For many, an act of kindness is its own reward. But Eva Hachey found her selflessness answered in ways she could never have imagined.
For weeks, Eva Hachey had imagined adopting a golden Chihuahua with a white spot on its forehead. And there he was, at her local SPCA in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The dog had been abused by his previous owners and was timid. “He’d come to me, then back away and growl, then come back to me,” Hachey said. “After 15 minutes, the attendant picked him up and put him in my lap. He started giving me kisses. He stole my heart in that moment.” She adopted the ten-month-old puppy on the spot and named him Bruno.
Bruno lived happily with Hachey and her 35-year-old daughter, Angel Hutchinson, for five months. Then, on the evening of September 26, 2016, Hachey, 52 at the time, returned home as usual at 8 p. m. from her job as a chiropractic assistant and office manager. And as usual, she ate supper in front of the TV in the living room. Around 10:30, a friend called, just as Bruno went into Hutchinson’s room to go to sleep for the night. Hachey and her friend chatted a bit, and as Hachey hung up, she noticed the time was 11:08.
“The next thing I remember was a male voice saying, ‘Eva, Eva, wake up.’ It was an emergency doctor,” said Hachey. “I looked around, and the room was just full of people. And I said, ‘What are you doing in my house?’”
What they were doing was saving her life. By the time Hachey had hung up with her friend, Hutchinson was fast asleep in her bedroom and Bruno was in his usual spot next to her under the blankets. Hachey believed Bruno heard something odd then and possibly went to the living room to investigate.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;2.请按如格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Unexpectedly, Bruno ran back to the bedroom and tried every means to awaken Hutchinson.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A year later, Hachey finally fully recovered.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old fashioned, pot-bellied stove. A little boy had the job of coming to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates arrived.
One morning, they arrived to find the schoolhouse engulfed (吞没) in flames. They dragged the unconscious little boy out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to the nearby county hospital.
From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that her son would surely die—which was for the best, really—for the terrible fire had devastated (破坏) the lower half of his body.
But the brave boy didn’t want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, he did survive. When the mortal (致死的) danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be a life-time cripple (瘸子) with no use at all of his lower limbs.
Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a cripple. He would walk. But unfortunately from the waist down, he had no motor (引起运动的) ability. His thin legs just dangled there, all but lifeless.
Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage (对……按摩) his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever. When he wasn’t in bed, he was confined (限制) to a wheelchair.
Paragraph 1:One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air.
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Paragraph 2:
Ultimately through his strong determination, he did develop the ability to stand up.
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My childhood is magical and full of adventure. I have so many childhood memories, and I would like to share one that still stimulates me. This unforgettable childhood event was about the first day when I learned how to swim. It happened so unexpectedly and quickly that not only I but my parents were surprised. Of course, we were proud as well. I was barely seven years old back then, and my parents thought that it was time for me to learn how to swim. One summer morning, they took me to a swimming pool in the City Swimming Complex which was just a 35-minute drive from our house. It was a weekend and both my parents accompanied me. After we reached the Swimming Complex, we found many people were learning how to swim. My mother said she would watch me learn this important skill with the help of my father. Then she cheered me on and took a seat.
I had no idea how to swim but I was excited to try this new adventure. However, when my father got into the swimming pool with me, I became a bit nervous. It seemed that things were not quite as easy for me.
Looking around, I noticed that many other children of all ages were also trying to grasp this skill and some of them had pretty much learned the art and science of this skill. Influenced by others, I was determined to focus on my training and swim as well as them. Under the guidance of my father, I learned with all my effort and devotion, and I made rapid progress. After teaching me for 30 minutes or so, my father went to buy some snacks for us and my mother came to talk to me for a while near the pool. She asked me if I had learned anything at all. To prove my progress, I jumped into the water and started swimming.
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 mother was frightened by my action at first.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Eating the snacks bought by my father, we were all thrilled and excited.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Cedar Point was an amusement park in Ohio I had been expecting to visit as a child. We lived close to the park, so I often heard the screams of people on the roller coaster, saw the tired kids with their parents when they left. Sometimes, I looked wistfully at the lights through my window at night.
When I was nine, my grandmother managed to save a little bit of money here and there and took me there one day that summer. I yelled, excitement bubbling inside me. As we arrived at the park for the first time, kids were everywhere, eating popcorn (爆米花) and blowing bubbles. My eyes widened in delight at the scene. I wanted to do all those things, but deep down, I knew we didn’t have enough money. We could only afford to buy a ticket only for one ride for fifteen minutes. I pulled my grandmother toward the ticket window to buy a ticket for the carousel (旋转木马).
It was exactly as I had imagined, straight out of a movie. My grandmother smiled fondly and leaned down, giving the ticket to the ride operator, Mr Salas. Letting go, I rushed to the ride, stopping only to pick which horse to sit on. They were all so beautiful, coming in different colors with’ different expressions ‘on their plastic faces. To me, it felt like the decision of a lifetime.
“Come on, sweetie! The ride is going to start!” my grandmother called out, laughing at my indecision. Seeing that, Mr Salas also smiled warmly. Finally, I picked the horse with the pink hair and blue saddle. In the following minutes, I was absorbed in enjoying the ride, forgetting my family was struggling. My grandmother waved each time the ride passed her by. Mr Salas watched me from a distance.
Sadly, the carousel ride ended much too quickly. My grandmother was waiting and took my hand. I got down from the horse unwillingly, feeling bittersweet.
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。
At that moment, Mr Salas approached us with a warm smile on his face.
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After a while, Mr Salas returned, with an all-inclusive ticket for Cedar Point for the entire day.
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A young man named Monty Roberts who was the son of an itinerant (巡回的) horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch (大农场) to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school career was continuously interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the truck. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 40000 square-foot house that would sit on the 200-acre dream ranch.
“He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, “See me after class.”
The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, “Why did I receive an F?”
The teacher said, “This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. There’s no way you could ever do it.” Then the teacher added, “If you rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.”
Paragraph 1:
The boy went home and thought about it long and hard.
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Many years later, the same school teacher brought 30 kids to camp on a horse ranch owned by Monty Roberts.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My parents were always against me owning my own pet, afraid of the mess it would make or that I would quickly lose interest in taking care of it, but we made a compromise: I could volunteer at a local pet shelter on the weekends to test my sense of responsibility and dedication. That was how I first came to volunteer at the Avondale pet shelter and—more importantly—where I met my future best friend, Chocolate.
One hot August afternoon, my boss Charlie told me that they were bringing in a young black Labrador Retriever and that I’d be its primary caretaker. An hour after our conversation and in came Chocolate—a beautiful dog with shining brown fur and amazing blue eyes. At about 3 months old, I expected him to be a lot more energetic and playful, but he immediately backed and lay down at the back of his pen (围栏).
I asked Charlie what was the matter with him. He replied that Chocolate had a genetic problem which caused him to be born with a short tail, leading potential owners to think there was something wrong with him; so the breeder felt that they had no choice but to give up the puppy to the shelter.
He was overlooked and underappreciated. I felt very angry at the thought that an otherwise healthy dog could be thrown away so easily. At the same time, I felt a deep sympathy for this dog who had been cheated out of the love and attention he deserved. It was at this moment that I resolved to give Chocolate as much love and attention as I could while working as a volunteer.
Although Chocolate was reluctant and shy at first. eventually through enough treats and play he slowly came around and warmed up to me. Soon enough, whenever I came around his pen to let him out for his turn of walks and play, Chocolate was always excited and jumping with joy.
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。
Paragraph 1:
As time passed by, the connection between Chocolate and I grew stronger and stronger.
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One day, Charlie said Chocolate must find a home soon or he would be removed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Michael saw the trouble coming. There standing in the hallway was Frank, the boy who enjoyed making fun of anyone at any given moment. Frank was tall and strong, so few of his victims stood up to him. Michael hated the idea that Frank always got away with his wrongdoing. Yet like most kids who were picked on, he just took it quietly and waited for the unpleasant to pass.
Frank walked up, his eyes locked on the books in Michael’s arms. When they met, Frank stopped unexpectedly, “Hey, let me see those books!” Some students watched as Michael held out the books he was carrying, trying not to give away his nervousness.
Frank took a book, looked inside for a second, and then threw the book at Michael, who dropped all the other books. “Hey, those are school property,” Frank barked, “Be careful!” Then he walked away, laughing loudly.
Michael, his cheeks turning red, half kicked the fallen books. Suddenly a hand picked up one book. “You look like you could use a p ally (盟友),” a friendly voice said. It was Ramon, the most athletic boy in the high school. Michael couldn’t believe Ramon was stopping to help him as they barely spoke.
“Thanks,” Michael sighed with relief. “It’s confusing. I don’t know what his problems is.”
“Well, as I see it,” Ramon said, “you need to find a way to end this.” Michael nodded, stuck for what to say. Ramon continued, “You know my grandmother used to tell me whenever I had a problem with someone. She’d say, ‘You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar (醋).’”
Looking puzzled, Michael asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means kindness may be more effective than anger,” Ramon explained.
“Can you just tell Frank to stop picking on me?” Michael suggested.
“That’s vinegar,” Ramon laughed as he walked away. “Try honey instead.”
Ramon’s words left Michael thinking.
The next school day brought Michael’s usual pain. There stood Frank, and Michael knew it would be just seconds before he had to face him in the middle of the hall. Frank came nearer.
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。
Then, suddenly, the unexpected happened.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Michael bent down and quickly picked up Frank’s books on the floor.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Saving the Carnations
Dawn broke. Regina aged 14 opened her sleepy eyes and looked out of the window at the foggy field below. “NO!” she cried, now fully awake. Buttermilk, the cow was in Mama’s carnation (康乃馨) garden.
“I must have forgotten to close the gate last night,” Regina thought as she pulled a sweatshirt over her head. Mama was planning to sell the carnations at the fair next week. But Buttermilk was eating the flowers. Regina hurried outside and grabbed the lead rope on the wall.
“Why can’t you stay in the field?” she called to Buttermilk as she headed across the yard to the carnation garden. Buttermilk still stood there chewing the tender flowers.
“When I grow up, I’ll be an artist and paint pictures all day,” annoyed Regina thought. “I’ll not own a cow. Too much trouble.” Regina was fond of painting since the day she had memory. She would like to not only help with family but see birds and flowers alive under her brush.
Just as Regina was about to throw the lead rope onto Buttermilk’s collar, the family dog Blue, rounded the corner of the house, barking loudly and furiously. Buttermilk couldn’t stand it and took off, tearing through the carnations. It finally ran through the open gate and into the field outside. “Thank goodness!” Regina said as she closed the gate and secured the lock. But, as she turned to look at the flower garden, most of the carnations were either eaten or trampled (踩踏).
Mama and Dad came out of the house. “What’s going on?” Mama asked. She looked sadly at her garden. “I forgot to close the gate,” Regina said. “I’m so sorry.” “I know you are.” Mama sighed and gave Regina a hug.
Regina’s heart was heavy as she went back into the house. Mama had prepared much for the fair but now half of her efforts were in vain. Regina decided to think of a way to make it up to her mother. The problem tasked Regina’s mind. Could she plant other flowers in a week? Not enough time. Could she make use of the carnations in pieces? Not enough magic. Regina found no way out.
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。
All of a sudden, a flower painting on the wall caught Regina’s eye.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A week later, the fair day, when her parents were loading the car, Regina brought her vivid paintings downstairs.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My name is Fauna, but Mom and Dad sometimes call me Magpie, since I talk a lot. They call me “animal magnet,” too; because animals like me. I don’t mind at all because I like them, too. In fact, what I really, really want is a pet of my own. My dad has a pet fish, and I like it a lot — but I would still like a pet that’s all mine.
“Please? I asked my parents.“Pretty please, with cherries and chocolate and whipped cream on top?”
“We’ll see!”
“I’ll walk it and feed it and brush it.... well, unless it has scales or something. Then I’ll polish them real nice.”
“We’ll see.”
Finally, though, “we’ll see” was upgraded to “soon.”
“Let’s do some research,” said Dad, “and see what kind of pet is best for you.”
“And keep your eyes peeled,” said Mom. “You never know when an opportunity will come along.”
One did come along.
I was on my way home from school when I saw a unicorn (独角兽) standing in back of Baker Trembly’s shop. He was nibbling stale biscuits out of the trash can. I thought he might be a wild unicorn come into town, but he trotted (小跑) right up to me when I held out the apple I had in my backpack, left over from lunch.
“It followed me home!” I told my parents, after I managed to lead the unicorn to our front gate. “Can I keep it?”
“I hope you were careful,” said my dad with a frown. “Unicorns can be dangerous.”
“Not this one! He’s very sweet. And he’s just what I want!. I can keep him. in the garden.”
“He does look sweet,” said my mom. “Let’s check his tags (标牌).”
Tags? I hadn’t even noticed his thin silver collar, I’d been so excited.
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。
There was a little tag on it, with a phone number.
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“I’ve had him since he was little,” Sari said. “We’ve never been apart.”
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It was a sun-kissed spring afternoon along the beautiful Maryland coast, and Jonathan Bauer, a 51-year-old former firefighter, was enjoying a rare moment with his 13-year-old daughter, Ava. The two of them were heading home across the Route 90 bridge, over the waters of Assawoman Bay.
However, the peace of their drive was suddenly disturbed by the noise of tires and a horrible crash just ahead of them. A black truck was out of control, running into a concrete barrier, and finally coming to rest over the bridge’s railing(栏杆).
In that heart-stopping moment, Bauer hit the brakes in time to avoid the vehicles in his path, narrowly avoiding a crash with the truck ahead. But his heart sank as he saw a red car sliding backward towards him. He turned left, but too late——the car ultimately crashed into the trunk of his car.
Bauer stopped the car. “Ava, are you OK?” he asked. Thankfully, Ava emerged from the chaos, but otherwise unhurt. Bauer, however, couldn’t stand by. Rushing to the red car, he checked on its driver. “Are you OK?” he asked the driver. She nodded, too shocked to speak.
Then, suddenly, a scream of “HELP” cut through the air, coming from the overturned truck. As the truck driver climbed out and pointed toward the water, Bauer raced to his side. In the shallow bay waters below, he spotted a car seat and a terrified two-year-old girl, dressed in a pink dress.
Without hesitation, Bauer instructed Ava to call the ambulance as he removed his shoes. He knew the situation was urgent, and he had to act swiftly to save the baby. He climbed onto the bridge’s railing, preparing to make a jump of faith into the water. He was not sure about his chances jumping from this height into such shallow water. And were there rocks this close to the concrete pillar(柱子) of the bridge?
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。
Bauer jumped into the water.
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As the ambulance left, Ava anxiously turned to her father.
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