A vacation with my mother
I had an interesting childhood: It was filled with surprise and amusements, all because of my mother-loving, sweet, and yet absent-minded and forgetful. One strange family trip we took when I was eleven tells a lot about her.
My two sets of grandparents lived in Colorado and North Dakota, and my parents decided to spend a few weeks driving to those states and seeing all the sights along the way. As the first day of our trip approached, David, my eight-year-old brother, and I unwillingly said good-bye to all of our friends. Who knew if we’d ever see them again? Finally,we packed suitcases, books, games, camping equipment, and a tent into the car and bravely drove off. We bravely drove off again two hours later after we’d returned home to get the purse and traveler’s checks Mom had forgotten.
David and I were always a little nervous when using gas station bathrooms if Mom was driving while Dad slept: “You stand outside the door and play lookout while I go, and I’ll stand outside the door and play lookout while you go.” We were never actually left behind in a strange city, but we weren’t about to take any chances.
On the fourth or fifth night, we had trouble finding a hotel with a room available. After driving in vain for some time, Mom suddenly got a great idea: Why didn’t we find a house with a likely-looking backyard and ask if we could set up tent there? David and I became nervous. To our great relief, Dad turned down the idea. Mom never could understand our objections. She thinks everyone in the world as as nice as she is. We finally found a vacancy (空房) in the next town.
注意：1．续写词数应为80左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Para1: The next day we really couldn’t find a hotel with a vacancy and remembered the brand-new tent we had brought with us.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I begged my mom to let me make cookies by myself. Even though I had never attempted baking before, I was nine years old and my friend Emmie had been baking cupcakes by herself for a year. I was determined to prove that I could make it.
My brother, Caleb, laughed at the idea of me cooking alone, calling it a disaster. Having a big brother can be annoying. Despite his laughing, my mom agreed to let me try. She reminded me to take my time and be careful because I’d had some messy spills before I was nine.
I raced to the kitchen and went to work. I cracked eggs and put a cold stick of butter into the bowl. I turned on the mixer at medium speed—and whoa. Whoa. Whoa! What a disaster! I had to wipe butter off my face, then off the table and floor.
Caleb made fun of me again, calling me a mess. I chased him away with a spoon and turned back to the mixing bowl. I started again with softer butter. Referring to the recipe, I poured everything needed into the bowl and mixed it. After that, I put round batter (面糊) onto the cookie sheet and put it into the oven (烤箱). Within a minute, a fantastic smell filled the kitchen—the smell of cookie success!
I was going to prove that I was responsible. No more eye-rolling from my brother. No more “You’re too young” from my parents. I was grown up and in control.
I stared into the oven, and my heart sank. The neat, little balls had melted (融化) and overflowed to the edges of the cookie sheet. I pulled the pan out just as Caleb wandered back into the kitchen.
“What in the world?” He started to laugh. “Cookie soup?”
“You just be quiet,” I whispered, trying not to cry. “Just leave me alone.”
“How’s it going in there?” Dad called from the living room.
Caleb raised his eyebrows and bit his lip. I responded that everything was fine, pouring the melted batter into the bowl quickly.
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: I picked up the directions, wondering what had gone wrong．
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Paragraph 2: I brought a plate of cookies into the living room for my parents．
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I always hope for some student who possesses that unusual capability to convey feeling， insight, and passion through art. It doesn’t happen often, but it did one summer holiday - and from a wonderfully unexpected source.
That summer, I volunteered to teach a summer school art class for high school freshmen. When I arrived on the first day, the students were grouping in the center of the classroom, except for a red-haired girl named Emma who took a desk in the back row. I looked over what would be my workspace for the following days. There were large windows with plenty of light and I spotted several kinds of trees outside that would serve as models.
Emma was always the earliest to get to our classes，and I could feel her effort. However, she kept her seat in the back row as though being ignored was something to hope for. I asked one popular girl, who said, “She is an orphan. We try to be friendly, but she acts like she’s in another world.” I said, “All right. Let’s try to make this summer the good part of Emma’s life, OK?” There was no answer in words but she nodded, telling me she understood and empathized - good kid, at heart.
During the following days, I could feel other students’ kindness to Emma. Sometimes, Emma even talked and drew with them, but she still kept a certain distance from me. When I asked to see her work, she leaned forward covering it with her forearms. Treating her in any special way only seemed to emphasize her painful dissimilarity, so I limited my communication with her to a good morning smile.
The summer went by quickly and everyone got much better at drawing. So did Emma’s behavior. We had a lot of fun in the process, but the last day came at the right time. The kids filed in and watched me write the assignment on the whiteboard: Draw a picture titled: “A Place I Love”.
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 walked around, watching the drawings develop.
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It was Emma’s turn to show her drawing.
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Ray was there to pick me up for the three-hour drive back home. That was how I came to know his story. As the father of two, he spent six days a week driving in a town far away from home. On his only day off, he drove five hours there and back to have time with his family in Preston．
“Leaving the kids is hard,” Ray smiled gently.
I smiled, too. I remembered my dad and I eagerly talked on the phone about daily things when he worked away for weeks.
After two hours into our drive when a tall sign saying Preston came into our sight, I asked if it was where his family lived. “Yes, about 5 kilometers down the road,” Ray looked out in the right direction．
My heart hurt. Then I decided to give the family a gift, even if it just would be my time.
“Why don’t we stop and say hello?” I suggested.
I met Ray’s inquiring (询问的) eyes like I was joking.I nodded to him and said “Yes”.Then, we drove off the main road.
注意：
1．续写词数应为 80左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Soon, we came to a small house in a village．
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Maria was my best friend. When we first met, I knew we were meant to be friends forever. But then something happened.
One day, I said to her excitedly, “There’s a two-day art camp this summer,” holding up the bright-red paper I had grabbed as we entered the library.
Maria took the paper and glanced at it. She stopped when her eyes caught the date. “It’s during the last week of July,” she said. “That’s the same time when I would be out of town with my family.”
Maria handed the paper back to me as she stood up to look at the shelf of new books.
I sighed and dropped my head down.
“Alice, you’re the artist.” She smiled. “But I’m terrible at drawing.”
“You may not think you can draw, but you can learn,” I said in my most encouraging voice. I really didn’t want to go alone.
Going out of the library, I was still in low spirits.
After school, I showed the paper to my mother. She asked me whether I would attend the art camp. I told my mother probably not because my friend would not go.
Mom patted my back and she knew I had a hard time jumping into something with no familiar faces around. “Maybe next year,” she comforted me.
“Maybe.” I sighed. “I’m going outside to draw our pine tree. I’ll be out front.”
I opened the door and looked at the bright sunshine as I sat on the front doorstep. I thought about the art camp and wished I felt a little braver. Maria could make friends with a whole busload of kids in 10 minutes, but my stomach twirls like a roller coaster when I don’t know anyone around me. By the time I started painting, I had convinced myself it was OK to skip the camp.
I used my pencil and drew the pine’s strong and straight trunk, and added the graceful branches, making sure the upper ones lifted gently toward the sun.
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 jumped when Maria said, “You paint quite well.”
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The big day of the art camp finally arrived.
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Debra, a five-year-old cousin of mine, often annoyed me. She wished me to stay with her, talk to her and teach her dancing. I hated it and never taught her to dance. That hot July afternoon, Debra annoyed me again.
Our big family all gathered together at a friend’s outdoor wedding. The children were running around and playing games. The afternoon couldn’t have been better. My friends and I gathered together and excitedly talked about our up-and-coming freshman year. Debra desired to join us, but what could a five-year-old kid contribute to our conversations?
I left the table where we were sitting, leaving behind my mother, my grandmother and Debra. I walked inside the house and greeted everyone inside before making my way to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, there was a big knock and the bathroom door burst open. It was an older cousin of mine, Sylvia. With a look of fear, anxiety and shock, she rushed to find towels. I figured one of the kids was injured while playing. “There has been a bad accident outside,” she told me and rushed out.
What kind of accident? Was anyone hurt? I left the bathroom. A woman approached and told me that a guest who was leaving the party had lost control of his car. Then I heard a voice calling my name. It was my mother. She told me, “Debra has been badly hurt. Come and help rescue her!” My heart dropped to my feet. I was struck by the sudden thought that I might lose her.
I hurried outside. Tables and chairs were overturned everywhere by the runaway car. I was in shock. My mother quickly drove our car around and laid down the backseat. But where was Debra? I saw her parents running from a room with a piece of board, perfectly Debra’s size. I didn’t see my tiny cousin until she was put onto the board and laid in the car, crying. Her new white dress had blood, and on her left shoe was a tire (轮胎) mark.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
Together, we hurried to drive towards the hospital.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“She’ll walk again as long as you take good care of her,” the doctor told us.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Lena could clearly remember the night she had to flee her home in Hungary. It was the beginning of the Second World War and her family needed to escape fast. She quickly packed a suitcase with a few pieces of clothing, her diary, and-her most prized possession - a beautiful silk scarf. Lena and her best friend, Monika, had persuaded their parents to buy them matching scarves, which they each wore tied around their neck as a symbol of their friendship. Lena had no idea that when she left for America that night, she would never return. Her family settled on the sunny west coast in California.
Lena kept that special silk scarf for many years. One day she decided to give it to her granddaughter, Eliza, to wear to her first job interview for good luck. Lena was afraid that Eliza would lose the scarf, but her granddaughter reassured her, “Don’t worry, Grandma nothing’s going to happen to your scarf. You’ll see, It is going to bring both of us luck today.” With that, Eliza kissed her grandmother on the cheek and left.
That afternoon, Eliza left the interview feeling confident that she had got the job-She decided to celebrate by going to a restaurant. As she sat at her table, she felt someone staring at her.
Sitting next to her was an elderly woman who could not take her eyes off her. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” Eliza asked.
“I’m sorry, dear, but you remind me of someone I once knew,” the old woman replied in an accented voice. “My best friend looked like you and used to wear a scarf just like the one you’re wearing around your neck.” Eliza felt goose bumps go up her arms. She had heard stories of her grandmother’s best friend and knew the significance of the scarf. Could this be Monika, her grandmother’s childhood friend?
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 I:
Eliza introduced herself and waited to hear the name of the other woman.
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Paragraph 2:
They walked the short distance to Lena’s home and rang the doorbell.
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A funny thing happened to Arthur when he was on the way to work one day. As he walked along Park Avenue near the First National Bank, he heard the sound of someone trying to start a car. He tried again and again but couldn’t get the car moving. Arthur turned and looked inside at the face of a young man who looked worried.
Arthur stopped and said, “It looks like you’ve got a problem.”
“I’m afraid so. I’m in a big hurry but I can’t start my car.”
“Is there something I can do to help?” Arthur asked. The young man looked at the two suitcases in the back seat and then said, “Thanks. If you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble, you could help me get these suitcases into a taxi.”
“No trouble at all. I’d be glad to help.”
The young man got out and took one of the suitcases from the back seat. After placing it on the ground, he turned to get the other one. Just as Arthur picked up the first suitcase and started walking, he heard the long loud noise of an alarm.
It was from the bank. There had been a robbery (抢劫)!
Park Avenue had been quiet a moment before. Now the air was filled with the sound of the alarm and the shouts of people running from all directions. Cars stopped and the passengers joined the crowd in front of the bank. People asked each other, “What happened?” But everyone had a different answer.
Arthur still carrying the suitcase, turned to look at the bank and walked right into a young woman in front of him.
She looked at the suitcase and then at him. Arthur was surprised. “Why is she looking at me like that?” he thought. “The suitcase! She thinks I’m the bank thief!”
Arthur looked around at the crowd of people. He became frightened, and without another thought, he started to run.
注意：续写的词数应为150左右。
Paragraph 1:
As he was running, Arthur heard the young man shouting behind, “Stop! Stop!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
The taxi stopped in front of the police station. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Carl lost his job. He tried to find another one but it wasn’t easy. The poor fellow couldn’t pay his bills because he had so little money, and he couldn’t ask anybody to lend him.
Carl spent his days at home. He looked out of the window and watched his neighbor’s house. An old professor lived there alone. Strangely, he never talked to his neighbors. Carl could see into the professor’s house because he never drew the curtain. The rooms were full of antique (古老的) furniture and vases. Carl thought, “Why haven’t I got an antique vase? I could sell it for a lot of money.”
Every day Carl saw the professor. He left at 10 o’clock. He had a dog. Carl often went to the fence and played with it or give it a piece of meat.
One day Carl thought, “I will go into the professor’s house and steal a vase. I will break the window and climb in, the dog is not a problem.”
There was an old gun in the cellar. It had been his great grandfather’s favorite thing a long time before. Carl didn’t want to use the gun but he thought, “Anything could happen.”
He wanted to hide the gun under his coat but it was too long so he cut the end off with a saw.
The next morning he watched the professor leaving home at 10 o’clock. Carl climbed over the fence. The dog ran to him and Carl gave it a big bone. He threw a piece of stone through the window, which broke. It wasn’t high. He could climb into the house easily.
He looked around inside. There were paintings on the walls, small figures and vases on the shelves and the floor. Carl didn’t know much about arts. He couldn’t choose. He reached his hands towards a big vase when he heard a noise. The front door opened and someone entered the house.
注意：
1．续写词数为150词左右；
2．两段文章篇幅大体相当。
Paragraph 1
It was the professor. He had left an important document at home.
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Paragraph 2
The professor was much scared.
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注意：
1．词数80左右；
2．请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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