Golden Girl
When your mother enters her ninth decade, you make a point of being a little extra careful for any signs of decline—memory loss, repetition and the like.
Thankfully, my mother has been blessed with good health, and her mental state seems to have remained alright. But when she got inked at such an advanced age, I had to wonder.
My mother looks just like many grandmothers, short, slightly fat and white-haired. She’s rosy-cheeked and jolly, and when she laughs her eyes almost seem to disappear behind her fleshy cheeks. She comes from an old, traditional family. She was a career civil servant. In short, she didn’t do crazy suff.
That all changed a few years ago. She began to surprise my older brother and me with what she described as “independence.” At the time, we merely saw them as examples of irresponsibility and possibly age-related questionable judgment.
In early 2015, the year she turned 75, she informed us she’d booked a seven-night trip to Turkey. Alone. Because she had never been. Of course, that was astonishing. There was no way my brother and I could allow that. A shaky little old lady wandering the streets of Istanbul on her own, not speaking a word of Turkish, with no knowledge of the laws and customs of the land—it was out of the question!
She paid no attention to us. Off she went. When she returned, she told us it had been a wonderful success. As it turns out, she had barely spent any time alone after hiring a taxi driver to show her around Istanbul for a few days. He took her to open-air markets, parks, and restaurants. He introduced her to a rug(小地毯)seller named Mustafa, “a lovely fellow,” and she bought some rugs. The seller had taken her address details and promised to ship the rugs home. The seller and my mother apparently struck up quite a friendship and she had told him to please drop by if he were ever in Canada. My mother beamed as she told this story.
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 couldn’t believe how naïve (幼稚) she had been and sat her down to explain that she had been tricked.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Mustafa dropped by for a cup of tea as we used to drink a lot in Turkey.” my mother told my brother and me.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . In the post-war era, re-gifting and returning gifts to shops were commonly occurring.My mother and Aunt Florence ran a
One item I particularly remember was an ugly ornament (饰物) framed in a horseshoe.My mother was shocked by its
The following Saturday, our family was invited to a 21st birthday party, and my father was
At the party, as the presents were
The next day, realizing my mother discovered the ornament which had been sold had been returned by Sheila, the recipient’s mother, who
| A．company | B．department | C．market | D．store |
| A．challenge | B．decision | C．secret | D．promise |
| A．satisfactory | B．unaffordable | C．undesirable | D．cheap |
| A．frequently | B．suddenly | C．occasionally | D．gradually |
| A．advantage | B．colour | C．influence | D．appearance |
| A．display | B．get | C．rent | D．appreciate |
| A．selling | B．investing | C．pricing | D．charging |
| A．expense | B．loss | C．figure | D．value |
| A．planned | B．agreed | C．failed | D．hesitated |
| A．impressed | B．satisfied | C．tasked | D．bored |
| A．dating | B．shopping | C．meeting | D．riding |
| A．borrowed | B．bought | C．designed | D．selected |
| A．ornament | B．jewel | C．horseshoe | D．card |
| A．unlocked | B．covered | C．unwrapped | D．dusted |
| A．thoughts | B．reviews | C．mistakes | D．reactions |
| A．disbelief | B．sadness | C．delight | D．anxiety |
| A．instructed | B．explained | C．added | D．informed |
| A．exchanged | B．donated | C．received | D．rejected |
| A．mysterious | B．temporary | C．aggressive | D．optimistic |
| A．Speaking of | B．Working on | C．Hearing of | D．Reflecting on |
One night, when we were having dinner, suddenly Mom let out, “I have a great idea!” My sister Keira and I looked at each other, feeling confused and wondering what she wanted to say.
“What if,” she said, with a long pause, “we furnish Nancy’s apartment while she’s away?”
Nancy, our nanny (保姆) had returned to her hometown to get her children and bring them back with her. When her children were only one and five years old, she had left them to work as a caregiver abroad where the working conditions were not very good. Later, through friends, Nancy heard that our country was the land of opportunity. With rich working experience, Nancy came to our house and here we got along well with each other although sometimes we had difficulty in communication because of language.
Five years after her arrival and working here, she was allowed to apply for a permanent resident’s statue. It took so long to get it, so we celebrated with a cake the night the letter that informed her finally came.
“Could you do me a big favor?” Nancy asked Mom before she left for her hometown. ”I’ve ordered some mattresses (床垫) so we have something to sleep on when we arrive. Do you think you could receive them and let the delivery man deliver it into my apartment?“
”No problem,“ said Mom.
”Hey Mom, I hate to burst your bubble (幻想),” I said, “but how are we possibly going to furnish an entire apartment? ”
“Well, we have some extra stuff in the attic,” she replied. “Maybe we can help our neighbors and Nancy at the same time. The neighbors can donate their extras, and we can piece together a great home for Nancy. Let’s send an e-mail and see.” So the e-mail went to about seventy neighbors in our community.
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。
Throught the following week, e-mails and texts kept flooding in.
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The big day came as we welcomed Nancy and her children to their new home at the door.
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A Little Boy
A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people rarely visited. The house was very old and shabby and the owner hardly ever came out. When he did come out, he would not say hello to his neighbors or passers-by but simply just glared at them.
The boy knocked on the door and waited, sweating from fear of the old man. The boy’s parents told him to stay away from the house, and a lot of other neighborhood children were told the same thing from their parents.
Dusk found the boy lingering on and hesitating what to do. As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. “What do you want?” the old man said impatiently. The little boy was very afraid but he had a quota (定额) to meet for school with selling the magazines. So he got up the courage and said, “Uh, Sir, I am selling these magazines and, uh, I was wondering if you would like to buy one from me.”
The old man just stared at the boy without a word. The boy could see inside the old man’s house and saw that he had dog figurines (小雕像) on the fireplace mantle. “Do you collect dogs?” The little boy asked. “Yes, I have many collections in my house. They are my family here and they are all I have.” The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul.
“Well, I do have a magazine here for collectors. It is perfect for you. I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much.” The old man was ready to close the door on the boy and said, “No, boy. I don’t need any magazines of any kind, now goodbye.”
The little boy was sad that he was not going to make his quota with the sale. He was also sad for the old man being so alone in the house that he owned. The boy went home and then had an idea. He had a little dog figurine that he got some years ago from an aunt. The figurine did not mean nearly as much to him since he had a real live dog and a large family.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
The little boy headed back down to the old man’s house.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From that day on something changed inside the old man.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Peter was a cheerful and warm-hearted person who was always ready to help others. When he was in college, he got along well with his classmates. After graduating from college, he hunted for jobs several times, but he failed. So he was a little unhappy during the period of time.
One day, when he was surfing the Internet, an advertisement came into his sight. He read the advertisement carefully, which was recruitment (招聘) information. To his delight, the position was in line with his major he studied in the university. The conditions and the pay the company offered were so attractive that Peter decided to have a try. Following the tips provided online, Peter went to the company. There were so many people waiting on the first floor of the building. What Peter didn’t expect was that the company was scheduled to hire not so many employees, but hundreds of applicants were there. Peter was a little worried.
At last, Peter filled out the form as required as many applicants did. A staff of the company told all the applicants to wait for their turns to attend the interview. They waited there excitedly and anxiously, wondering what on earth the interview was! At the moment, a man rushed toward them and said he had something urgent to do. Seeing as if it was going to rain, he could not find enough workers to unload the goods. He asked the group of people to help him. Hearing what the man said, some applicants thought that they should help the man. However, some thought they had something more important to do and they couldn’t spare time.
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。
Peter stood there, considering whether to give a helping hand or not.
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When they were wiping the sweat off their faces, the man came up toward them.
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“I don’t get it, Pete,” Janet said to her cousin. “Why do you fish at Murphy’s pond if old Mrs. Murphy is a witch (女巫)?”
“The fishing’s great… And the old Murphy house is over a hill behind the pond,” Pete replied. “We’ll be okay… As long as we stay away from the house,” he continued in a low voice. “They say kids who go into that house are never seen again!”
After they got to the pond, witches were forgotten. Pete sat on the old dock and threw out his line. Suddenly Janet saw something shining in the water and stepped forward for a closer look. The rotting (腐朽的) wood of the dock broke under her. “H-e-l-l-p!” She screamed as she dropped down into the dark, cold water.
Pete jumped in to help her. “Quiet down!” He said out of breath as they got to the rocky shore. “You’re not hurt. If you keep complaining, you’ll wake the witch!” Then he screamed. “OUCH-H-H!” and lifted his foot. There was a deep cut on the bottom of his foot from a sharp rock!
“Oh, Pete, you’re hurt!” Janet cried. “I’ll go for…” But before she could say Help, she saw an old woman coming toward them. Without a word, the woman picked up Pete and carried him up the hill. A cold, wet, and confused Janet followed. She was frightened but had a strange feeling that the old woman meant no harm.
At the top of the hill, the woman walked to ward an old house. “Oh, p-p-please, Ma’am,” a frightened Pete begged, “Please don’t go there. That’s where the w-w-witch lives!”
“That is my home, young man,” the woman said softly, “Do not be afraid.” At the front door, she said to Janet, “Please open the door.” Janet did, and the three went inside. Mrs. Murphy gently put Pete on a couch (睡椅), then disappeared into another room.
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. Murphy returned with two warm blankets.
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Mrs. Murphy smiled happily.
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One day in February 2016, when my friend, Austin, invited me to hike the Ka’au Crater Trail in Honolulu, I jumped at the chance. Together with four of his friends, Jack, Dan, Carson and Mali, we were excited to check out the challenging track. We’d see three waterfalls, and a volcanic crater.
Stretching over eight kilometers, there were no steps on the track—just muddy paths formed on the rock face by other hikers. Climbing upstream, the journey was not for the faint-hearted (胆小的). We had to climb through thick roots and overgrown vegetation. But I knew the view from the top would be incredible. Finally, after an hour and a half, we stopped for our final rest before the peak.
“I’m going to check it out!” Austin said. “I’ll join you,” I replied, eager to see the top.
Racing up the last stretch, I felt excited as I walked over to the edge of the final waterfall where I turned my camera on. When I moved closer to the edge to get a better look, my foot suddenly gave way on a wet rock, sending me falling feet-first over the edge.
I desperately reached out to hang on to any rocks but I couldn’t get one as I fell to the bottom 15 meters below, scraping (刮) against rocks as I went.
As I fell, it felt like time stood still. “Was I going to be badly hurt?” I thought.
In a moment of clarity (清醒) before I reached the bottom, I twisted my body to the side and tucked (蜷缩) myself in a ball. It was a position I’d learned in volleyball training, aimed at reducing the impact of a fall. Landing in the water with a huge splash, after around 20 seconds I managed to lift my head out, but struggled to breath and I could taste blood.
“I’ve got to get myself out,” I realized, walking out to reach the edge of the pool as my visions became unclear. Holding the rocks tightly, I felt pain tore through my body and blood flowed from deep wounds on my left arm and left bottom.
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。
Moments later, Austin arrived and raced down the track.
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I was airlifted to a waiting ambulance, then rushed to the hospital.
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An old and fragile woman approached a very busy road intersection. She stepped slowly forwards. She paused at the sidewalk’s edge, grasping a heavy bucket filled with fresh red apples. She aimed to cross the street.
The way to the intersection before her seemed like a tough journey. The traffic lights changed regularly, and the flow of cars seemed to be non-stop for the old woman. She knew she had to cross the street to reach her destination, a small grocery store on the other side, where she sold her apples to make ends meet.
As she slowly made her way to the crosswalk, she held the handle of the bucket. A kind-hearted driver in the first car, recognizing her struggle, stopped well before the sidewalk, allowing her to cross safely. Grateful for this act of kindness, the old woman nodded and offered the driver a slight smile as she inched forward.
A second car, in the next road, also came to a stop. Its driver also witnessed the old woman’s slow progress. The kindness of strangers warmed her heart, and with their help, she moved another step closer to her destination.
However, the third road was a different story. As the old woman moved carefully further into the road, a speeding car approached, its engine making loud sound like a beast. Panic flowed through the old lady as she realized the approaching danger. The driver of the third car had not noticed her until the very last moment.
With a jolt (颠簸) of terror, the old woman’s holding on the bucket weakened, and the bucket slipped from her weak grasp. The bucket fell to the ground, releasing its goods of apples, which scattered (散开) in all directions. The sound of the crashing bucket and rolling apples echoed through the busy city traffic.
In the emergent time, the driver of the speeding car stepped on the brake to a stop just inches from the old woman. The drivers’ heart pounded in their chest as they realized how close it had come to a tragedy.
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。
Shaken but unharmed, the old woman stood frozen, her eyes wide open with fear.
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Eventually, with all the apples collected, the three drivers helped the old lady cross the road.
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Unfortunately, 81-year-old Barney had lost two most beloved people of his life, his wife, and his only daughter, who left her 6-year-old son Tommy in his hands.
Tommy was a bright, talented young boy with a promising future ahead of him. But with insufficient resources, he knew it would be hard to provide Tommy with the way he deserved and dreamed. Barney applied for a job as a pizza deliveryman. It was exhausting, because Barney had to go up and down to different addresses on hot, cold, and rainy days, door-delivering pizzas to customers. Hard though the job was, the pay was not that great.
However, Barney was fueled by the thought that every box of pizza he delivered was money and one step closer to giving his grandson a better life. With the thought of his grandson’s future in his mind, Barney drove to the address that winter morning.
The cold winter air froze everything on its path. With a deep sense of relief, Barney finally arrived at the address. His heart raced at seeing the angry client, a teenage boy named Fabian, on the doorstep.
“What took you so long?” Fabian screamed. Barney observed the teen’s anger and realized he wouldn’t get any tips. However, he was fortunate enough that he was at least able to deliver the pizzas to the client.
Just as Barney made his way up the stairs with the pizza boxes, he fell down on the concrete, hurting his leg. And the 15 boxes of pizza he was holding went everywhere on the ground.
“How did they hire an old man like you? Clean up the mess and get out!” Fabian made fun of Barney as he struggled to rise on his feet. To make things worse, Fabian’s friends ganged up cruelly laughing at poor Barney. Barney realized he had broken his leg due to the severe fall. Fabian’s angry words kept ringing in Barney’s head as he lay helpless and painful on the icy ground, crying.
Suddenly, the boy saw his friends running away in different directions. Fabian froze still when he recognized it was his dad, Albert. The gentleman was beyond shocked as his son would throw a party at home when he was supposed to be preparing for his exams.
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。
Albert’s blood boiled with anger as he rushed to help Barney.
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Later, Albert tried to teach his son to know the value of hard work and respecting people.
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I had a secret. I had been considering the decision for some time, but hadn’t discussed it with anyone. As an English Language Arts teacher in my fourth year, I had to leave my beloved profession.
I kept praying for a sign to stay, but my father was very ill and needed someone to take care of him. Although many students liked my class and I had received hundreds of letters from former students appreciating my influence on their lives, I still made this difficult decision.
It was nearing the end of what I had come to think of as my last year. A senior named Lyric, who was my assistant, asked if I could meet him and another student named Ari for dinner to discuss how to prepare for college. I agreed but didn’t think anything of it.
It was on a Saturday evening and my schedule for that day was already packed. I attended an academic conference that morning and then spent the next four hours at the boys’ basketball game where I was the assistant coach of the school team. By the time the game ended, I had about an hour to get to the dinner. I was so tired that I almost called Lyric to re-schedule. But I had promised, so I got in my car and headed to the restaurant.
As I was walking up to the restaurant, I saw Lyric, Ari, and Sal, another former student, all dressed up. I asked Lyric, “Why are you guys so dressed up?” He responded, “Follow us and you’ll see. “The three of them led me to the outside patio (露台) where there was a long table full of some forty students. They had decorated the patio with fairy lights and flowers, and the table was adorned (装饰) with a beautiful tablecloth and candles. They had even prepared my favorite dishes and drinks!
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。
Paragraph1
When they saw me, they all stood up and started clapping.
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Paragraph2
A week later, I was voted Teacher of the Year.
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