My first marathon. It’s pouring rain, my legs were cold, and I was wishing I hadn’t been too nervous to eat a bigger breakfast. “There were tables of chocolate bars every mile at my last marathon,” Dad says.
Suddenly everyone around us starts moving. Way up ahead I see smoke from the cannon. I can’t believe we hadn’t heard it. It took ages to reach the starting line. Our marathon started.
Soon Dad started to slow down. After only a mile, I overtook everyone in sight. And Dad was way behind with his left leg cramped(抽筋).
I soon reached mile 5, and I was feeling good. I still hadn’t seen a chocolate bar anywhere. Maybe they didn’t have them! Instead, the streets were lined with fast-food places. But there were lines of runners at every shop.
By mile 10, my legs felt good but I was starving. How I wish I hadn’t just had one piece of toast for breakfast! It’s raining so hard that it hurt. My hands stung from the cold. I took a power gel out of pocket and tried to open it, but my hands were so cold they felt as if they were frozen into fists. On the balconies people yelled and waved to me. That cheered me up a bit.
Then I ran past mile 13, the halfway checkpoint. Up ahead I could see my mum and my little brother cheering for me. Hearing my name from their cheers, I felt refreshed and kept on running.
Mile 15. I saw food at last! There were tables full of bananas. I grabbed a banana and scoffed it down. Then I ripped the power gel open. My hands had come unfroze. I squeezed the packet and filled my mouth with the gel. Chocolate would taste better.
When I reached mile 20, and I didn’t want to run another inch. Every step jarred my leg.
I started walking the next mile before Dad caught up running in an awkward way.
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Mile 25, we could hear the crowd at the finish line.
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We had four children, never intending to adopt a child, but a call came through that morning. A home was needed for a girl immediately. The whole family prepared to greet her. The kids helped with the cleaning. That afternoon, Trudy arrived with a social worker, Mrs Kline. I’d never forget the frightened look in her eyes. I stepped forward, saying, “Welcome to our home, Trudy.” Her eyes looked back and forth like a creature looking for a way out. This had been her fifth foster home. No wonder she was afraid. For the first two weeks, Trudy was still shy. Mrs Kline had told us her history, but I never mentioned the terrible things that had happened to her. She also got along well with all my four children.
One day, when Trudy had been with us for about a month, I took my eldest daughter, Joanne shopping for a new winter coat, and Trudy went too. Joanne was trying on a green jacket. It was expensive, but she begged, promising to do extra chores for the jacket.
Trudy picked out a jacket she liked and was looking into the mirror for long. As I watched her, I realized it wasn’t the same girl that had entered our home about a month ago. She held her head higher. Putting the jacket back on the rack, she rejoined Joanne.
“The jacket looks so nice on you,” Trudy said. “Can I borrow it sometime?” she said. I hadn’t seen her face so bright before. While they were busy, I asked the salesperson to wrap up the jacket Trudy had tried on. “Please don’t let her see it — it’s a surprise,” I explained. For the next few minutes, I kept Trudy busy while the salesperson was wrapping it. We bought the coat Joanne loved and I managed to bring the parcels to the car without being noticed.
On arriving home, Joanne proudly modelled her new coat for Trudy again. I asked Trudy to go out to the car and bring in the other parcel.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
I asked Trudy to open the parcel for me.
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I took Trudy’s face in my hands, and asked, “Isn’t this the jacket you were trying on?”
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Standing outside the cave entrance, Grandfather admired the green-carpeted hills, but Lin hated the cave. He had come here today only because of Grandfather.
Grandfather preferred to use guano, the waste matter of bats, to fertilize (施肥) his crops. But he was too weak to do the whole job. He could gather the guano and bring it out of the cave in the basket, but he needed Lin to carry it home in the wooden cart.
Grandfather took a shovel (铲子) and flashlight from the cart. “Change your mind and come inside with me?” he asked Lin. “It won’t happen again, Lin,” Grandfather promised. “Last time it was my mistake. We shouldn’t have waited until nearly dusk (黄昏) to go inside. I know that the bats fly out of the cave at dusk.” That was exactly what had happened on the Terrible Day of the Bats. As Lin had stood at the cave entrance, a crowd of black bats had erupted from it. Lin had been terrified.
“Bats hurt no one,” Grandfather had said. “Besides, you scared them as much as they did you.”
But nothing could make Lin forget the horror he had felt in that black cloud of bats. “I can’t go in there,” he told Grandfather now.
“OK,” Grandfather said. As he started into the cave, he called over his shoulder, “I’ll be out in no time.” Lin parked the cart and glanced at the shovel and flashlight inside it. His shovel and flashlight. He had used them before. Now they only reminded him of his fear.
Lin turned his back on the cart and walked down to the river. Grandfather would call when he was finished. Until then, Lin would put as much distance as possible between himself and the cave.
Lin watched two little birds splashing about at the edge of the river. He enjoyed the peaceful view over the vast river surface. Then Lin realized that Grandfather’s “no time” had turned into a long time.
Lin hurried up the hill toward the cave. The cart was still there. Grandfather was still inside. Something had gone wrong.
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。
Lin looked around but found no one he could turn to for help.
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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Magic Bus
I was travelling on an overnight bus from Kolhapur to Aurangabad in Maharashtra. This was way back in May 1972, when I was still in college. The bus — an ordinary, non-air-conditioned one — was more than packed; all 55 seats were occupied and there were some 20 people standing in the aisle (过道). The hot day added to the discomfort of the rough, 10-hour journey. Because I was travelling on a student bus pass, I could not claim a reserved seat. I had no option but to stand — quite uncomfortably.
The bus started its journey a little later than scheduled. The passengers seated comfortably by the windows wore happy expressions as they looked at the outside world, the breeze kissing their faces. The people seated by the aisle complained about the standing ones, who had no option but to occasionally lean on the seat corners. The air inside was hot and filled with strange, unpleasant smells. Some enthusiastic travellers had carried small transistor radios with the slim hope that they would be able to listen to some music on the way.
After around two very long hours, I was beyond exhausted and bored. I kept trying to balance myself, shifting my body weight from one leg to the other to manage the discomfort. After another long hour, I was wet with sweat in the noise and shaky rhythm of the bus. I suddenly sensed a soft hand tapping my elbow (手肘), asking for attention. Turning around, I found a middle-aged man with a kind smile looking up at me. He suddenly stood up and said I could take his seat for some time. I was pleasantly surprised and immediately accepted his offer, my entire body heaving a sigh of relief. The man, whose seat I was in, stood next to me, looking around in amusement. After about 20 minutes, I signalled him to take back his space. A man, who was sitting by the window on the other side of the bus, had observed our exchange.
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。
Just then, something magical happened.
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The bus reached its destination in the early hours of the morning.
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Ellie was only eight years old when a tsunami(海啸)hit her old neighborhood. She had been out of town on a school trip when disaster struck, but her parents, Jude and Rachel, were lost during the tragedy.
With her house left in complete ruin, all Ellie had left was the bag she had packed for her school trip. As the young girl had nowhere else to go, her grandmother Louisa welcomed Ellie into her home. Louisa lived in a different state to Ellie’s hometown, which meant that Ellie needed to transfer to a new school. She felt alone and isolated, away from her old friends and in a new environment.
Ellie’s grandmother was already retired and barely had enough money to cover their needs. To make matters worse, Jude and Rachel’s belongings were destroyed in the tsunami. Louisa couldn’t afford to buy Ellie new clothes. Therefore, when Ellie’s clothes were visibly small as she grew taller, she felt very embarrassed. She didn’t want to attend class and would often hide in the bathrooms. After school, she would run home before her classmates could see her.
Ellie kept a notebook full of designs. Actually, Ellie’s mother was a seamstress (女裁缝)and taught Ellie how to sew when she was very young. Ellie often dreamed of how she would dress if she were rich.
Meanwhile, Ellie’s teacher, Mrs. Roberts, began to notice her abnormality from class. One day, she decided to get to the bottom of the situation and called Louisa. That’s when the older woman tearfully explained to Mrs. Roberts that Ellie had lost everything and felt self-conscious(难为情的). “I’ve found some of her drawings about the clothes design. I think she’s ashamed that I can’t afford to buy her new clothes for school,” Louisa explained. Mrs. Roberts had a lot of sympathy for the girl, who had already suffered due to the tsunami.
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。
Mrs. Roberts then appealed to her students to donate clothes to Ellie.
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The next morning, Ellie went to school wearing the clothes she redesigned.
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As Amy walked home from school one afternoon, she saw images of symmetry (对称) all around her: in the faces of people, in the buildings she passed, and in the cars that went by. Even the autumn leaves that covered the sidewalk. A butterfly landed on a branch above her, and Amy suddenly stopped. She held her breath and smiled, watching as it opened and closed its perfectly symmetrical wings.
All that month, Amy’s class had been studying different forms of symmetry, and Amy was deeply attracted. They’d observed the mirror symmetry of violins and the rotational symmetry of starfish. They’d even studied symmetry using a microscope and recorded the beauty with a phone camera. Now Mr. Garcia, their science teacher, had given them their final assignment: to find the most beautiful example of symmetry and give a report to the class on it.
“The most beautiful example of symmetry. What on earth could that be?” Amy asked herself. She finally decided to use her microscope to find one. Amy spent hours in the garden on the examination of cells, pieces of rock, and drops of pond water. Although she was amazed by what she saw, none was truly beautiful.
“What are you bringing to class?” Amy asked her friend Cathy on the bus ride to school. “A model airplane,” replied Cathy proudly. “And my brother Mathew is bringing his guitar.” Those things are nice, thought Amy, but there must be something more beautiful.
That evening, she stayed with her microscope until her father called out, “Get inside, Amy. It’s freezing outside. The weather forecast says it’s going to snow.”
Amy’s heart sank. There would be fewer things to study under the microscope. Snow would cover the area like a blanket, hiding everything from sight. Her assignment was due in just a few days. Amy began to feel panic as she was packing up her microscope. Then she caught sight of something white blown onto the stage of her microscope. Yes! The snowflake (雪花)! She looked through the microscope and was amazed by its beauty.
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 have to show it to my class,” Amy cried excitedly.
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Finally, it was the day to report.
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My Big Solo (独唱)
The day had finally arrived: the day of my big solo. Everyone was there; my mom and dad and my little brother. And it was a big event: the Spring Fling Choir Concert. The whole class was dressed up. My name was on the cover of the program in bright yellow characters. I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name. Not that it was my name, but that it wasn’t Renee’s. Renee and I had been classmates since kindergarten. She was always ahead of me. Dance class needs a big finish? Renee was picked. The school plays? Renee would have the leads while I was cast as her mother or sister or neighbor. I even played her dog once. The only time I ever came in ahead of Renee was at roll call (点名). Cindy comes before Renee. I count that as a victory!
The choir concert tryouts were stressful. We waited in the library as Ms. Jenkins called us individually into the choir room. By the time she called me, I was shaking. When I came back to the library, Renee smiled at me. Ms. Jenkins called her name and Renee calmly followed her. She was still calm and smiling when her tryout was over
When Ms. Jenkins announced who had made the special choral group (合唱队), I wasn’t surprised when Renee’s name was on her list and mine wasn’t. “So, what else is new?” I said under my breath Sudden clapping brought me out of my bad mood. Everyone was looking at me. I’ve missed something here, I thought. Ms. Jenkins smiled at me and said, “Cindy, you will have to start practicing with me.The solos take extra preparation.” Solo? I got the solo? I glanced over at Renee. She smiled broadly and gave me the thumbs-up sign. Oh, that’s another thing. She is always so nice
Now the day had come. We filed onto the stage and took our places. I was front and center. Ms. Jenkins raised her baton (指挥棒) and we began to sing. My parents were smiling at me, cameras flashing.
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 big moment came.
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The rest of the solo went well.
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Eight-year-old Kayzen Hunter visits Waffle House every weekend to have breakfast with his family. They always choose to sit in Devonte Gardner’s section, because they get the best care from their favorite waiter.
The family instantly felt close to Gardner, who would greet Kayzen with a high-five every time they entered the restaurant. Kayzen never needed to say his order again, because Gardner already knew it by heart. The family really believes he’s the nicest person ever, which is why they were eager to help him when they learned his story.
One day, while dining at the restaurant with his grandfather John Donofrio, Kayzen discovered that behind Gardner’s kindness and warmth were a lot of personal struggles. At the time, Gardner asked the pair if they knew where he could buy an affordable car to use to get to work. It turned out the waiter had been walking a long distance to and from work every day. He and his family, consisting of a wife and two young daughters, were living in a motel (汽车旅馆) room after their apartment became unsuitable to live in. They had been living in a motel for months.
Kayzen couldn’t erase his friend’s story from his mind, so he immediately told his mom about it when he got home. “We have to start a GoFundMe page and help Gardner get a car!” he kept saying. He didn’t give up on the idea until his mom Vittoria gave in. Their goal was to get $5,000 in donations so Gardner could purchase a car. Vittoria and her husband were eager to help their son achieve the goal, especially since they had the same experience years ago. It took a long time to rebuild their lives, but they were able to bounce back. Now, they wanted to help Devonte do the same.
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。
A local news station picked up the story, and before they knew it, more donations began pouring in.
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Upon discovering what Kayzen had done, Gardner wept.
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Most of us never forget the person that was there for us in our darkest times. Apparently, penguins (企鹅) don’t either.
On a typical day, off the coast of a small Brazilian island, Joao Pereira de Souza headed out fishing. He was disheartened to find that an oil leak had polluted the waters. Staring out at the oily waves, he decided it was not a good day to fish. But walking on the beach that day, he found a struggling penguin, covered in oil and starving.
Joao took the penguin home, and spent a whole week gently cleaning it and nursing it back to health. He named it Dindim, a Portuguese word meaning “ice pop”. Dindim is a Magellanic penguin, a species known for living in the seas of South America. In order to breed (繁殖), they must return to Patagonia, 5,000 miles from Joao’s home.
After a week of rehabilitation (康复), Joao patiently took Dindim back to the sea and taught it how to swim again. When Dindim could swim quite well, Joao took it out into the sea by boat and dropped it off to encourage it to swim back to its home. But when he was back to shore, he found the penguin waiting for him. Joao made two more attempts later, but each time the bird would just return to Joao’s home. It seemed that Dindim had already formed a family bond with Joao and wouldn’t leave.
Joao had no choice but to keep the little creature. During the following months, Dindim would follow behind Joao to fish on the coast joyfully. Dindim also liked to lie on Joao’s lap, letting Joao give it showers, allowing Joao to feed it fish and to pick it up. Joao and his family enjoyed the company of Dindim. But deep inside Joao’s heart, he knew Dindim belonged to the wild. Gradually, the hot summer days witnessed the change of its new feathers. Was it time to say “goodbye”?
注意：
1. 续写词数成为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly one morning, Joao found Dindim disappeared.
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A few months later, Joao heard some familiar cries in his backyard.
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It was one of those sunny mornings when merely breathing seemed to be an event worth celebrating. I was in a particularly good mood as my mother had just given me RM400(马来西亚币)for my daily expenses during the week that she would be away with my father in China to visit her sick grandaunt. I was wondering if I survived on bread and butter the whole week, I would have RM300 to buy the latest computer games! It was certainly a great way to begin the day.
As I neared the classroom, I heard a loud noise coming from it and quickly rushed in. My classmates were gathered around Tommy’s table as he searched through some personal items. Tommy had always been a popular boy in class. Not only was he bright and well-mannered, but he also came from a wealthy family that provided him with all he could ask for.
My classmates told me that Tommy had lost the money that he had brought as a donation to the welfare home that we were supposed to visit that afternoon. Understanding the situation, I suggested that we organize a search around the classroom and inform the class teacher as soon as possible. In no time, Miss Soh rushed to the classroom. She decided to run a search through everyone’s bag. We quickly stood by our tables and emptied the contents of our bags onto the table. When it came to my turn, I took out all my possessions. As Miss Soh took out the RM400 from my wallet, the class fell into a shock.
Up till then, I had no idea that the amount lost was exactly RM400. Everyone stared at me in horror. Miss Soh was pleased that her efforts had borne fruit. In a loud voice, she demanded to know where the money had come from. I told her the truth, but she appeared not to have heard anything that I had said. She claimed loudly that I was the thief, because my family was poor and could not possibly afford to give me RM400.
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。
Her cruel words cut me deeply.
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A week later, when taking Miss Soh’s class, Tommy suddenly found the neatly folded RM400 slip out of his notebook.
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