Zaki was small for his twelve years, and he hated being treated as a child. Farid, his older brother, had been looked upon as a man long before he was Zaki’s age. Now, every day as the sun warmed the gulf, Farid and the other young men went out in their wooden boats, to dive for oysters. With luck, there would be pearls in many of them. Each pearl earned a bonus for the man who found it.
Many times Zaki begged to go along, but Farid always refused.
“You?” Farid would laugh. “First, small one, you have to become larger than the oyster!” Still laughing, Farid would go his manly way, leaving Zaki bitter and angry.
So every day Zaki would go to the shallow water to practice. His grandfather, a former diver, would watch him and advise him. All morning, Zaki would practice diving beneath the waves. Every afternoon, he would again go underwater and hold his breath. With daily practice, his diving improved gradually. Soon Zaki felt as much at home in the water as he did out of it.
Zaki decided to challenge Farid the next day. He rose early the next morning. Even so, he had to hurry to catch up with Farid, who was already on the beach.
“Farid, wait!” called Zaki. “I must speak to you.”
In the stillness of the morning his voice carried clearly. The group of men around Farid grew quiet as Zaki spoke.
“Farid, I say that I can hold my breath under the water as long as you can. If I win, I ask only that you treat me as a man and let me dive by your side.” The men of the village burst out laughing.
Farid looked amused. “And what happens, young brother, when you lose?”
Looked down upon, Zaki shouted, “I will not lose! Let us go into the gulf to compete. The men of the village are here to judge.”
Farid looked surprised, but with all of his friends looking on, he had little choice but to agree.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Zaki and Farid went out into the sea until it was deep enough for them to dive.
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Looking into Farid’s eyes, Zaki suddenly understood what losing might mean to his brother.
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Living in a competitive and dishonest community was not always easy. People kept walking in and out, wearing artificial smiles. All selfish souls! Finally, my parents decided to have a breath of fresh air. We were on vacation, having driven to New Hampshire. We wouldn’t see friends on family—it would be just me, my parents, and my little brother, Wyatt, out for a nice, socially distanced week away.
We had hiked about half a mile to a popular spot called Dianna’s Baths, where the water falls of a series of flat stones on the mountainside. The baths were full of families, so we made our way to one of the upper levels of rock to keep our distance.
Both where we sat and down below, the water poured and fell into small pools, where kids in swimsuits were splashing around. We couldn’t help rushing to join them. Some parents nervously drove their kids away from the rocks’ edges, while my parents were grateful that they were out of that stage, so we two, at sixteen and eight, could keep our physical space with more confidence. Don’t get me wrong: Mom was sill terrified as she saw us jump between the slippery rocks, “No running,” she said again and again. “Stay away from all those edges.”
But she soon relaxed, and we were all having fun, splashing in the pools. Then, seconds later, things changed.
I turned and saw my Wyatt sitting down between two stones in a fast-moving stream. I yelled at him to get out. He yelled back something that I couldn’t hear, and then he disappeared over the edge.
it was about 12 feet from the top of the waterfall to the pool below, where there were many huge rocks. All I remember from the moment is mother’s screaming, over and over, like a prayer, “Somebody helps my son!” My father was already dashing down the rocks, when I heard another woman scream. “That child just went over the waterfall!” she shouted at her husband. “Hurry up! Let’s give them a helping hand!”
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。
Paragraph 1:
While everyone else looked on from a distance. this young woman didn’t hesitate.
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Paragraph 2:
The ambulance came, taking Wyatt out of the park on a stretcher.
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3 . Last year, I told my family that I didn’t want or need anything for my birthday. Instead, I
The week of my birthday my husband went to a local cafe and told a waitress that he wanted to
My daughter was on a tight budget(手头很紧) so she
When we finally all got together for Mother’s Day and my birthday, everyone was in tears as each person
| A．ordered | B．encouraged | C．wanted | D．permitted |
| A．story | B．feeling | C．duty | D．kindness |
| A．crazy | B．wonderful | C．interesting | D．silly |
| A．secretly | B．normally | C．quickly | D．partly |
| A．frightened | B．amazed | C．satisfied | D．disappointed |
| A．failed | B．mattered | C．existed | D．happened |
| A．coffee | B．bill | C．money | D．lunch |
| A．find out | B．look after | C．think of | D．look on |
| A．asking | B．listening | C．watching | D．telling |
| A．day | B．feeling | C．experience | D．idea |
| A．say | B．discuss | C．do | D．cost |
| A．wasted | B．found | C．spent | D．took |
| A．healthy | B．simply | C．friendly | D．honest |
| A．shared | B．practiced | C．recorded | D．watched |
| A．biggest | B．best | C．longest | D．quietest |
4 . “Can we eat this one, Dad?” my four-year-old daughter, Alicia, asks. We’re on one of our Thursday adventures, searching the nearby woods for eatable mushrooms. She’s pointing at a bright-red cap covered with white dots. I pull out my handy mushroom-identification app, which notes that Amanita muscaria, while eatable if prepared properly, is also a known hallucinogen (致幻剂). I have a firm “tell them the truth and be as precise as possible” philosophy and explain what the app says, and that I don’t think our Thursday adventures are ready to get quite that adventurous yet.
Watching your kids learn new skills is extraordinarily rewarding, but I’ve experienced more personal growth than I have at any other point in my life.
Last year, after a winter of practicing skiing on the green tracks for beginners each week, Alicia was french-frying her way down blues and even attempted her first black. That month also witnessed me visiting the mountain more times than in the 15 years combined and I’ve got myself a partner for life.
It’s not all easy—but sometimes that’s the point. Alicia practices the violin every day, and although she enjoys it, even 15 minutes of practice can upset her. The trick, I’ve found, is to let her watch me try to get better at something, too. I start taking piano lessons at 41 years old with the idea that if she sees me struggling as I practice and then improve, she’ll understand that things don’t come easy, even for grown-ups. I know there’s going to be a time when I’ll end up on the sideline cheering her on as she finds her own passions. I’m okay with this, and I’m hoping that by then she’ll carry the joy of practice and knowledge through life.
1. What does the father imply by saying “I’ve got myself a partner for life.”?| A．It is rewarding to learn new skills. | B．Skiing has become his lifelong hobby. |
| C．He will explore more with his daughter. | D．His daughter will accompany him forever. |
| A．To prove it is never too old to learn. | B．To set a good example for his daughter. |
| C．To experience the joy of piano practice. | D．To share with his daughter musical knowledge. |
| A．Rigid and humorous. | B．Cautious and inspiring. |
| C．Creative and thoughtful. | D．Ambitious and patient. |
| A．The Thrill of the Skill | B．Practice Makes Perfect |
| C．Like Father, Like Daughter | D．The Power of Knowledge |
Nick was new, so he didn’t have many friends. One day the headmaster announced that it was the basketball season, so they needed to practice after school till 6. Nick smiled. He loved playing basketball.
Later that day it was time to go to the first practice of the season. There were other guys and they all sat together talking, but Nick just sat there and waited. “Alright boys! Line up and tell me your names,” the coach demanded. “Ricky, Derick, Josh, Dan, Nick.” they answered, one after another. Practice went on and the coach began to try out the boys. Ricky and his friends did really good. But the coach ran out of time before he could try out Nick.
The next day, Ricky and his friends came up to Nick and told him he wasn’t good enough though they had never seen him play. Nick said nothing. Soon enough it was time for Nick to try out. “We will start with free throws(自由投篮，即罚球),” the coach said. Nick stood on the free throw line and then shot. He didn’t miss one shot. The boys were amazed. Ricky was mad because they were all giving the attention to Nick. The coach informed Nick that he made the team. All the boys were congratulating him.
Nick was happy that he was on the team and it was a good way to make friends. Ricky just stood there and looked at him in anger. Ricky always got the attention but now Nick did because he’s an amazing player. The next day when Nick went to lunch, he sat by himself and the next thing he knew was that the table he was sitting at was filled with all the basketball players except Ricky.
Soon enough it was time for their first game. The game was a close one ... There were 5 seconds left and Ricky had the ball. Everyone was blocked except Nick. “I'm open. I’m open,” Nick said over and over.
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。
Ricky saw that he was open but he didn’ t care.
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Nick decided to talk to Ricky after they failed the game.
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A GIFT FOR GRANDPA
Summer vacation was coming. Jack and his brother Berlin were filled with excitement as they thought of visiting their grandparents again.
The big day came at last. After the happy family got ready, they set out for the grandparents’ eagerly. On the way, the brothers were excitedly talking about the fun they had with grandparents.
A little blue house with a tall white chimney finally appeared. Behind the property was the forest carrying their good memories with Grandpa. They arrived at the driveway, at the end of which Grandma was waiting for them joyfully.
Jack and Berlin each gave Grandma a big hug and then swept to the living room, shouting excitedly “Grandpa, we are back!”
Seeing his grandsons, Grandpa was wild with joy and tried to get up with all his strength from the chair but in vain. A helpless expression flashed on his face. Grandma explained that his health was declining rapidly and maybe couldn’t stand up on his own forever. But Grandpa declared stubbornly (倔强地), “I can!” Certainly, he was stuck in his boyish way. Mum and grandparents were happy to meet again after a long time. They sat together and chatted about what happened recently.
The brothers were soon bored with adult conversation, went out and wandered into the forest. Tall trees stretched up to the heavens with large branches crossing each other, while young ones rose straight like soldiers. Grandpa was once a great explorer full of wisdom. He could tell where the birds came from only by their calls and songs. The trees, birds, lizards, lots of bugs...How many merry moments they spent with Grandpa in the kingdom!
But now Grandpa couldn't get up. This made them worried. “We’d think out a way to cheer him up.” Jack said. “Grandpa is a bird lover, and we can catch him a bird.” Berlin suggested. “But he hates birds being caged!” Jack shook his head.
Then a bright idea came to Jack’s mind. “Why not make a cane (拐杖) out of a young tree!”
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。
Berlin thought it was a good idea.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jack and Berlin handed the cane to Grandpa.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A pleasant surprise
For a long time, I had been looking for a piano of my own to practise on. There was a piano shop on the street along which I walked every day to school. Whenever I passed the shop, I would stop, looking at the beautiful piano standing in the comer of the shop window. How I had been dreaming, day and night to possess a piano like that!
Unfortunately, my father was just a clerk. Times were tough during the Depression, and there were five mouths to feed, besides buying coal and wood for the stove. In order to save money, even on cold winter days, my father would walk the seven miles every day to get to work. No he could never afford to buy me an expensive piano. Though he knew I wanted to play that piano so much» buying it was an extravagance (奢侈品) well beyond our family’s income.
One day after school, I went as usual to the shop window to look at the piano. However, to my surprise and disappointment, the piano had gone. I should not have been surprised as others had the right to buy it, if they could afford to. Tears filled my eyes when I thought of not being able to sec that piano any more.
Disappointed, helpless and sad, I wandered aimlessly up and down the street. After about an hour. I returned home. I had just entered into our house, when I heard my mother calling me. I brushed away my tears and followed the sound of her voice into the dining-room.
Paragraph 1:I could not believe my eyes.
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As soon as my father appeared, I hugged him tightly.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The big Town Hall clock was striking midnight when Frank began to cross the bridge. The dark night air was cold and wet, and the street lamps gave little light. Frank was anxious to get home and his footsteps rang loudly on the silent night.
When he reached the middle of the bridge, he thought he could hear someone coming near behind him. He looked back but could see no one. However, the sound continued, and Frank began walking more quickly. Then he slowed down again, thinking there was nothing to fear in a town as quiet as this. The short, quick steps grew louder until they seemed very near.
Frank found it impossible not to turn round. As he did so, he caught sight of a human from coming toward him. After reaching the other side of the bridge, Frank stopped and pretended to look down at the water. From the corner of his eyes he could now make out the form of a man dressed in a large overcoat. A hat was pulled down over his eyes and very little of his face could be seen.
As the man came near, Frank turned towards him and said something about the weather in an effort to be friendly. The man did not answer but asked roughly where Oakfield House was. Frank pointed to a big house in the distance and the stranger continued his way.
Then Frank wondered why the stranger had wanted to find Oakfield House at such an hour. He knew that the person who lived there was very rich. Almost without realizing what he was doing, Frank began following the stranger quietly.
The man was soon outside the house and Frank saw him look up at the windows. A light was still on and the man waited until it went out. When about half an hour had passed, Frank saw him climb noiselessly over the wall and heard him drop onto the ground at the other side.
Paragraph l:
Now Frank knew what the man wanted to do.
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Paragraph 2:
Frank couldn’t just stand in the dark and wait.
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My best friend's mother was a social worker in Detroit, Michigan. Because of that, my friend Victoria and I were introduced early to the world of volunteering.
We did plenty of charity(慈善) work. We always had a good time, and continued to volunteer whenever we had time, often even when we didn't. It became second nature. Hairstyles came and went, but Victoria and I found places to donate our time because that's how we were raised.
One particular morning we signed up for "Paint the Town",an organization in Detroit to help lowincome homeowners clean their houses. We were assigned(分配) a dilapidated(破烂的) house in one of the worst communities of the city. I was afraid as we got near to the front door, not knowing who we would find on the other side. We knocked three times quickly and stepped back, waiting to be let in.
When the door opened, my mouth did, too. Standing there was a little old lady with wisps(一束) of white hair and a purple apron(围裙) tied around her waist.
"Hello" she said, "I'm Amelia. Please come in and I will show you where to start."Her smile shone brightly. “I am just baking some cookies for you girls to eat.”
As she led us to the parts of her house that needed painting, my heart softened. Here was one of the scariest looking houses in the city, but behind its doors was a sweet old lady with a cane and a big smile.
Here we were coming to help her, and instead she was doing something for us—baking homemade cookies and serving us tea!
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。
There was no age barrier that day as we worked on Amelia's house.
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“Nonsense！” she criticized(批评).
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We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. Kind and caring, she always seemed to make people comfortable in her presence. For years she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home to help with her until I hit my preteen years. Suddenly, I was too caught up in my adolescent world to worry about helping others.
One particular summer day when I was twelve, Mom came into my room and told me to get up and meet her at the car. I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? Eventually, I made my way outside. I imagined the lake water cooling my skin. Annoyed, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. I sat in silence, too upset to make a conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mom asked calmly.
“I guess…,” I murmured under my breath.
“Sweetheart, we are going to a children’s shelter, I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
I felt a knot slowly form in my stomach. How was I supposed to help there?
When we reached the shelter, I was rather surprised. It was a large white Victorian home. As we approached the large front porch, wind bells played a calming tune while trees and blossoms welcomed us. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad.
Mom rang the doorbell. The door flew open and we were led to the front room, where all of the children were playing. Toys were spread out across the floor. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with wounds. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars（伤疤） such as cuts, scratches and burns. What a terrible life they had before they moved here! My heart sank.
As I was looking around, I felt a gentle pull on my shirt.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I returned to the shelter with Mom several times._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
