I still remember the day when we decorated the house, I was ten and it was two weeks before Christmas. I was looking forward to my presents. Since I’m the youngest in the family, all of the family members would give me a gift one way or another. Sometimes it was a cookie or a hug but it was always there. I was the only center of attention and it was feeling good.
My uncles usually would ask me what I wanted before Christmas and that year I knew what I wanted. It was the spaceship I saw in the ads. I was dreaming of opening a big gift box, and it was there. But that year it came in a way that I wasn’t expecting.
It was two weeks before Christmas. Just two weeks. She couldn’t wait. My dear mother told my father that it was time, and then we went to the hospital. After an hour, they told me that I had a sister now. But I didn’t want a sister. I wanted a spaceship. The next few days went so fast. No one was caring about me. Everyone was talking about her and I knew that my life is never going to be the same ever again. I wasn’t ready to grow up, to be a big brother. But it just happened in an instant.
On the day before Christmas, everyone was in our home, talking only about my newborn sister. My family was becoming hers. Even my uncles didn’t ask me anything about the gift. She stole everything I’d ever had, my life and my presents. Thinking about this, I cried to sleep. I had a nightmare (噩梦) and woke up at the middle of the night. Shadows were all around me, and I was defenseless and so weak. I ran into my parents’ bedroom but couldn’t wake up my poor parents who were just too worn out. I was standing near their bed, trying not to cry when I saw her. She was awake and looking at me with her big eyes in her small bed.
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。
Suddenly a long shadow came into the bedroom and she started crying.
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After having comforted her, something slowly changed inside me.
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Jenny was the only child in her family. She had a quarrel with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily. She couldn’t help weeping sorrowfully when she thought of the scolding from her mother. Having wandered aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat. She stood beside a stand for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she gave a sigh and had to leave. The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, “Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?” “Oh, yes, but I don’t have money on me.” she replied.
“That’s nothing. I’ll treat you today,” said the man “Come in.” The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently. “What is it?” asked the man kindly. “Nothing. Actually, I was just touched by your kindness!” said Jenny as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so merciless compared to a stranger!” Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. Can you number the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your gratitude to her?” Jenny sat there, speechless and numb with shock: she remembered her mother’s familiar face and weathered hands. “Why didn’t I think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel indebted. Why haven’t I thanked my mum for what she has done for me?” On the way home. Jenny made up her mind to make an apology to her mother for her rudeness as soon as she arrived home.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Nearing the doorway. Jenny took a deep breath.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A gentle touch on her hair called her mind back.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Keeping up seemed so important when I was a teenager. Back in 1973, if you weren’t wearing Penn Loafers (乐福鞋) you’d just as soon go around in your bare feet. There was only one problem that year, I had bought Oxfords—but Penny Loafers were in.
“I need some money for Penny Loafers.” I told my dad one afternoon at the place where he worked as a car mechanic.
Dad looked at me for a full minute before he answered, “Wear those shoes one more day. Look at every pair of shoes you see at school. If you can tell me that you are worse off than the other kids, I’ll buy new shoes for you.”
The next day, I did what Dad said. I saw many schoolmates wore torn shoes of the likes I’d never had to wear, and shoes with holes in them, but I had no intention of telling him the results.
When school was out, I rushed to the place where Dad worked. It was quiet. Only an occasional clank (叮当声) of metal could be heard as Dad worked under a car. Then dad’s shoes came into my sight. They were old and black, the kind mechanics and service-station attendants wore. I saw the mended soles (鞋底) and the spliced laces (拼接的鞋带) .
“You do what I told you today?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, what do you want to do?” He looked as though he might know what my answer would be.
“I still want the Penny Loafers.” I forced myself not to look at his shoes.
Dad handed me ten dollars. I took the money and went to the store two blocks down the street. A rack (货架) on a far wall appeared as if it had a million pairs of black Penny Loafers resting on it. On a rack next to it was a sign that reads “CLEARANCE 50% OFF”.Below the sign sat several “young” versions ofDad’s shoes.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My mind was playing Pingpong
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I ran back to the shop and put Dad’s new shoes on the seat in his car.
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Emily sighed for many times. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake off her disappointment. She and her best friend, Zatanna, had been planning a shopping day for weeks. They had been so busy for their final exams that they barely had time to text each other. Emily looked at her empty desk and was reminded of how she had exhausted herself to the breaking point to get ahead in her class, so that she could spend the whole day with Zatanna. It seemed as if their time together wasn’t as important to Zatanna considering the fact that she had called her a few minutes ago to tell her that she wouldn’t be able to keep her promise. Obviously, her other friends dragged her awayfor a weekend.
Emily tried to take a deep breath even though there was an invisible heavy weight around her heart. She hated to act like someone who was eager for attention, so she just laughed off their plans in front of Zatanna and made a half-hearted attempt to reschedule them. She sat down heavily in her chair and opened her books. “Might as well get some studying done,” she thought.
For the next couple of days, she didn’t get any texts or calls from Zatanna. Her calls went straight to voicemail and her texts were unread. She started to get worried. Zatanna never ignored her calls, Even if she was busy, she still responded, though a bit hastily (草率地). Emily didn’t think much of this and reasoned that she must have been busy with her new friends.
After a few more days of no contact with Zatanna, she felt anxious and thought of the worst-case scenario. She shook her head as if she could physically let those dark thoughts go. “I’ll visit her professor,” she thought with a determined shake of her head.
Paragraph 1:
She knew from a professor that Zatanna worked part time in the cafe on the other side of campus. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Zatanna looked up, and her eyes widened.
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Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi. Once, I was called at 3 a.m. to pick someone up. When I arrived, the building was completely dark except for one light in a window. Often, many drivers would just honk ( 按喇叭) once or twice, wait a short minute, then drive away.
But unless a real danger, I always went to the door to find the passenger. It might be someone who needed my assistance. Would I not want a driver to do the same if my mother or father had called for a taxi?
So I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a weak and elderly voice. I could hear the sound of something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase. “Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she said. “I’d like a few moments alone. Then, if you could come back and help me? I’m not very strong.”
I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm, and we walked slowly toward the cab. She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said. When we got in the taxi, she gave me an address. Then she asked, “Could you drive through the downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered. “I don’t mind,” she said, “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to the nursing home.” I saw her eyes shining with tears. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I am too old to live alone.”
I quietly turned off the meter (计程器). “What road do you want me to take?” I asked. “First, take me to Sunrise Street. That’s where I was born.”
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。
For hours, we drove through the city.
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“How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching for her purse.
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Our Garden and the Salad
“Christine, come and help me in the garden. I want to plant all of the seeds today.” My father was calling to me. “I'm busy...” I said. I didn't understand why working in the dirt excited him so much.
By the end of April, his plants had come up in neat rows. Unfortunately, in early May, my father was seriously injured in an accident. He was in hospital for about two months and during that time he often asked me about his garden. Even after he came home, he had to stay in bed for a while.
My mother had several business trips so I said that I would take care of his garden. I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often so I didn't think much about the garden.
One Saturday morning in July, my father said to me, “Christine, I think that the vegetables should be about ready to be picked. Let's have a salad today!” I took a bowl and went out to the garden. I looked at the leaves and was upset to see that many of the leaves had been half eaten. There were hundreds of bugs (虫子) all over them! I tried to get them off, but there were just too many. I looked at the carrots next, but they didn't look healthy.
I got in panic for a moment, but then thought of a good idea. I quietly went to the nearest store to buy some vegetables. I went back home and cut them up to make a salad for my father. When I gave it to him, he said, “Oh, Christine, what a beautiful salad! You must be taking very good care of my garden.” My father looked happy, but I felt a little bit guilty.
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 went back to the kitchen when my mother came home.
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I carefully made a salad and took it to my father.
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One weekend in July, Jane and her husband, Tom, had driven three hours to camp overnight by a lake in the forest. Unfortunately, on the way an unpleasant subject came up and they started to quarrel. By the time they reached the lake, Jane was so angry that she said to Tom, “I'm going to find a better spot for us to camp” and walked away.
With no path to follow, Jane just walked on for quite a long time. After she had climbed to a high place, she turned around, hoping to see the lake. To her surprise, she saw nothing but forest and, far beyond, a snowcapped mountain top. She suddenly realized that she was lost.
“Tom!” she cried. “Help!”
No reply. If only she had not left her mobile phone in that bag with Tom. Jane kept moving, but the farther she walked, the more confused she became. As night was beginning to fall, Jane was so tired that she had to stop for the night. Lying awake in the dark, Jane wanted very much to be with Tom and her family. She wanted to hold him and tell him how much she loved him.
Jane rose at the break of day, hungry and thirsty. She could hear water trickling (滴落) somewhere at a distance. Quickly she followed the sound to a stream. To her great joy, she also saw some berry bushes. She drank and ate a few berries. Never in her life had she tasted anything better.
Feeling stronger now, Jane began to walk along the stream and hope it would lead her to' the lake.
As she picked her way carefully along the stream, Jane heard a helicopter. Is that for me? Unfortunately,the trees made it impossible for people to see her from above. A few minutes later, another helicopter flew overhead. Jane took off her yellow blouse, thinking that she should go to an open area and flag them if they came back again.
注意：
1)所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2)续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
3)请在答题卡的相应位置作答；
4)字体端正，格式规范，卷面整洁。
Paragraph l:
But no more helicopter came and it was getting dark again.
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Paragraph 2:
It was daybreak when Jane woke up.
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When he was around 5-6 years old, my brother Ted, who is four years younger to me, suddenly found his legs unable to move one night. What followed was one of the hardest times of my parents'life. Months passed with them meeting various doctors, visiting different hospitals, and knocking at the doorstep of every possible chance — all the time with Ted in their arms, since he wasn't able to walk on his own anymore.
There were doubts of permanent paralysis（瘫痪）— the very mention of which was enough to break us down. From finding it extremely painful to walk, to not being able to get up on his own, and to not being able to stand at all, Ted's problem was worsening day by day. Most surprisingly, all this while, he was as strong as, perhaps, only children can be in such difficult times.
During this period, it was not unusual for my mother to have sudden breakdowns. Once, she burst into tears while watching Ted playing joyfully. He wiped off her tears, and said, “Don't cry, mummy. See, I can stand and even run on my own!” Saying this, he tried to get up, stood on shaking legs for just about a few microseconds and fell down, only to be safely caught in the arms of my mom, who hugged him dearly and cried some more.
This was the most heart-breaking thing that I had ever experienced. But it was also a powerful one for the simple fact that it was my little brother who taught us what life was all about—HOPE.
Witnessing my brother's strong will and positive attitude inspired me as well. As a brother, I could not stand by doing nothing at all. Hope was burning in my heart when I had the idea to train my brother to walk again. I firmly believe Ted could stand up and walk as he used to. Whenever school was over, I would put Ted into a pushchair and tell my mom that we'd just go to the park.
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。
In the park, I would put Ted one meter away from me, encouraging him to walk.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We agreed to keep this a secret from our parents until mom's birthday.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A few years ago, my wife Sue had some fairly serious health problems. She had suffered surgery after surgery and had also put on weight for several years. Diets had not helped her.
One day we sat down and drew up a “wish list” of the things we wanted most out of life. One of Sue’s items was to run in a marathon. Given her history and physical limitations, I thought her goal was completely unrealistic, but Sue became committed to it.
She began by running very slowly around. Every day she ran just a little farther than she had the day before just one driveway more. “When will I ever be able to run a mile?” Sue asked one day. Soon she was running three. Then five. “We can change ourselves for the better and cause ourselves to pursue our most precious desires with almost total success,” Sue said and registered to run in the St. George Marathon in southern Utah.
I drove the mountainous road from Cedar City to St. George. When the marathon began, I parked the car near the finish line and waited for Sue to come in. Five hours later, it was raining steadily and the wind was cold. Several cold and injured runners had been transported past me, and I began to panic. The image of Sue, alone and cold, off the road somewhere, made me sick with worry. The fast and strong competitors had finished long ago, and runners were becoming fewer and fewer. Now I could not see anyone in either direction.
Almost all of the cars along the marathon route had left, and some normal traffic was beginning. I was able to drive directly up the race route. There were still no runners in view after driving almost two miles. Then I went around a bend in the road and spotted two runners running up ahead.
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。
It was Sue in the company of a girl runner, struggling.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________At the finish line, the girl hugged Sue, “You made me believe we could do it.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the afternoon sun bathed the local beach with its warm, golden rays, four-year-old William sat on the beach with a mix of expectation and confusion. His dad, Steven, sat by his side. They were waiting for William’s friends to arrive and celebrate his long-awaited birthday party. William’s wide eyes, filled with hope and happiness, stared at the shoreline, looking for familiar faces.
He kept asking his dad where everyone was, and Steven just told him “they’re coming soon, ”trying to ease his son’s growing impatience. But the longer they waited, the more hopeless William became. He was extremely disappointed when the two invited families called and said they couldn’t make it to the celebration because of unexpected situations.
Steven watched his son, who had been eagerly expecting his special day for what seemed like ages. This year, William had been more aware than ever of his upcoming birthday, asking throughout the month when his birthday was, eagerly expecting a good time.
Feeling a sense of guilt for his son’s disappointment, Steven decided to turn to social media for help. He posted a lovely picture of him and William on the beach. Their faces were filled with a mix of hope and disappointment. The sincere words with the picture read, “William would love some friends to play with on the beach. To celebrate his fourth birthday, he has Hot Wheels, sand toys, dinosaurs, and we have some snacks and drinks. Any and all welcome. ”
William’s wish for companionship produced a strong response from the local people. They flooded the post with messages of support, birthday wishes, and offers to join the celebration. They were determined to make William’s day special.
“Going there. See you soon, ”one warm-hearted local commented on the post, promising to bring her family along. The message aroused the same feeling from many others, who were quick to follow suit.
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。
Soon, the beach was filled with scenes of joy.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After hours of laughter and games, the sun began to set.
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