Finding happiness in life
When John walked into the dining room in the morning, his wife Jenny and his two children, Kevin and Sophie, were sitting at the table. The atmosphere was frosty as John sat down. Sophie, who was only five years old, gave her father a weak smile. Kevin, his teenage son, didn’t look up from his food. Jenny looked at him silently with her arms folded across her chest.
“OK,” John began, “I’m sorry. I know I let everyone down yesterday.”
Kevin looked accusingly at his father. “You missed my music performance at school again! You’ve never come to see me do anything,” he said angrily.
Jenny placed a hand on John’s shoulder. “That’s true! John, you always miss family activities. The last time we had a family outing was five months ago! And I’m exhausted from all the housework.”
As he drank his coffee, John reflected on his life. He had so much to be thankful for: a successful business, a harmonious family and a lovely home. In fact, he had everything he had ever wanted, but he knew something was wrong. He had always believed that with hard work, he could make his family happy. But he realized he was failing. He was spending more time at work and less time at home. He was working in the office until late in the evening and even during weekends. When at home, he was talking on the phone with his clients or sitting in front of the computer reading or writing emails. He was neglecting his family. He hadn’t taken his wife to a nice restaurant for months. Kevin was passionate about music, but John couldn’t remember the last time he saw Kevin perform at a school concert. Sophie was growing up so fast and John had even missed her last birthday party. John realized he had become an absent husband and an absent father.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Later that day, John went to work, determined to make some changes.
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Soon, John felt a big improvement in his life and work.
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Sometimes, making a decision is hard for adults while easy for kids. The Jackson family had been meaning to buy some new furniture (家具) for ages, but somehow they never got round to it. There were always so many other things to do. Then one day there was a big shout from the room of Jason, 12. The rest of the family ran to see what happened.
Jason’s desk had broken. There were bits of wood and pens and papers all over the floor. And in the middle was Jason! “I was just doing my homework.” he said, “and then -bang! The desk broke. Everything fell over. I was so surprised that I fell over too!” Laughed Jane, 5. “That decides it.” said Mum. “We need to buy some new furniture before anything else breaks. Jane needs a new bed. And Jason needs a desk, so that he can do his homework. ”
So that weekend, the family got up early, and set off for the big furniture store outside town. It was huge. There was so much furniture, some of it was arranged like in a real house.
“Look, I’m playing houses (过家家),” said Jane, crawling ( 爬 ) under a table. Jane loved playing houses. “That’s enough,” Mum said, taking tight hold of Jane’s hand. Jane didn’t like it, but she had to stay close. The family chose a new bed for Jane, who was bored now, and tired. She didn’t say much, while the rest of the family discussed which desk to get. Jason had found one he liked but Mum and Dad couldn’t agree.
“It’s too big.” said Mum. “There’s not enough space in his room.”
“It’s too small,” said Dad. “There’s not enough space for his homework. ”
“I think it’s just right!” said Jason.
“Let’s get a cup of tea while we try and decide,” said Mum.“There’s a cafe in the store.” Dad thought this was a good idea. He needed a sit down, he said, and Jason really wanted a milkshake (奶昔). “What do you think, Jane?” asked Mum. Then she looked round. “Where is she? I think she’s jumping on the sofa!”
But there was no sign of Jane on the sofa. Then Jason wondered if she could be lying on her new 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。
But there was no Jane on the bed. Mum and Dad were really worried now.
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When Jason pushed Jane softly, she woke up and came crawling out. “What were you doing?” Jason asked.
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Vicky was a first-grade student in a primary school, but she did not feel happy there. Her parents wanted to cheer her up, so they sent her to start her second grade in a primary school nearby. She felt quite happy and wanted to make some new friends. However, she made a mistake. She wanted to become so popular that she ioined a group of students at school, but not in the right way.
Jenny, who was very nice at the beginning, became Vicky’s best friend. But Vicky did not realize that by joining up with her, she would suffer a lot later.
Jenny always acted in a proud and unpleasant wav. showing little thought for others. She did not want Vicky to have other friends. Jenny also enjoyed talking about others’ private lives. Vicky started to change as soon as she met Jenny. Her personality was not as sweet as before any more.
Time went by slowly. Vicky’s marks began to go down. Things got even worse. She hardly had any friends and she didn’t care about her friends at all. either. She always talked to her classmates in an impolite way instead of being nice.
After all that suffering, the day at last arrived when one of her classmates told her that Jenny was not going to be in the school next year as she was moving. Vicky said nothing but in fact did not believe it.
However, on the last day at school Jenny told Vicky that she was leaving. Instead of having a happy parting(分手) , Jenny told her that she never felt that Vicky was her true friend.
Vicky was quite surprised when she heard the news and started crying. When holiday was over, Vicky went back to school. telling herself that all the bad times she had suffered last year with Jenny were over, too. But she found out that her classmates had not forgotten her bad acts.
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。
Vicky couldn’t change this until Lily came to her.
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Finally, Vicky was accepted as a member of the class.
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We had a garden in our backyard and I always watered the flowers together with my little sister, Laynie. She had her own watering cans and small shovels so she could ”work“ with me. One day, I showed her how to grow flowers: Dig a hole. Put in a few seeds. Cover them up with dirt. Water them every two or three days.
“See, Laynie,” I explained to her, “Beautiful flowers will grow from these tiny seeds in a few months.”
The next day, after everything was watered, she ran to the fence and started watering another spot. I walked over and saw some fresh dirt near the fence.
“Did you plant something here?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m growing a pencil. My pencil got too short, so I planted it.”
“But. . . ”
I wanted to laugh and tell her the truth, but I changed my mind and said, “Uh. . . I had never tried that before.”
Late in the evening when Laynie was asleep, I dug up the short pencil and “planted” a brand-new one. Laynie was really excited when she dug it up the next morning.
“My pencil grew!” she shouted.
A few days later, Laynie was watering on the same spot. One day later, new crayons stuck their pointy little heads out, thanks to me.
“My crayons grew, too!” Laynie yelled, jumping up and down.
Next, Laynie grew an adult bear doll from a tiny one, a soup spoon from a teaspoon, and a hand mirror from a piece of glass. When she claimed that she had grown these things, I just kept my mouth shut! Actually, it was fun trying to think of what should grow from Laynie’s magic “seeds”. And it was cool to see her get excited.
One morning, I saw her carrying our little gold fish to the fence. I knew immediately what she was going to do and rushed to its rescue.
“How long does it take to grow a big goldfish?” she asked me seriously.
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。
I couldn’t answer her question immediately.
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“No!” my baby sister screamed and burst into tears.
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Among the decorative things in a fifteen-year-old girl’s room, one stood out—a bright blue vase (花瓶). Not a perfect or beautiful vase, it’s broken in several places. The owner of the vase has carefully repaired it, but cracks remain. If this vase could talk, it would tell the story of two girls and a friendship.
Amy and June met on an airplane on their way home from Bangkok where their fathers, who were business partners, were attending meetings. June sat behind Amy. Halfway toward home. Amy turned around and gave June a bright blue vase. June accepted it. They smiled shyly at each other. On that day, a simple friendship between two four-year-old girls was built.
Years flew by. Amy and June grew up together, played together, studied together and, naturally, became closest friends. They supported and comforted each other whenever the other faced sadness, embarrassment, etc.
However, life isn’t a bed of roses. People change as they grow up. Sometimes these changes are hard to accept. And even the friendship can be destroyed. When Amy was 14, she admired a group of very popular girls in her and June’s school. Thus. Amy began hanging out with them and regarded them as her good friends.
Although June was hurt, she tried to be understanding. She was still there for Amy each time Amy found the popular girls didn’t seem to like her and needed a shoulder to cry on. But Amy wasn’t there when June needed her.
Upset about the state of their friendship, June finally invited Amy to her house to talk. When June tried to talk about her difficulties and her problems, Amy turned her back on her by saying. “Later.” Instead, Amy asked June for ideas for what she could do to be accepted by the group of girls. June became angry.
She shouted, “What am I to you, Amy? Your friend or just your little dog?” Amy was annoyed and shouted back. “That is it. June! I hate you!”
Amy rushed out of June’s room, shutting the door hard behind her.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
A blue vase on the shelf jumped and fell onto the floor, breaking into pieces.
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When June opened the door, Amy handed her a gift, saying. “Hap, happy birthday. June!”
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Martin was returning home after a difficult shift (轮班) on a dark snowy night. He worked as a truck driver in Los Angeles, taking several shifts a week because he had a sick daughter, Anne, who needed urgent surgery, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to raise enough money for it.
Anne was diagnosed with a cyst (囊肿) shortly after birth. The doctors told Martin and his wife Helen that she needed an operation as soon as possible, otherwise, it could pose a threat to the little girl’s life. The parents decided they should do whatever it took to save their daughter and began saving money right away.
It was too black outside with no visibility (能见度). Martin was driving slowly, thinking of solutions to his problem when he noticed a shadow in the middle of the road. He hit the brakes and the truck came to a complete stop. Rubbing his eyes, Martin looked more closely. A human figure — a woman lying unconscious in the middle of the road!
Martin picked up the woman, carried her to his truck, quickly changed his route and drove straight to the hospital. About 10 minutes later, they finally arrived at the hospital. “It’s an emergency! Please call the doctor!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. The woman was admitted to hospital at once.
The next day, Martin went to the hospital to see the woman. The woman was Daisy, who was a rich businesswoman. Daisy expressed her gratitude to him and told him the whole story about how she ended up on the road. “Thank you so much, Martin. You’re a really generous soul. I heard you drove me to the hospital last night and that you have been here a few times with your daughter.”
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。
Daisy found that Martin seemed to be worried.
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As the saying goes, one good turn deserves another.
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“There are lots of beautiful fish in the lake,” said Grandpa as he drove our small boat out onto the lake one morning. “Robbie, this looks like a good place. Let’s stay there and start some serious fishing.”
Grandpa’s words filled my six-year-old mind with excitement of catching a big fish and having a dinner of fish. Attaching a bobber (浮标) to my line, I threw it into the quiet, blue-green water. My eyes carefully watched the bobber for any sign of movement. At first, my heart was beating with excitement, but after about half an hour, I grew tired of the bobber’s stillness in the water.
“Where are all the fish?” I cried. “Patience, Robbie,” said Grandpa. “Let our boat drift (漂流) for a while and see if that changes our luck.” This was how the rest of the day went. However much we drifted or moved to different parts of the lake, no fish was coming. I was quite sad and had thoughts of never fishing again. Finally, by late afternoon, Grandpa started driving us back to the lakeside.
During the period, he told me a story of how a fisherman finally caught lots of fish after being patient. But I was not that encouraged. After pulling up to the lakeside, he said, “Robbie, after I tie up the boat, stay on the boat and throw your line in one more time. There may be some sunfish hanging around the lakeside.”
I did as he said and again watched the bobber. This time I planned to be patient and waited longer.
注意
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式作答。
Just when I decided to give up, I saw the bobber move a little.
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Grandpa turned around and taught me how to land the fish.
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A few weeks after the start of the school year, Mello noticed that his friend Melvin was being laughed at by other classmates for the fact that his shoes were worn out (破旧的). Mello couldn’t stand seeing his friend being bullied (欺凌). He really didn’t appreciate other people talking about him that way. In fact, he had been bullied because he was short, so he decided to call his mother immediately after school. He told her that he was tired of this bad situation and that he couldn’t stand anyone laughing at his friend. So, in an act of generosity, Mello suggested that he use his pocket money to buy Melvin a new pair of shoes. He also said that he could do without a New Year gift. Seeing the little boy acted as an adult, the mother was deeply touched and agreed to his request.
After buying them, Mello went to bed earlier than usual, so he could wake up early the next day and go to school a little earlier. This way he could deliver the shoes to his friend without being noticed by other classmates. However, shortly after he gave the shoes to his friend, the headmaster, Bryant Brown, called him into his office.
Mr. Brown told him that he had seen Melvin with a shoebox around the school. When he asked Melvin what was in the box, Melvin showed him that it was a new pair of shoes. Melvin explained that it was his friend Mello who had bought them for him. Mello explained to Mr. Brown that he bought them with his pocket money. Mr. Brown wanted to share this touching moment with more people, and then he took a picture of the shoes.
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。
Mr. Brown asked the children’s parents for. permission (许可) to share the story online.
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Mr. Brown was amazed to see. his post get so many likes
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“Let’s invite the neighbors to a get-to-know-you party!” I announced to my wife, Sarah, and our 11-year-old twins, Olivia and Holly, as we pulled into the driveway of our new house.
The idea had come to me the day we moved in a month earlier. Every time we passed each basketball field and garden, my excitement grew. Families! I could picture us all hanging out together.
Now, here I was at the end of that driveway, sitting in my camp chair, having serious second thoughts. What if we wait a couple more months to hold a get-together? What if we get to know a few folks first? Anyway, I made the final decision.
Sarah rearranged bags of chips and popcorn in a basket she’d set out. “I hope we have enough,” she said. Olivia and Holly threw the beanbags to each other to pass the time. A week earlier, Sarah had designed the invitations, “Hello! We’re new to the neighborhood. The Miller Family. We’d love to meet you. Monday, July 5, anytime between 6 and 8 p. m. It would be great fun!”
Sarah and the girls had gone house to house, putting an invitation in their mailboxes on Whitney Drive, namely the Parkers, a single mother Sally with two kids and Mr. Davis. Coming home, the kids excitedly talked about the Willsons’, an elderly couple they me t in the neighborhood, who seemed to be quite interested when they told them about the party.
However, we hadn’t heard a word since. I checked my watch. 6:10. Maybe I’d misjudged. Sarah also had her doubts obviously. “Would we look silly sitting all alone in our front yard?” she said. “What if no one shows up?” I put my arm around her and drew her close. “We have to have faith,” I said. Then I took two bottles from the cooler I’d stored with juice boxes and cold drinks. Sarah and I clinked (碰杯) them together. “To our new neighborhood,” I 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。
Another ten minutes dragged by and then my eyes widened.
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Chatting with the old couple in the yard, we found more neighbors coming.
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Robert and Henry were two friends in the same class. They always played together and went home together. One day, Robert and Henry were going home from school, when, on turning a corner, Robert cried out, “A fight! Let's go and see!”
“No,” said Henry. “Let us go quietly home and not meddle with (插手) this quarrel. We have nothing to do with it and may get into trouble. Also our parents are expecting to have dinner with us together at home and I don't want them to worry about me.”
“You are a coward (懦夫), and afraid to go,” said Robert, and he ran. Henry went straight home and in the afternoon went to school as usual.
But Robert had told all the boys that Henry was a coward, and they laughed at him a great deal. From then on, they looked down upon Henry and didn’t want to play with him together. Henry was sad but he wasn't angry with Robert for his rude behavior, because he learned that true courage is shown most in bearing misunderstanding when it was not deserved, and that he ought to be afraid of nothing but doing wrong. Thus, he just ignored (忽视) the other boys' laughter and continued to go to school and study as well. However, Robert didn't invite Henry to go home with him anymore. Instead, he had some other boys who also thought Henry was a coward. Everyday after school, they didn't go home directly but went to the river or somewhere to play games and had a lot of fun.
A few days later, Robert was bathing with his new friends in a river, and got out of his depth. He struggled, and screamed for help, but all in vain. The boys who had called Henry a coward got out of the water as fast as they could, but they did not even try to help him.
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。
Paragraph 1：
Robert was fast sinking.
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Paragraph 2：
Thus, Robert’s life was saved.
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