The Perfect Gift
Colin walked through the mall with his head down. He couldn’t bear to look at another window display of great Christmas gifts he couldn’t afford. There were only a few days left until Christmas, and Colin still didn’t t have a present for his parents. He had only managed to save four dollars and seventeen cents. He counted the money in his pocket and sighed heavily.
“You look upset today, Colin. What is the matter?” Colin’s older sister Whitney asked.
Colin explained his problem to his sister.
“Why don’t you make them something?” Whitney suggested.
“Making presents is for babies,” Colin said. “Mom and Dad won’t like baby stuff.”
“Hey, that is not true. When I was your age, I wrote Mom and Dad a poem for Christmas. They loved it so much that they had it framed (给……做框),” Whitney said.
Colin knew that was true. The poem was hanging in the living room right above the fireplace. Mom and Dad often stood at the fireplace and read the poem to him. But Colin wasn’t good at writing poems, so that didn’t really help him.
“It doesn’t have to be a poem,” Whitney said, “It could be anything that makes them think of you whenever they look at it. That’s why homemade gifts are special — because they make you think of the person who made it.”
“But I don’t know how to make anything Mom and Dad would actually want!” Colin said, kicking a tiny stone across the parking lot.
Whitney opened the car door. “Yes, you do! You’re always drawing those funny little comics. Why don’ t you do a family portrait(全家福) as a comic? Mom and Dad would love it.”
”Maybe," Colin said. He thought about the idea the whole way home. He even pictured how he would draw everyone.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: For the next two days, Colin drew one picture after another.
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Paragraph 2: After all the other presents were opened, Colin handed his gift to his parents.
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The economic downturn caught us. We sold our ranch and moved to town, Mother had decided to open a day nursery. She had had no training, but that didn’t stand in her way. She sent away for correspondence courses in child care, did the lessons and in six months formally qualified herself for the task. It wasn’t long before she had a full enrollment and a waiting list. I accepted all this as a perfectly normal instance of Mother’s ability. But neither the nursery nor the motel my parents bought later had provided enough income to send my sister and me to college. In two years I would be ready for college. Time was running out, and Mother was anxious for ways to save money. It was clear that Dad could do no more than he was doing already — farming 80 acres in addition to holding a full-time job. A few months after we’d sold the motel, Mother arrived home with a used green typewriter.
“That’s all we can afford,” Mother said. “It’s good enough to learn on.” And from that day on, as soon as the table was cleared and the dishes were done, Mother would disappear into her sewing room to practice. The slow tap, tap, tap went on some nights until midnight. Soon I heard Mother got a job at the radio station. I was not the least bit surprised, or impressed. But she was wild with joy.
Monday, after her first day at work, I could see that the excitement was gone.
Tuesday, Dad made dinner and cleaned the kitchen. Mother stayed in her sewing room, practicing. “Is Mother all right?” I asked Dad. “She’s having a little trouble with her typing,” he said. “She needs to practice. I think she’d appreciate it if we all helped out a bit more. You might just remember that she is working primarily so you can go to college.”
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。
Wednesday, I arrived home earlier and was surprised by what I saw — Mother was crying in the corner of the couch.
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Mother took another job earning half, but the evening practice sessions on the old green typewriter continued.
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1.回顾参会经历；
2.分享个人体会；
3.希望保持联系。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节。
Dear Peter,
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Yours,
Li Hua
Grandma got Grandpa out of bed and helped him to the kitchen for breakfast. After his meal, she led him to his armchair in the living room where he would rest while she cleaned the dishes. Ever so often, she would check to see if he needed anything.
This was their daily routine after Grandpa’s latest stroke. Although once a very active man, his severely damaged left arm, difficulty walking and slurred (含糊不清的) speech now kept him housebound. For nearly a year he hadn’t been to church or to visit family.
Grandpa filled his hours with television. He watched the news and game shows while Grandma went about her day. They made a promise — he was not to leave his chair or his bed without her assistance.
“If you fell and I threw my back out trying to help you, who would take care of us?” Grandma would ask him. She was resolved they should take care of themselves and live independently. The Brooklyn brownstone had been their first home and held wonderful memories. They weren’t ready to leave it behind anytime soon.
Immigrants from Ireland, they had met and married in America. Grandma was friendly, outgoing and unselfish; Grandpa was reserved, a man devoted to his family, but he wasn’t big on giving gifts. While he wouldn’t think twice about giving Grandma the shirt off his back, he had the belief that if you treated your wife well throughout the year, presents weren’t necessary; so he rarely purchased gifts for her.
It was a cold, gray February morning, a typical winter’s day in New York. As always, Grandma walked Grandpa to his chair. “I’m going to take a shower now.” She handed him the television remote. “If you need anything, I’ll be back in a little while.”
After her shower, she glanced towards the back of Grandpa’s recliner (躺椅) but noticed that his cane was not leaning in its usual spot. Sensing something unusual, she went into the room. He was gone. The closet door stood open and his hat and overcoat were missing. Fear ran down her spine. Grandma threw a coat over her bathrobe and ran outside.
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。
Desperately, she scanned the street in both directions.
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Just then, Grandpa came around the corner.
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5 . The Language of Flowers
Ding dong! I looked up from the couch. Who in the world could that be? My body was troubled with illness, so I’d
I
Instead of returning to the couch, I
The group had followed him and picked very
The more I understood what the flowers were
| A．hidden | B．given | C．driven | D．broken |
| A．forbid | B．accept | C．act | D．respond |
| A．cautiously | B．reluctantly | C．instantly | D．cheerfully |
| A．size | B．style | C．uniqueness | D．shape |
| A．go together | B．stand out | C．mix up | D．fade away |
| A．informed | B．thanked | C．rewarded | D．telephoned |
| A．delivery | B．program | C．mystery | D．scene |
| A．companion | B．message | C．commitment | D．gift |
| A．expensive | B．rare | C．specific | D．fresh |
| A．explained | B．clarified | C．defined | D．analyzed |
| A．pain | B．fortune | C．sympathy | D．sunshine |
| A．modest | B．tolerant | C．formal | D．meaningful |
| A．involving | B．saying | C．smelling | D．signing |
| A．advocated | B．confirmed | C．required | D．earned |
| A．ambition | B．value | C．curiosity | D．fantasy |
Her pale face stood out against the blackness of her hair. She looked much younger than her fifteen years, a worn coat hanging loose above her. We weren’t supposed to take a child, but an emergency call came through that morning. A home was needed for a young girl immediately.
I, together with four children, hurried to get her room ready. The kids were great. Joanne, our second-eldest daughter, did the cleaning and Margaret, Rob and Jeff helped make the bed. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I was excited, but scared at the same time because I was told an adopted child might give us a lot of trouble.
That afternoon, Trudy arrived with the social worker Mrs. Kline. She stepped into the front hall and stood against the wall. I will never forget the look in her eyes. The first thing that came to my mind was that she looked like a hunted animal. The children moved towards her, and Jeff grabbed her hand and said proudly, “Come and see your room. I helped make your bed.” Trudy pulled back, speechless.
At this point, I stepped towards her and said, "Welcome to our home, Trudy. “She looked at me with such blank eyes. But with her head bowed, she simply said, eyes moving back and forth like a creature looking for a way out, “No, thank you.”
For the first two weeks, Trudy was very quiet. She would come into the kitchen while I was working, and we would discuss school and what she would like to do in the future. Mrs. Kline had given us all the information about her history, but I never mentioned the terrible things that had happened to her.
As the days went by, Trudy became a delight to have around. Very quickly, it seemed like she had always been with us. The girls would sit in each other’s rooms and giggle(咯咯笑) like typical teenagers. It was a sound that warmed my soul. However, when they talked about new clothes, Trudy fell silent again.
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 took Joanne shopping for a winter coat, and Trudy came too.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Back home, I presented the jacket Trudy had tried on.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My Big Solo (独唱)
The day had finally arrived: the day of my big solo. Everyone was there; my mom and dad and my little brother. And it was a big event: the Spring Fling Choir Concert. The whole class was dressed up. My name was on the cover of the program in bright yellow characters. I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name. Not that it was my name, but that it wasn’t Renee’s. Renee and I had been classmates since kindergarten. She was always ahead of me. Dance class needs a big finish? Renee was picked. The school plays? Renee would have the leads while I was cast as her mother or sister or neighbor. I even played her dog once. The only time I ever came in ahead of Renee was at roll call (点名). Cindy comes before Renee. I count that as a victory!
The choir concert tryouts were stressful. We waited in the library as Ms. Jenkins called us individually into the choir room. By the time she called me, I was shaking. When I came back to the library, Renee smiled at me. Ms. Jenkins called her name and Renee calmly followed her. She was still calm and smiling when her tryout was over
When Ms. Jenkins announced who had made the special choral group (合唱队), I wasn’t surprised when Renee’s name was on her list and mine wasn’t. “So, what else is new?” I said under my breath Sudden clapping brought me out of my bad mood. Everyone was looking at me. I’ve missed something here, I thought. Ms. Jenkins smiled at me and said, “Cindy, you will have to start practicing with me.The solos take extra preparation.” Solo? I got the solo? I glanced over at Renee. She smiled broadly and gave me the thumbs-up sign. Oh, that’s another thing. She is always so nice
Now the day had come. We filed onto the stage and took our places. I was front and center. Ms. Jenkins raised her baton (指挥棒) and we began to sing. My parents were smiling at me, cameras flashing.
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 big moment came.
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The rest of the solo went well.
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“I wish we hadn’t come on this trip!” Jeff’s voice echoed across the narrow canyon (峡谷). His father stopped, breathing heavily. “This is hard on you, but you’ve got to come through with courage!” He gently placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Now, I don’t know if I can make it without stopping every so often. You’re young, but you’re strong and fast. Do you remember the way back from here to the road, if you had to go alone?”
Jeff flashed back to the painful scene of Mark, his seventeen-year-old brother at their campsite. His leg was bitten by a snake yesterday and they did first aid with the wound so that it wouldn’t get so serious before they returned home. But this morning Mark couldn’t move, and the pain got worse. He needed medical attention right away otherwise he might lose his life. The only way is to get the rescue helicopter as soon as possible. They had left their phone in the car, which was stopped out of the canyon and it must have been out of power by then. Leaving Mark at the campsite and seeking help was their only choice.
“Jeff, could you do it?”
Jeff looked to the end of the canyon, several miles away. He nodded and a plan began to take hold in his mind. “What is the name of that little town we stopped, Dad?” There must be a hospital there.
“Flint. We parked at the side of the road a few miles out of Flint.”
Jeff nodded. Then they continued climbing. Stone by stone, they made their way up the canyon. Gradually, Jeff’s father grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Jeff waved to him and then climbed toward the road. Two hours later, he finally reached the road and struggled toward the town, almost exhausted.
“Can’t stop,” he thought. “Mark’s in big trouble. Keep going.” Suddenly, he saw a truck heading toward him. “Hey, mister!” he shouted, waving both arms. He began to jog toward the truck, and then broke into a full-speed run.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Para 1:
The driver saw Jeff and brought his truck to a stop.
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Para 2:
Hours later, Jeff came to himself.
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Moving In
My eighty-five-year-old mother offered that familiar tilt (歪头) of the head, the one that told me something was up. I tensed my shoulders and bit my lip, waiting for whatever was coming next.
I could handle it. She was predictable, though dramatic. I expected her to express her thoughts on the latest news or share the senior community news.
Instead, she calmly said, as though she were sharing her dinner menu, “I’m going to downsize and sell my house and nearly everything I own.” The breaking news was followed by a matter of fact stare.
“Do what?” I asked. “I’ll be a floater,” she said.
“I’ll stay with you, then with my brothers in Maine, and then with some of my friends. I’ll just float around and enjoy myself.” She laughed as though she’d just discovered the perfect lifestyle. “I’ll take my cat everywhere with me. I can’t bear to leave him behind or give him away. What do you think?”
“No one will want you to show up with your cat.” My answer seemed a shock to her. After only seconds, she added, “Well, I just won’t tell them he’s coming. We’ll just show up. What can they do?”
Shocked, I took a deep breath and forced myself to respond by explaining all the reasons why selling, moving in with me, and fearlessly dragging the cat across the country in secret were terrible ideas.
Unbothered, she simply said, “You’re so dramatic. It’ll be fine.”
I didn’t take her announcement seriously. A few days after her announcement,my brother and I enjoyed a few laughs over her idea. After all, our mother was too independent to be placed in a place long-term with any of her children. She had made this clear on many occasions when I’d begged to live next door to her. I’d wanted to be close enough to watch over her but not too close, but she’d always refused.
I enjoyed living alone, hearing the quiet, writing and reading. I hated noise. My mother loved radio, television, and phone calls, endless phone calls. We would not make good housemates.
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 really panicked when she started having yard sales.
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I took her to my home from the hospital happily, no longer bothered by her moving in.
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Initially, I totally believed that Daddy wanted a boy. I could just imagine his disappointment when I was born. What always frustrated me was that he never tried hiding his feelings from me. He had hoped a boy who would help him with the farm and finally step into his shoes. But a girl…
I tried to do everything just to please Daddy. Not only did I get up early to help with the housework, but also some tidy work on the farm. What’s more, I went home straight from school, expecting that I was needed. But he didn’t seem to be moved by those at all, let alone putting on a smile.
The year I turned thirteen was the 100th birthday of our town. The town council decided to hold a parade(游行), and they wanted a young lady who could lead the parade. The families in the area were asked to send pictures of their children. Every parent in the area hoped that their daughter would be chosen, every parent except Daddy.
Mommy sent in a picture of me without telling me. I was always so busy being the boy Daddy wanted, and I never considered having the chance to lead the parade. So it was quite a surprise when the town council stopped by one evening to tell us I had been chosen. Mommy was excited. As I anticipated, Daddy showed no interest in the matter.
The day of the big parade finally arrived. I was dressed in a beautiful white dress. At first I felt shy-I’d hardly ever worn dresses. But soon I felt like a princess in a fairy tale.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式作答。
Paragraph 1:
As the parade passed down the main street of our town, I saw Mommy and Daddy on the side.
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As I went back from the parade, Daddy stood in front of the gate, smiling.
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