I still remember my first day of school in the USA. It was on that day that I got to know a wonderful teacher, Mrs. McDonalds.
In 2001, my family and I moved to the USA from India. I was placed at 6th grade in elementary school. The first day of school for any student can be hard, but even harder for a shy student whose spoken English is poor. Finding the class location according to the map was quite hard for a 6th grader, especially for a student that5 s in a new country and a new school like me. After a long time, I found that I was lost. I stood there helplessly, waiting for someone like an angel to come.
Then, a nice lady teacher came and I showed her my class number. Somehow, the nice lady named Mrs. McDonalds turned out to be my headteacher and could speak a little Hindi. She realized that I needed help. So she comforted me and took me to class.
The first day of school was about the teachers introducing themselves and going over the class rules, and every student introducing themselves to the class. Mrs. McDonalds started with talking about herself and also about what we were going to do that school year. After her it was the students’ turn, one by one each student stood up and told the whole class their name, their interests and favorite things to do. I anxiously wondered what I should say when it was my turn. Then all of a sudden everyone started staring at me. When Mrs. McDonalds called me, my mind went blank. I was too nervous to say a word. Then I stood quietly while the whole class started to laugh because of the awkward situation. Mrs. McDonalds asked them to keep quiet, looked at me with tender eyes and asked my name and hobby in Hindi. What I could hear at that moment was only the word “name”, so I quickly told her my name.
After the embarrassing self-introduction, the teacher started to talk about our first assignment.
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。
We had to work in groups to write an essay with at least 500 words.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I just couldn’t wait for the class to end.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________For thousands of years, Chinese people have valued the large family with three, four, or even five generations living under the same roof. That's what we call an extended family. Now it is changing. Compared to extended families. nuclear families which involve only two generations living together are becoming the trend. Apart from family size, these families are also featured by reduced dependence on the last generation. Young people are able to make decisions on their own and children are less likely to be brought up by their grandparents.
The reason for the tendency of nuclear families can be reflected as follows. It's a time when young people think highly of individual freedom. Young people like to have personal space that won't be disturbed by the old generations. In this way, they are more likely to avoid conflicts caused by different living habits from their parents.
It's also a time when social welfare institutions are highly advanced for old people to lead a comfortable life . Senior citizens can live together in some nursing homes and be taken good care of by specialized nursing workers, which may base young people's heavy burden of attending their aging parents.
However, the problem concerning attending to children turns up as the number of nuclear families increases. Young people are busy with their work and spend less time with their children. As a result, lacking enough care both from their parents and grandparents during their growth, children may develop mental illnesses like loneliness and depression. Many young people, therefore, hire babysitters to look after and keep company with their children, which adds a financial burden to them.
Facing the problem above, young people can seek help from old generations, communities and government. Old generations are welcomed to take care of their grandchildren, especially when young people are asked to work overtime. Communities ought to organize some volunteers to look after unattended kids. And government can set up special loads for young people to relieve their financial problem. With the joint efforts, nuclear families are expected to fit in well with the development of the society.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was an average student in my early elementary years. I came home with a steady flow of B’s, C’s and the occasional F’s in second language subjects. I was told that I wasn’t applying myself and, as every report card I ever brought home clearly stated, I talked too much.
I didn’t write when I was supposed to write. I talked to others while the teacher was giving instructions. That I could recite what she had said to the class while I was talking was not helpful because I had a negative effect on my classmates’ learning. So I regularly brought home disappointing report cards.
My parents and my teachers didn’t know what to do with me. Punishments didn’t seem to work. Rewards didn’t seem to either. And, frankly, I don’t think I knew what I could do to “apply myself”. And I certainly didn’t know how to not enjoy talking with my classmates! What I knew was that I talked too much. Until grade 5.
That autumn, we had a sudden change in teachers as our elderly teacher took a medical leave. In his place, a young substitute (代课老师) arrived — Mrs Royal. She looked like she was freshly out of university and seemed too young to be cast in the role of being responsible for a class of tween, but there she was, charged with a lively group, and me.
I don’t remember many details of that year except the afternoon when I got my first report card from her. She handed out the report cards right after the afternoon break and invited us to look them over. Then she let us know that we could all talk quietly amongst ourselves while she called each student up one at a time, in alphabetical order (按字母顺序), to discuss our report cards with her.
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 looked over my report card, expecting the usual result.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then it was my turn to talk with her.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I am not a gamer. I’ll be honest: video games and I don’t really see eye to eye, and I have no ambitions to become better. I never have the experience playing against my kids and winning. And that’s okay. Board games, on the other hand, are a different story. At least there, I stand a chance of victory.
One day, my 12-year-old son begged me to play a game with him. He held out a game controller and begged, “Just one game with me? You can use it to control the game through your movements.” His eyes were full of anticipation and I could see the excitement welling up within him. How could I possibly resist such a sincere and heartfelt request? “Just one game.” My son’s face lit up. In a matter of minutes, we were standing in our living room, virtually bowling away.
My son’s amusement at my lack of gaming skills was evident. I could see the struggle on his face as he fought to hold back his laughter. The game controller felt awkward and unfamiliar in my hand, but I did my best to copy my son’s movements and follow his lead. At one point, my son said, “No, Mom. You really have to put some force into it. Like this.” With that, he threw his arm back, stepped forward, and with plenty of force extended out his arm that was holding the controller. Instead of sending the virtual bowling ball flying, the controller went off his hand and broke the TV screen. The impact was immediate and destructive. The screen cracked, sending a crazy mosaic (马赛克) of colors dancing across its surface. It looked like something straight out of a dream.
The air stood still at that moment. The look on my son’s face was a funny mixture of horror, disbelief and guilt. He stayed absolutely frozen for a long moment. Then, slowly, he turned to me. “Mom...” with a weak smile, “Did I just... break the TV?”
注意：1. 续写的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
Surprisingly, I wasn’t angry at all.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But my son insisted on keeping the broken TV.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As I unzipped my lunchbox, the whole place was turned into a spicy curry (咖喱) dream. I immediately hid it under my seat, hoping no one would take notice.
Mom had really outdone herself with masala — our family’s all-time favorite dish back in India. But today, it wasn’t just about me and my lunch. A warm smile on his face, Ricky invited me, a new transfer student from India to New York city, for lunch.
“Ava, come sit here!” Ricky called out, gesturing towards a vacant seat.
As I made my way over, memories of those awkward lunchtimes when I studied in Kansas, one of the most conservative states, flooded back. I could still recall how everyone would wrinkle their noses and stare curiously when I unpacked my Indian food. It always made me feel like an outsider, like I didn’t belong.
Therefore, before my first day in this school, I had demanded my mom pack “normal” western-style food for me. I still remembered the look on her face upon hearing it, as she signed in disappointment and confusion, “Isn’t there a moment when you feel proud of your origin?” That was hurting, but not more hurting than others’ giggles and whispers. Honestly, long queues were common in Indian restaurants in New York city, a cultural melting pot, but I wouldn’t take that risk.
Unfortunately, this morning, Mom had forgotten to make sandwich or any “normal” food, so I had to bring leftovers from our dinner. At the thought of the possible oh-no-second (社死), I felt like being thrown into darkness.
However, before I came back to reality, Ricky noticed my sneaking (躲躲藏藏). “What do you have for lunch?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with interest. I tried to brush it off (搪塞), claiming I wasn’t hungry. But Ricky wouldn’t let it go, and before I could protest, he had the lid of my lunchbox open and I prepared myself for such familiar responses as “Ew” or “What is that?”
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。
However, I did not get what I was expecting.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After school, I found Mom preparing sandwich for tomorrow’s lunch.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jack was new to Woodberry Forest School this year. He carried a secret burden: a stutter (口吃) that often brought about laughter from his classmates. This made him very upset. Shy and reserved. Jack chose to fade into the background rather than draw attention to himself. He felt like an outsider, never quite fitting in.
Jack was eager to exchange ideas with his classmates, but afraid of getting into trouble. Jack's science teacher, Katherine, a warm and caring woman often wearing a smile, noticed Jack's stutter and shyness. She observed how Jack struggled to express himself in class and how he would shy away when called upon to speak.
Determined to lend a hand, Katherine took Jack under her wing, encouraging him to embrace bravery and believe in his own abilities. Subsequently, Katherine adopted a set of systematic methods to help him. She was glad to find the potential in him, the intelligence and creativity that lay hidden beneath his stutter. Whenever possible, Katherine was always ready to praise his efforts, always declaring, "You are so great!” Whenever Jack stumbled over his words, Katherine always smiled at him encouragingly, providing him with the strength to continue. Day by day, Jack found himself speaking with greater confidence and fluency.
One day, Katherine announced that each student should give a presentation of a science project in front of the class. Jack's heart sank, the familiar fear and anxiety wrapping around him. How could he possibly stand before his classmates to give his ideas clearly, knowing that they would laugh at him? As the presentation drew near, Jack's anxiety mounted. Then came the big day. He watched his classmates take turns to walk up to the front. They gave their presentation with confidence and backed to their seats with satisfaction. However, while Jack was waiting for his turn, his heart beat so violently that he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
注意：1．续写词数应为150个左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
It was finally his turn.
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When Jack finished his presentation, the room erupted into applause.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A Pleasant Surprise
It was one week before Christmas and my house was filled with festive cheer. The only thing I hoped to get from my Christmas wish list was a puppy (小狗). I had always dreamed of having a puppy, as I was the only child, and it could be quite lonely at times. However, I did not want to get my hopes up, as I knew neither of my parents liked the thought of having a puppy around the house and all that came with it.
Every time I begged for a puppy, my parents would say, “It is a lot of responsibilities, and you will have to clean up after it, give it baths, feed it regularly and walk it.”
I knew the responsibilities and was ready to take them on. Unfortunately, even with my enthusiasm (热情) and determination, my parents still disagreed to get me a puppy. There were very few chances of getting it, but I still tried asking them again that week.
“Oh honey, pick something else instead. There are so many toys that you can pick,” my parents responded as usual. As expected, I thought, giving a resigned sigh (无奈的叹息). For the rest of the evening, I decorated the Christmas tree as my parents hung some stockings. That night, I went to sleep with the hope that my dream would ever come true.
My alarm clock woke me up. “Oh my goodness, it is finally Christmas day!” I shouted excitedly and rushed down the stairs to the living room.
“Good morning, Bella!” both my parents chatted with huge smiles on their faces that were brighter than usual. My curiosity was inspired and many questions rushed into my mind. They played Christmas carols, and they sang along to the merry tunes. Just then, I caught my father smiling at my mother as if they had a secret plan and walking out of the door. When I asked my mother where my father had gone, she simply said that he had gone to pick something up. I grew confused.
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 wondered what they could be hiding from me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I fell in love with the puppy at first sight and named her Daisy.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Beside the sink, there was the flour bin and a bottle of buttermilk, the pale box of baking soda (发酵粉), a box of dried grapes, a box of salt, and a tin of caraway (葛缕子) seeds. On the small table beneath the window, a bowl and a spoon and the measuring cup. There was as well a narrow card on which she had written in her careful hand the recipe for soda bread.
It was time, my mother said, that I learned a few things about cooking. I stood in the kitchen doorway, all unwillingness. Why? I wanted to ask.
My mother tied an apron (围裙) around my waist. “All right,” she said. She node toward the table, the bowl and the spoon and the recipe card. I looked at her. The morning sunlight through the single window lit the down on her cheeks. It showed her brown eyes had some green in them, too. And that on either side of her tall forehead her dark hair was turning gray.
“Go ahead,” my mother said. “Get started.” And when she saw me hesitate, she put her hand on my shoulder and turned me toward the table and the bowl and the spoon. “Read the recipe over and then gather your ingredients,” she said slowly. “They’re all right here. I’ll watch and help.”
“Read it over,” my mother said. And I nodded, pretending to. The sun through the single window was bright in my eyes.
“Now gather what you need.” I picked up the flour bin and brought it to the table. I picked up the buttermilk and the dry grapes. I went back for the salt and the tin of caraway seeds and then stood before the bowl and the spoon and the measuring cup. Beyond the window, beyond the gray bars of the fire escape, the wash my mother had done this morning was waving on the line-sheets, my school blouses and my father’s shirts, which were hung upside down, their arms waving in a way that made me grow dizzy in sympathy.
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。
“Haven’t you forgotten something,” my mother said behind me.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Twenty-five minutes later, I took the bread out of the stove.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I didn’t like Del so much. He always called me the nickname “Germy”, which meant “dirty”, instead of my real name “Jamie”. Besides, he was known as a trouble-maker in school. So when the head teacher Mr. Smith asked Del to come to his office, I naturally thought that Del had done something mean to someone. Through the window, I caught sight of a smaller boy crying. Del seemed unhappy, too.
He did not return to class that day. All of us were discussing what had happened to him. What else could such an annoying boy do? “He must have hit the boy and was sent home,” I whispered to my friends. Their eyes widened. It felt good to see them so interested in what I said.
The next morning, the whole school was talking about Del being expelled(开除) for beating up a kid. I was surprised that my assumptions were passed on so quickly. So when Del walked into the classroom, all the kids were shocked. The kids next to him shift ed their desks away. “What’s your problem?” Del asked. “I don’t want you to attack me,” one kid said. Some laughed. “Yeah, I might,” said Del. I could tell he was joking, but many kids thought he admitted he did beat up someone.
During recess(课间休息), Del tried to join the kickball game. “Neither team wants you,” one of the players said. “Why?” Del asked, looking confused. “I always play with you guys.” They ignored him and went on playing. Del sat by himself while the rest of the school enjoyed their recess away from him. Del looked lonely and sad, much different from before. I started to feel sorry for him.
Later that day, I learned what really happened. The kid was Del’s little brother and he was crying because their mother fell ill and was sent to hospital. I felt even sorrier for what I said before. I started a rumor(谣言).
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。
At recess the next day, I saw Del sitting alone watching the kickball game.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Now that Del had forgiven me, I decided to do more before the recess was over.
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I was never “that girl” — the one who had charming appearance, and who enjoyed a colorful social life. I was another girl entirely, one who was considered “nice girls”, and the top student in class. Not that I didn’t care about friends or fun, I just didn’t think it was worth putting lots of time and effort into changing how I looked, how I acted, even as I started high school.
Marissa was “that girl” — fun to be around, good to know. We are different, but our friendship began the first time we met at an exciting soccer match, on the second day of freshmen year. The excitement of the game and our shared interest in soccer connected us, I was deeply impressed with her enthusiasm, while she admired my calm. Our conversations went smoothly, and our relationship quickly turned into a close bond.
However, as the school year progressed, Marissa’s outgoing personality began to conflict with my reserved nature. She stood out in social situations, constantly asking me to attend parties and social events. While I appreciated her efforts to include me, I felt awkward and uncomfortable to be forced into unfamiliar surroundings. Our once harmonious friendship started to crack, I tried to turn down her invitations, but in vain.
One evening, Marissa persuaded me to attend a large party at a classmate’s house. Surrounded by loud music and strange faces, I felt uneasy and upset. Marissa was the queen of the party, leaving me feeling extremely lonely. Her personality attracted others to her, creating a barrier between us.
注意:1.续写词数应为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
At that moment, I realized the growing divide between us.
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Since then, we worked together to find a balance of our personalities.
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