Pumpkin (南瓜) carving at Halloween is a family tradition. We visit a local farm every October. In the pumpkin field, I compete with my three brothers and sister to seek out the biggest pumpkin. My dad has a rule that we have to carry our pumpkins back home, and as the eldest child I have an advantage-I carried an 85-pounder back last year.
This year, it was hard to tell whether my prize or the one chosen by my 14-year-old brother, Jason, was the winner. Unfortunately we forgot to weigh them before taking out their insides, but I was determined to prove my point. All of us were hard at work at the kitchen table, with my mom filming the annual event. I’m unsure now why I thought forcing my head inside the pumpkin would settle the matter, but it seemed to make perfect sense at the time.
With the pumpkin resting on the table, hole uppermost, I bent over and pressed my head against the opening. At first I got jammed just above my eyes and then, as I went on with my task, unwilling to quit, my nose briefly prevented entry. Finally I managed to put my whole head into it, like a cork (软木塞) forced into a bottle. I was able to straighten up with the huge pumpkin resting on my shoulders.
My excitement was short-lived. The pumpkin was heavy. “I’m going to set it down, now,” I said, and with Jason helping to support its weight, I bent back over the table to give it somewhere to rest. It was only when I tried to remove my head that I realized getting out was going to be less straightforward than getting in. When I pulled hard, my nose got in the way. I got into a panic as I pressed firmly against the table and moved my head around trying to find the right angle, but it was no use. “I can’t get it out!” I shouted, my voice sounding unnaturally loud in the enclosed space.
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；
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It was five or six minutes though it felt much longer.
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The video was posted the Monday before Halloween.
2 . More than 25 years ago, Saroo Brierley lived in rural（农村）India. One day, he played with his brother along the rail line and fell asleep. When he woke up and found himself alone, the 4-year-old decided his brother might be on the train he saw in front of him-so he got on.
That train took him a thousand miles across the country to a totally strange city. He lived on the streets, and then in an orphanage（孤儿院）. There, he was adopted by an Australian family and flown to Tasmania.
As he writes in his new book, A Long Way Home, Brierley couldn't help but wonder about his hometown back in India. He remembered landmarks, but since he didn't know his town's name, finding a small neighborhood in a vast country proved to be impossible.
Then he found a digital mapping program. He spent years searching for his hometown in the program's satellite pictures. In 2011, he came across something familiar. He studied it and realized he was looking at a town's central business district from a bird's-eye view. He thought, “On the right-hand side you should see the three-platform train station”—and there it was. "And on the left-hand side you should see a big fountain"-and there it was. Everything just started to match.
When he stood in front of the house where he grew up as a child, he saw a lady standing in the entrance. "There's something about me, " he thought—and it took him a few seconds but he finally remembered what she used to look like.
In an interview Brierley says, "My mother looked so much shorter than I remembered. But she came forth and walked forward, and I walked forward, and my feelings and tears and the chemical in my brain, you know, it was like a nuclear fusion（核聚变）. I just didn't know what to say, because I never thought seeing my mother would ever come true. And here I am, standing in front of her. ”
1. Why was Brierley separated from his family about 25 years ago?| A．He got on a train by mistake. |
| B．He got lost while playing in the street. |
| C．He was taken away by a foreigner. |
| D．He was adopted by an Australian family. |
| A．By analyzing old pictures. |
| B．By travelling all around India. |
| C．By studying digital maps. |
| D．By spreading his story via his book. |
| A．His love for his mother. |
| B．His reunion with his mother. |
| C．His long way back home. |
| D．His memory of his hometown. |
3 . We have the most friends at the age of 26 after having spent the first quarter of our lives building up our friendship circle, a new research has claimed.
The research into friendship shows that our social circle peaks at 26 years and 7 months, at which we typically have five close friends. Women are the most popular at 25 years and 10 months, with men hitting the highest friendship point a little later at 27 years and 3 months.
The research, by Forever Friends, shows that about a third of adults meet their closest friends while at school, with about a fifth saying they meet them at work.
Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter now also play a major role in building new friendship. The research points out that 25 to 34-year-olds make 22 friends via Facebook, compared to 18 to 24-year-olds who make 12, and 35 to 44-year-olds who make just four.
Forever Friends’ relationship coach Sam Owen says, “It is no coincidence that over a third of us meet our best friends at school. It is a key time in our lives when friendship is growing through sharing notes, giving gifts, seeing each other regularly and laughing a lot. As adults we can often forget how powerful these small things are and how the little things can make a difference. ”
Later in life we find ourselves losing friends. Over half of us lose friendship through moving, while 36% say that over time they grow apart from close pals. Having children also causes 19% to drift away from childhood friends.
With growing pressures being put on friendship these days, it’s important to make time for our friendship.
1. How many friends can a 20-year-old college student make via Facebook?| A．4. | B．18. |
| C．12. | D．22. |
| A．how important making friends is |
| B．that friendship is not easy to keep |
| C．how much has been done to keep friendship |
| D．that friendship at school is important |
| A．make sense of | B．lose contact with |
| C．feel sorry for | D．make up with |
| A．a brochure | B．an advertisement |
| C．a textbook | D．a newspaper |
As is known to all, a positive parent-child relationship is beneficial to the physical and mental growth of children, but
Parents should take the responsibility
No healthy parent-child relationship is without conflict （冲突）.But as long as parents and children make
5 . It was 1939, and the Great Depression had made all our lives much harder. But we didn’t know how poor we were until our father sat my brother and me down on the couch in our living room to have a talk.
I will always remember the sad look in Father’s eyes as he stared down at his hands, rubbing them back and forth, while he searched for the words to tell us that our family wasn’t going to be celebrating Christmas this year.
A month later, on Christmas Eve, I lay awake in bed late into the night, trying to talk myself out of sneaking into our living room to see if Santa had come. I gathered my courage, then tiptoed down the hallway, hoping I would see the bright sparkling lights of our Christmas tree standing proudly in the corner of our living room, like it did every year.
Instead, I was greeted by my seventeen-year-old brother, Frank, who slept on our living room couch. “Hey, little one, what are you doing up?” he whispered.
I started to cry. “There’s no Christmas tree.”
There would be no presents, no singing, no Christmas dinner. It felt like we were the saddest family in the world. My disappointment overwhelmed me. I looked forward to Christmas each year. It wasn’t only the presents. It was that special feeling I got from seeing my family happy. We hadn’t been happy in such a long time.
On Christmas morning, the sun shone into our chilly bedroom, waking me up. “Maybe Santa came! Maybe he came!” I suddenly insisted. My eyes searched the living room, but there was no Christmas tree. I broke into uncontrollable tears.
I ran to Father in tears and threw my arms around him. “ We aren’t going to have Christmas this year.”
“Now, now, now, calm down. Go on in and see your mother. She will comfort you.” Dad slowly pushed the bedroom door open, leading me into the room.
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。
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something different in the bedroom.
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With my question answered, everything dawned on me.
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6 . Friendships are very important to teenagers. Friendships provide teenagers with chances to develop social skills. Teenagers can learn how to end a fight and still remain friends. Friends provide fun and excitement for teenagers through games. Friends also give advice to one another. Teenagers talk through lots of problems with their friends. Friendships also provide help during times of difficulty. It is helpful for teenagers to have a friend who is going through the same situations.
What happens when youth don’t have friends? Teenagers without friends are usually more lonely and unhappy. They will have lower levels of grades and lower confidence. As they get older, they are more apt to drop out of school.
As kids move into their teenager years, friends and friendships play an important role in teenager life as a way of getting personal enjoyment and social learning.
Most teenagers will have friends who parents either like or dislike. However, it is important to keep in mind that one way teenagers can truly learn how to choose and keep friends is through personal experience, which is sure to have some mistakes. Parents should not be too hard on teenagers when they choose friends who are not good enough or when their friendship fails. Remember, every social experience helps teenagers to learn about different people and improve social skills.
As parents, it is important to encourage friendships among teenagers. However, it is important to know who your teenager’s friends are and to communicate openly about changes in friendships with your teenagers.
1. How many advantages of friends and friendship are mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．They get better grades and leave school earlier. |
| B．They have a lower chance of leaving school earlier. |
| C．They have a higher chance of leaving school earlier. |
| D．They are good at dealing with social problems after school. |
| A．Teachers. | B．Teenagers. |
| C．Researchers. | D．Parents. |
| A．Friendship May Be Dangerous |
| B．Friendship Is Important to Teenagers |
| C．Parents Should Choose Friends for Their Children |
| D．Parents’ Advice Is Important to Teenagers’ Friendship |
My Dad’s Best Flower
I remember my first home was a small apartment on the second floor with a lovely and spacious balcony. When my mom was busy in the kitchen, she let me stay on the balcony watching the kids playing in the street. On that balcony I played sometimes with my elder sister, Maria. She was seven years old and when my mom was absent, she was like a mother to me. The balcony was a great hobby place for my father. After his work he used to grow carnations (康乃馨) in flower boxes. His carnations were red, pink and white, and everyone appreciated them for their beauty.
He took care of them with so much love and devotion. He dealt carefully with his flowers like a mother taking care of her baby. Many times I sat on the floor of the balcony for hours observing him and his lovely flowers with patience. He was always doing something on that balcony. He was watering them every day, cleaning the balcony floor, changing the potting soil and when the stems were thick, strong and high enough, he started his improvement operation attentively like a doctor.
My dad took a tiny knife and with his left hand he held the stem of the carnation and measured the height. Then he made a small mark on the stem with his finger. Afterwards he made a sharp cut with the knife, just enough to fit in again of barley (插穗的芽). Then he bandaged the stem with a small bandage. His job was then to water the plants and to take care of them. “No one should touch them,” he said to Mom. Every day, when he came home from work he went straight to the balcony.
Mom used to tell us, “Do not touch Daddy’s flowers.” For us it was a fascinating experience to watch how the small stems were growing and making flowers. When the carnations had grown big enough, my dad enjoyed watching them every day. We the kids did too.
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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One day, my elder sister, who loved Dad very much, had a great idea.
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When my dad arrived, he went as usual, straight to the balcony and saw his flowers lying on the floor like dead animals.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Ada! Milk!” Mama called.
Milk. It was Ada’s turn to get it. Ada sighed and shut her first-aid book. Her head hurt from reading in the dim morning light, but how else was she going to learn?
Ada tied the cow close to a tree. Somewhere down the mountain, some volunteer doctors were teaching medical skills to village nurses. Ada heard Betty drive off hours ago. “She should have taken me with her. She thinks I’m too young, but she’s wrong. I am already 16!” Ada thought.
Ada carried the milk back to Mama, then wandered up the road. Roy, a village boy, had gotten a donkey, and some kids had gathered around to see it. Roy was always doing something to get attention. Like now: he was trying to stand on the animal’s bare back.
“No wonder they don’t trust kids with anything important”, Ada thought, sighing. She had just turned away when she heard a thud and a few screams. Roy lay on the ground nearby moaning in pain. The donkey stood several meters away. “Roy!” The kids nearby ran towards him. “Get Betty,” one said. Ada shook her head. “Betty’s gone to the city.” The other kids seemed frozen in place.
Ada ran to where Roy was lying. She dropped to her knees on the dusty road. “Roy! Can you hear me?” Roy moaned in agony. Ada saw that one of his legs was crooked, bent a little sideways between the knee and the ankle. A broken leg!
She remembered what the first-aid book had said about broken legs: if there is no ambulance, straighten the bone before moving the victim. There certainly wouldn’t be any ambulance here. Ada looked back up the road. The other kids were still standing there, watching. “Victor!” Ada called to one of the boys. “Go get Roy’s mama, and find someone with a truck.” She turned to the others. “Give me your shirts. We need something to tie his leg with.”
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。
Ada then found a strong stick, which she would use to keep his leg straight.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next day, Betty came to Ada’s home.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There was something in the elderly woman’s grace that caught my eye. Although slow and unsure of her steps, the woman moved with deliberation(从容), and there was no hesitation in her gestures.
It was a few years ago, and I had taken a part-time holiday-season job in a video store at the local shopping mall. From inside the store, I could see the people outside rushing by.
The elderly woman entered the store, along with her daughter, who was displaying a serious case of impatience, rolling her eyes, sighing and checking her watch every few seconds. I guessed if she had possessed a rope, she would have fastened it to her mother to drag her along to keep step with the rush of other shoppers.
The elderly woman separated from her daughter and began to seek through the DVDs on the nearest shelf. After the slightest hesitation, I walked over and asked if I could help her find something. The woman smiled up at me and showed me a title written on an old piece of paper.
Rather than rush off to locate the DVD for the woman, I asked her to walk with me so I could show her where she could find it. Looking back, I thought I wanted to enjoy her company for a moment. Something about her deliberate movements reminded me of my own mother, who’d passed away the previous Christmas. I missed my mom and still felt regretful about the moments when I’d used my impatience to make her life unhappy.
As we walked along the back of the store, I introduced its floor plan: old television shows, action movies, cartoons, science fiction. The woman seemed glad of the unrushed company and casual conversation.
We found the DVD and she thanked me, saying that it was the one she’d enjoyed when she was her daughter’s age. Unwillingly, I accompanied her to the cash register, realizing I had to return the elderly woman to her daughter, who was still tapping her foot at the front of the store.
One day, six-year-old Pete stepped out of his house to buy a lollipop(棒棒糖). It had rained all night long. But now the sun was shining, and the wind was blowing all over the pavements， blowing the rain away. Pete got on his tricycle(三轮脚踏车) and rode away. He felt excited since this was the first time he had gone to a shop on his tricycle. “I’ll ride through every puddle(水坑),” he said to himself.
He rode right through the first puddle, and splashes of water flew up in the air. But when he looked around, the puddle was still there. Behind his tricycle was a long black line. His front wheel had made it when it came out of the puddle. Pete noticed it and he was pleased. “I meant to do that,” he laughed. (But he hadn’t really.) So he rode right through the next puddle, and his black line shone behind him. But now, when he looked around, instead of one black line there were three, because this puddle was a very big one, and all three of the wheels had gone right into it. “I’m an engine-driver,” cried Pete. “And those are my railway lines. Oooo! Ooooooo!”
And he pedaled through every puddle he could see. Sometimes it was a small puddle, and then there was only one railway line. And sometimes it was a middle-sized puddle, and then there were two railway lines. And sometimes it was a very big puddle, with a lot of sky in it, and then the whole tricycle went through it, and there were three railway lines.
Suddenly Pete remembered that he was going to the shop on the corner to buy a lollipop. He put his hand in his pocket to make sure his two pennies were still there. One of them, two of them… Pete felt each of them with his fingers. “It was good of me to remember,” he told himself. “I’m a very good rememberer.”
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As he stopped for a break, a little cat came out of a house.
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Just then a lady ran out of the house.
