My family moved in a small house in Brighton, Colorado on my seventh birthday. My first memory is our neighbor Bill, an old man, handing me strawberries from his garden through a hole in the chain-link fence. “We need to make the hole bigger,” he said jokingly. Later I knew that he lived alone.
Bill spent much time working in the garden, and I was always talking to him from our yard. I was a chatterbox. I think what drew me to Bill is that he never got tired of listening to me. I also think Bill saw a lot of himself in me — we were both lonely and anxious — and that may be why he always took the time to listen to me. It was a wonderful connection.
There weren’t any kids of my age in the neighborhood, and my parents were very busy, so I mostly played in the yard with my dog. I had a lot of imaginary friends — a whole family, actually, with a wife, children, a best friend... no joke. Weird kid.
One day, my parents asked Bill whether he’d watch me while they were away on business. This worked for everyone, so it became a somewhat monthly occurrence. Bill had a spare room in his house, which became “my” room.
Bill promised to teach me to drive the lawn tractor(割草机) someday and I was always looking forward to it. In winter, Bill would attach a snowplow(铲雪机) to the front of the dawn tractor. I seriously told him that I would invent a better snowplow when I grew up. “Sure you will. You’ll get a patent certificate. It takes a certificate to prove an important thing,” Bill said with a smile.
One snowy morning, an idea suddenly hit me. My parents were watching TV when I spit it out, “What if I adopted Bill as my grandpa?” My parents said I could go over and ask him.
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 knocked on his door, sat down in his living room, and asked, “Can I adopt you as my grandpa?”
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The next morning, while learning to drive the lawn tractor with a snowplow, I accidentally plowed down our chain-link fence.
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Dave had loved basketball for as long as he could remember and he had never had a day without playing it. At primary school and junior high school he joined basketball clubs, attended training programs and watched basketball games, from which he learned the moves of the star players, wishing to play in a professional team like them and shine on the court.
Now as a senior high school student, however, his dream of becoming a professional player was dimming (变暗) because he was only of average height. He had to give up the hope of joining the school team. The guys on the school team were all tall boys who played matches and won honors for the school. They were like heroes. Dave watched them play and cheered them but he knew he would never be one of them.
Dave felt it a pity not to be tall enough, but this didn’t stop him from pouring his passion into basketball. He just played for the love of the sport. He played in the school gym with other boys or by himself every day, even during holidays and weekends, when it was open for two hours in the morning. He enjoyed every minute on the court making every effort to play better.
It was one Saturday morning. Dave was playing in the gym by himself, as all the other boys were busy with other weekend affairs. Then he noticed a tall boy approaching. It was Lankas. Everybody knows him as captain of the school basketball team. “Hi, Lankas,” Dave greeted him. “My name is Dave.” “Hi, Dave,” Lankas replied as he got closer. “Nice to see you here. Do you need an opponent to play against?” Dave was shocked, frozen right there, unable to believe his ears but somehow, he answered, “Why not?”
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。
So, a game of two players began.
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The next Saturday, when Dave was playing in the gym, Lankas appeared shouting, “Dave, I have good news for you.”
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3 . “Meet me in the conference room with the contracts and a cup of coffee,” my boss barked at me. “Ten minutes.”
I didn’t respond. I stood still as if my shoes had been glued to the floor. I had no intention of taking a cup of anything to anyone, supervisor or not.
I had seen with my own eyes what such behavior did to a woman. It happened to Mrs. Wilson next door. Old Mr. Wilson wouldn’t put in his own false teeth without his wife’s assistance, let alone make himself lunch. It was a miserable union. I vowed by age eight that I would never live like her. I adopted the motto: Don’t help those who won’t help themselves.
I rushed to the file room and pulled my phone. I explained to my father what had happened and asked his advice on what to do, only to be asked back. He must have forgotten the unwritten rule between us about not answering a question with a question. Fortunately, I came up with an idea that would have the best of both worlds.
I took up the files and headed for the coffee pot. I took two cups and made two cups of coffee. Then I walked into the boss’ office with a cup of coffee in each hand. I handed my boss a cup of coffee and drank at the same time as him.
“Let’s take a break,” partway through the meeting, my boss stood, saying, “I need more coffee.” I picked up my empty cup. “I do, too,” I said, and handed it to him across the table. “Thanks,” I added, looking at him expectantly. The boss was staggered for a moment, and then took the cup from me.
When I finally left my boss’ office, I hid in the bathroom and called my dad. My father’s laughter on the phone made me feel even prouder.
1. Why does the author mention the Wilsons?A.To explain her unwillingness to serve the coffee. |
B.To picture what she will be like when she ages. |
C.To stress her opposition to inequality in society. |
D.To show how the couple grew old together. |
A.She intended to play a trick on her mean boss. |
B.She planned to have the boss serve her later. |
C.She meant to share instead of serving. |
D.She wanted to save the trouble of doing it again. |
A.Moved. | B.Scared. | C.Excited. | D.Shocked. |
A.She figured out how to show respect for her superior. |
B.She took a wise approach to stand up for herself. |
C.She found it practical to seek solutions from her father. |
D.She considered it significant to fight against men bravely. |
4 . Two weeks earlier, my husband, Russ, had gotten an early-morning call telling us to move to a safer place immediately. The wildfire tearing through Northern California had spread and
We’d jumped in the car with our cats and a few belongings. For days, we’d
Now we’d been given
How will we go on? It felt as if our lives had been
Russ
Words that must have come from one of my books, a passage I couldn’t
A.cleared | B.headed | C.prevented | D.pointed |
A.begged | B.lived | C.asked | D.moved |
A.good | B.true | C.bad | D.false |
A.encouragement | B.reward | C.advice | D.permission |
A.ruins | B.flames | C.dangers | D.flowers |
A.refuse | B.clean | C.survive | D.remember |
A.saved | B.destroyed | C.decorated | D.enriched |
A.counted | B.hid | C.discovered | D.put |
A.ashes | B.water | C.fire | D.spot |
A.watered | B.cleaned | C.smoked | D.folded |
A.pleasant | B.sincere | C.clear | D.simple |
A.reflect on | B.carry on | C.put on | D.cheer on |
A.success | B.burden | C.information | D.courage |
A.analyze | B.understand | C.recall | D.recite |
A.judge | B.hear | C.forget | D.ignore |
You never know where life will lead you. When I was a young boy. I found myself constantly overshadowed by my elder sister, Becky. It was not her intention to outshine me, nor did she make any effort to do so. However, with Becky exceling both academically and athletically, it was only natural that her accomplishments got all the attention, while my own achievements went unnoticed. Being the younger brother of someone who effortlessly excelled in all areas of life proved to be a big challenge, as I struggled to find my own identity under her brilliance.
Becky’s talent in swimming was particularly noteworthy and she was recognized as the finest swimmer in our province. Yet, the swimming pool never attracted me. Even as a child, I developed a dislike for swimming after a rather unpleasant experience of water entering my nose. Swimming was not for me.
However, fate had its own way of transforming my life. One day, I fell off my skateboard and broke my leg so badly that the doctors said I could never really engage in the sport again. They said there was only one exercise that would be good for me-swimming!
Reluctantly, I decided to give swimming a try. At first, it was a struggle. I had a lot of fear and anxiety about putting my face in the water, fearing a repeal of the incident that had scarred me as a child. But little by little, with the support and guidance of my sister, I slowly overcame my fear and learned to enjoy swimming.
As I spent more time in the water, I realized that swimming wasn’t just exercise; it was a way to challenge myself and push my limits. I began to set goals for myself, starting with simple tasks like swimming a certain distance without stopping, and gradually progressing to more advanced techniques. With each achievement, my confidence grew, and I found myself becoming more comfortable in the water.
Swimming also brought me closer to Becky. We spent hours together at the pool, motivating and encouraging each other. She became my trainer, helping me improve my technique and providing me with valuable advice. It was through swimming that we developed a deeper bond as siblings (兄弟姐妹).
注意:(1)续写词数应为150左右;(2)开头已给出。
As the years went by, I started participating in local swimming competitions.
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Today, as I reflect on my journey, I am grateful for the twist of fate that led me to professional swimming.
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John was waiting for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t. Thirteen months ago, in a Florida library he took a book randomly off the shelf and took great interest in the notes in the margin (页边空白). The further he read, the more intrigued (着迷) he was by the notes. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful and profound mind. John couldn’t help picturing in his mind what kind of people the owner would be.
In front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With extreme delight, he couldn’t contain his curiosity and spared a lot of time and effort to locate her address. Eventually and fortunately, all the efforts paid off, He wrote her a letter without any hesitation introducing himself and inviting her to respond.
During the following years the two grew to know each other through the mail, exchanging ideas covering all aspects ranging from classic works to current events, which brightened each other’s life handsomely. John once requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. Later they scheduled their first meeting--7: 00 pm at Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel (翻领).” So at 7: 00 he was in the station looking for the girl with the red rose.
A girl in a green suit was coming toward him, and she has black hair pulled tightly into a knot at the back of her head, her figure long and slim and her eyes amazingly charming blue, which quickened his heartbeat. Almost uncontrollably he made one step closer to her, with a strong voice yelling at the bottom of his heart but didn’t spot the red rose on her lapel. It was just at this moment that he saw Hollis Maynell---a woman well past 40, with a bright-colored rose on her coat. The girl was walking quickly away.
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.续写部分分成两段,每段的开头语已为你写好;
4.续写完成后,请用下划线标出你使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
He felt as though he split (裂开) in two,
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Paragraph 2
The woman smiled, “I don’t know what this is about, son,”
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7 . A Game of Light and Shade
It was a sunny day. I had gone up and down the tower when, outside the door at the foot, a blind man came toward me. In a moment, he disappeared up the stairs. I looked at the sign that said “To the Tower”, and decided to
I caught up with him in the ticket office. There I was
“That man is blind. What would a blind man climb up the tower for?” I said to the attendant, expecting him to show some
“Not the
I bought a ticket and
At last, after ten minutes, I
He smiled. “Coming up the stairs, you will notice how not just light but sun
The blind man seemed quite
A.accept | B.follow | C.control | D.visit |
A.frightened | B.disappointed | C.surprised | D.embarrassed |
A.touching | B.climbing | C.hitting | D.covering |
A.pointing | B.attaching | C.contributing | D.leading |
A.respect | B.doubt | C.concern | D.sympathy |
A.view | B.test | C.prize | D.trick |
A.kick | B.jump | C.relax | D.escape |
A.struggled | B.explored | C.wandered | D.hurried |
A.promised | B.examined | C.imagined | D.confirmed |
A.steps | B.words | C.secrets | D.cheers |
A.standard | B.distance | C.expense | D.intention |
A.ahead | B.around | C.outside | D.behind |
A.recognized | B.surrounded | C.approached | D.witnessed |
A.why | B.how | C.when | D.whether |
A.knocks | B.pours | C.slides | D.bursts |
A.trend | B.reaction | C.change | D.honor |
A.light | B.space | C.mess | D.shade |
A.place | B.signal | C.object | D.period |
A.nervous | B.content | C.curious | D.patient |
A.unless | B.because | C.once | D.although |
Mary waited anxiously for her turn in the empty dressing room. Never had she been so nervous before. This competition was of great importance to her comeback. “If I can win today,” she said to herself, “I can dance on the national stage next month.” Three months ago, her left arm was seriously injured in a car accident. After the medical treatment, she began to recover slowly. She practiced over and over again in order to regain her dancing skills.
“Hi, Mary,” in rushed her friend Jessica. “How is your arm? Is it going to influence your performance?”
“I guess it can be tolerated for I am to win the match.” said Mary with a determined look.
“Admirable! But I hear that a girl called Linda is really gifted and strong. She can be your real well-matched competitor. Come on!”
After Jessica left, Mary decided to practice her most difficult spin (旋转). “If I don’t try harder, I won’t grasp this chance.” She thought. But her arm began to hurt, making her worried. “Mary, what makes you think you have a chance tonight?” she said to herself. After the pain was gone, she continued to warm up.
A slim girl hurried in and put down an equipment bag on the chair. Then, she took out her dance dress quickly and put it on skillfully. Seeing Mary, she smiled politely and said “Hi, I’m Linda. I am the next one to you!” Mary nodded in reply but felt uncomfortable. “This is just my competitor. Because of her, I may lose tonight.” Her mind was wandering when Linda let out a scream, “Oh, God, I can’t find my music tape!” Linda searched her bag but in vain (徒劳). “It may be missing on the way.” With these words, she then rushed out.
注意:1.所续写短文的词数不少于80字;
2.续写部分为一段,请在答题卡相应的位置作答。
Paragraph 1
Suddenly, Mary caught sight of a black box under the chair where Linda put her bag.
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9 . When I was in fourth grade, I worked part-time as a paperboy. Mrs. Stanley was one of my customers. She’d watch me coming down her street, and by the time I’d biked up to her doorstep, there’d be a cold drink waiting. I’d sit and drink while she talked.
Mrs. Stanley talked mostly about her dead husband, “Mr. Stanley and I went shopping this morning.” she’d say. The first time she said that, soda(汽水) went up my nose.
I told my father how Mrs. Stanley talked as if Mr. Stanley were still alive. Dad said she was probably lonely, and that I ought to sit and listen and nod my head and smile, and maybe she’d work it out of her system. So that’s what I did, and it turned out Dad was right. After a while she seemed content to leave her husband over at the cemetery(墓地).
I finally quit delivering newspapers and didn’t see Mrs. Stanley for several years. Then we crossed paths at a church fund-raiser(募捐活动). She was spooning mashed potatoes and looking happy. Four years before, she’d had to offer her paperboy a drink to have someone to talk with. Now she had friends. Her husband was gone, but life went on.
I live in the city now, and my paperboy is a lady named Edna with three kids. She asks me how I’m doing. When I don’t say “fine”, she sticks around to hear my problems. She’s lived in the city most of her life, but she knows about community. Community isn’t so much a place as it is a state of mind. You find it whenever people ask how you’re doing because they care, and not because they’re getting paid to do so. Sometimes it’s good to just smile, nod your head and listen.
1. Why did soda go up the author’s nose one time?A.He was talking fast. | B.He was shocked. |
C.He was in a hurry. | D.He was absent-minded. |
A.He enjoyed the drink. | B.He wanted to be helpful. |
C.He took the chance to rest. | D.He tried to please his dad. |
A.recover from her sadness | B.move out of the neighborhood |
C.turn to her old friends | D.speak out about her past |
A.Open up to others. | B.Depend on each other. |
C.Pay for other’s help | D.Care about one another. |
It was summer, and my dad wanted to treat me to a vacation like never before. He decided to take me on a trip to the Wild West. We took a plane to Albuquerque, a big city in the state of New Mexico. We reached Albuquerque in the late afternoon. Upon Paul, my dad’s friend, picked us up from the airport and drove us up to his farm in Pecos.
His wife Tina cooked us a delicious dinner and we got to know his sons Ryan and Kyle. My dad and I spent the night in the guestroom of the farm house listening to the frogs and water rolling down the river nearby. Very early in the morning, Uncle Paul woke us up to have breakfast. “The day starts at dawn on my farm,” he said. After breakfast, I went to help Aunt Tina feed the chickens, while my dad went with Uncle Paul to take the sheep out to graze (吃草). I was impressed to see my dad and Uncle Paul riding horses. They looked really cool.
In the afternoon, I asked Uncle Paul if I could take a horse ride, and he said yes, as long as my dad went with me. I wasn’t going to take a horse ride by myself anyway. So, my dad and I put on our new cowboy hats, got on our horses, and headed slowly towards the mountains. “Don’t be late for supper,” Uncle Paul cried, “and keep to the track (足迹;踪迹) so that you don’t get lost!” “OK!” my dad cried back. After a while Uncle Paul and his farm house were out of sight. It was so peaceful and quiet and the colors of the brown rocks, the deep green pine (松树) trees, and the late afternoon sun mixed to create a magic scene. It looked like a beautiful woven (编织的) blanket spread out upon the ground just for us.
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。
Paragraph 1
Suddenly a little rabbit jumped out in front of my horse.
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We had no idea where we were and it was getting dark.
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