There was a boy who was sent to a boarding school. He used to be the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. But things changed after that. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. He felt worthless and that no one loved him.
His parents began to worry. But even they did not know what was wrong. So his dad decided to visit the school and talk with him.
They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. Then he asked, “Do you know, son, why I am here today?” The boy said, “To check my grades?”
“No, no, ” his dad replied. “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”
Now the boy had everything he wanted.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________For as long as I can remember. I have spent every Sunday afternoon until I was a teen, around the table at Grandma’s house. As soon as Grandma and I would return from Sunday Morning Mass at St Joseph’s Parish. Grandma got started on the meatball.
Ever since I was just two years old, Grandma would always allow me, her only granddaughter at the time, to sneak a meatball before dinner was served. There was something about that snuck meatball. For some reason, it tasted so much better than the one she placed beside my macaroni, once we all sat down. My Italian Gamma had a way of keeping an eye on all of her meatballs, to make sure no one snuck a meatball but me, who she gave that special VIP sneak. How did she do it? Well, she would make my “before dinner meatball” slightly bigger than the rest.
The meatball stealing games was all fun until Jeanine came along. Allow me to introduce you to my sister Jeanine, my Gramma’s second granddaughter born five years after me, just three years after I fell in love with Gramma’s yummy meatballs.
My younger sister Jeanine was quite the fussy eater. She did not care that her gramma made the world’s best meatballs, or that our mama made almost as yummy meatballs as her mother did. All Jeanine cared about was being done with dinner as fast as possible so she can go back to playing, and so she can get her evening snack, cocoa and popcorn. Jeanine knew the rules. She knew no snack unless you finish your dinner at least 90 percent. Jeanine was not giving up her favourite snack. She knew she had to develop a plan! She did indeed!
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, one day when she was given a meatball on her plate, she stole that meatball.
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One day my mother noticed that something smelt funny in our closet.
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“Go back, Mom!” repeated my six-year-old daughter, June. We had just left the nearby supermarket. When I was wondering whether I had forgotten something, June added, “Someone needs our help!”
As I looked back from the driver’s seat, I saw a homeless man. It was such a cold day, but he wore few clothes. Touched by June’s kindness, I crazily looked for some cash (现金),quickly realizing I didn’t have any.
“I have some cash, Mom!” June replied. She opened her little wallet and pulled out a five-dollar bill. “Oh, good. I’ll pay you back when we get home,” I said. “No, Mom,” she replied, “I want to help him. I don’t want you to pay me back. I want to give him my money.”
I was so proud of June. I looked at my four-year-old daughter, Scarlett, hoping she’d also give some money to show kindness. Knowing my expectation, she said, “But I only have one dollar. I want to buy ice-cream. I haven’t eaten one for weeks. More importantly, why should we be kind to the homeless? Would they be kind to others? I doubt it!’ Not wanting to force her to give away her money, I gave up. I hoped someday she’d naturally change.
As we drove back, I then kept quiet. When we got near the homeless man, I called out, “Excuse me, sir!” He walked towards our car and answered, “Yes, ma’am?” “Here you go, sir,” June handed him her money through the window. “Thank you,” he said, touched. We shared a smile.
As we decided to drive away, we were drawn to a young woman ten meters away. She was trying hard to push her shopping cart (购物推车) to her car. Unluckily, her cart suddenly fell onto the ground. All of the things she had bought were thrown out and onto the ground. She looked so sad.
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, the homeless man rushed towards the woman.
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“Mom, I wanted to give my money to him,” she said, looking up at me.
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Emily was a shy and quiet student in Greenfield High School. Emily was known for her quiet behavior and her love for literature, often found lost in the pages of a book during lunch breaks.
One day, as Emily walked through the hallway, she noticed a colorful poster announcing an upcoming English poetry competition. Her heart raced with excitement at the prospect of showcasing her talent, but her mind was immediately flooded with doubts. “What if my poem is not good enough? What if everyone laughs at me?”she thought to herself, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
As the days went by, Emily found herself caught between her desire to participate and her fear of failure. She talked with her best friend, Sarah, who had been by her side since they were little. She was known for her outgoing personality and her ability to make everyone feel included.
“You have a gift, Emily, ”Sarah said reassuringly, her blue eyes filled with encouragement. “Don’t let your fears hold you back. You never know what might happen unless you try. ”
With Sarah’s support, Emily decided to take a leap of faith and submit her poem for the competition. As the day of the event drew near, she felt a mix of nervousness and expectation. She spent hours perfecting her poem, carefully choosing each word and line to convey her emotions. She practiced her poem in front of the miror, trying to perfect her delivery and expression.
But despite her newfound confidence, Emily couldn’t shake off the feeling of doubt in her mind. These thoughts consumed her, making it difficult for her to focus on anything else.
It was during one of these moments of self-doubt that Sarah came to her rescue once again. “You’re an amazing writer, Emily, ”she said, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity. “Your poem is going to be incredible. Just believe in yourself. ”With Sarah’s words in her mind, Emily felt a renewed sense of determination.
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:
On the day of the competition, Emily took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.
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In the end, Emily’s poem won first place.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Where is it? We’re going to be late!” Janice searched the house crazily for her wallet. “Josh! Did you hide my wallet? We have to be at Grandpa’s for his birthday party!” Josh, Janice’s four-year-old younger brother, smiled innocently at her, but his cunning (狡黠的) eyes gave himself away. She tried her best not to shout. Grinning (咧嘴笑) like a cat, Josh reached under the sofa, pulled out her wallet and held it over his head. Janice grabbed it.
Ten minutes later, they hurried to the train station. Red-faced and sweating, Janice let go of Josh’s wrist and removed the sweat from her forehead. The train arrived. Her smile froze when she realized that the train was packed with passengers. Grabbing Josh’s hand, Janice boarded the train. She commanded, “The train’s really crowded, Josh. Behave yourself, stick close to me, and no monkey business!” Josh nodded, holding tightly to a rail. Janice smiled.
When it was time to get off the train, Janice quickly pushed her way through the crowd to get onto the platform. “We made it!” Janice said, turning around. Josh was nowhere to be seen. The crowd was flooding out, but Josh was not among them. “The train doors are closing,” then came the electronic voice. Soon, the crowd on the platform died down. The last thing Janice saw was Josh’s little anxious face at the train window: Just as Janice was about to call out Josh’s name, the train disappeared from view. “Josh!” Janice screamed.
Janice’s mind was transported back to when she was lost at the zoo. She could still vividly remember the towering figures surrounding her and none of them were’ familiar. “I don’t want Josh to go through that same bitter experience,” Janice let out a sigh.
Janice took out her mobile phone, ready to call her mother. However, midway, she decided against it. Her mother, who was far away in France on business, could do nothing but get restless. Janice paced up and down the platform anxiously.
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, Janice received a call from an unknown number.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having waved goodbye to the lady, they headed for their destination.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Monday morning started out like any other school day. Ms. Castle assigned topics for the school science fair. Anxious, Anna silently begged not to receive the bugs topic. Ms. Castle stopped in front of Anna’s desk and placed the piece of paper on it.
Science topic: Beetle (甲虫)
Partner: Tali Perkins
A small sigh escaped Anna’s mouth. Beetles and Tali, known for her know-it-all attitude, are two things Anna feared. Throughout the day, she couldn’t shake off her worry about them.
On Tuesday morning, Tali ran up to Anna before class started and said, “I told Ms. Castle we’d catch a beetle and put it on display. She approved our proposal so we’re good to go.” Hearing this, Anna shouted, “Why didn’t you ask for my opinion? Weren’t we supposed to make decisions together?”
“I didn’t think you’d mind,” Tali said. “I know you’re not good at science.” Before Anna could say anything, Tali turned and walked away. Anna took a while to cool down and wrote an email to Tali.
Tali,
I’m a little upset that you chose our project without my input. I think it was unfair. I know a lot about science. I just don’t like beetles. I’ve had beetles crawl (爬) over my feet, and it was NOT FUN!
Your partner,
Anna
The next morning, Tali brought a collection of beetle photographs, which she thought could help Anna get used to beetles. And then Tali invited Anna to collect beetles in the woods that night. Unwillingly, Anna joined Tali and was amazed to find the beetle interesting. She even built a home for their beetles, realizing Tali had helped her overcome her fear.
Finishing the beetle display, Anna invited Tali to prepare the class talk together. Tali hesitated, but Anna insisted they were a team. Later, Anna received an email from Tali.
Anna,
You’re afraid of beetles, but I am afraid to speak in front of a group. That’s a million times worse. Help!
Your partner,
Tali
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。
Anna decided to help Tali overcome her fear.
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When the presentation day finally came, Tali still seemed nervous.
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Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks (盯着他们).
One day, Ali took Zahra’s shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali’s running shoes. Zahra’s school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.
Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.
The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache.
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。
He looked forward and found three boys running ahead of him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Ali came to life, he was already at home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I used to hear about the story of Ella’s father. He sacrificed his life to save the villagers from flood when Ella was a baby. Therefore, the statue of her father was built at the edge of our village and also a large warning bell was fixed there.
One day, all the kids gathered at the statue to play hide-and-seek. Sam, the biggest and loudest boy, loved making jokes at others’ expense, and Ella was his favorite target. He watched Ella with a sly (狡黠的) smile and said to her, “I bet your father wished he’d had a boy to follow in his footsteps.” Holding her fists tightly, Ella was about to hit Sam when I patted her on the shoulder. “Enough,” I shouted. “Let’s begin our game while it’s still light out. I’ll count first.” Then I leaned my head against the statue and started to count.
In no time, the rest of the kids ran away to seek hiding places. Sam looked annoyed because his fun had been interrupted, and Ella’s cheeks also burned with anger. But they both didn’t want to be left out. Sam dashed away from the village to hide in the woods, while Ella headed back into the village and hid behind the grassy wall.
Soon most kids were caught, waiting for a new round to begin. Sam had yet to be found, so we thought he must be staying perfectly still and quiet, enjoying the scream and laughter of the game.
Suddenly, the large warning bell for thick fog began to ring. We all sensed the danger and immediately ran to our regular gathering place to seek shelter.
I threw the door open wide, waiting for other kids to arrive. Ella was one of the last to be back. I started the head count, only to find Sam was missing. All kids insisted on shutting the door, but Ella shook her head firmly. She rushed away toward the edge of the village with a torch to look for Sam. She swung it back and forth, until she reached the statue of her father.
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。
The heavy fog blocked her path but she made her way into the woods.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next day, we gathered at the statue again, Sam standing beside Ella.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He worked hard to earn exceptional marks and always tried to behave well. But he was so sensitive and shy that he always hid behind his hair, which he wore long around his face. To make it worse, Marco was naturally shorter than the other kids. This added to his already low self-confidence.
At 14, he and his younger sister Sandra moved in with their dad and his new wife. His father was busy and their communication was nonexistent. The only time his dad ever spoke to him was to be demanding or critical. He began to fear coming home from school every day, feeling desperately alone and isolated.
One day his father, tripped over Marco’s bike in the garage. The angry reaction left Marco in despair, thus crying out, “That’s it! I’m going to kill myself.”
“You don’t even have the guts!” replied his father.
For two days, all Marco could think of was wanting to die, but he didn’t want to prove his father was right. Angry and sad, Marco was stuck.
Two days later, his aunt called him. This seemed like a miracle. Aunt Ginette usually only called on his birthday. She said she had just seen some young teenagers participate in a public speaking contest and she thought about him. She told him she firmly believed he could perform on stage like those kids, since she had seen him do skits (幽默短剧) for the family at Christmas.
Marco was shocked. Him? In a public speaking contest, which was contrary to his shy personality? But Aunt Ginette was sure it was something he could do. Feeling her strong belief, Marco agreed.
All that winter, twice a week after dinner, he took three different buses in each direction for the three-hour round-trip to practice in the place where the competition would take place. Marco was taken by a feeling he never felt before. The hours and the obstacles no longer counted. The criticism from his father around his absence for after-dinner chores didn’t matter.
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。
Four months later, the big night arrived.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With the championship, Marco’s new life started.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paul’s old clock was supposed to wake him up at six in the morning of August tenth, but, unfortunately, the hour hand stopped in the early hours again. Instead, Paul was awoken by the noisy breakfast-table talk of the Stephen brothers next door.
“Now. I’ve won the National Poetry Creative Award!” the older brother shouted loudly.
“You have to do the housework for the coming whole week!”
“Okay,” the younger responded unwillingly.
Paul rushed down the stairs of his apartment to the news kiosk (报刊亭) by the street in his pajamas. Among the crowd of the seven o’clock Los Angeles, he was unique, in a funny manner, like a clown escaped from a circus group. Despite that, he caught the eyes of nobody. He threw a few coins into the glass jar and then grabbed the newspaper from the old kiosk owner. His behavior didn’t frighten the old woman-he was the most loyal customer of her store for the past few years.
Paul liked to invent something, and he was fond of literature and had been dreaming of becoming an editor. He skimmed through the annual nomination (提名) on the front page of the newspaper, the brightness in his eyes turned less bright as he moved down the list of names, which eventually faded when he reached the end. He lifted his sight from the newspaper and started staring at the kiosk owner dully (无精打采地), an expression similar to that when he arrived. The old woman sighed-she was so accustomed to this lifeless look on his face but had prayed to see something new every August.
“Bad luck”, with this, Paul slid away rapidly. When approaching the corner of the street, he narrowly knocked down an old gentleman, the kiosk owner’s husband, Arthur, who once was a chief editor of a local famous magazine and now he was retired.
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。
After hearing what his wife said about Paul, Arthur decided to give him a hand.
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One morning of next year’s August, with the magazine he had edited in hand, Paul stood beside the news kiosk nervously to sell it.
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