The Toy Tree
It was a bare tree with thin branches which looked like they might snap (折断) at any moment, but it was the only tree in the estate gardens. In spring, the tree cheered up the grey concrete with its blossom. And, in summer, its shade comforted the restless heat.
Gabe loved the tree. He and his friends played by it all the time. The tree’s blessing for the community, but not for Mr. Snider, the caretaker, who hated the tree. When he had to mow (割) the grass around it or sweep its blossoms or fallen leaves from the path, he would grumble (咕哝), “It’s in my way.” or “Who has to clean up all this mess? Me, that’s who!”
Sometimes he threatened to cut it down. One morning before the coming New Year, Gabe spotted him walked towards the tree with a chainsaw (电锯). He shouted, “Mum! What’s Mr. Snider doing?” Mum put down her knitting needles — she was knitting everyone scarves and came over to the window. Gabe grabbed her hand and ran down two flights of stairs to the garden. Soon they were standing between Mr. Snider and the tree.
“Out of my way,” said the caretaker. “Time for this eyesore (眼中钉) to go.”
“This eyesore is of great public interest.” Mum tried to sound important.
“And we love this tree,” begged Gabe.
“Not a good enough reason.” Mr. Snider was getting his chainsaw ready.
Gabe desperately tried to think of more reasons to keep the tree, then he remembered the toy tree he’d seen in town. It had colourful gift tags (礼品签) on it and written on every tag was the name of a toy a child had wished for. Mum had explained to him that if someone took a tag and bought the gift on it, the charity would send it to a child who might not get New Year 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。
Gabe said, “It is going to be a toy tree.”
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By the weekend, the charity tags had arrived.
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When my father reported that he had just purchased a new house in new housing development, we were all overjoyed. For a long time, he had wished to purchase his own home. My parents had been living in several rental houses since they married. Finally, his fantasy had come true. We began moving our belongings into our new home on a bright and sunny Sunday morning. My father hired a lorry to transfer our goods, and I was amazed at how much we had. The lorry had to make three journeys before most of our belongings arrived at our new home. I enjoyed sitting in the back of the lorry while it made the excursions. My parents, grandmother, elder sister, and I were the only members of our family. However, the number of goods was surprising.
We had a busy day loading the items onto the lorry and then unloading them at our new home, but that was not the end of the story. We had to move the things into the house and arrange them properly before we could call the house a home. Our new house was a single-story house. It contained three bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, a small front porch, and an even smaller garden. Modern dwellings (住宅) are extremely small for room, but it was better than nothing. In any case, it was a significant improvement over our former home, which was much smaller than the new one.
The kitchen was the first area we started organizing things. We needed to take care of our tummies (胃) before we could do any more work, so my mother set about creating her first meal in her brand-new kitchen, making the greatest tasting instant lunch I’d ever tasted. We moved on to the rest of our belongings after lunch. My parents got the largest bedroom, my grandmother and sister got the second largest, and I got the tiniest, right close to the kitchen.
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 was totally overjoyed at getting my own room for the first time in my life.
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That evening, we enjoyed our first formal meal in the house.
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Vocabulary for your reference:
灌木 shrubs/bushes
海桐花 pittosporums
杜鹃花 azaleas
樟树 camphor trees
松树 pine trees
Pic: Bryant
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1.长隆海洋公园，位于长隆的南部；
2.面积超过132万平方米，是世界上最大的海洋公园；
3.2014年1月28日建园，已经成为国内著名的旅游景点之一；
4.游客可以体验惊险之旅和观看各种表演；
5.长隆海洋公园还为其提供的教育项目而自豪。
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以便行文连贯。
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Living in the countryside?
Rolling hills and endless green pastures — those images are easy to conjure when thinking of the peaceful country lifestyle.
When lockdowns descended upon many countries across the world during the pandemic, social media seemed to be dominated by pictures of cottages and village life. So, why is living in the countryside becoming a modern fantasy — and are there benefits to considering a slower pace of life?
It makes sense that some people would want to give up the crowded and noisy city streets for the perceived tranquility of the traditional country life — especially during an event like a pandemic. The lockdowns and extensive periods of working from home have given people time to think about what they want from life. But it’s not just about having a greener place to look at out your window.
There is more evidence that relates to the benefits of rural living. Villages aren’t normally subject to the stop-go traffic we see in city centres, the buses fighting with taxis for dominance, or metro systems with trains that scream from one station to the next. In short, there’s less air pollution in your country retreat — a thing which increases the chances of developing respiratory conditions or heart disease. You also get more opportunities to take long walks and see the sights, meaning you can get more exercise. Less noise, more walks and better air can also lead to less stress and an increased life expectancy, according to studies such as one conducted by the British government in 2012.
However, there are some things that need to be considered.
Weather can be a large drawback when it comes to moving to the countryside. In some parts of the country, the winters bring blizzards and the spring brings torrential rains and flooding.
Living .far from the hustle and bustle of the city means that some, people may feel isolated or even lonely. And as people get older, life far from doctors or public transport could become a bit of a challenge.
So, if you’re considering a change of pace and moving to a picturesque village, there is a range of pros and cons to consider before taking the plunge.
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