In my childhood, under the influence of my el der brother and my peers in the neighborhood, I tried a number of outdoor activities. Of course, I was not so taken by all of them. whether I was doing them for the first time or continuously. However, fate had its own plans in store. You never know when an outdoor activity will change my life.
The name of this activity is “fishing”. About ten years ago, I didn't really like the idea of sitting on the bank of a lake or river, spending long hours under the sun's ultraviolet rays, which can cause sunburns and skin damage, and anxiously anticipating some fish to be kind to take my bait(诱饵). In fact, I used to think of this outdoor activity as some kind of “hide-and-seek-game” that is popular with most young kids, except that it was much harder because I could see my “prey (猎物)” only after catching it.
However, all that changed when I paid a visit to my aunt in the countryside during a summer holiday. I was finally convinced by one of my cousins to accompany him to a nearby lake in order to do some fishing practice with him. In fact, he even assured me that fish would eat my baits. So I agreed and went to the lake expecting to catch some fish. Before throwing my fishing line into the water, my cousin did some tricks attaching some sort of food to my fishing pole.
Learning to fish in a river or lake can be challenging for the beginners like me. The act of dropping a line is easy, but being a successful fisher is hard. That's why they call it fishing but not catching But with practice and patience, it can become easier over time. Patience is essential in lake fishing. It may take some time to find the right spot or lure (鱼饵) that will attract fish.
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。
My cousin had to repeatedly remind me to keep patient.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When we finally left the lake, I had caught three fish!
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After little Julie lost her parents, she lived with Aunt Clara, who worked day and night to support her and her own daughter Mira. As the school prom (舞会) approached, both Julie and Mira dreamed of buying beautiful dresses for the occasion. However, Clara’s limited budget posed a challenge, as she could only afford one dress.
To determine who would receive the dress, Clara suggested the girls draw lots (抽签). Unfortunately, luck was not on Julie’s side, but she remained optimistic. “Don’t worry about me,” Julie smiled. “I’ll figure something out.”
Julie reached under her bed and pulled out a box containing money from Grandma. Grandma loved Julie and Mira very much. Every year, Grandma would send cash gifts to both of them. Julie had carefully saved her money and now had enough to buy a prom dress. With excitement and anticipation, she purchased a beautiful black dress, imagining being the prom queen at the prom.
The following Sunday morning, Aunt Clara left for work early. When Julie woke up, she was shocked that the dress she had hung over the nearby chair was gone! She looked out of the window and froze in horror at the sight of the family dog tearing it to pieces.
She screamed as she ran toward the dog. “What have you done to my dress?” Mira soon learned of the situation and rushed to help Julie to remove her dress caught between the dog’s teeth. However, it was already completely ruined and unable to be repaired. Julie felt heartbroken at the thought of not being able to afford another dress.
Lost and unsure of what to do, Julie went to her grandma’s house with the remains of her dress, seeking comfort and advice. When Grandma answered the door, Julie cried and said what had happened. Grandma comforted her and offered a glimmer of hope. “I can help you with your dress,” she smiled. “Follow me."
Grandma, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease (帕金森病),walked slowly and led Julie into the dining room. There, she removed the cover from her old sewing machine and instructed Julie to open the top drawer of the dresser, where an abundance of colorful cloth was stored.
Paragraph 1:Julie said, “But I’m afraid that you couldn’t sew anymore. You know, your hands.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Eventually, their joint efforts bore fruit, and they completed a new prom dress.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Near daybreak the previous day, my friend Jess and I set out on a journey southwest from our snow-covered home in Ottawa, bound for Arizona, a warm place to escape the freezing winter. After loading our equipment and my dog Bailey into my old car, we drove along the freeway with the radio playing lively tunes. Bailey, comfortably sitting on the back seat, added to the joy of the moment. Life couldn't have felt more perfect.
As the miles accumulated behind us, by noon the following day, we pulled off at a rest area with spring-like temperatures. It was an ideal setting for a picnic-style break outside the car. After a refreshing walk, we ate salads and cheese with the sun shining brightly on us. However, the road called us, so unwillingly we headed for the car.
Once the food was stored in the trunk, I opened the back door, throwing my keys onto the front seat, and settled Bailey on the back seat before shutting the door with force. However, as I reached for the driver's door handle, a sudden realization struck me.
“Oh, Jess, the door is locked.”
“What do you mean 'locked'? How did that happen?” Jess questioned with concern.
A wave of fear washed over me as I pieced together the situation. The remote likely triggered (触发) the lock when I threw it onto the driver's seat. Inside the car were our purses, keys, and most importantly, Bailey. The rising temperatures now posed a serious threat to her-being trapped inside a hot box without water.
Assessing the problem with a clearer mind, I instantly reached out to a local auto repair service for assistance. Unfortunately, they couldn't guarantee their arrival time due to staffing shortages, leaving me anxious about Bailey's well-being. The danger of heatstroke (中暑) weighed heavily on my mind, fueling my urgency to find a solution. Breaking the window, which had been my last choice, seemed to be the only one.
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。
Just then a large truck approached.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally Bailey was saved and my car remained whole.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Teachers are a gift, especially Troy’s teacher, Donna. She always goes above and beyond for her students, but what she did for Troy’s family is truly beyond selflessness but a miracle(奇迹).
Donna is one of those teachers who pay close attention to the students in their classroom. She began to notice something odd in one of her elementary students, Troy. He was not active in class like he had been. Troy used to be a passionate student in class, engaging with teachers and his friends. Being a helping hand to the teacher and classmates, Troy was always welcomed by everybody. However, he was all of a sudden so shut down and his behavior was simply not the same. He seemed to be silent all the time, and his eyes lost light of desire for knowledge and passion for any activities. Donna grew very concerned and wondered if there was something going on that affected his performance at school. So, she reached out to Troy’s mom to express her concerns.
And that was when she discovered something wrong. For the past year, his mom had been in stage-five kidney(肾)failure. She was in pain every day and desperately needed a new kidney. But she had a rare blood type, so finding a match for a kidney transplant was virtually impossible. Her condition had been a very long and anxious journey. It had been so painful for the family, and it had definitely made an impact on Troy. And in class, he had been silently carrying the pain his mom was going through at home.
The news broke Donna’s heart. She knew that she just had to do something. She was there as a loving friend to help Troy with his studies, but she was also there for his mom. Donna researched how to become a kidney donor and discovered that she had the same rare blood type as Troy’s mom. She got tested and, surprisingly, she was a match.
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。
When Donna told the news to Troy’s family, everyone was surprised.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Soon the kidney transplant took place.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was always afraid of water. This fear could not be explained, but I knew that the moment I stepped near any body of water, my legs would turn to jelly (果冻). I would imagine myself drowning in the water and thrashing around (乱扑腾) helplessly. That was why I had never gone into a swimming pool until swimming became a school requirement. My school wanted all pupils to pass a swimming test, and if they could not, then they would have to attend weekly swimming lessons in school, which made me tremble.
Thus, my parents signed me up for swimming lessons at the pool near my house. With great unwillingness, I attended those weekly lessons, and each one was great suffering for me. I was naturally clumsy, and my fear of water did not help at all. Every lesson, I would be spending my time thrashing about in the water, while my classmates would be swimming countless laps effortlessly and even turning over like dolphins in the water. How was I going to pass the test at this rate?
In my swimming class, there was an exceptionally athletic girl. Tall and muscular, her name was Kathy. She was the best swimmer in our class and always looked at me with disdain (鄙视), especially when I thrashed about hopelessly in the water.
Once, after a particularly long and hard swimming lesson, I spotted Kathy swimming gracefully in the pool. Gathering my courage, I asked gently, “Kathy, can you teach me to swim?” She stared at me coldly. It was as if I stood at the edge of an endless ocean of inadequacy, my fears appearing like dark storm clouds threatening to drown me. Yet, in that moment, a glimmer of hope flashed within me, a desperate longing for guidance and acceptance. Would Kathy’s icy exterior (外表) melt under the warmth of empathy, or would I remain forever thrashing in the sea of my own fears?
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。
To my surprise, she nodded after a few moments of silence.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Congratulations!” Kathy said when she learnt I had passed the swimming test.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My mom only had one eye. I hated her. She was such an embarrassment. She ran a small shop at a flea market and collected old clothes and some other things to sell for the money we needed.
Once during elementary school, it was a field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed and wondered how she could do this to me? I was so angry with my mom and wished that she would just disappear from this world. So I said to my mom, “Why don’t you have the other eye?! If you’re only gonna make me a laughingstock!” My mom did not respond, I guess I felt. a little. bad, but at the same time, I felt so good to have said what I wanted to say.
I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty. I told myself that I would become successful in the near future, so I studied very hard. Later I got accepted by the Seoul University. I left my mother and came to Seoul to study. Then I got married there. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too. I enjoy the life in Seoul because it’s a place that doesn’t remind me of my mom and my past.
This kind of happiness was getting bigger and bigger, until one day someone knocked at my door. It was my mom! And still with her one eye! It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom’s eye. I screamed at her, “Who are you? I don’t know you! How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter!” To this, my mom quietly answered, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,” and she disappeared out of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. After the reunion, I went down to my old house, just out of curiosity. There I found my mom fallen on the cold ground. I did not shed a single tear.
Then a piece of paper in her hand came into my eyes. It was a letter to me.
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。
My son,
I think my life has been long enough now, and I won’t visit Seoul anymore.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident and lost your eye.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Last year around Halloween, I was invited to participate in a carnival for Tuesday’s Child, an organization that helps children with cancer. I was asked to attend because I’m on a television show; I went because I care. I don’t think that most of the kids recognized me as a celebrity. They just thought of me as a big kid who came to play with them for the day. I think I liked it better that way.
At the carnival they had all kinds of stands. I was drawn to one in particular because of all the children that had gathered there. At this stand, anyone who wanted to could paint a square. Later that square was going to be sewn together with the others, to make a quilt. The quilt would be presented to a man who had dedicated much of his life to this organization and would soon be retiring.
They gave everyone fabric paints in bright beautiful colors and asked the kids to paint something that would make the quilt beautiful. As I looked around at all the squares, I saw pink hearts and bright blue clouds, beautiful orange sunrises and green and purple flowers. The pictures were all bright, positive and uplifting. All except for one.
The boy sitting next to me was painting a heart, but it was dark, empty and lifeless. It lacked the bright brilliant colors that his fellow artists had used.
At first I thought maybe he took the only paint that was left and it just happened to be dark. But when I asked him about it, he said his heart was that color because not only was he very sick, but his mom was very sick. He said, “There is nothing anyone can do that will help.”
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。
P1: After hearing the boy’s story, I felt a deep sadness.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
P2: The boy looked at me with tears in his eyes, but there was also a glimmer of hope.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Being the youngest in my family has had its advantages, of course. But being the youngest also came with its fair share of troubles. I was often told what I couldn’t do and why. I knew that my family loved me. They always tried to protect me, help me and take care of me, but I couldn’t wait to show them I could do things by myself.
It was a hot day in Florida. The school year had just ended and it was time for summer vacation. We had just gotten a little black dog who we named One-Eyed.
Everybody wanted to do something for the dog: feed him, teach him tricks and take long walks with him. Everybody was so happy to have this little active, playful new addition to our family. I was so desperate to pet One-Eyed myself, too.
Every time I asked my brother or my sister if I could do that, they would shout, “No!” or tell me that I had germs (细菌). Once, they even convinced me that I had so many germs and that if I touched One-Eyed he would die! I really believed them and was scared that something terrible would happen to the dog. Once I even confessed to my mom that I touched the dog when no one noticed. At first, my mom seemed very confused about what I was telling her, but then she realized that they were playing a joke on me to keep me away from the dog. My mom criticized my brother and sister, “You’d better stop teasing your little brother!” Little brother! That’s exactly what I was. That really got my blood boiling.
The depression built up inside me as I watched them enjoy their time with One-Eyed, excluding me from the joyous moments. I knew I was capable of taking care of myself and forming my own connection with our new lovely friend. Determination filled my heart, fueling a newfound sense of independence.
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 to prove to everyone I could pet and play with One-Eyed.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Seeing this, my brother and sister couldn’t believe their eyes.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I flipped through an online bidding (拍卖) site one evening: fun containers for houseplants, old maps original artwork, Santas... “Oh my gosh, Cody! Look!”
My husband looked over my shoulder, “That’s a lot of Santas!” he was surprised,
I found a huge fortune and it was only March! But these Santas came in three plastic bins. “I don’t know where we could store them all,” I said. “You’d have to go with me to pick them up—those bins look heavy.” I tried to talk myself out of bidding, but it wasn’t working. “I really want them,” I admitted.
“You should do what makes you happy,” Cody said.
For years I’d bought at least one Santa figure every year for Christmas. Cody knew that Santa was a special character for me. When I was growing up, my father played the community Santa. He was a fireman, and the department sponsored Santa visits at school. My father would get down from the flashing fire truck with a big “Ho! Ho! Ho!” He’d sit each child on his lap. “What your Christmas wish?” he’d ask, as joyous a she could be. He handed out bags of peanuts, candy and oranges. Nobody knew the man behind the beard was my father. It was magical!
After the school party, mom would carefully wash dad’s costume. The red and white coat, hat, white beard and black belt went back into the box. Santa was gone when Christmas night fell.
My father died when I was 19. Since then, I’d bought Santa figures to feel the joy Santa represented. Maybe that why I kept searching for more of them. By the time our three daughters were born, we had enough Santas to decorate a whole tree.
I typed in my bid on the site as memories of those Santa visits at school rushed in. I then imagined how my daughters would react to those bins of Santas.
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。
My computer flashed with a message.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Santas? In March?” my daughters appeared confused.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I was a kid, my parents and I lived near the forest. They often told me that our family was a team that needed to work together for the household to function smoothly. There was always an abundance of work to do — cooking, cleaning, and walking dogs. I volunteered to walk our dog, Max, who had been adopted one month before. I never dared let this giant dog off the lead (牵狗绳), just in case he took off.
One morning, we were walking along in the forest when Max started pulling on the lead. At first, I was able to hold on despite the wet ground from a recent shower. But the more I tried to stop him pulling, the more it turned into a tug of war. And thanks to the slippery ground, I lost.
Pulling his lead, Max shot off like a bullet, leaving me screaming behind. I chased him but lost my footing and fell face-first into some mud. I stumbled (踉跄) to my feet, but looking ahead, I found him running back towards me. I thought he was going to stop and give me his “Sorry” look. But instead, the dog shot past me and returned after a while.
As soon as we got home, my mother immediately attended to Max with a warm towel and a doggy treat. I thought seeing me stumbling and covered in mud, I would also get a warm cup of tea and a motherly kiss. Instead, I got a very loud lecture about letting the dog loose in the forest.
I felt frustrated. It wasn’t fair that she didn’t understand how difficult it was to control Max. I fought back, “Stop lecturing me! Why is everything my fault?” With these words, I stormed into my bedroom and slammed the door shut.
In the evening, I heard my mother call Max and take him out. It wasn’t long before I heard my mother screaming and the door opening again.
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。
I walked out of my room.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dad stepped in, suggesting that we work together to train Max.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
