When I was a teenager, I got lost in a foreign country. I was in Berlin, Germany, only month-long trip in Europe. My team and I had one night there to spend however we pleased. Most of my teammates decided to stay indoors and relax. But I did not want to pass up the chance to explore Berlin.
I visited lots of major attractions around the city that night. When the exhaustion began to set in, I checked the time on my watch. I was surprised to see that it was two o'clock in the morning.
As I walked to a subway station, I realized that it was my dad’s birthday. This would be the first birthday I couldn’t celebrate with him because he died a few months earlier. Before I could begin thinking of my dad, I heard train wheels stop.
I rushed onto the train. At first, I was thankful to have made it onto the train. But that joy quickly turned to panic when I noticed that the train was heading in the wrong direction!
I looked around the nearly empty train. I saw a young woman sitting quietly by the window and approached her.
“Hi, do you speak English? I’m lost. Can you help me?” I asked.
The woman understood. She told me how to return to where I had first gotten on the train. But my anxious mind couldn’t follow her guidance.
Without thinking, I asked, “Can you come with me?”
Her face froze at my stupid request. After a long second of hesitation, she agreed to help me. At that moment, I was grateful for the kindness from a stranger.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为100左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Paragraph 1:
On the journey back to the train station I got on, she and I chatted.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Finally, we reached my stop.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I woke up earlier than my brother as every other day of the week. I jumped out of the bed, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and had breakfast. Saying good bye to my mother, I got in the car no later than 7:05. I got to school on time, even though my brother came out of the house late as he used to.
It was a Thursday. I was walking to the chemistry rooms when my phone in my left pocket vibrated(震动). I took it out and looked at the shiny screen. As soon as I saw my father’s name on that screen I realized something was not right.
He would not call me in the middle of a school day just to talk. He would want me to focus in school and do well. I answered the phone, and my father sounded worried. He told me to find my brother as soon as possible, walk with him to the school picking-up zone and get in the car with my brother. Our driver would take us back home where my father was.
When I was in the car with my brother my dad called the driver and told him to take us to the hospital. We were going to meet him and my mum there. As soon as my brother and I found about the change in plans, we looked at each other in the eyes. I immediately noticed the fear in brother’s eyes.
To be honest, I was really scared too, probably more than he was. But I did not say anything. We arrived at the hospital. I saw my dad on the phone waiting for us at the entrance. He was smoking. Seeing my dad smoking made me more worried. I had never seen him smoke before. He hated it. As soon as he recognized the white car, he threw the cigarette away. I looked at my brother; he was looking out of the other window. I did not tell him what I just saw. I did not want him to worry.
注意：
1、所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2、至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3、续写部分分为两段，每段的开头已为你写好；
4、续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
The car stopped right in front of my dad.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
We walked down the hall with our eyes closed.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If there was one thing you could make parents understand about kids, what would it be? That is one of the questions TFK and KidsHealth. org recently asked in an anonymous(匿名的) survey conducted online. More than 8,000 kids answered. “We just want to spend time with you,” said a 12-year-old child. “At 13, you can’t treat me like I’m 6,” another kid said. An 11-year-old child wrote, “Being a kid is a lot harder than it looks.” The kids who took our survey made it clear that they want to feel close to the important people in their life—their mum, dad and other caring adults. But their answers also show that it is not always easy to deal with these close relationships.
Many kids—two out of three—said they get along pretty well or very well with their parents. About four out of five kids told us that they have fun with their parents. But that doesn’t mean they never disagree. In fact, most kids reported arguing with their parents, at least sometimes. “It’s absolutely normal to disagree and argue,” says D’Arcy Lyness, a child psychologist. “But it’s also important to learn how to do so respectfully.” About half of the kids said they are doing that. When they disagree with their parents, they say they discuss issues calmly.
But two out of five kids said arguments tend to involve yelling at each other. Lyness points out that shouting never helps. “Speak up, and let your parents know your ideas and your opinions,” she advises. “But be patient. Don’t use a raised, angry voice.”
Kids made it clear that they would rather avoid conflict altogether. Not surprisingly, three out of four kids admitted lying at times. Many said they lie to avoid getting in trouble or disappointing their parents. According to Lyness, lying isn’t just wrong. It can actually get negative results. Telling the truth builds trust. “When parents can trust you, they are more likely to give you more freedom and more privileges,” she says.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is the traditional family dinner a thing of the past? In today’s households where both parents go to work and kids have busy schedules with school, an array of afternoon activities and much homework, finding time for a gathering at the table seems impossible. Yet, studies have shown time and again that eating together has multiple benefits for family members, especially children.
According to a number of reports issued by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, children who eat at least five times a week with their family are at lower risk of developing poor eating habits, weight problems or alcohol dependencies, and tend to perform better academically than their peers who frequently eat alone or away from home.
Eating together as a family is not just about food and nutrition. “Food has become so easily and cheaply available that we no longer appreciate its significance,” says Professor Robin Fox, who teaches anthropology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "We have to rediscover its importance and its value." Sharing a meal with loved ones should be considered a special event, which can almost take on the form of a ceremony, as it was practiced by our ancestors, for whom finding food was a constant struggle.
Besides appreciation for the value of food, there are also many social elements that come into play when families share meals, says Miriam Weinstein, author of The Surprising Power of Family Meals. The dinner table can be the perfect environment where kids learn how to conduct conversations, observe good manners, serve others, listen, solve conflicts and compromise.
Of course, there is no guarantee that the simple act of eating at home surrounded by family will save children from developing unhealthy lifestyles or making regrettable choices down the road. It may not make them more virtuous (品行端正的) or socially more responsible. But it can form a basis for a lot of things that point them in the right direction.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
John Hydes, who served as a firefighter for 15 years in New Zealand before moving to Australia, is not only new to the neighbourhood, he’s also new to the country.But that didn’t stop him becoming a local hero recently when he pulled two kids from a burning house.
“What he did was fantastic.It was a very brave act.Our family can thank him for our lives.”The moment the kids’mother saw what Mr.Hydes did for her family, tears started welling up in her eyes and falling down her cheeks.
However, Mr.Hydes, who settled here six months ago, said he wasn’t thinking when he saved his neighbour’s son, 5, and daughter, 7, from their PointCook home minutes before the roof fell.
It was said that the children’s mother and the grandfather was occupied in housework outside the gate when the house caught fire.As they saw the thick smoke, they were scared out, unable to say a word.In spite of the phone call, the fire engine could not arrive quickly.The two children were in the bedroom.Desperate and hopeless, the kids’mother knelt down, crying at the top of her voice.Because of excessive shock, the old grandfather was in the hospital for a long time.
“When there are kids in danger you haven’t got time to think, you’ve got to act, ”the father of three said. “I hadn’t met my new neighbours before coming to their help.It’s just a different way of meeting them, ”he laughed.Actually, it was nothing new for Mr.Hydes to jump into a burning building.This time, however, he did it without protective clothing.Later on he recalled the thrilling scene of his fighting the fire.
注意:
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段, 每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后, 请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Mr.Hydes was in bed when he heard screaming before 9 p m.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
“I was greeted(映…的眼帘)by two black and whitefaces screaming for help, ”he said.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I was touched through experiences, memories, books, stories, animals, angels, and most of all other people. People have moved me and molded (塑造) me with moments of love and examples of kindness.
One time on the day before Christmas many years ago when I was a minimum wage mill worker, I found myself with very little money and very little time to buy my small children a few simple toys. I knew that they would have to be cheap ones and I hoped my children would like them. I hated not having enough to give them more. I hated being poor. And I hated feeling bad at Christmas rather than happy.
I pulled into a store parking lot and counted my money again. It wasn’t much but maybe I could get something small with it. As I was getting out of the car I noticed the Salvation Army bell ringer (撞钟人) at the entrance. I felt bad again because I didn’t feel I could spare anything to give him. I started walking towards the entrance when two cars pulled into empty parking spots in front of me. The first was a shiny, new Cadillac and I felt kind of jealous when I saw it. “How nice，” I thought, “would it be to have enough money to buy a car like that. ” The second car, though, was an ancient sedan more beat－up (破旧的) and rusty than the one I was driving.
A man hopped out of the Cadillac and hurried into the store right past the bell ringer without a second glance. Out of the old sedan came a young mother with three small children in tow. Her clothes looked as worn out as her car, yet she stopped in front of the bell ringer, smiled, opened her purse, and dropped a bill in his red kettle.
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，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1：
I stood there for a minute in astonishment.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2：
In that second a warmth touched me, my jealousy and hatred left me, and all the love and joy that are Christmas filled me.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Father’s Influence Makes for Better Grades
Adolescents from low-income families in particular are more likely than their middle-class peers to underachieve and to drop out of school. Studies have shown that a positive attitude towards school work and the support and encouragement from their parents can help at-risk youngsters to overcome the economic barriers and lack of resources they face. Most of the evidence about the effects of parental involvement comes from research on mothers. Little is known, however, about how adolescents experience their fathers’ warmth and the beliefs and behaviors that are most affected by it.
This new study is part of a larger one focusing on low-income families conducted in four middle schools in the southwestern United States. Data were analyzed from questionnaires completed by 183 sixth-graders about how optimistic and motivated they were about their schoolwork, and how they experienced their fathers. The questionnaires were completed primarily by respondents of Mexican American, African American and European American descent. Their maths and language arts grades were also obtained.
Their findings show how fathers can support their teenagers in ways that result in greater optimism, self-efficacy, and, ultimately, higher achievement at school.
These positive effects extend to both sons and daughters, while in different ways. Experiencing their father’s warmth first influences daughters’ sense of optimism, and then spills over into their feeling more determined and certain about their academic abilities. This in turn leads to better math grades. There is a more direct link between their fathers’ involvement and teenage boys’ belief in their ability to succeed on the academic front. This heightened self-confidence increased their success in English language arts classes.
Suizzo suggests that counselors and educators should encourage fathers to communicate warmth and acceptance to their children, because of the positive influence these emotions have on their well-being.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hope
Nothing in my life had prepared me for what I had to do. Choosing my words carefully, and fighting to stay calm, I told my 4-year-old daughter that her grandmother had suffered a stroke（中风），that she was unconscious, and that the doctors said she would probably never wake up. As she moved closer to me, Amelia looked at me, eyes bright, and said, “Maybe Grandma will be okay.” “Maybe she will,” I said, keeping back the tears, But I knew better. I was flying up to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from our Florida home in the morning to say good-bye to my mom.
The rest of that awful week, I joined my brother and father sitting by my mother’s side in the hospital room. I held her hand and talked to her. I told her that we still needed her. I told her that it wasn’t time to leave yet. I told her how much I loved her. And I told her that her little granddaughter, Amelia, believed that she’d get better. The doctors, with all their years of training and experience, offered no hope for recovery. The damage was simply too extensive.
Then, a couple of weeks later, an odd thing happened. Mom woke up. She regained consciousness. Persevered through a long and tough recovery, during which she had to learn to walk, read, and write all over again, and eventually returned home to Dad. The only one who wasn’t shocked was Amerlia. The doctors couldn’t explain it. Amelia didn’t need to. Hope came as naturally to her as breathings.
So why are we so afraid to hope sometimes? Maybe it’s because over the year, life’s disappointments can turn us to disillusionment（理想破灭）. How many times have you heard someone say: “Hope for the best, expect the worst”? That’s not really hope at all.
Hope is being able to look at our world with all of the joy and wonder of a child.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
A Vacation with My Mother
I had an interesting childhood. It was filled with surprises and amusements, all because of my mother---loving, sweet, yet absent-minded and forgetful. One strange family trip we took when I was eleven tells a lot about her.
My two sets of grandparents lived in Colorado and North Dakota, and my parents decided to spend a few weeks driving to those states and seeing all the sights along the way. As the first day of our trip approached, David, my eight-year-old brother, and I unwillingly said good-bye to all of our friends. Who knew if we’d ever see them again? Finally, the moment of our departure arrived, and we loaded suitcases, books, games, camping equipment, and a tent into the car and bravely drove off. We bravely drove off again two hours later after we’d returned home to get the purse and traveler’s checks Mom had forgotten.
David and I were always a little nervous when using gas station bathrooms if Mom was driving while Dad slept: “You stand outside the door and play lookout(放哨) while I go, and I’ll stand outside the door and play lookout while you go.” I had terrible pictures in my mind: “Honey, where are the kids?” “What?! Oh, Gosh…I thought they were being awfully quiet.” We were never actually left behind in a strange city, but we weren’t about to take any chances.
On the fourth or fifth night, we had trouble finding a hotel with a vacancy. After driving in vain for some time, Mom suddenly got a great idea: Why didn’t we find a house with a likely-looking backyard and ask if we could set up tent there? David and I became nervous. To our great relief, Dad turned down the idea. Mom never could understand our objections(反对). If a strange family showed up on her front doorstep, Mom would have been delighted. She thinks everyone in the world is as nice as she is. We finally found a vacancy in the next town.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:The next day we remembered the brand-new tent we had brought with us. ______________
Paragraph 2:
We drove through several states and saw lots of great sights along the way. ______________
My dad was the gentlest， most loving and caring dad in the world-until we had an argument． During those moments， my words surely never reached his "open mind" because his ears were closed． There was no point trying to argue with my dad． He always had the last word． I could never win．
At one time， when my father refused to understand that I needed the privacy of a phone in my room， my frustration turned to tears． He ended our "discussion"， leaving me silently defeated and miserable． With the hope that his eyes would be more open than his ears， I began to write a note that began with "Dear Daddy"． In a most touching tone， I told him how much I respected his opinion， and how much I hated to talk back to him． 1 stressed that I cherished our relationship and， above all， I loved him deeply． It was only minutes before I heard a knock at my door． When I saw the look on my father's face， I knew that my note had melted his temper and touched his heart． The victory of winning my dad's permission was sweet．
This morning I woke up at a text message from one of my best friends， which said "Who's excited for a snow day？" My initial reaction was why on earth we would have a snow day． It was not supposed to snow last night． My second reaction was that that was not true． So I called my dad to make sure whether what I heard was correct． Sure enough it was． After finding this news out， I fell back asleep almost immediately． My dad had said to call him when I woke up． About two hours passed， and I woke up， calling him as planned． No answer． I figured he was just out for business， so I left a message． I called him multiple times on his work， house， and cell phones． Still， no answer． Around noon I got worried． He should have answered something by now． Thinking of his suffering a stomach flu two weeks ago， I decided I would go to make sure he was okay．
注意：
1．所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2．至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3．续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4．续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语．
After I got over there， I was worried．
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At once， I called my mom and told her what had happened．
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
