When most people look back on middle school, they remember their best friends, and so do I. But what I remember may be a little different. Let me explain.
My heart was pounding when I climbed onto the school bus on the first day of middle school. As I was looking for a seat, my eyes landed on two girls sitting together. They smiled at me and pointed to the seat next to theirs.
I sat down and we chatted. They were Heather and Jessica. It turned out that we had the first period together and we became friends. We ate lunch together, hung out in the park and played games in Jessica's room on weekends. But our friendship wasn't without its faults. Jessica had an "I'm-the-boss" personality. She always had to be in charge.
One time, the three of us went to the mall. I wanted to go to Abercrombie. But Jessica rolled her eyes and told me to go to Rave. Not wanting to argue, I followed her.
This skirt would look great on you. "Jessica exclaimed. "Try it on!"
"I don't like it," I said.
Jessica gave me a death glare so I made my way to the dressing room.
I ended up spending fifty dollars on a skirt that I didn't even like, just to make Jessica happy. Throughout the following year, this was how it was. If Jessica went somewhere, Heather and I went there too. I found I was behaving as a pretended version of myself just to please Jessica and to keep her from being mad at me.
Then, summer came. Jessica invited Heather and me to go to Cape Cod with her. I decided to go to Florida with another friend instead, so Jessica got angry. I went to Florida and didn't hear from her.
注意：
1.续写的词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One day, my phone rang and the caller ID showed "Jessica".
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Three days later, I received a text message from Jessica, reading "Can we have a talk?"
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Mark was a successful lawyer. Since graduating from law school, he seldom went home. Although he loved his mother deeply, he was too busy with his work.
One Saturday when driving to his company, Mark suddenly remembered it was his mother’s birthday. But being occupied with his work, he couldn’t make time to visit his mother who lived 200 miles away. Just then, he spotted a flower shop, thinking the flowers were the best solution.
Mark parked in front of the flower shop where a girl was standing outside. Since Mark was thinking about the note he would send to his mother, he paid no attention to her. After chatting with the shop owner, Mark bought some pink roses and asked the shop owner to deliver the flowers to his mother. “Happy birthday to my mom; love you,” he wrote on the note.
Mark then walked out of the shop, thinking his mother would get the flowers later tonight, and felt satisfied. When walking to his car, Mark saw the girl again. She was crying. Mark couldn’t help asking,“Hey, are you OK? Are you lost?” The girl shook her head. Mark later knew the girl was Mandy, who was eight and lived nearby. Feeling a little worried about her, Mark asked gently, “Can I help?”
Mandy said she wanted a rose for her mom. But she couldn’t afford it. “The flower lady said my coins could buy a daisy, but my mom loves red roses,” she added. Touched by the girl’s words, Mark went back into the shop and bought a bunch of red roses.
“Here you go,” he said. Mandy took the roses, smiled brightly, and thanked him. “Anything else I can do for you?“ Mark asked. Mandy hesitated. Then she said, “Could you take me to my mom? It’s not far but I’m not supposed to go on my own.” Mark nodded. “Sure, lead the way!" Mandy took his hand and walked with him down the street. As they passed by a graveyard, Mandy stopped.
To Mark’s surprise, Mandy directly went inside the graveyard.
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After dropping Mandy off by her house, Mark went back to the flower shop.
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Far up in the mountains of Canada, there is an old abandoned wooden house. Once it was occupied by a young couple who wanted to distance themselves from the troublesome affairs of this modern world. Here they were miles away from the nearest town. Bob, the husband, made the occasional trip into town to buy supplies whereas Jan, his wife, spent her free time by the fire, sewing. Their life was simply peaceful. Then, one midwinter’s day, Jan woke up from bed with a strange ache in her bones. Putting it down to overwork, Bob asked her to bed and made sure she rested. Though Jan was impatient to get to her chores (杂活), Bob comforted her, “Relax, Sugar. You’re overdoing things. All these chores will be here when you recover.”
However, Jan seemed to be getting worse instead of recovering. By evening, she was running a high fever and in greater pain. In spite of his best efforts, Bob could not manage to ease her suffering. And then suddenly, she started to get into unconsciousness. It was then obvious that she was seriously ill. What could Bob do? He had no experience in treating the sick and Jan was getting worse by the minute. He knew that there was an old doctor in town but he lived three miles away, downhill. Heavy and fat, there was no way the doctor could make it up to their house.
Something had to be done quickly! Bob racked his brains but had no idea at all. The only thing left to do was to go to the doctor. In Jan’s condition, she could never walk that far in the waist-deep snow. Bob would have to carry her!
Bob searched his mind for a way to move poor, sick Jan. Then, he remembered. He had once made a sledge (雪橇) so that they could ride together over the mountain. They never got around to using it though, because the whole mountain was thickly covered with rocks and trees. He had never found a safe way down.
However, he decided to have a try in spite of those risks.
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At last, the town came into view but the sledge gave strange sounds.
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Grace and Ellen, both promising in their school’s dance competition, were fierce competitors. They both had great passion for dancing and dreamed for bigger stages. They were both friends and competitors. They had similar taste in music, and had similar dressing styles. Even they wore shoes of the same size. They had both committed themselves to preparing for the upcoming contest.
Grace’s journey to the competition was marked by countless hours of practice and determination. She would rise before the sun, and the studio lights were her only company. Every movement was perfected with unwavering commitment. She knew that this competition wasn’t just about personal success; it was also about upholding her school’s honor. “Grace, you’re incredible!” Grace’s dance instructor, Mrs. Anderson, often praised her. “Your hard work will pay off.”
Ellen had been practicing hard for this competition as well. Her love for dance was her driving force. After school, she would head straight to the dance studio, tirelessly perfecting every step and twirl. Her dance shoes had become an extension of her feet, and her heart burned with a strong desire for victory. “Ellen, you’re a natural,” her fellow dancers would often say. “You’ve got this!”
The day of the competition finally arrived, and there were five competitors fighting for the championship title. Ellen was scheduled to perform before Grace.
As Ellen stood backstage, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to have turned into a whirlwind (漩涡). She checked her dance shoes one last time and realized a huge mistake. The shoes themselves were a size too small—It turned out she took her little sister’s shoes by mistake. Panic set in as her mind raced for g solution.
“Ellen, you’re up next!” the stage manager announced.
In the dimly lit (灰暗的) backstage area, Grace overheard Ellen’s whispers to her friend, Sarah.
“I brought the wrong shoes, Sarah,” Ellen’s voice trembled (颤抖). “They are too small. What am I going to do?”
Grace’s heart sank as she overheard the conversation.
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。
Grace knew her shoes would fit Ellen perfectly, but she hesitated.
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Tears of gratitude welled up in Ellen’s eyes as she slipped into Grace’s shoes.
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My dad believed in new experiences!
I have to admit the examples from his youth fascinated me. He specialized in his adventures growing up in Omaha in the early 1900s. His brothers threw him into a lake to teach him to swim. His family kept a cow, which he led into the church at Christmas to give Baby Jesus milk at the age of four. On and on! He used those stories to urge me to fresh experiences.
One day he came home from work early and saw me watching a local TV show — Talent Sprouts, a daily con test for kids fourteen and under. It didn’t take Dad long to look me in the eye. “You should go on Talent Sprouts.” He added, “You can play ‘Ave Maria’ — an original by Schubert (舒伯特). Think of it — an unforgettable experience to be on TV as an eleven-year-old!”
I quailed (退缩). I didn’t want to. I was basically shy. But I knew it would be useless to argue, so I mailed my application with the required information. Days later, I received a notice about performance.
Dad was over the moon when I told him I had been assigned a day to perform less than two weeks away. Still, I had very little confidence in my talent. I did practice several times each day. However, I either skipped some beats or unable to grasp the rhythm well when practicing. I could never have played Schubert’s original perfectly, so I was increasingly uneasy about the coming performance.
When my Monday came, I took a bus to the TV station with my Dad. I checked in at the desk. The host of Talent Sprouts, and the musical director welcomed the participants and described the routine for us. Everything was fresh there. The crew in the auditorium pushed big cameras on wheels and adjusted lights. I waited on the seat and soon I was called.
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。
Para. 1
I went to the piano and began to play.
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Para. 2
Disappointed, I returned to my seat, where my dad was waiting for me.
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The Quarrel
Coretti got a prize and I did not. However, it wasn’t out of envy that I quarreled with him this morning.
When I was writing in my copy-book for calligraphy this morning, Coretti jogged (轻碰) my arm and spoiled (破坏) my paper. I said a rude word to him angrily. He smiled, “I did not do it intentionally.” I should have believed him, because I know him; but it displeased me that he should smile, and I thought: “Now that he has had a prize, he has grown rude!”
After a while, to revenge (为……报仇) myself, I jogged him to spoil his paper. “Enrico, you did that on purpose!” he said to me. He raised his hand but drew it back when the teacher saw it. Then he added, “I shall wait for you outside!” Now my anger died down and I felt sorry. No, Coretti could not have done it intentionally. He is good, I thought. I recalled how he had worked and helped his sick mother in his own home; and then how heartily he had been welcomed in my house; and how he had pleased my father. And I thought of the advice given by my father—“If you do something wrong, do apologize!” But I did not dare to.
I was ashamed to say “sorry”. Looking at Coretti out of the corner of my eye, I felt I loved him. I said to myself, “Courage!” But the words “excuse me” stuck in my throat. He glanced at me from time to time, and he seemed to be more sorrowful than angry. But at such times I looked directly into him to show that I was not afraid. He repeated, “We shall meet outside!” And I said, “We shall meet outside!”
At last school was over.
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。
Alone in the street with a ruler in my hand, I noticed he was following me.
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On hearing the words, I stood still in amazement and couldn’t believe my ears.
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Carter enjoyed riding the school bus home. The ride home gave him some time to relax after a busy day of fifth grade. He usually sat alone and enjoyed that too. With four siblings（兄妹 ）he didn’t get much time alone. Sometimes he sat with his younger brother, Jackson, but Jackson was sick at home today.
The bus stopped and the tallest boy in his class, Dexter, stepped off followed by his younger brother, Billy. As the bus pulled away, Carter looked back over his shoulder to watch the boys. Dexter was yelling and waving his hands at his little brother. Billy said something Carter could not hear. Dexter yelled, gave his younger brother a hard shove and knocked him to the ground. Billy was on the ground wiping at his eyes, but Dexter walked away.
Carter turned in his seat, feeling disgusted. He hated seeing little kids get picked on (欺负). The sight of Billy on the ground crying was burned into his memory. He tried to think of something else.
He thought of the model car he was working on at home, a 1967 Corvette. He started building it over a week ago and just finished putting it together last night. Tonight, as soon as he finished his homework, he could start painting the car. That was his favorite part. He already had the perfect color of blue picked out.
He hurried off the bus, ran through his yard, and breezed through the kitchen with a quick hello to his mom. She was making spaghetti, which smelled delicious. He ran up the stairs two at a time and rushed into his room.
“Surprise!” his brother Jackson said, throwing his arms into the air. “What are you doing in my room? I thought you were sick!”
“I feel better!”
“What’s on your face? Are you bleeding?”
“No! I’m not bleeding.” Jackson wiped at his face. “It’s probably just paint. Look! Look what I did!” He pointed at the desk in the corner of Carter’ s room.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Carter looked down at his desk in horror.
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Paragraph2:
Carter took a deep breath and then unfolded his fist.
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1. 描述漫画内容；
2. 解读漫画含义；
3. 表述你的观点。
注意： 1. 词数 100 左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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Two things changed my life: my mother and a white plastic bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it’s true. I would be a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a silly bicycle accessory(配件) into a life lesson I carry with me today.
We had to earn our allowance by doing chores around the house. I can still remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table. My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house. Like the two little girls growing up at the White House, we made our own beds (no one left the house until that was done) and picked up after ourselves. We had to keep track of our belongings, and if something was lost, it was not replaced.
It was summer and, one day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed — and there it was in the window. White, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers, the basket winked at me and I knew — I knew — I had to have it.
“It’s beautiful,” my mother said when I pointed it out to her. “What a neat basket.”
I tried to hold off at first. I played it cool for a short while. But then I guess I couldn’t stand it any longer: “Mom, please can I please, please get it? I’ll do extra chores for as long as you say. I’ll do anything, but I need that basket. I love that basket. Please, Mom. Please?”
I was desperate.
“You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever, “If you save up you could buy this yourself.”
“By the time I make enough it’ll be gone!”
“Maybe Roger here could hold it for you,” she smiled at Roger, the bike guy.
“He can’t hold it for that long, Mom. Someone else will buy it. Please, Mom, please?”
“There might be another way,” she said.
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:
And so our paying plan unfolded.
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Paragraph 2:
A few days later, A neighborhood girl appeared with the exact same basket.
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Now one foot, now the other
Bobby was named after his grandfather, Bob. Bob was the one who helped Bobby learn to walk. “Hold on to my hands, Bobby,”his grandfather said. “Now one foot, now the other.”
One of the best things Bob and Bobby did was to play with the old wooden blocks that were kept on a shelf, in the small sewing room under the front stairs. The blocks had pictures of animals on them. Bob and Bobby would put the blocks one on top of the other very slowly, building a tall tower. Sometimes the tower would be almost finished. “Just one more block,” Bob would say.“And that’s the elephant block.” And they would carefully put the elephant block on the very top. But Bob would sneeze and the tower would fall down. Bobby would laugh and laugh. Then Bob would sit Bobby on his knee and tell him stories.“Bob, tell me the story about how you taught me to walk,” Bobby would say. And his grandfather would tell Bobby how he held Bobby's hands and said, “Now one foot, now the other. And before you knew it ...”
Then one day Bobby came home from school and his grandfather wasn’t there. “Bob is in the hospital,” Dad told Bobby,“He’s had a stroke (中风) and he is too sick to see anyone.” Months later, his father told him that Bob was coming home.
“Now, Bobby,” Dad said, “Bob is still very sick. He can’t move or talk. And he can’t remember us.”Bobby just nodded and didn’t say anything.
One day, Bob tried to say something to Bobby, but the sound that came out was awful. Bobby ran out of the room.“Bob sounded like a monster!” Bobby cried. “He can’t help it, Bobby,”Mom said. So, Bobby went back to the room where Bob was sitting.
“I didn’t mean to run away, Bob. I’m sorry,” Bobby said. “Do you know who I am?” Bobby thought he saw Bob blink (眨眼睛) his eyes.
“Mom,” Bobby called. “Bob knows who I am.”
“Oh Bobby,” Mom said. “Your grandfather doesn’t recognize any of us.”
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。
Para 1：
But Bobby knew better and he ran to the small sewing room under the front stairs.
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Para 2：
“OK, Bob. Now one foot,”Bobby said.
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