“Nothing will ever be the same again,” Ally said to herself.
Ally's father died last summer. It wasn't fair, Ally thought. Dad was young and had never been sick. Why had his heart suddenly stopped? Ally sank slow into her father's favorite chair and looked at his picture on the bookcase. Ally smiled. “I miss you, Dad,” she said softly.
At this moment, she felt a hand smoothing her hair and looked up. “Why don't you come outside with me, Ally?” her mother asked. “The birds are nesting in the woods. By this time last year you'd already taken dozens of pictures.”
But her mother must know birdwatching wouldn't be the same this year. How could it be? Ally wondered. Ever since she could remember she and Dad had been a team, searching the woods for the special wood warbler (林柳莺). “I'll be out in while, I promise,” she answered.
After her mother left, Ally reached for the photo album she and Dad had put together. On the cover was a photo of a tiny yellow bird with blue-gray wings and black eyes. Dad cut it from a local newspaper. Ally smiled, remembering the excited look on Dad's face when he showed her the pretty bird.
“I can't believe someone spotted this little guy way up here in New Jersey,” he said. “Wood warblers are usually found in the south, not this far north. I bet if we search really hard, Ally, we'll see this little guy together someday.”
Ally closed her eyes. She loved thinking about the times she and Dad had spent searching the woods for the little bird. They'd never spotted the warbler, but her father had an amazing way of making each outing seem special. He was her best friend.
注意：
1.续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
When they were together, Ally felt comfortable with her favorite blue sweatshirt on.
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Just then her mother came to her, carrying the old net.
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Lucy was with her mother one day as they took a walk while window-shopping. They both knew they wouldn't be buying much. Lucy looked up at the people passing them. Ladies wore 5-inch heels and bright clothes. Man wore expensive perfumes and creams that wiped away the winkles on their faces. An uneasy feeling started to settle in her chest. She could deny it no longer and she was ashamed of her mother.
They were in a high-class neighborhood. They lived in a small, expensive apartment building at the cage of their county. Mother chose to move there because she knew the schools were good. She realized for the first time that they didn't belong there.
She could see the heavy lines around her mother's eyes and mouth. She wore cheap clothes and worn-out shoes. Her eyes were tired from working long hours to make ends meet, and her hair was too gray for her age. She was nothing extraordinary, yet at that moment, she stood out because she was just so plain. Lucy didn't want to be seen with her although there was no one important around to see her anyway. She felt awkward about being at her side. They were standing in the middle of a store, and mother was holding a sweater.
Mother said, “Lucy, this will look good on you. Do you want it?” It was much too expensive, but Lucy almost thoughtlessly answered “Yes”. Then she took a closer look at the small, tired woman with a big smile and a sweater in her hands, happy to be giving her something so nice. Her words died in her throat. Her clothes were worn and old because she spent her money buying her daughter new ones. She looked so tired because she was busy working to provide for her daughter. She didn't wear jewelry or perfumes because she was content with spending what little money she had on her child. Suddenly, her mother was beautiful and extraordinarily wonderful in her eyes.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Lucy was no longer ashamed of her mother, but of herself.
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It looked so beautiful on mother that Lucy could hardly contain her excitement.
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Gifts from their hearts
It was Christmas Eve,I was 15 and feeling sad because there was not enough money to buy the dress I wanted.
It was a cold night and there was ice in Pa’s beard when he came in. ''Come on, Elizabeth,''he said,''Dress warm. It's cold out.''
I was upset. Not only wasn’t I getting the dress; now Pa was dragging me out in the cold.I put on my coat and boots, and Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door. Something was up.
Outside, I was even more upset. There, in front of the house, was the work team, already fixed to the big sled（运输雪橇）. Whatever we were going to do wasn't going to be a quick job.
I reluctantly climbed up beside Pa, he cold already biting at me.We pulled in front of the woodshed and started loading wood-the wood we'd spent all summer pulling down from the mountain an all fall sawing(锯)into blocks and spitting.
Finally I asked,"Pa, what are you doing?"
"Have you been by Mrs.Clark's lately?"he asked.
Mrs.Clark lived about two miles down the road from us.Her husband had passed away the year before, leaving her with a son to raise on her own.
“Yeah,” I said. “Why?”
“I rode by just today,” Pa said. “Little Jake was out digging around in the woodpile, trying to find chips(碎屑). They’re out of wood, Elizabeth.”
That was all he said.
“What’s in the little bag?” I asked.
“Shoes. They’re out of shoes.Little Jake had sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile.”
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。
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We rode the two miles to the Clarks’ place in silence.
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It opened and out came Mrs.Clark.
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My mother was a supporter of physical punishment, but for all her talking she has never spanked (打屁股) my siblings and me only once. Instead，she found ways of punishment that left a more lasting memory than giving us a spanking. One of the most memorable of these occasions occurred when I was four.
In the early 70’s my mother attended college during the day and I was in daycare. One day at daycare I watched an extremely tired mother attempt to pick up her daughter. The little girl asked, “Momma, are we going to McDonald’s for dinner?” The mother replied, “Honey, not tonight. Momma has to run a few errands (差事) and then we have to go home and cook dinner for Daddy.” “But I wanna go.” “Susie, I said not tonight. Maybe, if you are a good girl, we can go tomorrow.” Susie immediately dropped to the floor, kicking and screaming, “I want to go to McDonald’s.”
No amount of pleading (恳求) or scolding, her mother tried stopped Susie’s tantrum (发脾气). Finally her mother gave in, “Okay, Susie, let’s go to McDonald’s.” Susie stopped yelling and smiling she grabbed her mother’s hand and they left. To say I was amazed would be inaccurate; I was delighted that anything I wanted could be had by throwing a tantrum.
That day my mother picked me up early from daycare because we were going to a store to purchase some Christmas items. I was excited by the lights and decorations, and as we walked through the toy section on the way to the counter, I saw a toy I had to have. It was a white and red telephone whose bells rang as it was pulled along on a string. Looking lovingly up at my mother I asked, “Mama, can I have that telephone?”
She replied, “Baby, not now, but if you are a good girl, maybe Santa will bring it to you.” “But Mama, I want that telephone right now.” Her eyes narrowed and her hand tightened on mine. “Becky, you can’t have that telephone today, but if you misbehave, you can have a spanking.”
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
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By now we were standing in the long holiday line to pay the bill, and I figured it was a good chance.
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“Mama, stop. Mama, get up,” I tearfully pleaded.
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My mother eyed me with suspicion. I dared not look at her. Knowing that I was late from school five days continuously, I could not offer an acceptable explanation. I knew she did not believe that I had extra classes every day and arrived home after 5 pm. However, realizing she had little choice but to believe in me, she told me that dinner was in the refrigerator. She had to rush for her night shift at the local clinic.
Ever since we lost our dad in an accident, my mother became the breadwinner. I was the eldest among the four siblings and it fell upon my shoulder to ensure that they could become responsible adults. Besides helping mother with the housework, I regularly coached them in their studies. Thankfully, never once had I had to raise my voice or force them to complete their homework. But all of us missed dad very much. He was a model father and husband.Life was cruelly taken away from him at a very young age of 42.
However, my mother managed to pull through and found a job at the clinic. It was very tough on someone like her who had never worked before in her life. But money was scarce and there were five mouths to feed. Dad did not leave much behind.He never suspected he would die so young.We stopped dining out and had our meals mostly at home. We basically lived from hand to mouth.That's when it dawned on me that I had to do my part for the family. I knew mother would not agree but I threw caution out of the window and managed to get a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant.I worked three hours a day and managed to bring home money so that my siblings and I could go out for occasional movies or meals. I was sure that mother suspected something. But she could not quite point the figure to the source of her suspicion.
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。
One day,while I was busy serving the customers, I was shocked to see mother standing opposite the counter.
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Mother made me sit down. She was already crying, so were my siblings.
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It’s Sunday in Montreal, Canada. There were three kids talking and laughing happily as they took turns riding a scooter(滑板车)on the quiet street. 11-year-old Dale had just jumped off the scooter as his neighbors Zoe, age 7, claimed her turn, and Julie, 9, looked on. Ten minutes later, Zoe sat down on the scooter to catch her breath. That was when a bearded man with a head of messy hair appeared. Without saying a word, the man picked Zoe up off the scooter and calmly stepped away.
The guy held Zoe gently like a baby and just walked down the street. In fact, the calm way the man behaved led Dale to believe that he must be a relative of Zoe’s. But something wasn’t right. “I could see Zoe’s face,” Dale said. “She was afraid.”
As the man walked on, Zoe’s fear transformed into weeps, and then she cried for help. She began kicking and moving, trying to get free of the man’s control. “What are you doing?” Julie shouted But the man，undisturbed, just walked on until he reached an alley(小巷)and disappeared.
Dale was frightened, yet he never thought about the danger to himself. The only thing he wanted to do was to get Zoe back. But what was a 4-foot-tall kid going to do to stop a grown man? “I wanted to help but I couldn’t do it myself,” he thought to himself. “Tell Zoe’s parents, Julie!” He shouted as he started running towards the alley.
Zoe’s parents were relaxing on the sofa in their living room when their front door burst open.
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。
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“A bad grown man just took Zoe away!” yelled Julie.
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At that very moment, Zoe’s parents arrived.
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Caneze and her parents moved to the United Sates when she was only two years old and they haven't visited their motherland for ten years. Last month, Caneze's grandfather came to see them, and the family threw a big party. But Caneze didn't spend much time with him that day. He didn't speak English,so how could she have any sort of conversation with him? Caneze spent most of that day in the study room,texting her best friend, Maya, and watching her cousins play video games. There was a huge art competition coming up at school,and Caneze and Maya were planning to compete.
“I wish you'd spent time with your grandfather instead of your phone, Caneze,” Mom said one day on the way home.
“But I don't even know him,” Caneze said, “and he doesn't speak any English. How could I talk to him?”
“And you don't speak any Ukrainian(乌克兰语), Caneze, but he'd love to get to know you. I think you may find that you two have a lot in common. ”
Two weeks later, Caneze came home from school in the afternoon to find her grandfather sitting at the kitchen table chatting with Mom happily. On the table sat some books. The old man smiled warmly at Caneze, and she smiled back as she sat down at the table. As Grandpa and Mom spoke in Ukrainian, Caneze let her mind wander. As the art competition was around the corner,
Maya and she had to be quick for their project. Suddenly, an idea for a picture came to her, so she fetched her sketchbook. Sitting at the table, she sketched while the adults talked. Then Caneze heard Mom say, “I have to run out for a few minutes. You can stay here with Grandpa. ”
Caneze suddenly felt unsure and shy, what would the two of them talk about? “This is going to be awkward,” she thought as her mind was racing for an idea for this embarrassed moment. She gave Grandpa a polite smile and then returned to the lines and shapes she had drawn on the page.
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Suddenly she sensed Grandpa was watching her.
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“This is beautiful - I didn't know you were an artist,”Caneze said.
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Grandfather was a wise and honorable man. His house was not far from ours, and I would visit him often going home after school.
No matter how rotten I had been, 1 could tell Grandpa anything. My secrets were safe. He always understood. He loved me.
I remember a time when a bunch of us were playing baseball in the field behind Mrs. Ferguson's house. I hit one pitch (投) just right and . . . slam! It was a home run that soared (急升) high and away, and ended up breaking Old Lady Ferguson's kitchen window! We all ran!
Walking home, my best friend, Tom, asked, “How will she ever know who did it? She's blinder than a bat!” I decided to stop by Grandpa's. He must have known something was up by the expression on my face. I felt ashamed. I wanted to hide. I wanted to bang my head against a tree a thousand times and make the world just go away- as if punishing myself could undo things. I told him about it.
He knew we had been warned many times about the dangers of playing where we shouldn't. But he just listened.
“I was wrong, I told him, with my head down. “I hate myself for what I did. I really blew it. Is there a way out? Will she call the police?”
“Well,” he said, “she has a problem, just like you. I'll bet if she knew you cared, she would be sad to know that you're afraid of her. I'll bet she wishes you would give her a chance... a chance to be understanding, It's your decision, ” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Just so I don't say the wrong thing, is the plan to pretend nothing happened? Just keep quiet and carry your little secret around . . . hide what you're not proud of?”
“I don't know, ” I sighed. “Things might get worse. . . . ”
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。
Grandpa asked, “If you were Mrs. Ferguson, what would you do?”
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“Doing what's right is not always easy, ” Grandpa said, handing me the phone.
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You would think that after hearing Mom and Dad talking about The Trip for a year, I would be eager to go. But I didn’t even want to think about it. “Aren’t you excited?” asked Dad, looking up from his laptop. “This is the trip of a lifetime. I’ll bet none of your friends will be driving across the United States this summer.”
Exactly, I thought. Nobody I knew was going to pile into an old van, and drive from California to New York and back in 58 days. Fifty — eight days! That was practically my whole summer! But I knew it was useless to protest.
When Dad was offered a summer off for the first time in his career, he said that he would always dreamed of driving across the country. So we were going. That was Dad’s chance.
I picked up my cat, Max, and buried my face in his fur. He pawed at my ears playfully. Goodbye, summer vacation. Goodbye, diving at the lake. Goodbye to hanging out and doing absolutely nothing. Good bye, Max. I was going to miss this ball of fur. I put him down and laughed as he batted a button across the floor like a soccer player. He was interested in all small objects.
The closer the trip got, the harder it was going to ignore. Thick envelopes arrived from places like Indiana, Tennessee and Arkansas. Night after night, Mom and Dad huddled around the computer, plotting every inch of our 8,000-mile journey.
Three days after school got out, The Trip finally came. Everything was packed and ready to go. Mom said that we are supposed to leave at 9 a. m. But when Dad noticed a wet spot under the van, I realized we wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. Dad crawled under the van. Car parts sprang up around the van like mushrooms.
Minutes turned into hours. By the time Dad gave Mom the news, it was late afternoon. “I fixed the leak.” said Dad, “But now I couldn’t find one of the fan bolts (螺栓).” Mom organized a search, but in vain.
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。
Dad called the stores but none carried the bolt that fitted this old van.
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Then it hit me. “Max!” I shouted, “Find Max!”
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Raelene seemed to be in trouble with her mother. It seemed like her mother was screaming all the time. Raelene couldn't bear it. She tried to keep to herself and out of her mother's way. At times she shut herself in her room but her mother would follow her in, still shouting at her and telling her to do things.
One day, when her mother had been screaming, Raelene went outside to get away from it all. Her pet dog, Crystal, came running up to her, tail wagging, but Raelene had had enough and screamed at Crystal. Crystal dropped her tail between her legs and turned around to run off, looking for a place to hide. Raelene saw how Crystal had run away when she screamed. She thought how it was like what she did when her mother screamed at her.
At school, Raelene was studying science and had learned about experiments, so she decided to carry out an experiment with Crystal. She sat down on the ground, closer to Crystal's height where she could see Crystal's nose and eyes peeping (偷看) around the corner of the house. Raelene began to talk to Crystal in a soft, gentle voice. This was the experiment. What she said and how she said it were different. Her words said Crystal was a bad dog for running away and hiding. However, she said it in a gentle, loving, and caring voice. Soon Crystal moved out from around the corner and came back with her tail wagging and her whole body full of excitement.
Raelene continued her experiment. She now told Crystal what a good dog she was and how she was the only person who seemed to understand Raelene-- but how she did it was in a loud, shouting voice. Crystal again dropped her tail between her legs and ran around the corner.
“This is interesting,” thought Raelene. She now used the same loving words in a gentle, loving voice. Again Crystal emerged and rested her head on Raelene's lap.
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。
Raelene continued to experiment with different things.
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After that Raelene began to experiment when her mother was screaming.
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