I was invited to a cookout on an old friend’s farm in western Washington. I parked my car outside the farm and walked past a milking house which had apparently not been used in many years. A noise at a window caught my attention, so I entered it. It was a hummingbird (蜂鸟), desperately trying to escape. She was covered in spider-webs (蛛网) and was barely able to move her wings. She ceased her struggle the instant I picked her up.
With the bird in my cupped hand, I looked around to see how she had gotten in. The broken window glass was the likely answer. I stuffed a piece of cloth into the hole and took her outside, closing the door securely behind me.
When I opened my hand, the bird did not fly away; she sat looking at me with her bright eyes. I removed the sticky spider-webs that covered her head and wings. Still, she made no attempt to fly. Perhaps she had been struggling against the window too long and was too tired? Or too thirsty?
As I carried her up the blackberry-lined path toward my car where I kept a water bottle, she began to move. I stopped, and she soon took wing but did not immediately fly away.
Hovering (悬停), she approached within six inches of my face. For a very long moment, this tiny creature looked into my eyes, turning her head from side to side. Then she flew quickly out of sight.
During the cookout, I told my hosts about the hummingbird incident. They promised to fix the window. As I was departing, my friends walked me to my car. I was standing by the car when a hummingbird flew to the center of our group and began hovering. She turned from person to person until she came to me. She again looked directly into my eyes, then let out a squeaking call and was gone. For a moment, all were speechless. Then someone said, “She must have come to say goodbye.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
A few weeks later, I went to the farm again.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was just about to leave when the hummingbird appeared.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________We had just relocated to Germany and moved into a big and old country house with a mysterious abandoned wine cellars (地窖), which my husband warned me many times not to explore without him. After settling down, we began slowly releasing our large family of rescue cats and dogs into the woods behind our house so that they could get used to the area and venture out on their own. So, it wasn’t long before we gained a reputation for having lots of rescue animals with us in the neighborhood.
One day, the doorbell rang and I was sure some of my Christmas packages had arrived. I ran to the door and swung it open, but no one was there. I sensed something and looked down, only to find a beautiful calico (有斑点的) kitten sitting there, looking up at me with big, intelligent eyes. There was no way that she could have rung the doorbell by herself, was there? Were my new neighbors playing tricks on me? Perhaps, someone had found the kitten somewhere and left her there, and then rang the doorbell and ran away. They accurately guessed we would welcome an additional family member and take care of her.
My husband called her our little angel, so we named her Angelica accordingly. It seemed as if she was always meant to be in this big family and she turned out to be a perfect companion. Always by my side, she was more like a puppy than a kitten. Wise beyond her years, she enjoyed exploring through the mysterious house as much as I did, but with much less fear. Angelica was courageous.
So, I decided to be brave, too. I had promised my husband that I wouldn’t explore dangerous areas unless he or someone else was around, but he was away on a business trip for a week and I figured that Angelica would count as my companion. I was ready to explore the cellar, and so was she.
The only way in was through a hatch (盖子) that was partially hidden by the grass that covered it, then down a shaky ladder to its dark depths, probably twelve feet deep. I equipped myself with a good flashlight and warm clothes. Angelica sat on the edge and watched me carefully start down the ladder. Suddenly, there was a crash at the foot.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
I woke up with a splitting headache and pieces of the broken ladder lying around me on the stone cellar floor.
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Angelica could sense my dilemma.
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In 2000, when I was around seven years old, all my family were coming back from a T-ball game, which was our usual weekend adventure, but unlike every other weekend, a surprise was waiting for us in our driveway—two adult geese and a small goose. Obviously startled by our return, the adults flew away in panic, with their baby, too young to fly, left in place, tiny and delicate.
Hours passed one after another, and night eventually fell. However, with it also came a deep chill and a fear of watchful animals. It was apparent that the gosling needed protection, warmth, and food to make it to the morning, so we had to help it, and we brought him onto our back yard.
We all pretty much slept with one eye open till morning came. And then another morning. And still another. Each morning, we would try to drive the goose away to his parents, who kept coming back to our yard. He wouldn’t go to them, though, and neither would they come close enough to claim him. We kept this up for five days, but no luck. Realizing the young goose had clearly decided we were his family by then, we had to give him a name, calling the little guy Peeper, because he would often follow us around the yard making a peeping(唧唧叫) noise, nonstop. Besides, we decided that Peeper was a boy. I don’t know why; it just felt right.
A year passed and we settled into a routine. Peeper slept on our back yard each night and, in typical goose fashion, used it as a latrine(公共厕所). My dad would spray off all the goose droppings daily. Part of this ceremony included Dad throwing Peeper up into the air so he could flap its wings and flew a loop(圈) around the house, and then came back again once the porch was clean.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months.
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Before we knew it, the little thing had grown into a big bird with two powerful wings.
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It came as a total surprise to me when, in 2020, an adult goose made his way back to my family home.
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Kindness of Strangers
We rely on a community where helping others is highly appreciated. When we need help, it creates a web that ties us together.
Once upon a time, I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready when my fourteen-year-old daughter, Cassandra, called me from her room. “Mom, can you help me get downstairs?” She had lung disease and depended on oxygen twenty-four hours a day, so it was impossible for her to move up and down the stairs without help. I turned down the stove and ran upstairs to her room. Cassandra let out a sigh and closed her eyes. “Mom, I wish it wasn’t so hard for me to climb the stairs.”
“I know, honey. We’ll try to solve the problem.”
My daughter’s words reminded me of an incident. A month earlier, a company introduced an electric stairlift (座椅电梯) to us. My daughter could use this stairlift to go up and down stairs by herself without anyone helping her. Hearing the perfect product, our whole family was very excited and looking forward to it. The stairlift sounded wonderful because it would greatly improve my daughter’s life. Unluckily, we couldn’t afford it although John, my husband, even took two jobs to support the family.
To meet Cassandra’s wish, I got round to ask the charity organization in our community for help once again. They had lent us a wheelchair before we bought one. Maybe they could help with a stairlift, too. I held my breath while the phone rang. “Do you have a stairlift I could borrow?” I asked them hopefully. However, they hadn’t, but they promised to call us right away if they got one.
注意：1.续写词数150左右;
2.请按下列格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Hanging up the phone, I told this to my family anxiously.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One early morning, we heard someone knocking at the door.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
On a bright, warm July afternoon, Mac Hollan, a primary school teacher, was cycling from his home to Alaska with his friends. One of his friends had stopped to make a bicycle repair, but they had encouraged Mac to carry on, and they would catch up with him soon. As Mac pedaled (骑行) along alone, he thought fondly of his wife and two young daughters at home. He hoped to show them this beautiful place someday.
Then Mac heard quick and loud breathing behind him. “Man, that's a big dog!” he thought. But when he looked to the side, he saw instantly that it wasn’t a dog at all, but a wolf, quickly catching up with him.
Mac’s heart jumped. He found out his can of hear spray. With one hand on the bars, he fired the spray at the wolf. A bright red cloud enveloped the animal, and to Mac's relief, it fell back, shaking its head. But a minute later, it was by his side again. Then it attacked the back of Mac's bike, tearing open his tent bag. He fired at the wolf a second time, and again, it fell back only to quickly restart the chase（追赶）。
Mac was pedaling hard now. He waved and yelled at passing cars but was careful not to show down. He saw a steep uphill climb before him. He knew that once he hit the hill, he’d be easy caught up and the wolf’s teeth would be tearing into his flesh.
At this moment, Paul and Beeky were driving their car on their way to Alaska. They didn’t think much of it when they saw two cyclists repairing their bike on the side of the road. A bit later, they spotted what they, too, assumed was a dog running alongside a man on a bike. As they got closer, they realized that the dog was a wolf. Mac heard a large vehicle behind him. He pulled in front of it as the wolf was catching up fast, just a dozen yards away now.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
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A few years ago, my mom went to the doctor to ask him about her neck, which had been a little bigger than usual． It turned out there was something t wrong with her lymph glands (淋巴结), and soon they scheduled Mom to have a biopsy (组织切片检查) on the seventh of September．
As soon as I found out, I was very angry, as September 7 is my birthday．They had promised to take me to see a spider- man movie and had a picnic in the yard．I shouted at her and everyone else, too． I even shouted at the dog． I started begging her to reschedule the biopsy, She gave me this look like she was about to cry and said, “I’m sorry, but I’ve done everything I can. I’ve got a disease. Could you forgive me?” Finally, I just yelled, “ I hate you!” and ran into my room, crying． I sat on my bed thinking —Why do things always have to happen to me? Everyone gets diseases． Why couldn’t mom just go to hospital another day?
For the next couple of weeks 1 remained silently angry． Deep down I knew 1 shouldn't act that way, but I did anyway． Anyone could see how sad I was making my mom． I knew it wasn't her fault, but I had to have someone to blame．
Finally, my birthday came． My parents left early in the morning for the hospital, and I was sent to our neighbor's house． No spider-man movie, no birthday present, and no picnic． Though I was taken good care of, I was not having a good time． “This isn't fair,” I thought． “This was supposed to be my day．”
My parents came home late that night． Mom walked in with a bandage on her neck． She sat down and rested her head on my dad's shoulder． It hurt so badly that it was difficult for her to talk．
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；
Later that night, Mom asked me to get into her room and she pulled out a box.
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A week later when Mom got the test result, she bugged me tightly and said, “Thank God, it was not cancer(癌 症)!”
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"Pick up the pace!" said Amy's husband. "But I can't!" Amy said, her heart beating quickly inside. "I can't go any faster! Her husband encouraged her. "Yes, you can! You're making progress every day.”
To help Amy stay healthy, her husband had been running with her for over two years. Several years ago, Amy could barely walk down the stairs of her apartment building due to fatness caused by eating disorders. She realized the problem after a failed job interview and began walking to improve her ability to move. At first, she could walk for only 15 minutes at a time. But she pushed herself every day, walking 5 minutes longer than she did the day before until she walked for an hour and eventually two. For three years, Amy kept her walking habit, slowly and painstakingly building her body shape. Then she changed her walking shoes to running shoes about two years ago and became an excellent runner.
In March 2001, an advertisement invited people to nominate（提名）an ordinary person who inspired them to bring the Olympic flame to Salt Lake City as torch bearers（火炬手）or support runners.（Support runners serve as “guardians of the flame" and run with torch bearers along the journey.）Amy's experiences touched her husband, so he nominated her to be a torch bearer. The possibility to be selected was low, but Amy wanted to try.
Running taught Amy the importance of training for a race. She pictured herself running a race and crossing the finish line. For months, she ran through her neighborhood carrying a broken-off broom handle, feeling the weight of the torch. She waved at her neighbors, pretending they were cheering crowds. She also printed a picture of a torch bearer wearing the white uniform, replaced the face with a picture of hers, and put it onto her refrigerator door.
Every day, Amy imagined herself as a torch bearer. She was training for a historic running event. On September 26th, while on her daily run through her neighborhood, an express package arrived.
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:
Amy opened it and found a letter and a book on the Olympics.
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Paragraph 2:
"One of today's torch bearers can't run her part, " announced the relay organizer.
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As a senior editor in a famous press, I always think of days twenty years before when I was 18, I lived with my grandparents, and my parents earned their living in another city, struggling to support our family. I had taken to delivering newspapers to support myself and my education.
I would be up every morning by 5 am and walk five kilometres from where I lived to the newspaper office. By 6 am, I would collect 50 copies which must have weighed over five kilograms. My delivery range spanned (横跨) three kilometres. After distributing the copies, I would rush home—another three kilometres away—cook my breakfast, and be off to my school.
One Friday morning, I got home after my deliveries, finding Afzal, a boy from the neighbourhood, at my doorstep. Afzal said his mother wanted to see me. When I asked him why, Afzal said, “She will tell you.” Tired after walking around for over 11 kilometres, I was looking forward to breakfast and some rest. I assumed his mother wished to subscribe (定期订购) to the newspaper, so I followed him to his home nearby.
A woman in her 40s opened the door. I later learned she was Afzal’s mother, Mrs Kader. She asked me to sit, pulled up her chair next to mine and gently asked, “Tell me about your routine, right from the time you wake up in the morning.” I wasn’t quite sure why she wanted to know, but I told her about my morning job in a few words. She asked me, “How many miles do you walk every day?” I replied, “A little more than 11 kilometres.” My reply shocked her.
Then she patted my back and went inside, reappearing carrying a large plate full of food for breakfast for me. It was a heart y breakfast, one that brought back memories of happy days spent with my parents. Later, as I was about to leave after thanking them, Mrs Kader asked me to wait and she went inside again.
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。
Then Mrs Kader appeared again, with a new bicycle.
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I bowed to Mrs Kader gratefully and left for school.
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My writing career began quite accidentally. It was all because of my friend Henry.
Born into a poor family, Henry had no chance to attend school. He couldn’t read but he liked my reading for him greatly. One day I played a little trick on Henry. I was reading him a story from my textbook. Suddenly I moved away from the story and made up my own, pretending to turn pages regularly. Henry, of course, had no idea at all. Upon finishing the story, Henry began to clap.
“That was the best story you’ve read me in a long time,” he said, still clapping.
I laughed. “Really?”
“It was great. Will you read me more of it tomorrow?”
“Fascinating,” I thought, feeling like a man who discovered a buried treasure in his own backyard. That same night, I tried writing my first short story. It was a story about a man who found a magic cup. If he cried into the cup, his tears turned into pearls (珍珠), but he was a happy man and rarely cried. So he managed to find ways to make himself sad. The story ended with the man sitting on a mountain of pearls, unable to feel happy any longer.
The next day, I ran to Henry after school, asking him to hear the story and told him I wrote it last night. Henry was totally absorbed in it, his face shifting as the story developed.
“Some day, you will be a great writer,” Henry said. “And your stories will be read all over the world. But can I ask a question? Why didn’t the man just eat some onions to make himself cry to get pearls?” I was shocked because I never expected Henry could be helpful to my writing. I rewrote it and with Henry’s encouragement, I sent it to a magazine. To my surprise, it was published and sold well.
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。
Whenever I finished a new story, I would turn to Henry.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I decided to use the money to help Henry.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having worked at a small food store for two years, I thought I had become successful at what our manager called “customer relations”. I firmly believed that a friendly smile and an automatic “sir”, “madam”, “thank you” and “sorry” would see me through any situation. But on a Christmas night an old woman shook my belief that such a glib response (巧言应对) could smooth over any difficulty while dealing with other human beings.
The moment she entered the store, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves. Walking as if each step were painful, she slowly pushed open the glass door. On such a zero-degree night, she was wearing only a faded print dress, a thin sweater too small to button, and black slippers with the backs cut out to expose heels. There were no stockings or socks on her blue-veined legs.
After walking around the store for several minutes, the old woman stopped in front of the rows of canned vegetables. She looked at the row of cans, finally picked up a can of corn and stared at the label. At that point, I decided to be a good and polite employee and asked her if she needed help. As I stood close to her, my smile became harder to maintain. An unpleasant smell of sweat rose from her torn clothing.
“I need some food,” she muttered in reply to my bright “Madam, can I help you?”
“Are you looking for corn, madam?”
“I need some food,” she repeated, looking down at the can in her hand, “Any kind.”
“Well, the can of corn is ninety-five cents, madam.” I said in my most helpful voice. “Or if you like, we have a special on bread today.”
After a short pause, she lifted her head and said, “But I can’t pay.”
For a second, it was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that she could take the corn.
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
Paragraph1：
Then the employee rules flooded into my mind: remain polite but do not let the customers get the best of you.
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Paragraph 2：
Moments after she left, I rushed out of the door with the can of corn.
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