more than anything, though, was the constant friendliness and compassion of the people of New Orleans.
“What can I get for you, sugar?” a waitress about my age asked me on my first day in New Orleans.
I was taken aback. The waitress did not even know me, but she treated me like family. She smiled down at me as I pointed to an item on the menu.
“Is the pasta good?” I asked her.
“It’s not my favorite,” she admitted with a smile. “But I’m more of a girl who prefers rice!” She shrugged, letting out a loud laughter.
I looked at her in shock. What was I supposed to say to that? I couldn’t believe that the waitress had just prevented me from ordering something. Actually, she had given me her honest opinion, as if we were best friends. She even told me her name—Mary. She even told me that she just worked as a part-time waitress and that she would be a high school student soon.
After a few days in New Orleans, I got used to kind reminders and polite greetings. I also realized how comforting it was to be treated like I belong wherever I went.
As soon as I settled into my new high school, I adapted myself to the school life. I was drawn to the lively music scene that New Orleans was famous for. I was a trumpet (小号) player, and I wanted to join the school music club. However, I was afraid that I was too poor in music to be qualified for the school music club.
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。
One afternoon, I was surprised to see a group of students including Mary practicing jazz in the school playground.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, with Mary’s encouragement, my hesitation slowly melted away.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I remember the park rangers saying, “Why are you going up there? There is no water on the top, and you’re not going to find any frogs.” I said, “Well, I’m going to check it out.”
The Espinhaco mountain range in the east of Brazil is a very special place, and it’s mostly unknown. My house looks on to the mountain in Pico do Itambe state park, so I have my breakfast looking at it each morning. You’re surrounded by thunderstorms and strong winds, and the humidity is high. I waited for heavy rains and went to climb to the top.
What had caught my eye were the bromeliad plants, which look like the top of a giant pineapple. Each plant can hold up to 2 litres of water, and inside there is so much happening. Larvae, beetles, all kinds of invertebrate (无脊椎动物) live in there—it's a whole ecosystem in a tiny space. The central cup holds loads of rainwater, and I thought there could be some frogs using them.
Sure enough I was right. And this led me to discover a new species of frog, which I have committed my life to protecting. That day, I found a frog in the very first bromeliad I looked inside. I thought, wow, I’ve never seen such a tiny frog; it was the size of my nail. I couldn’t catch it—the plant was complicated inside.
I looked in the next bromeliad and there was another frog. They all had them in. I saw about 20 frogs that night, and caught three. I took them to the museum for identification, but couldn’t find a match. I ended up walking around with three little frogs in my bag for a year, preserved in a jar. I would take them to meetings with me, and ask people if they had ever seen them before.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Then I met an expert who took one look at them and said it was a new species.
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During my research, part of the area where these frogs live was destroyed by fire.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day five-year-old Beth received a piano as a gift from her neighbor Mr. Laurence, which had belonged to his late granddaughter. When Beth saw that piano for the first time, she was playing with her friends. The beautiful sound flowing from the large pink piano immediately caught their attention. Turning around and seeing the charming piano decorated with golden birds, flowers, and trees that shone like stars, Beth was overwhelmed (充溢) with emotion.
After knowing it was from her neighbor Mr. Laurence, who had just lost her little granddaughter, Beth resolved to express her gratitude in spite of her shyness and worry. Mr. Laurence had always been seen as a “scary man” by the children for he is so tall with beard on the face and a deep voice, seemingly unapproachable.
“You’ll have to go and thank him,” said her sister Hannah by way of a joke, for the idea of the child’s really going never entered her head. “Yes, I mean to. I guess I’ll go now, before I get frightened thinking about it.”
And, to the amazement of everyone present, Beth walked down the garden, through the fence, and in Laurence’s through the door. “Well, it is the strangest thing I ever see!” cried Hannah, staring after her, while the other children were made quite speechless by her unexpected act.
They would have been still more amazed if they had seen what Beth did afterward. She went and knocked at the study door before she gave herself time to think. When a deep voice called out “Come in”, she entered, right up to Mr. Laurence, who looked quite surprised, and held out her hand, saying, with only a small quake in her voice, “I came to thank you, sir, for the piano...” But she didn’t finish, for he looked so sad and friendly that she forgot what she intended to say and, only remembering that he had lost the little girl he loved, she put both arms round him and hugged him.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Mr. Laurence was so touched and pleased.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The children were so surprised to see Mr. Laurence walk Beth home.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________In a part of western Toronto, people were really happy when they had a community garden. The newly built garden was in Tom Riley Park, which everyone in the area loved, especially the older people. The park was a center for weekend picnics, early morning jogs, and leisurely walks at sunset. It was a place that held memories for many, and the addition of a garden promised a new chapter of bonding. But there was a big problem—there weren’t any stairs to get down to the garden, only a steep (陡峭的) and uneven dirt path. This made it really hard and unsafe for the older folks to reach it, and even the younger ones found it challenging.
This beautiful garden held a special place in the hearts of the entire community, especially the elderly residents residing nearby. But people who wanted to go there fell down. One person even broke his hand. A local student named Adi Astle knew something had to be done when he saw his grandparents struggling. He was good at building things, so he decided to make the stairs himself. He bought the wood, borrowed some extra equipment, and got to work. He spent $550 and worked for 14 hours, and then he had a brand-new set of stairs ready. The whole neighborhood was overjoyed and grateful to Adi for his selfless act.
Unfortunately, not long after the stairs were built, the city brought some upsetting news — the stairs didn’t meet the required standards and had to be taken down. Officials cited concerns over the steps’ stability and lack of handrails (扶手) . This left the previously satisfied neighborhood feeling down once again.“At the end of the day, the city has a responsibility issue. We have to make sure that constructions in our public spaces are to meet certain safety standards,” a city leader explained. “The stairs that Adi built were well-intentioned. They worked well. They would work well for the short term, but they wouldn’t work for the long term due to potential safety risks.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
After the stairs were removed, Adi received a call from the city leader.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The garden was now truly for everyone with the newly built stairs.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was a kid, my parents and I lived near the forest. They often told me that our family was a team that needed to work together for the household to function smoothly. There was always an abundance of work to do — cooking, cleaning, and walking dogs. I volunteered to walk our dog, Max, who had been adopted one month before. I never dared let this giant dog off the lead (牵狗绳), just in case he took off.
One morning, we were walking along in the forest when Max started pulling on the lead. At first, I was able to hold on despite the wet ground from a recent shower. But the more I tried to stop him pulling, the more it turned into a tug of war. And thanks to the slippery ground, I lost.
Pulling his lead, Max shot off like a bullet, leaving me screaming behind. I chased him but lost my footing and fell face-first into some mud. I stumbled (踉跄) to my feet, but looking ahead, I found him running back towards me. I thought he was going to stop and give me his “Sorry” look. But instead, the dog shot past me and returned after a while.
As soon as we got home, my mother immediately attended to Max with a warm towel and a doggy treat. I thought seeing me stumbling and covered in mud, I would also get a warm cup of tea and a motherly kiss. Instead, I got a very loud lecture about letting the dog loose in the forest.
I felt frustrated. It wasn’t fair that she didn’t understand how difficult it was to control Max. I fought back, “Stop lecturing me! Why is everything my fault?” With these words, I stormed into my bedroom and slammed the door shut.
In the evening, I heard my mother call Max and take him out. It wasn’t long before I heard my mother screaming and the door opening again.
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。
I walked out of my room.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dad stepped in, suggesting that we work together to train Max.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My four-year-old son Jack had a vast collection of toy cars, his prized possessions. One day, I jokingly suggested, “Jack, how about giving away some of your toy cars to the children who don’t have any?” “No, these are mine,” he said angrily, holding on to his toy cars tightly. At that moment, I knew he didn’t grasp the importance of sharing. Therefore, I decided it was time for me to teach him a valuable lesson.
The next day, I planned a special day out with him with the aim of gently getting him to open his heart. Our special day began with a visit to the local park, a place where Jack always feels pleased. We found a tree coming into flower, bathed in the warm sunlight. Nearby, a group of children were playing together. “Look, Jack,” I pointed out. “See how they’re sharing their toys? Notice the smiles on their faces?” Those children attracted Jack’s attention. He watched carefully as one child passed a bright red toy truck to another, and he noticed how their faces lit up in a shared moment of happiness. It made him feel curious. I continued, “Sharing doesn’t just make others happy, it can make you feel good too.” Jack kept silent with his expression becoming thoughtful and a bit doubtful.
On the way home, we stopped by a small community center which was hosting a charity event. Volunteers, cheerful and warm, were collecting toys for the poor children. Tables in front of them were decorated with various kinds of toys. Jack observed some children of his age eagerly contributing toys, their faces shining with pride and happiness. “See, Jack,” I whispered. “A small act of kindness can bring great joy to you and others.” Jack made no reply but from his hesitant look I could see he was struggling with an internal conflict.
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。
Paragraph 1: As we were about to leave, a little girl arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Moved by the little girl, Jack urged me to take him home.
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