2 . At the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, among mountain songs and ethnic costumes and special ceremonies, I am noticeable despite my modern dress, as my green “VOLUNTEER” nametag brands me as a perfect target for curious tourists. I have volunteered to learn about global customs; my knowledge of my native culture is limited. I had boxed up my past before moving to America eight years ago, when a new continent considered my old self foreign.

Here on the National Mall, I am the only means of communication between the Americans and the artisan (工匠), who were invited from China to display their talents. They see my awkward hand gestures as I test my mother tongue, speaking Mandarin (普通话) and putting it into English for visitors.

The artisans possess exceptional skills. He Guoyao can read thousands of pictographic characters (象形文字) and bears the duty of passing on Dongba culture. Cheng Zhirong creates fantastic animal figures with a spoon and melted sugar in minutes. Standing among them, I wonder about the contributions a 16-year-old girl can make.

“Ooh, it’s so pretty!” A young girl sticks her nose close to a sugar dragon. Zhirong, the candy maker, signals to me, and I explain to the girl that the dragon is pure sugar. “Mommy, it’s candy!” she excitedly says. “Beautiful...” The crowd breathes in awe. One woman taps me on the shoulder, saying, “Please, tell her that her work is surreal... a gift from another world.”

As Zhirong takes my hand and calls me “little sister”, I find my place in this group of extraordinary people who crossed oceans to build a bridge between different ethnicities and nationalities through sugar sculptures and painted words. I, too, am a bearer of traditions．

I smile at Guoyao, as he paints in pictographic characters the English words I have taught him, “You’re welcome.” I come to know that culture is not shelved behind glass cases in museums. It is in the life that I once thought backward and dull — the Chinese way of life that is a part of me.

3 . I was talking to my friend Sandy about our children. Sandy had recently moved into the neighborhood with her four kids: Jane, Joe, Christopher, and her youngest, eighteen-month-old Kim. She seemed happy to have kids nearby, until she saw our dog, Sam.

Sam, our shiny black dog, loved to play with the kids and protect them. But Sandy had a fear of dogs, and she started to back away as Sam approached. I grabbed Sam’s collar and made him sit, trying to ease Sandy’s discomfort.

Sandy mentioned that she needed to get her kids ready to go to their grandmother’s house. Just then, her door opened and her kids rushed out. Sandy shouted at them to stay away from Sam.

The kids huddled (蜷缩) around their mom, looking at Sam cautiously (谨慎地). Emma, my daughter showed the kids how to approach a dog slowly and properly. The kids were won over by Sam’s friendly nature, but I knew it would take some time for Sandy to change her viewpoint.

After that incident, we made sure that Sam didn’t go near our neighbors without me present. One day, when the kids were playing across the street. I noticed the eighteen-month-old baby heading towards a small hill. I saw a car approaching and shouted to everyone to watch the baby. Without hesitation, Sam rushed out the door and ran across the street towards the baby. He ran to the boy in time to gently push the baby away from the oncoming car. The kids cheered, completely unaware of the danger. They thought Sam had come to play.

Within a year, Sam had made friends with all the neighbors. Even Sandy started to warm up to Sam and would occasionally come over to give him a hug.

6 . There was once a modest village nestled in the heart of the mountains. The villagers lived a simple life, relying on the land for their _______ and being close-knit with one another. However, their peaceful existence was soon _______ when a terrible drought struck the region.

With each passing day, the villagers grew more _______. The once verdant fields transformed into desolate lands, and the formerly sparkling river rushed _______ in the absence of rain, it no longer has the crisp, clattering sound of the past. The village elder called for a meeting to discuss _______ they should do. After great deliberation, they came up with a plan.

They made the decision to _______ each and every able-bodied villager to undertake a journey in search of a mythical treasure that is concealed deep within the mountains. Legends say that this treasure possessed the power to _______ rain and break the drought. And this treasure has never been found. With hopeful hearts, the villagers set off into the unknown.

The journey was _______, with treacherous paths and dangerous obstacles. Along the way, they encountered fierce storms and soaring temperatures that tested their resolve. Yet, they remained _______ and persevered through the hardships.

After days of tireless searching, they finally ________ the hidden treasure in a hidden cave. As they cautiously approached, they realized that their discovery held no material wealth but instead presented a daunting enigma — an intricate and ________ inscription etched into the wall. Its mysterious symbols seemed to taunt them, beckoning them to uncover the secrets they fiercely guarded. It read, “The real treasure lies in the unity and resilience of everyone.”

The villagers were ________. They realized that the journey itself was the treasure they sought. Through their unity and determination, they had ________courage and hope in the face of adversity. Encouraged by this newfound ________, they returned to the village and worked together to overcome the drought, relying on their collective strength.

From that day forward, the villagers cherished their unity and ________their bond, never forgetting the true treasure they had discovered.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

“Mom, where do you suppose they are?” my ten-year-old son Danny asked for the twentieth time as he stared out of the window at the range (牧场). “They” were our horses, Ginger, and her three-year-old son, Charcoal, both of whom had been missing for days.

Our range and woods offered plenty of grass for six horses. However, spring thunderstorms during the past ten days had forced the nearby river out of its banks. The other horses had come to the barn (畜棚) during the downpour, but not Ginger or Charcoal.

When the rain stopped, I took Spot, our dog, to do some first-hand searching. We went through trees and brush in wet lowlands near the river. All my calling and Spot’s smelling were in vain.

The next morning, the sun struggled to shine through gray clouds, but dampness filled the air. Suddenly, Danny shouted, “Mom, come quick! There’s Ginger!” The horse stood at the range gate crying impatiently and moving back and forth as if to say “Follow me”.

“Hurry, Danny,” I said, “get the pot with some oats (燕麦). I will bring a rope.” Ginger walked in front and we followed. “I see him! I see him!” Danny shouted. Charcoal was lying on his side, not moving. His right back leg was badly injured.

“Oh, Mom. How long do you think he’s been lying here with no food and nobody to care for him?” Tears formed in Danny’s blue eyes. “Probably several days, but we’ll never know. Ginger took care of him, though, protecting him from attacks from hungry wolves or other wild animals,” I said.

“What can we do now?” Danny asked anxiously. “There’s no way to drive a vehicle down here in all this mud.” “We just have to get him up and lead him out,” I said, keeping my voice confident. “Afterwards, we’ll have to call the vet (兽医) out.”

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。

With our encouragement and the attraction of oats, Charcoal struggled and managed to stand up.

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Upon arriving at the barn, Danny started creating a bed for Charcoal.

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10 . When we married in 2007, we promised to love each other “in sickness and in health”. Over the years I shared my_________ with you. But with my full schedule and then a son, Jack, in 2008, we were very_________. Then in December 2015, a big fall _________you with stroke (中风) and speech difficulties. “Whatever, I’m here,” I comforted you. It meant that life needed a _________.

“Is now the time to realize our dream to start fostering (领养), at last?” I asked you. “Let’s go for it,” you said. I quit my job and_________a fostering charity with bases across the country. “My husband is_________. Does that rule us out?” I asked the clerk. “Not_________,” I was told. Eight months after filling in the first forms, we finally got the_________news.

In July 2020, we_________our now 15-year-old foster daughter, Millie. She was so __________that the first day as we all sat in the garden, especially nervous around men. But you__________her over. Soon she was__________along with us at your jokes! Meanwhile, we made a__________while I did her hair or when we walked our dog. With time, Millie started to see our house as her home. Now, we’re on the path to __________ more foster kids.

Thank you for helping me share the love we’ve built with__________who need it most. We’ve turned a difficult time into something beautiful.