Mark was an 8-year-old boy living in Denver with his family. When 3 years old, Mark reached for the kettle on the table and upset it, causing his face burnt. After several surgeries, Mark was home-schooled by his mother, but as he approached second grade, his parents decided to enroll him in Beecher Prep, a private school.
His face was uneven and many scars were left on the cheeks. Mark was scared of being made fun of, but his parents encouraged him to face everything bravely.
When he first started school, he was rejected by almost all the students for the sake of his burnt face, which was a tough time for him. Fortunately, a girl named Angel offered to sit with him on his first day of school and helped him go through that difficult period. They became good friends, chatting merrily and sharing what they were enthusiastic about.
Gradually, Mark’s excellent learning competence and kind behavior made him popular with the students. Since Mark had a good command of science, his classmates would turn to him for help whenever they had problems with their studies. Mark was always more than willing to help them.
On Halloween, a variety of holiday activities were held on campus, with each classroom decorated with flowers and toys. All the students including Mark were dressed up in Grimace masks and costumes. They all disguised to be their favorite characters, enjoying themselves. Unrecognized, Mark was walking through the classroom backdoor when he overheard his classmate Joe’s comment, “Mark’s face is the ugliest one I have ever seen.” Hearing this, Mark felt a burst of sadness and depression flooded over him. He run away secretly. Angel happened to stand behind Mark and witnessed what happened, but it was too late to stop it. As Mark’s best friend at school, Angel thought Mark was a good boy who should be treated kindly.
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。
After a second thought, Angel walked up to Joe.
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Joe decided to make an apology to Mark.
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Fiona and I had been classmates since kindergarten. She was always wherever I was and she was always ahead of me. Dance performance needed a big finish? Fiona was picked. Selling cookies for charity? “Oh, I’m sorry,” the lady living next door to me would say, “I just bought twenty boxes from Fiona. Such a nice girl.” And the school plays? Fiona would have the leads while I was cast as her mother or neighbor. I even played her dog once. Yeah, whatever.
Then the day of the choir concert audition(面试) came. We waited while Ms. Jones called us one at a time into the choir room. When Ms. Jones got to the C’s, my heart sped up each time she came to the door. By the time she actually called my name, my whole body was shaking. When I came back, Fiona smiled at me. Ms. Jones called her name and Fiona followed her. She was still calm and smiling when her audition was over.
When Ms. Jones made the announcement of who had made the special choir group, I wasn’t surprised when Fiona’s name was on the list and mine wasn’t. “So,” I said under my breath, “what else is new?”
Sudden clapping brought me out of my thought. Everyone was looking at me. I must have missed something here. Ms. Jones walked towards me and said, “Celia, you will have to start practicing with me. The lead singer takes extra preparation.” Lead singer? I got the lead singer? I glanced over at Fiona. She smiled and gave me the thumbs-up sign. She was always so nice.
Now the big day had come. We stepped onto the stage and took our places. I was front and center. Ms. Jones raised her baton (指挥棒) and we began to sing. The spotlight flashed over me and then circled me in its bright light. Ms. Jones nodded and pointed her baton at me. That baton must have shot out a secret ray because I froze right there on the spot.
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 couldn’t think and most of all, I couldn’t sing.
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The rest of the performance went well.
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3 . Wearing high heels, lipstick and trendy dresses, a group of “chic grandmas” with an average age of 68, can still walk the walk as models. But they are not trained models. They are, in fact, ordinary retirees. They all share a love for fashion, and they come together to add a bit of enjoyment to their lives. These “chic grandmas” share a common goal now but their backgrounds could barely be more different.
Sang Xiuzhu, 77, is one of them. She used to be an automatic control engineer. She initially planned to journey across continents with her husband after retirement, but during a literary event, Sang, 1.7 meters tall, was spotted by a modeling coach. In the beginning, she joined the senior model team and attended events organized by her local community and enterprises. Later, she was invited to participate in Beijing International Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and her new career just grew.
Sang is learning to compose music, form lines and write scripts. She is so occupied that she really has no time to think about the aging issue. As for the future, Sang doesn’t know how to define it, as she really enjoys the present. She suggests that after retirement, people must cope with the transition period, and they should enjoy life.
As long as the heart is not old, life is always sweet. All “chic grandmas” are full of enthusiasm for new things and they live to learn. This kind of enthusiasm that is rooted deeply in their heart fills them with energy.
1. What does the underlined word “chic” in paragraph I mean?| A．Retired. | B．Urban. | C．Stylish. | D．Rigid. |
| A．Become a senior model. | B．Attend literary events. |
| C．Learn to compose music. | D．Tour around the world. |
| A．They have a born talent for modeling. |
| B．They willingly experience new things. |
| C．They come from similar backgrounds. |
| D．They concern much about the aging issue. |
| A．Changes in Fashion Week | B．Never Too Late to Learn |
| C．Beauty Has No Age Limit | D．Interest Is the Best Teacher |
Marie had always dreamed of becoming a professional dancer and was preparing for a high-level dance competition which was aimed to draw excellent dancers from all over the country. It was a prestigious (负有盛名的) event, and Marie knew that if she wanted to make a name for herself in the world of ballet, this was her chance. She spent every waking moment practicing, determined to give it her all on the big day.
When the day of the competition arrived, Marie was nervous but excited. She had trained hard for this moment for years and felt confident in her well-prepared dancing. As she walked onto the stage, the bright lights blinded her momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure and began to dance.
The music swirled around her as she moved gracefully across the stage. Her movements were fluid and precise, each step perfectly executed. The audience watched in awe as Marie danced, completely lost in the moment.
But then, it happened. During a particularly difficult jump, Marie landed awkwardly on her ankle and felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg. She tried to ignore it and continue dancing, but the pain was too much. She fell to the floor, clutching her leg in agony.
Paramedics rushed onto the stage to tend to her, and Marie was taken to the hospital. The diagnosis was devastating: she had torn several ligaments (韧带) in her ankle and would need extensive surgery to repair the damage. Marie was held by desperate shock. She had worked so hard to get where she was, and now it seemed like all of her dreams were slipping away. For weeks, Marie was confined to a wheelchair, unable to move without assistance. She felt helpless and alone, wondering if she would ever be able to dance again.
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, she heard a knock on her hospital room door and in came Jenny, her toughest opponent in the dance competition.
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Slowly, she felt more open to accepting Jenny’s help and support.
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内容包括：
1. 写作目的；
2. 你的困难；
3. 你的请求。
注意： 写作词数应为80左右。
Dear Jack,
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Yours,
Li Hua
A Christmas Worth Remembering
Hector kicked his boot in the snow, angry that he couldn’t change Mom’s mind. Why did they have to work at the homeless shelter over Christmas?
Christmas was for opening presents, eating delicious food, and playing games. He didn’t want to spend it handing out presents and food to other people. Mom called it community service, but he called it a bummer (令人不开心的事).
“What are you doing?” asked David as he entered Hector’s yard. David was his friend from next door. “Going to build a snow castle?”
“No,” Hector said. “I’m just trying to cool off.”
“Well, it’s definitely cold out here. What’s wrong?” David asked.
“My mom said that we’re going to the homeless shelter on Christmas Day,” Hector said. “We’re going to help provide them with a Christmas lunch and hand out presents to the kids.”
“What’s wrong with that?” David asked.
Hector stared at him, his mouth hanging open. “What’s wrong? We’re going there on Christmas Day, that’s what.”
“It might not be so bad. We did something like that with our local outreach ministry (外联部) on Thanksgiving.” David said. Hector hadn’t known that. Still, he didn’t think it would be much fun.
The next week passed quickly. Soon it was Christmas Day. It was time for Hector to go to the shelter with his parents. As they left, Hector sat in the back seat of the car with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.
At the shelter, a man greeted them with a happy smile. “Thank you for coming to help today,” he said. “I hope you will enjoy your time here.” Hector seriously doubted it.
The man told Dad where he could serve food and he pointed Mom toward several large boxes that were filled with presents.
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。
Hector stood uneasily, not sure what to do.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Afer the meal, Hector helped Mom pass the presents out to the kids.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mom and I walked side by side through town. I was twelve years old, dependent on her, yet wanting so much to be my own person. She raised me by herself. I’m her only child. We were almost always together, except when I was at school.
Before I was born she had worked as a nurse, but she stopped shortly after my birth to care for me. Recently she had returned to work at the local hospital.
I didn’t like her going back to work. She left at 5:45 am, which left me responsible for waking myself up, fixing breakfast, and walking to the 7:30 am bus.
I hated being left home alone in the mornings, but I especially hated having to take the bus. Once I had missed it, and I wasn’t only late to school, but I had caused Mom to scramble to find someone else to drive me. After that I was so worried I would miss the bus that I left for the bus stop too early every day. I stood by myself before the other kids arrived, in rain, sleet and snow, having to bear the embarrassment when crowded by adult passengers sometimes.
Mom worked the day shift so she could pick me up after school. On days she didn’t go to the hospital, she drove me both ways. Those were the best days.
As we walked that day on the sidewalk, I saw an old man approaching us. He suddenly broke into a wide smile, but I didn’t recognize him.
“Leigh! Leigh!” he said, calling my mother’s name. “Hello,” she responded, “How are you feeling?”
“Couldn’t be better! Thanks. Now who is this lovely young person?” he asked cheerfully.
“This is my daughter,” Mom replied, looking over to me. “Jenny, can you say hello?”
I looked at him and smiled, unsure of my role.
“Well, it is very nice to meet you, young lady. I hope you know how lucky you are!” he said.
I looked at him uncertainly since I had no idea what he was talking about and I didn’t feel lucky at all, especially since he was standing too close to me.
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。
“You have the most wonderful, caring and lovely mother,” he said.
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Right then it made me understand what it meant for my mom to be a nurse.
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I put one last box into the back seat and closed the car door. It felt as if I were closing the door on my whole life. At first, I was excited when Mom told me she’d gotten a fantastic new job at an animal hospital. Then, because she always saves the bad news for last, she told me the really terrible part. The hospital wasn’t in our city; it was miles away in the middle of nowhere. And I’m definitely not a country girl.
I stood beside the car, taking a last look at our building. To most people, it probably just looked like any other old apartment house, but I loved every brick. Just then, I saw my best friends, Hana and Leo, come to see me off. While Hana played a cool riff(重复乐段)on her trumpet(小号), Leo sang, “We will miss you, Celia.” I hugged them tightly and jumped into the car fast so no one could see me tear up. As Mom drove away, I waved goodbye to my friends, my neighborhood, and my life.
We rode a while in silence, and I held my violin case for comfort. Leo, Hana, and I had been writing songs for our band, but that was all over now. “Don’t think of this as an ending,” Mom said, with her knack(技能)for reading my mind. “It’s an exciting beginning. It’s normal to be a bit anxious about unfamiliar things, but you don’t need to be afraid of them.” I kept silent and looked out the window as crowded, exciting city streets turned first into tasteless suburban shopping strips(商业街)and then into endless, boring trees and fields of corn. We finally arrived at our new home, a two-floored wooden farmhouse. Mom said I could go explore. Mom never let me go out alone in the city, so maybe a bit more freedom would be one consolation(慰藉)of living here.
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。
Feeling that country life might turn out okay, I wondered off, taking my violin with me.
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I couldn’t resist, so I took out my violin and began to play along.
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One day, Reuben, a 12-year-old boy, saw something in a shop window that set his heart racing. The price—five dollars—was beyond his means, but he went in the shop anyway.
Poorly dressed, he went up and told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding, “I don't have the money right now. Will you please hold it for me for some time?”
“I’ll try,” the shopkeeper smiled. “Folks around here don't usually have money to spend on such things. It should keep for a while.”
Reuben decided to raise the five dollars by himself. Walking along a side street, he had an idea. People built their own houses in his town, using nails purchased in Hessian sacks (粗麻袋)from a local factory. The sacks were sometimes thrown away. Reuben knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece.
Every day after school, Reuben went around the town, collecting nail sacks. The school closed for the summer, and he was still wandering in the town, searching for his treasures. Often he was tired and hungry, but the thought of the object in the shop window kept him going. Sometimes his mother Dora would ask: “Reuben, where were you? We were waiting for you to have dinner.”
“Playing, Mum. Sorry.”
Dora would look at him in his face and shake her head. Boys!
One day in spring, he counted his coins and found he needed twenty cents more. He had to find four sacks and sell them before the day ended. Late in the afternoon, just before the buyer was about to close up, Reuben arrived and sold the four sacks. With the coins in his hand, he murmured a thank you and ran away.
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。
Clutching the five dollars, he headed for the shop.
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Dora opened it carefully and a lovely jewel box appeared.
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The first time we set eyes on “Big Red”, father, mother and I were on our way home. As we passed the Eaton’s department store’s window, we stopped as usual to have a look and do a bit of dreaming.
The beautifully decorated window display held the best toys ever. There were dolls much too pretty to play with. And they all lay beneath a surprisingly fantastic dress. Mother’s eyes were glued to its shining red satin (缎子).
“My goodness,” she whispered. “Look, at that!” Then, mother looked down at her own coat -she had worn the heavy grey wool coat every winter for as long as I could remember. Mom was forever doing chores-washing laundry, tending the pigs and working in the garden-so she always wore housedresses and an apron (围裙) to protect the front. She did have one or two “special” dresses saved for church on Sundays. Also, she managed to make almost all of our clothes. They weren’t fancy, but they were comfortable.
“What a silly dress!” She shook her head. “Who on earth would want such a big dress?” As we continued down the street, mother turned her head for one more look. “My goodness! You’d think they’d display something a person could use!”
Mother’s Day was nearing, and the red dress was soon forgotten. Mother, of all people, was not one to spend money on items that were not practical. “There are things we need more than this.” She’d always say. Choosing a gift for Mother’s Day for her was quite hard. When Dad and I asked, she thought carefully then asked for some tea towels, face cloths or a new basin.
On our last trip to town before Mother’s Day, we were driving up Main Street when Mother suddenly shouted in surprise: “Look!” She pointed excitedly as Dad drove past Eaton’s. “That big red dress is gone,” she said in disbelief. “Who’d be fool enough to buy such a dress?” Mother questioned, shaking her head. I was almost certain that I noticed a trace of longing (一丝渴望) in her voice.
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。
On the morning of Mother’s Day, Mother got a large box that read “Eaton’s Finest Basin” on its wrapping paper.
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“Oh Frank...” She choked up and couldn’t say a word, tears welling up in her eyes.
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