A light knock on the door brought me from my kitchen. Because we had just moved into the neighborhood, I couldn’t imagine who it would be. Opening the door, an old man stood there, who was dressed in dirty clothing and wearing dirty rubber boots. His hand hung a plastic bag.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“Would you like to buy some fresh garden vegetables?” His blue eyes were hopeful.
“Are they from your garden?” I looked inside his plastic bag and saw some carrots with soil.
“Yes,” his voice was soft. “And I can get some apples from a tree in my yard. Would you like some of those, too?”
My heart softened, and I wondered if he was badly in need of money. With a sigh, I said, “Please step inside and I’ll get my money.”
The next day, he knocked at our door again. This time, my little four-year-old daughter got there first. “Oh, hello. Would you like to come in for some tea?” Without a second thought, the old man stepped inside and held out a broken basket with several apples. “From my tree,” he said, removing a worn cap. “You might like to make a pie.”
The three of us sat at the kitchen table and drank our tea. It was obvious that my daughter liked hosting a visitor in her never-ending questions. “What is your name? Where do you live? Why are your clothes so dirty?”
The homeless-looking man laughed as he answered each question. His name was Mr. Locket and he lived around the corner. His wife had passed away several years ago, and his children all lived far away. He was lonely. His need for company had sent him door to door selling fruit and vegetables. Ours was the only door opened to him that day.
注意：1. 续写词数应为100左右；
2. 开头已给出。
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When he finished the tea, he said he had to go home and promised to return the next day.
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Several years later, a small envelope was delivered to our home—a letter from the old man’s daughter.
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When I was eight or nine years old, I wrote my first poem. My mother read the little poem and began to cry. “Buddy, you didn’t really write this beautiful, beautiful poem!” My mother poured out her praise. I glowed. “What time will Father be home?” I asked. I could hardly wait to show him what I had accomplished. My mother said she hoped he would be home around seven. I spent the best part of that afternoon preparing for his arrival. First, I wrote the poem out in my finest flourish(花体字). Then I used colored crayon(蜡笔) to draw an elaborate border around it that would do justice to its brilliant content. Then I waited. As 7 o'clock drew near, I confidently placed it right on my father’s plate on the dining-room table.
But my father did not return at seven. I admired my father. He was head of Paramount Studios in Hollywood but he had begun his motion picture career as a writer. He would be able to appreciate this wonderful poem of mine even more than my mother.
This evening it was almost 8 o'clock when my father burst in. He was an hour late for dinner. His mood seemed thunderous. He could not sit down but circled the long dining-room table with a drink in his hand, calling down terrible oath(诅咒) on his employees.
Suddenly, he paused and stared at his plate. There was a suspenseful silence. “What is this?” He was reaching for my poem. I lowered my head and stared down into my plate. I was full of anxious daydreams. How wonderful it would be if this very first work of mine drove away the angry clouds that now darkened my important father’s face.
“Ben, a wonderful thing has happened,” my mother began. “Buddy has written his first poem! And it’s beautiful.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to decide for myself.” Father said.
I kept my face lowered to my plate as he read that poem. It couldn’t have taken very long to read that poem. It was only ten lines. But it seemed to take hours. I could hear him dropping the poem back on the table.
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。
Now came the moment of decision.
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A few years later I took a second look at the first poem, and I had to agree with my father’s judgment.
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To celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday, Luke Fortune drove from a small town in Central Oregon to Portland, where he parked his car in a paid garage overnight. The next morning, he discovered that the car’s window had been smashed, along with his dreams for the future: His backpack and computer were gone.
“Everything important to me was on that computer,” said Fortune, 21, who is studying to become a paramedic(护理人员). “My classwork, every paper I’d written, and all the programs I needed for my paramedic tests. Every letter I was working on for job applications. I felt sick.”
Two days after the theft, another young man was standing outside his apartment, also in Portland. Masoud Almazrouei, 29, is an exchange student from the United Arab Emirates. He had been approached by a man who said he had a computer for sale. Only $200. Almazrouei, who had been in the United States for only a year, admits now that he was naive(天真). But he needed a computer, so he bought it, took it home, and turned it on. Within seconds, he saw files and photographs.
“I wondered who would sell a computer with all of this on it,” he said. “I realized it could be stolen.” Almazrouei found what appeared to be the owner’s cellphone number and called it.
“This guy with a thick accent told me he had my computer,” Fortune said. “He told me the story and said it was his fault. I thought it was a scam(骗局). I told him if he really had the computer, he should take it to the police.”
Soon after, a police officer called Fortune to say that a man had dropped the computer off and had said he was sorry. He passed along the man’s number.
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;
3.请按格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Fortune called and thanked Almazrouei and insisted on paying him a reward of $200, the money he was out.
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A story about the two young men’s encounter(邂逅) made it to the local papers.
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Boys like to be considered to be brave, but what kind of things can be considered to be brave? It is not a question that can be answered by words, but by the actual deed. A boy with the name Henry gave us a good example. Ronny and Henry were two friends in the same class. They always played together and went home together. One day as Ronny and Henry were going home after school, they saw some people fighting in the street corner. Ronny said excitedly, “Some people are fighting! Let’s go and have a look!” But Henry refused, “It’s none of our business. We’d better go home and don’t get close to them. Also our parents are expecting to have dinner with us together at home and I don’t want them to worry about me.”
“You are a coward, and afraid to go,” said Ronny, and off he ran to the spot with some other boys. Henry had to go home alone and didn't think about it anymore.
But Ronny thought Henry was a coward and told all the boys that. They laughed at him a great deal. From then on, they looked down upon Henry and didn’t want to play with him.
Henry was sad but he wasn’t angry with Ronny for his rude behavior, because he had learned that true courage was shown most in bearing misunderstanding when it was not deserved, and that he ought to be afraid of nothing but doing wrong. Thus, he just ignored the other boys’ laughter and continued to stick to his thought and go to school and study as well. However, Ronny didn’t invite Henry to go home with him anymore. Instead, he had his new friends who also thought Henry was a coward. Every day after school, they didn't go home directly but went to the river or somewhere to play games and had lots of fun.
注意：
1. 所续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为二段，每段的开头语已经为你写好；
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A few days later, something terrible happened to Ronny.
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At that moment, Henry happened to pass by.
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Belinda, like many of my students, had grown up "street smart", with very little use for schools and books. On the first day of school, she called Rory a very bad word, so I kept her in at break. I made her wash all the desks and pick up all the garbage lying around. "That'll teach her," I thought. Belinda, though, was smarter than me. "I like cleaning. Mr. Brassell," she said. "Can I do this every day?"
On the third day, I caught Belinda fighting with Jose. I walked over to their table and asked what the problem was. "She keeps calling me a bad word," Jose said. Belinda wrote standards after school while I gave her another lecture on behavior. The next day, I caught her fighting with Jose again. I shouted angrily across the room to ask why they were fighting. Again, Jose accused Belinda of calling him a bad word. Belinda had finally earned a home visit. I told her that I would walk her home after school and talk to her mother in person.
And for the first time all the week, Belinda became silent. For the rest of the day, she sat still in her chair, even with kids teasing her. "It's not going to work, young lady," I told her. "You already earned a walk home, and behaving now isn't going to change that."
When the final bell sounded, I took Belinda by the hand, and we began the two-block walk to her house. Belinda took me through the gate to her yard and she went inside to get her mother while I waited outside.
Where have you been, girl?" a voice screamed. Babies cried loudly inside.
"My teacher's here," Belinda said softly, and I still couldn't see inside through the front door.
"Hello," a deep voice barked. Then the door opened, and a rather skinny, short woman walked out.
"Uh, I'm Mr. Brassell, Belinda's teacher."
"What'd she done this time?"
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。
I suddenly decided to try a different approach.
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The next day at school, Belinda gave my knees a big hug.
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James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. $ 24.52 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was $90! How on earth was he going to get the rest of the money? He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. There was no need to ask his parents for he knew they had no money to spare.
There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. But who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr Clay for advice, who usually had opinions in most things. “Well, you can start right here,” said Mr Clay. “My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.’’ That was the beginning of James’ odd-job (零工) business. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was surprised by the various jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He forgot the number of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the money increased and he knew that he would soon have enough for the bicycle he was dying for. The day finally came when James counted his money and found $ 94.32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted.
It had been hard work for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more since he had bought it with his own money. He had achieved what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle.
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He rode proudly home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends.
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Many years later, James succeeded in
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Once upon a time there lived a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with his life. One day, on his way to work, he passed by a beautiful house. It belonged to rich merchant.
From where he stood, he saw fine possessions, honorable guests, and plenty of workers and servants all set to work. He became envious and deeply wished to have everything the wealthy and powerful merchant did.
Suddenly, the stone cutter changed into the merchant taking over his mind and body. He was aware of the merchant’s innermost feelings, thoughts and memories. He felt the joy of owning all the luxuries in the world. He knew the pleasure of holding such a respectable position in the society. Many honored him.
After a few days of enjoying the merchant’s life, he saw a king being carried in a luxurious chair accompanied by attendants, soldiers and servants. Everyone, despite of their power and wealth, was forced to bow before this figure that was worshiped as God.
After seeing this, he realized he had been mistaken about the merchant’s power and status. In a split second, he moved into the body of the king, mighty and fearless. Then he knew what it felt like to be praised and glorified by the entire kingdom, to hold the power to pardon or take a man’s life and what it was like to be respected by kings from other lands.
One day, on a hot summer noon, he was extremely uneasy. His overweight body made the heat even more intolerable. He looked up at the sun and thought about how it was absolutely unaffected by his presence. He then swiftly became the sun, shining with glory, the source of life and strength of every living creature on the planet.
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He continued to radiate until a massive storm cloud gathered below him blocking his rays.
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There was yet another force that faded the wind’s ego—a huge towering rock.
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Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his backyard in the snow. Bobby didn't wear boots, or rather, he didn't own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold.
Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. Try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, “This is useless. Even if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money for a gift.”
Wiping tears from his eyes, Bobby started walking down to the street where the shops were. It wasn't easy being six without a father, particularly when he needed a man to talk to.
Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful but so out of reach. It was starting to get dark and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer (微光) of the setting sun's rays reflecting on something on the roadside. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime (一角硬币).
Never before had Bobby felt as wealthy as he did at that moment. As he held his newly-found treasure, warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store. His excitement quickly turned cold when salesperson after salesperson told him that he could not buy anything with only a dime.
He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his one dime offering. Then he put his hand on Bobby's shoulder, saying, “You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you.” As Bobby waited, he looked at the beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls loved flowers.
Paragraph 1:A few minutes later, the shop owner came out.
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With the bunch of roses in his hands, Bobby walked out of the door and then broke into a run.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“If mum finds out that I'm going to the beach, I'll be in big trouble.” I said to myself softly in a low voice.
I went downstairs slowly and tried to walk casually into the kitchen. As I was walking towards the back door, mum asked without looking up from her dish-washing, “Where are you going?” I answered back without hesitation, “I am going to the garden to play.” After I got out of the kitchen, I breathed a sign of relief. My plan had worked out fine so far. I climbed the fence and jumped onto the muddy field next to my house and started running towards the bus stop at top speed.
After half an hour I was at the beach scanning the crowd for my friends, Jimmy and Bobby. Two young men were racing in the canoes (独木舟). After a while, I saw them near a coconut tree. I ran towards them and got into my swimming trunk (游泳裤). For about an hour, we played volleyball happily.
Suddenly, Bobby hit the ball too hard and the ball fell into the sea. Just as Bobby was going to pick up the ball, the tide came in and carried the ball further and further away from the shore. I wanted to show off my swimming skills so I declared to help get the ball for him.
I dived into the water and started swimming at a steady pace. After swimming for about ten minutes, I became tired but when I saw that the ball was only a few feet away from me, I put in an extra burst of speed. However, just as I was going to get the ball, a very strong current swept the ball further away from me. At that moment, a string of weed (海草) tangled (缠绕) up with my feet and I could not swim properly.
I struggled to keep afloat but it was no use. “If I had listened to my parents, this would never have happened,” I thought silently.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Finally, after struggling for a minute or two, I still got pulled underwater.
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When I woke up, I was in an empty room lying on a bed.
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Kenneth Hansen, 46, was working late one May evening two years ago, putting the last pieces of board on a house in Gratiot County, Michigan. He saw a boy crazily waving his arms. Then Hansen heard screaming. Standing on the back porch (门廊)of the house next door was the little boy screaming "Help!", while four dogs barked and ran after him. Hansen knew little about the boy. After all, the boy was just visiting his grandfather during holidays.
At first, Hansen thought it was just a dogfight. Then alarm bells went off in his head. The noises they made sounded like what dogs do when they're biting something. His feeling proved right when he watched in horror as they sank in their teeth and bit at the boy's leg.
Then, Hansen realized the boy was in a great danger. He raced across the grass, jumped over a six-foot-high fence and landed in the neighbor's yard. He shouted at the dogs, but they ignored him. He screamed and yelled louder until they let go just long enough for Henson to grab the eight-year-old boy, Ethan. But he couldn't grab him under his arms, which would make it harder to run, because the boy was badly injured. Luckily, He found a long wooden stick at the corner. Henson used it to drive the dogs away and held the boy into his arms.
Hansen ran fast across the yard, and the dogs followed him. Hansen ran to the back deck (木制平台). So did the dogs. When he reached the top, he pulled on a courtyard door, but it wouldn't open. At that time, a dog grabbed Ethan's foot again to get him back from Hansen. Then Hansen pulled on a second door. It sprang open. He rushed inside the house, followed closely by the dogs scratching (抓)at his legs. He opened a bedroom door a crack, pushed Ethan in quickly, then closed it immediately.
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。
Turning around, Hansen faced the dogs.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Months later, Ethan was fully recovered.
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