The Rainy-Day Picnic
It was Saturday, and Adam was wide awake. The house was quiet, so he knew his parents were still sleeping. His mother had promised that they would go on a picnic in the park today. He had been looking forward to it all week. They would have yummy food to eat at the picnic. They would play catch and maybe fly a kite if the wind was strong. Adam thought maybe he should wake his parents up now.
However, it still looked dark outside. Usually by now the sun was shining through the windows. Maybe it was cloudy, Adam thought. He went to his parents’ room and climbed onto their bed.
“Hello!” said Adam, cheerfully. “It’s time to get up!” His mother yawned, rubbing her eyes. “Hi,” he whispered. “It’s too early. Let’s go back to sleep.” “But it’s morning. And you promised a picnic today!’ “Ugh,” said Mother. “I nearly forget it. Okay, let’s get up.”
The small boy followed her downstairs. His mother went to the glass door that led to the backyard. “It’s raining!” She turned to her son. “Adam, it’s raining. We can’t go on a picnic today.”
Adam’s lip began to shake. His eyes got misty. He sat down on the floor and held his chin (下巴) in his hands. This was not the news he wanted to hear.
“I’m sorry,” said his mother. “Let’s get some snacks and watch some cartoons for a while.” They sat together on the couch. They snuggled (依偎)，and it was cozy. Half an hour later, his father listened to the bad news about the rain and the picnic. “Hmm,” he said. “Rain might spoil a picnic in the park, but it can also be fun sometimes. ”He finished his coffee and asked Adam to go find his raincoat and rubber boots. “Let’s go for a walk.”
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;2续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好：
Paragraph 1:
After putting on his yellow boots and rain coat, he followed his father into the rain.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
When they came back in, wet and happy, Adam’s mother said she had a surprise for them.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That summer I turned 18. I was wild with excitement because I just took my driving license and my parents bought me a new perfect car. I was reminded repeatedly by my parents to drive cautiously. Along with this new privilege (特权) came new responsibilities. I would practice the same routine — call my parents and tell them where I was going, whom I was with, and when I would be home. It became a typical cycle.
I had been working all day in the hot sun. I was exhausted and ready for a nap. But I was hungry. So I called my friend Mike and made our way into town. After our meal, we never knew our day would soon change for the worse.
It takes only a moment to turn your life upside down. I was driving fast. Actually too fast.
Mike and I were driving down a dust y gravel (沙砾) road. I was driving a shiny black Saturn, which was the car I had admired for long. I was filled with excitement and pride to be driving it. I could see the rolling hills in the distance. Tall pine (松树) trees traveled on both sides of the road. The music playing loudly, we both were in high spirits. Somehow, without realizing it, I sped up.
Enjoying ourselves in my car, we came across a loose spot of gravel. My car was stuck in it and desperate to escape. My car started fishtailing (摆尾行驶). Terrified, I tried to stop the car and all of a sudden the car lost control. I froze, my body was stiff, great panic holding me entirely in its power. Looking into the right, I took a glimpse of Mike, whose body had leaned towards me. His face went pale but he was trying to balance himself. The car was rushing left to right, coasting (惯性滑行) along the g ravel as if it were ice. It was only seconds later that my car crashed head-on into a big pine tree.
I heard a roaring sound of my car hitting the tree.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Fortunately enough, Mike and I were not seriously injured.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Mark Twain was a very famous American writer. He was good at
One day, Mark Twain
“Bring your uncle to my lecture this evening,” said Mark Twain, “I’ll tell some interesting
That evening the young man as well as his uncle came to Mark Twain’s lecture. They sat in
Some days later, Mark Twain met a friend and told him about his bad experience in the small town.
“Oh,” said his friend, “I know what happened to that old man. He
My mother believed in using things up. Last year, our cornfield had a bad harvest because birds feasted on the crops. It was probably then that Mom’s frugality(节俭)became even more extraordinary. She began keeping everything that seemed useless in the attic(阁楼)—worn-out clothes, old sheets, broken umbrellas, and some other old items. Mom’s favorite saying was “waste not, want not”(俭以防匮). My brother Josh and I weren’t sure what that meant until the “Affair of the Scarecrow(稻草人)”, which, as it later became known, left a lasting impression on us.
The story began with a pretty hat that Mom received as a gift to protect her from the sun. However, Josh and I could see that Mom’s frugal nature and fashion sense were in battle. Mom really didn’t want to get rid of the hat—it was new and had a lot of use left in it—but neither could she stand wearing it. She tried to take off the fancy decorations, but they were stuck on tight. She’d have to find some other solution.
Josh and I watched as Mom headed upstairs to the attic with the hat. “Waste not, want not,” she called back down. We heard boxes being moved around. Moments later, Mom leaned out, holding a flour bag full of straw, and with a mysterious smile, she placed the hat on it.
“What is that for?” I asked, confused. “A scarecrow! ” Mom exclaimed. “But not a good one yet.It needs a strong body to stand firm in the field,” she said with a frown. “And it doesn’t look scary enough,” Josh remarked. I had to admit that Josh, though younger than I was, could sometimes be more imaginative. Josh and I turned to each other, searching for a good idea. Soon enough, Josh’s eyes lit up with inspiration.
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: “Come with me!” Josh called out.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: In the following days, the scarecrow stood proudly.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Last year, I started the journey of being a remote product designer. The thought of a
However, the
One day, I tried
This incident marked the
| A．tight | B．regular | C．full | D．flexible |
| A．appealing | B．amusing | C．challenging | D．disturbing |
| A．direction | B．security | C．freedom | D．responsibility |
| A．duties | B．rewards | C．problems | D．expectations |
| A．visits | B．emails | C．updates | D．stretches |
| A．tied | B．inspired | C．guided | D．introduced |
| A．reply | B．relax | C．react | D．read |
| A．extended | B．limited | C．related | D．exposed |
| A．counted | B．repeated | C．watched | D．followed |
| A．tidying up | B．putting aside | C．fitting into | D．getting back |
| A．lazy | B．tired | C．rude | D．mad |
| A．mix | B．success | C．balance | D．value |
| A．distance | B．memory | C．beginning | D．training |
| A．promise | B．excuse | C．answer | D．change |
| A．maintain | B．ease | C．remove | D．regain |
“When I grow up, I’m going to travel on my own,” said my little daughter, Sophia, reading her favorite picture book in the sunshine. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at the beautiful pictures. “Well, I think you can!” I said, believing in her ambitions.
Being a hard-working and reliable child, she could help do the housework skillfully. She had the potential to make her dreams come true. However, we were poor farmers, and all profit had to go back into the farm to keep it going.
When Sophia was ten, a tornado (龙卷风) struck Texas, destroying our farm. We were forced to deal with everything that we faced. This disaster completely changed our lives. My husband, Steve, was disabled by the tornado. After trying and failing at several methods of earning income, finally he decided to become a baker (面包师).
We purchased a small bakeshop, fully equipped, and moved it onto our farmland. In fact, our bakeshop business did very well. Regrettably, Steve did not. His disability was so severe that after several months of trying he simply could not continue. The bakeshop closed.
While our family was going through difficult times, the dream and spirit of Sophia was not lost. She was doing well in school, and I smiled the day I read Sophia’s essay entitled, “Things I would like to do.” Topping the list were these words: I want to travel someday. Again I whispered, “Maybe you can someday.”
A few years later, Sophia started high school and enrolled in a foreign language class in her second year. This class occasionally organized a trip abroad. One day, she came home from school, hardly able to control her excitement, and said, “Mum, our class will arrange for us to travel abroad.”
“Fantastic!” I said. “You can achieve your dream!”
“But it would probably cost a lot of money to go,” she said.
She was right. My salary paid the bills, and nothing was left. Steve was still unable to work. Our hearts sank deeply.
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。
Sophia’s face lit up the moment she thought of her father’s bakeshop.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Orders came flooding in.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————7 . Throughout all the events in my life, one in particular sticks out more than the others. As I reflect on this significant event, a smile spreads across my face. As I think of Shanda, I feel loved and grateful.
It was my twelfth year of dancing, and I thought it would end up like any other year: stuck in emptiness, forgotten and without the belief of any teacher or friend that I really had the potential to achieve greatness.
However, I met Shanda, a talented chorcographer (编舞者). She influenced me to work to the best of my ability, pushed me to keep going when I wanted to quit, encouraged me and showed me the importance of courage. Throughout our hard work, not only did my ability to dance grow, but my friendship with Shanda grew as well.
With the end of the year came our show time. As I walked backstage and saw many other dancers, I hoped for a good performance that would prove my improvement. I waited anxiously for my turn. Finally, after what seemed like days, the loudspeaker announced my name. Butterflies filling my stomach, I took trembling steps onto the big lighted stage. But, with the determination to succeed and eagerness to live up to Shanda’s expectations for me, I began to dance. All my troubles and nerves went away as I danced my whole heart out.
As I walked up to the judge to receive my first place shining, gold trophy (奖杯), I realized that dance is not about becoming the best. It was about loving dance for dance itself, a getaway from all my problems in the world. Shanda showed me that you could let everything go and just do what you feel at that moment. After all the doubts that people had in me, I believed in myself and did not care what others thought. Thanks to Shanda, dance became more than a love of mine, but a passion.
1. What did the author think her dancing would be for the twelfth year?| A．A change for the better. | B．A disappointment as before. |
| C．A proof of her potential. | D．The pride of her teachers and friends. |
| A．By offering her financial help. | B．By entering her in a competition. |
| C．By coaching her for longer hours. | D．By awakening her passion for dancing. |
| A．Nervous. | B．Dynamic. | C．Courageous. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．Success lies in courage. | B．Adversity helps one grow up. |
| C．A good teacher matters. | D．Reputation comes from hard work. |
8 . Overcoming my initial struggles in the Netherlands to start my PhD has been like riding a bike.
I
It took me around a month to feel
This pattern, of a time of struggle
| A．went through | B．worked out | C．grew up | D．got around |
| A．travel | B．decide | C．advance | D．learn |
| A．nervous | B．anxious | C．sensitive | D．comfortable |
| A．trick | B．plan | C．tendency | D．instruction |
| A．cheated | B．persuaded | C．guided | D．frightened |
| A．races | B．ruins | C．crashes | D．competitions |
| A．followed | B．presented | C．supported | D．appreciated |
| A．hesitated | B．needed | C．remembered | D．failed |
| A．time | B．finance | C．business | D．personnel |
| A．special | B．regular | C．extra | D．legal |
| A．cancel | B．forget | C．make | D．take |
| A．hours | B．vacations | C．weekdays | D．distances |
| A．exercise | B．responsibility | C．breaks | D．exams |
| A．weakness | B．symbol | C．concept | D．remark |
| A．ambitious | B．successful | C．objective | D．careless |
9 . One afternoon, my son came home from school. He had a (n)
I thought for a moment, then I said, “I’ll
At the grocery store, we bought some red apples, green apples and yellow apples. When we got home, I put one of each type of apple on the countertop (台面).
“Some of the apples have been
“Okay, Adam, tell me which one is which.”
He said, “I can’t
“Take a bite of each one. See if that helps you
He took big
“You’re
| A．surprised | B．amused | C．puzzled | D．guilty |
| A．notice | B．explain | C．leave | D．relax |
| A．wait | B．admit | C．try | D．share |
| A．turn | B．response | C．judgment | D．stop |
| A．strange | B．interesting | C．mysterious | D．difficult |
| A．crashed | B．decorated | C．marked | D．ordered |
| A．examining | B．tasting | C．packing | D．describing |
| A．counting | B．spotting | C．cutting | D．placing |
| A．safe | B．quiet | C．different | D．spacious |
| A．hide | B．tell | C．stand | D．help |
| A．take in | B．get over | C．tear apart | D．figure out |
| A．bites | B．risks | C．steps | D．decisions |
| A．pay for | B．look into | C．depend on | D．take off |
| A．kind | B．fair | C．right | D．lucky |
| A．changed | B．got | C．lost | D．forgot |
In a small town, Greenfield, lived Alex, a high school student. Alex’s sanctuary (庇护所) was a mix of video games and late-night snacking, a habit that not only distanced him from the world but also gradually ruined his health.
“Hey, Alex, need a wider door to walk through?” taunted (嘲笑) Mike, a classmate whose words were as sharp as knives, under the watchful eyes of their classmates. The laughter that followed was a familiar sting, one that Alex had grown accustomed to, yet it hurt deeper each time.
At home, Alex’s escape into virtual realities became his feeling of emotional comfort, until one evening, his father, Bryan, decided it was time for a change.
“Alex, we need to talk,” Bryan said, his tone soft yet firm. “I’ve seen how hard things have been for you... and I think it’s time we make a change.”
“It’s just how things are, Dad. I can’t change how people see me,”Alex responded. “Maybe you can’t change how others see you, Alex, ”Bryan added gently, “but we can change how you see yourself, maybe, how you feel. Let’s try to adopt a healthier lifestyle, together. What do you say?”
Doubtful but inspired by his father’s suggestion, Alex agreed. They started a journey that introduced morning jogs, replaced chips and sodas with fruits and water, and most importantly, opened a channel of communication that had long been inactive.
The road was not without its obstacles. Mike’s taunts continued. ”Planning to run a marathon, Alex?“ Mike laughed loudly. “Maybe I am,”Alex replied, his voice steadier than he felt.
As time flew, the transformation within Alex became obvious. Not just in his physical appearance, but in his behaviors. He found himself slowly stepping out of the shadow of his insecurities.
Then came the annual school 2-mile run, an activity Alex had never dreamed of participating in. Yet, this year was different.
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 confidence and physical strength, Alex decided to sign up.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After the race, as the crowd’s cheers continued, Bryan approached Alex.
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