Tripod’s story started one spring morning as I was finishing a morning surgery at the veterinary clinic (兽医诊所) I owned. I was writing up medical records of the surgery patients when my receptionist (接待员) stuck her head into my office. She told me there was a big cat lying outside with a seriously injured front leg. What’s worse, nobody knew whom it belonged to.
Then I sent two of my pre-vet students to pick up the poor cat while I went back to my record-keeping. But it wasn’t long before I heard the students returning with this newest patient who seemed to be in pretty bad condition.
I carefully checked up the injuries which seemed to be caused by the pressing of a heavy object. With the extremely horrible smell, I knew from years of experience this cat didn’t have an owner. “Well, then,” I sighed, “I’m not sure whether we are able to bring this cat back to life, but let’s give him our best shot anyway. Afterwards, let’s see if we can find a home for him. ”
Just then, when one of the students began touching the cat’s head gently, somewhere deep in the cat’s throat, a weak purr (呼噜声) began. As the student continued to pet the cat, I noticed the cat’s breathing became less laboured (缓慢而困难的).
When I performed the complicated operation, I whispered, “You’re a fighter, aren’t you, boy? You deserve a chance to live.” However, after the surgery, he lost one leg, and still struggled with life and death. Over the next few weeks, Tripod, the cat, went through many ups and downs, but I was sure about his resilience (快速恢复的能力). News about Tripod spread. A number of customers stopped by regularly to check on the progress of his recovery, including Mrs Melson, a pet lover.
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。
The day finally came when I decided Tripod had really recovered.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Though unwilling to part with Tripod, we were happy to see Mrs Melson come for him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________By the time 18-year-old Amy Waldroop returned to her grandmother’s tiny house, it was nearly midnight and she was exhausted. After a full day’s work at a flower shop, she had put in another six hours waiting tables before heading home. This was her typical weekends.
Pushing the key into the lock, she quietly opened the door so as not to wake her younger siblings. She stepped into the front room, and froze. The house was a mess: plates of half-eaten food were scattered in front of the TV; clothes, shoes and exercise books were everyone.
Amy’s eyes welled with tears. “This is just too much for me.” she thought. Terrible memories began to race through her mind. Two years before, her parents lost their lives in an accident, leaving Amy and her siblings for their grandma, Helen, who had spent half of her life in a wheelchair. The life burden fell on Amy’s shoulders, which was too much for a girl.
Life moved on. One day, walking across the school grounds, Amy found a table littered with university brochures. She browsed through pictures of spacious campuses and happy peers, all of it looking unachievable for her, given the current situation and financial conditions. But her teacher gave her unexpected hope, saying“ You could attend university for free. It would take a scholarship, though, and for that you’d need much better grades.”
During her final year of high school, Amy diligently attended classes, then went to work after school, returned to her grandmother’s house, cared for her sisters and brothers and went through homework till the early hours of the morning, struggling for her dream university.
One afternoon, she walked home from school, holding a sheet of paper tightly. It was a letter from the University of California, informing her that she would be offered a scholarship and was admitted to the university. It was what she’d been longing for, a place where she could study to become someone special-a nurse, perhaps, or maybe even a lawyer.
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式作答。
Yet the letter only made Amy struggle inside.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The next afternoon, Amy spotted the wrinkled letter she threw into the dustbin on the table when arriving home.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I come from a broken family. My sister Jeanne and I were born only 14 months apart, but by the time we were teenagers we had lost touch. By the age 15, I had moved away from our home in Wisconsin to live on my father’s horse farm in Virginia. Jeanne moved to Chicago, and became—well, I didn’t know what. We lived separate lives in separate states, and our connection somehow ended.
Three years passed quickly and I was 18. I was used to riding my horse to the corner store where everyone knew everyone and everything went on in the quiet little cowboy town of Driver, Virginia. One day, my friend asked me to accompany her to visit the city of Shanghai in China and see the sights. It was overwhelming. We went to the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl Tower, Disneyland, and several clubs. I had never seen so many taxis in one spot in all my life.
During a day of sightseeing, we were crossing a very busy street loaded with people. Everyone was in a hurry, hustling and bustling (熙熙攘攘的) . My friend had said something stupid and I couldn’t help laughing loudly. At that moment, I suddenly heard my name yelled from somewhere behind me: “Cheryl!” I froze in my steps in the middle of the road. Tears welled up at the same time in my eyes. I knew without doubt that it was my sister Jeanne. I yelled back before even turning to look. “Jeanne?”
It was her. “Oh my God!” I screamed, and I began pushing people out of my way to get to her. The crowd started to part—even by Shanghai standards, we must have seemed crazy. And there we were, standing in the middle of a Shanghai street, facing each other and smiling. I couldn't believe it.
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 later asked how she’d known it was me—she never saw me!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Since that time, my sister and I have never been separated.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The day Dana and Jeff’s daughter Melody was born was nothing like they expected. The words the doctor said to them completely shook them, “Your daughter was born with a cleft lip (唇裂).” It was impossible for the couple to hide their sadness. They couldn’t believe it was true until they saw their daughter in person. Seeing her cleft made Dana and Jeff heartbroken more than anything. It broke their heart to imagine the kind of life Melody would lead in the future.
When the doctor told Dana and Jeff that their daughter’s condition was treatable with a cleft lip surgery (外科手术), the couple saw a ray of hope. Rather than feeling stressful like the first few days, they promised themselves they never wanted their daughter to suffer from that. They would support Melody as best they could.
Dana and Jeff were ready to do anything for Melody. After bringing Melody home, they immediately began looking for cleft surgery options. However, no matter where they turned, getting Melody the surgery she needed was expensive, and the various treatments and medications she needed in the following would also be much more costly than the young family could afford.
One day, however, things took a turn for the better. While browsing through a medical forum one evening, Jeff stumbled upon (意外发现) a post about a nonprofit organization that specialized in cleft lip surgeries for children. The organization, named Smileatfuture, is dedicated to providing free surgeries to families who could not afford the procedure. The couple had seen a lot of photos and read a lot of stories about children who had cleft surgeries sponsored by Smileatfuture, and the results were unbelievable. The idea that Melody could grow up with hardly a scar (伤疤) where her cleft was lit a fire under the couple. Without any hesitation, Dana and her husband reached out to Smileatfuture and handed in an application for medical aid.
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。
Everything went more smoothly than Dana and Jeff had expected.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The big day for Melody’s surgery finally came.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ling’s eyes shone brightly as she picked up the mail and spotted a letter with familiar handwriting-her grandmother’s. She eagerly tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, “Dear Ling,” the letter began, “I miss you a lot after you left. How’s the school life? I hope you are finding joy in your studies and making new friends. Remember, my dear, no matter how challenging things may seem, you can always find a way to deal with them well. Take care and know that you are much loved.” As Ling read through the letter, each word seemed to remind her of the golden days spent in her grandmother’s comfortable village home, surrounded by green fields and rolling hills. Now, living in a big city with her parents, she entered a new school and left her former teachers and classmates. Everything in the city was so unfamiliar that she felt it was difficult for her to adapt to the new life.
The next morning, as Ling struggled through another day of feeling disconnected and alone, she made a decision. She approached her parents with a heartfelt request. “I miss Grandma and our village,” she said. “Could we visit her this weekend?” Her parents, understanding her feelings, agreed and planned a surprise visit for the upcoming weekend. Finally, the happy weekend came. As Ling boarded the bus back to her beloved village, the familiar landscape rolling past her window relaxed her anxious heart.
Ling’s grandmother was initially surprised to see Ling appear at her doorstep suddenly, and embraced her with open arms, quickly putting on a pot of Ling’s favorite tea as they settled into the familiar rhythm of heartfelt conversation. As they drank the tea, the pleasant smell of the tea brought back a flood of precious memories, and Ling shared the details of her new life in the city. Her grandmother listened attentively, her eyes filled with warmth and understanding. Happy time is always so short. Ling and her parents embarked on the journey back. Before going back. Ling saw her father and grandmother whisper something.
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。
On the way back, Ling’s father had a conversation with her.
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This weekend marked a new beginning for Ling.
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Monday started out great. I woke up on time, ate breakfast and did some last minute studying for my math test that day. I was confident that I would get a high mark. I left my house, and minutes later, I was sitting with my friends on the school bus. We were busy talking about how we spent our weekend. At one stop, a boy named Ryan got on hurriedly. He tripped (绊倒) over someone’s foot and fell flat onto the floor.
Every one of us on the bus looked on and laughed crazily. Ryan picked himself up, dusted his jacket and made his way to an empty seat. He tried to laugh with us, but his face was burning with embarrassment. The rest of the morning flew by. I did well in my math test. It wasn’t long before the lunch bell rang. I met my friends from the cheer leading team in the dining hall.
When we finished eating, we headed out to the courtyard to practice a cheer we would do at that night’s football game. After much practice, we finally managed to do the cheer perfectly. We decided to practice it again one last time. Again, just like the rest of my day so far, the cheer was going great. I raised my leg for one last toe touch. I felt my jeans were torn down in the middle of my backside.
I froze (僵住了). I had no idea what to do but stand still. Then I heard people burst out laughing and I saw them pointing at my torn jeans. Trying to cover myself with my hands, I tried to laugh too, but I felt tears began to well up in my eyes.
注意：1. 续写词数应在150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Then I saw Ryan running towards me.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That night, after the cheers at the football game, I found Ryan.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Natasha Steer and her son Zac were about to miss their bus. As she turned the corner, she called back over her shoulder. “Zac, PLEASE. We’re going to miss it!” They were walking from their hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Zac was dragging behind. It was hot and his bag was heavy, but Steer kept up the pace — they’d be left behind otherwise.
“My stomach hurts!” Zac’s voice came from too far behind her. She turned, impatient. “I know, but we really need to keep going, OK?”
“OK …but it really hurts …”
She turned to keep walking, assuming that if she kept up the pace he’d speed it up, too. She felt bad. Her nine-year-old son was rightfully uncomfortable under his backpack and the hot sun during a long walk, and a stomach ache on top of that couldn’t be pleasant. Still, they needed to make this bus to Ho Chi Min City. He’d be able to rest once we sat down.
She sped up as they neared the bus stop, eyes searching the platforms until they landed with relief on their bus. She turned to see Zac dragging himself up the sidewalk, leaving her pack on the ground before walking back toward him. She took his bag off so she could carry it the rest of the way.
“Does it still hurt?” asked Steer.
He nodded. “I don’t feel good.”
Steer handed Zac some water and told him he would feel better if they got on the bus and she carried their backpacks to the bus, leaving them in the pile with the others while she searched her pocket for their bus tickets.
On the bus and in their seats, she handed Zac the water bottle one more time. He leaned his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes. Suddenly, Zac doubled over, vomiting onto his feet.
“Oh no — hold on!” she moved quickly to get him a bag to vomit (呕吐) in, saving his feet and the floor from some of the mess. He looked up, apologetic, and Steer felt the eyes of everyone on the bus on them. “Don’t worry about it honey, it doesn’t matter — do you feel better? Here — have some water.”
As she twisted off the cap, Zac began to throw up again — only this time, there was no bag. Moving quickly to help him, Steer knocked over the two-liter water bottle.
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。
She felt flurried (慌乱) as the bus attendant came up to see what was happening.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Learning about Zac’s serious conditions, all other passengers did what Steer unexpected.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When Thanksgiving Day was approaching, my primary school decided to celebrate it by presenting shows like dancing and singing that all students could join in. Parents would also be invited to watch.
One afternoon, the schoolmaster called me into his office. He said with a smile, “Nancie, could you write a poem for the festival and read it during the coming event?” “Sure!” Excitedly, I had loved poetry since my fifth grade. I was fascinated by poems for it is an amazing thing to convey feelings through them. When my first poem was published, I was known to my friends and teachers as the class poet.
I left the schoolmaster’s office that afternoon, feeling quite happy. Then for weeks, I worked on my poem, carefully designing the content, structure and sound. I practiced reciting it aloud every day.
When the evening for the event finally came, I was ready. Well, I was ready until I looked around and realized how many people there were in the school hall. How could I present my poem in front of more than 400 people? I was just a seventh-grader! No one would take my work seriously What was worse, I had never spoken in front of a huge crowd before. I sat in my chair, hoping I could disappear. Maybe they would forget I was supposed to read.
“Hey, Nancie, I saw your name in the program. Good luck!” my little brother's voice rose as he took his seat a few rows down with his class. I nodded, struggling to keep calm. I knew my parents were somewhere in the hall. Before long, the lights faded, the crowd quieted, and the schoolmaster took the stage to introduce the list of the shows. Mine was at the end of the list. So I had to sit through an hour of absolute anxiety.
It wasn’t until the students from the fourth grade were singing that my teacher brought me downstairs next to the stage. My mind was blank. Then suddenly, I was on stage with the bright white lights blinding my view of the audience. When I walked to the microphone in the center of the stage, I somehow tripped over something. And I stupidly fell down. All of the kids burst into laughter.
注意：1. 续写词数应为100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I was about to run away when my teacher came up to me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day a friend invited me to join gymnastics class that she had belonged to for many years. My mom got the needed information and within a few days I was ready to start!
When I got there, I was extremely nervous. The group wasn’t very welcoming so I was regretting signing up. It seemed they were comfortable with the team they had, and they didn’t want anyone to be added to it. But after working together for a few days, we all soon became friends. A month passed and I learned to do many things. I was excited and ready to learn back handsprings(手翻). Back handsprings are one of the main things you need to know for gymnastics because they are done so often. In my opinion, they are the hardest to do, but I was ready to try.
My friend was the queen of back handsprings, so she helped me understand each and every step. Our coach pulled out a handspring machine to help the kids who were learning how to do them for the first time. This machine is a block that has cushion(垫子) all around it. You basically sit in the mouth of the machine and push off with your feet and go backwards until you land on your hands, then feet.
Even with the handspring machine, I couldn’t get my feet right, so I had to try again and again. Impatient, some of the girls seemed to get angry. I was feeling like the new kid in the group again. The new kid that didn’t know what she was doing but everyone else knew it!
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。
Luckily, my friend, the queen of back handsprings, kept encouraging me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________One day, I finally got it right.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My mother believed in using things up. Last year, our cornfield had a bad harvest because birds feasted on the crops. It was probably then that Mom’s frugality(节俭)became even more extraordinary. She began keeping everything that seemed useless in the attic(阁楼)—worn-out clothes, old sheets, broken umbrellas, and some other old items. Mom’s favorite saying was “waste not, want not”(俭以防匮). My brother Josh and I weren’t sure what that meant until the “Affair of the Scarecrow(稻草人)”, which, as it later became known, left a lasting impression on us.
The story began with a pretty hat that Mom received as a gift to protect her from the sun. However, Josh and I could see that Mom’s frugal nature and fashion sense were in battle. Mom really didn’t want to get rid of the hat—it was new and had a lot of use left in it—but neither could she stand wearing it. She tried to take off the fancy decorations, but they were stuck on tight. She’d have to find some other solution.
Josh and I watched as Mom headed upstairs to the attic with the hat. “Waste not, want not,” she called back down. We heard boxes being moved around. Moments later, Mom leaned out, holding a flour bag full of straw, and with a mysterious smile, she placed the hat on it.
“What is that for?” I asked, confused. “A scarecrow! ” Mom exclaimed. “But not a good one yet.It needs a strong body to stand firm in the field,” she said with a frown. “And it doesn’t look scary enough,” Josh remarked. I had to admit that Josh, though younger than I was, could sometimes be more imaginative. Josh and I turned to each other, searching for a good idea. Soon enough, Josh’s eyes lit up with inspiration.
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: “Come with me!” Josh called out.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: In the following days, the scarecrow stood proudly.
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