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.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . In 1954, Eleanor - my grandma - in great need of income, walked into the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. There she convinced some of the greatest scientists that she was the perfect person for their ant collection.
As a teenager, Eleanor spent hours wandering around the halls of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, flipping through gift shop books about insect mounting (固定于载片上). But that was all her experience in the field.
During her job interview at Harvard, when Philip Darlington, an influential zoologist at that time, asked Eleanor about her specialty, she replied, “Oh, I like everything.”
“He probably realized right then that I have nothing special,” she says. She once worked in a hardware store in New York, and she had no typing skills to be a secretary. She had dropped out of the Tyler School of Fine Arts to marry. But that artistic background was a selling point for the Harvard Job, and she was hired on the spot.
Now artistic background are common for researchers. At that time, however, hiring a woman who had dropped out of art school was certainly a risk. It paid off, Eleanor’s job as a technician required the same quality that art school had demanded. She began each day at the museum mixing glue (胶水). Then she pulled the dead ants from the containers and set them out to dry. Some ants were small-barely 3 millimeters long-requiring patience and a careful hand. Eleanor needed to fix the ant bodies with a spot of glue and write a label for each of them.
The job required her to work quickly, yet correctly. “The average person never really hears about the expertise and the effort that goes into it.” said Wilson, an expert at the Museum. Rushing would risk ruining a rare specimen (标本), but Eleanor could process ants as quickly and many as 200 a day. Wilson said that she was the best technician who ever worked for him.
1. Why was Eleanor hired?| A．She once studied at an art school. |
| B．She’s married and in need of money. |
| C．She was interested in mounting insects. |
| D．She was experienced in the Museum career. |
| A．Eleanor’s payment. |
| B．Eleanor’s effort. |
| C．Eleanor’s artistic background. |
| D．Eleanor’s being hired. |
| A．To prove how painful Eleanor’s job is. |
| B．To highlight Eleanor’s outstanding ability. |
| C．To praise Eleanor’s bravery and creativity. |
| D．To provide evidence of Eleanor’s work process. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Emotional. | C．Creative. | D．Skillful. |
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。
Never can you imagine how your next friendship will come into being. During a summer vacation some years ago, I was doing a part-time job at McDonald’s. While handing a hamburger to a woman at the drive-through window, I noticed that she had a box of what seemed to be purple tomatoes alongside. (If you have ever had a drive-through job, you know that it’s hard not to look into someone’s car when you are near his or her face.) That’s when I felt the desire coming on. I felt that I was eager to explore what they exactly were. But I just didn’t know how to start. Would she refuse my curiosity directly or just keep silent, even with a look of disgust?
After a struggle in my heart, I decided to grasp the last minute. As I handed her the burger, I said, “Those tomatoes look special! What kind are they?” She smiled and I thought she was about to start laughing, but instead she replied, “Here, have some!” Within seconds I had a handful of splendid purple tomatoes. “Oh, no, you don’t need to give me any!” I said. Those tomatoes looked expensive. “Here, have more,” she insisted, and now I had six of the fattest and prettiest tomatoes I had ever seen. I weakly tried to protest: “Really, you didn’t have to give me any, hut I appreciate it.”
The woman smiled again and said: “I hope you enjoy them. And to answer your question, it’s an heirloom (传家宝) breed that my mom used to plant. So they aren’t like the ones you get in the grocery store.” I thanked her again, and she sped off. She was like an adult version of the tooth fairy: I gave her hamburger and she gave me tomatoes.
Paragraph 1:
After a couple of weeks, a box of fresh vegetables was sent to my work place.
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Paragraph 2
I decided to accept her invitation to visit her vegetable garden.
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For 19-year-old Stuart’s father, Peter, his family was his strength and pride.“Together we achieve but divided, we fall,” he often told his four sons, and Stuart was the youngest. Besides family, there was something else that Peter, 56, cherished and believed kept his family united and strong. It was his treasured farm that was passed on from generation to generation.
One day, however, his 19-year-old son, Stuart, approached his dad and told him he wanted his share of the fortune so that he could move to the city and start living his life alone. It was a terrible blow to Peter, who never wished to see his family break.
“But, you don’t know much about city life. I am afraid you’d wander like a lost lamb. This is your family, and we will always support you,” Peter disappointedly said as soon as Stuart told him his intention to leave the house.
“Dad, I’m nineteen, and I have heard plenty about the city from my friends. I don’t want to waste my time and energy farming with you. I have a purpose in life, and I don’t want to become a farmer like you.”
Peter tried changing his mind. “Son, I can give you your share of the fortune. But dear, this is too early to decide.” However, Stuart insisted on going out, so Peter had to give him his share.
Three years went by. Neither Peter nor his family heard anything about Stuart. One day, when the family least expected it, they saw a young man walk toward them. As he neared, they saw his old and dirty clothes and a face that had lost its charm. It was Stuart! Peter was shocked. “Daddy, I need your help ... I’m hungry,” Stuart cried.
“Oh, my dear ... Please sit down first,” Peter said and brought some tea and bread for him. Then Peter asked why he was in such a poor situation.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Stuart said he took the money and went to the city.
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Overwhelmed by (被震撼)their love, Stuart was moved to tears.
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Lee took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When his lungs felt comfortable, he dived beneath the water. Looking up, he could see the bright sun shining on the water’s surface. “Soon,” Lee thought, “I shall be able to hold my breath as long as David. Then I, too, shall be able to dive for pearls.”
With lungs burning, he quickly surfaced and gasped(喘气) for breath. Lee was small for his twelve years, and he hated being treated as a child. David, his old brother, had been looked upon as a man long before he was Lee’s age.
Now, every day as the sun warmed the bay, David and the other young men went out to dive for oysters (牡蛎). With luck, there would be pearls in many of them. Many times Lee begged to go along, but David always refused.
So every day Lee would go to the shallow water to practice. With each day’s effort, his diving improved and he felt much at home in the water. “Tomorrow I shall challenge David.” Lee decided. The next morning, Lee rose early, hurrying to catch up with David, who was already on the beach. “David, wait!” called Lee.
The group of men around David grew quiet. Lee continued, “David, 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 gasped (倒抽气) and began to laugh. David looked amused, “And what if when you lose?”
“I will not lose!” He took a breath, “But if I should, I promise not to ask to go with you for a full year! The men of the village are here to judge. ”
Hearing this, David looked surprised.
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为 100 左右；
2.续写部分分一段，开头语已为你写好；
But with all of his friends looking on, David had no choice but to agree.
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Niall was a 10-year-old boy who enjoyed the outdoors. He was fond of parks and nature trails and was saving up for a new bike he could use for his outdoor adventures.
One day after school, Niall checked the refrigerator for some leftovers. He was very hungry after spending the early afternoon playing football with his friends.
He noticed his mom Linda’s to-do list stuck on the refrigerator door. “Prepare dinner, wash the dishes，mow the lawn (修剪草坪), water the plants，do the laundry, clean the house...” Niall read the list. He realized his mom would only be able to go to bed at one o’clock in the morning if she wanted to accomplish everything. And she had to wake up at five to prepare breakfast for both of them before school and work.
“Oh, Mom,’’ Niall sighed. He was sad that his mother had to work hard because she was raising him as a single mother. Without hesitation, he quickly finished his meal and decided to help with the housework on his mom’s list in two hours before she came home.
Niall first cleaned the floor and did the laundry. Then he went to his mom’s room to put the folded clothes in the closet, where he saw a beautiful card. It was his mother’s bucket list. Niall found her top wish was to fly to a white sand beach alone. The boy smiled. He knew how much she loved going to the beach and how much she had devoted to the family.
Inspired, Niall decided to use the money he had saved to buy a plane ticket for his mom. He could ask his grandma to teach him how to book a flight. He imagined how happy his mom would be when he handed her that ticket.
Smiling, Niall quickly placed the clothes inside the closet. There were still many other chores — like mowing the lawn — that needed to be done.
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, he hurried downstairs to do them.
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Paragraph 2:
Assisted by his grandma, Niall secretly bought his mom a plane ticket .
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1.表示支持；2.给出具体的建议；3.给予鼓励。
注意：
1.词数80左右；2.条理清晰，语意连贯，语言得体；3.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Jack,
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Yours,
Li Hua
8 . 89-year- old Mrs. Adams was always dressed in full black and hardly left her house. Almost everyone in the neighborhood was afraid of
Tim was on his way home when he
The next day, Tim took Kitty in the shoe box. He stopped outside Mrs. Adams’ house and knocked at the door. The elder lady took her own sweet time
“See! I knew you were not scary!” Tim said. “You look beautiful when you
“Of course, I’m not
“I’m Tim!” he said proudly and
Mrs. Adams’ smile suddenly
“I am thankful to you, Tim,”the older lady expressed her
Tim stepped forward to give Mrs. Adams a
| A．refusing | B．challenging | C．criticizing | D．approaching |
| A．lonely | B．optimistic | C．confident | D．patient |
| A．demanded | B．supposed | C．claimed | D．promised |
| A．inspire | B．remind | C．comfort | D．understand |
| A．gave away | B．came across | C．knocked down | D．cared for |
| A．touched | B．determined | C．shocked | D．encouraged |
| A．drove | B．awoke | C．fed | D．hid |
| A．painful | B．curious | C．crazy | D．regretful |
| A．cat | B．toy | C．bed | D．dog |
| A．changing | B．repairing | C．answering | D．kicking |
| A．nervously | B．naturally | C．suddenly | D．happily |
| A．laugh | B．work | C．argue | D．cry |
| A．surprised | B．happy | C．proud | D．scary |
| A．handed | B．returned | C．lent | D．awarded |
| A．sleep | B．company | C．safety | D．health |
| A．rose | B．displayed | C．occurred | D．disappeared |
| A．specially | B．hopefully | C．probably | D．directly |
| A．politeness | B．concern | C．gratitude | D．excitement |
| A．hesitated | B．bothered | C．decided | D．happened |
| A．greeting | B．pat | C．handshake | D．hug |
It’s hard being an astronaut’s son. I often wonder how my father ever had a son like me. I mean he’s so special and so good at everything he does. But I’m just an average eleven-year-old kid.
Nowadays I dream about being a famous writer, but I used to dream about doing something special to impress my father and make him proud of me-something like rescuing a child from a burning building.
I was dreaming in school one morning, which I often do. I was daydreaming about being some kind of hero when my friend Ellen reminded me of my English teacher’s announcement about a Father’s Day essay contest.
“I hope we have a winner right here in my English class.” she said. “There are three prizes for each of you.”
When I got home, I kissed my mom quickly. Then I went upstairs to my room and sat down with a pen and a pad of paper. I started to think about what I would write.
How did I see my father? Mmm…
I saw him teaching me how to use a bat and how to throw baseball.
I remembered how he hugged me for hours when my dog Spotty was hit and killed by a car.
And I remembered how he sat and tried to explain death to me when Grandpa Bob died.
These were the things I was going to write about my dad. To me, he wasn’t just a famous astronaut. He was my dad.
I wrote about all these memories and put them in my essay. I handed it in the next day and was surprised to find out that the winning essays would be read in the lecture hall on Thursday night. All the parents and students were invited.
My parents and I went to school Thursday night. One of our neighbors said, “I bet you’ll win the contest, David. I bet you wrote what it’s like to be the son of an astronaut, and you’re the only one in town who could write about that. ”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右。
2. 请按以下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I shrugged and then the first winner - Ellen was announced.
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The second prize winner was announced next - It was me.
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My name is Randall Davis. Years ago, I wanted
I enjoy
Now, this doesn’t mean we don’t have problems; all families face challenges in
