Mary waited anxiously for her turn in the empty dressing room. Never had she been so nervous before. This competition was of vital importance to her comeback.“If I can win today,” she said to herself, “I can dance on the national stage next month.” Three months ago, her left arm was seriously injured in a car accident.After the medical treatment, she began to recover slowly. She practiced over and over again in order to regain her dancing skills.
“Hi, Mary,” in rushed her friend Jessica.“How is your arm? Is it going to influence your performance?”
“I guess it can be tolerated, for I am to win the match,” said Mary with a determined look.
“Admirable! But I hear that a girl called Linda is really gifted and strong.She can be your real well matched competitor.Come on!”
After Jessica left,Mary decided to practice her most difficult spin. “If I don’t try harder, I won’t grasp this chance,” she thought. But her arm began to hurt, making her worried. “Mary, what makes you think you have a chance tonight?” she said to herself. After the pain was gone, she continued to warm up.
A slim girl hurried in and put down an equipment bag on the chair.Then, she took out her dance dress quickly and put it on skillfully. Seeing Mary, she smiled politely and said, “Hi, I’m Linda. I am the next one!” Mary nodded in reply but felt uncomfortable, “This is just my competitor. Because of her, I may lose tonight.” Her mind was wandering when Linda let out a scream, “Oh, God, I can’t find my music tape!” Linda searched her bag but in vain. “It may be missing on the way.”With these words, she then rushed out.
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, Mary caught sight of a black box under the chair where Linda put her bag.
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Hearing her name called, Mary walked on the stage with her heart beating faster and faster.
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A few years ago, I worked in an international company that sold computer devices. I had to travel a lot all over the country as a part of my work. I remember that I was at a stage of my life where I only cared about how to make more money.
On one of my trips, I came out of the airport to take a bus to downtown as usual. It was the same routine: get into the city, take the bus to the hotel, visit the customer, work late, take the bus back to the airport and fly back…
That day, for some reasons, I decided to take the stairs down to a different exit, where I came across a beautiful garden I had never seen before. I waited there, enjoying the scenery. Finally the bus came.
Usually I always took the seat behind the driver. That day I sat down somewhere in the middle. A boy was seated next to me, carrying a lot of suitcases. Suddenly, he turned to me and gave me one of the most sincere smiles I had ever seen from a stranger. Warmly, he said, “Hi, the perfect day in the perfect place, huh?”
I remember thinking to myself — this must be one of those typical people who is young and naive and just thinks everything is beautiful and easy.Why was he annoying me when I just wanted to enjoy the bus ride? But out of politeness, I replied, “Perfect! Did your parents pay for you to have some vacations on the beach?” “No, I’m not here for vacation, and I don’t have parents,” he shook his head. “I’m here because I want to achieve my biggest dream. I’m on the way to the army school where my grandfather studied a long time ago.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
“I lost my dad 10 years ago then my mom married again. My stepfather…
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He smiled and told me that for 10 years, he had only one thing on his mind to…
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Once there was a little girl named Emily. Although her singing was very pleasant to hear, lacking of courage, she never dared to sing in front of strangers.
One summer, the neighborhood where she lived would hold a singing competition. Her best friend, Lucy, came to invite her to participate in the competition, but Emily said, “I’m afraid to take part in it.” Her mother said, “It’s okay; just do it bravely.” Emily followed her mama’s advice and decided to give herself a try. The day came. Emily and Lucy went to the competition site. But she was too timid (胆小的)to walk onto the stage. She had been waiting until others finished singing. She shakily (颤抖地)forced herself to stand on the stage. She started to sing,but her voice was so low. What’s worse, she was so nervous that she forgot the lyrics (歌词)after singing a few words. Being laughed at by others, embarrassed and shy, she ran away from the stage.
Some naughty boys ran after her and said, “Emily, coward (胆小鬼)!Emily, coward!” Emily didn’t argue with them. What she wanted was to go back home as quickly as she could. Finally, she rushed into the house, hugged her mom and cried sadly.
“Well, my poor girl, don’t cry. Tell me what happened to you,” asked her mom. Emily looked up at her mother and told her what she had experienced.
Listening to her, her mom cupped her face and said, “It doesn’t matter, girl. As long as you practice singing more in front of strangers, you will become braver little by little. So, my girl, don’t be beaten by a failure.You can go out to practice singing every day. No matter who is listening to you, go on singing and never stop. I believe there will be a harvest for you.”
注意：续写词数应为150左右。Emily listened to her mother carefully and followed her mom’s suggestion.
Going on singing,she walked into the park,where many people were singing and dancing.
It was a peaceful night. I was sleeping with my brothers, feeling warm and comfortable. Mama was sleeping nearby, covered by snow. Papa was somewhere nearby, watching over us. There was a bright moon and we all had had a good meal of venison (鹿肉)．
“Uncle Louis is coming, ” Papa said. We loved Uncle Louis. He was a funny wolf, and always had interesting things to tell us and show us.
A little while later, Uncle Louis appeared. We did not approach him with respect the way we approached Papa. We flew at him, jumped all over him, and rolled him in the snow. Uncle Louis laughed and patted us with his paws. He is black all over, with yellow eyes, and he is very tall.
“It’s the longest night of the year, ” Uncle Louis said.“Does everyone feel like taking a run through the woods? I want to show you something unusual.”
Hearing that, Papa warned that it was dangerous to go near that pack of humans who lived in the woods.
“They are hardly dangerous,” Uncle Louis laughed. “They are so clumsy and make so much noise. They are not able to get near us — or even see us if we don’t want them to.Besides, this is their special night. They are quite peaceful and won't be bothering wolves.”
“Oh, please, Papa, let us run through the woods with Uncle Louis and see something unusual！” we all begged.
“It is a fine night,” Papa smiled. “I must admit. I do feel like running.”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式作答。
And we were off, all of us, heading towards the woods.
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We stopped and sat on a hillside and below us was the humans' place.
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To anyone else, it was just a simple white cotton bag, but to me, it was a canvas for my latest masterpiece. I laid it flat on the six-foot-long wooden table in my kitchen. With one hand I held down a corner of the bag, with the other dipped my brush in the paint and touched it to the canvas, and slowly an image took shape, waves crashing on a sandy beach, and seagulls flying above, fishing for a meal. I put down my brush and rubbed my neck. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it. And my friends and family loved the bags. “I get tons of praise for mine,” my mother-in-law told me. “My friends are always asking where they can buy one.”
Only getting those paintings appreciated was quite not the honor I’d dreamed of when I first picked up a paintbrush as a kid. I used to aim higher. I wanted my work to appear in the Louvre Museum in Paris, right next to the Mona Lisa. But even then, I knew what a wild dream it was.
My parents encouraged my interest, and paid for art lessons. In high school, I joined an art club, and showed my work along with other local artists in an exhibition. I started college and majored in fine art, taking classes in drawing and design. But the farthest I ever traveled to was New York City. The Louvre might as well have been on another planet. Then things changed. I met and fell in love with Charlie. After we got married, I took a break from art. Making a home together was more important. Art supplies didn’t fit into our budget.
When I finally picked up a brush again, I was rusty and lost my inspiration. I tried a landscape but it was flat. Things in the foreground were the same size as in the background. I’d lost the ability. I was frustrated and threw down my brush. Maybe I’d never really had any talent at all. Charlie turned me around. “You have a talent,” he told me. “Keep painting.” He helped me find room in our budget for paints and brushes.
Paragraph 1:One day, walking through town, I found some white cotton bags in a store window.
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The next month, Charlie and I visited the Louvre Museum in Paris.
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It was a pleasant Sunday as John had a walk in his uncle’s garden. His parents had moved to London.
“Your final examination is just a few weeks away,” John’s father had said.“We want you to stay with Uncle Tim and Aunt Melanie, complete your exams,and then join us in London.” Uncle Tim was John’s father’s cousin. He had a dog called Oliver.
From the first day, John realized that Oliver was unhappy in the house.
He was not given his meals on time. Nor was he taken for a walk. “Your uncle bought Oliver so that the dog could guard his house. Actually neither he nor his wife loves him,” the gardener told John one day. John felt sad. At night he could hear Oliver crying in the cold. “Why don’t you make a coat for your pet?” John said. “He feels cold.” His aunt said impatiently, “I have more important things to do.”
One day John went out for a walk with Oliver when the sky suddenly got dark. Heavy rain poured down. John ran to take shelter in a sweet shop. It was only after a few minutes that he realized that Oliver was not with him.
“The storm separated us,” John said returning home. “I searched the entire place with the help of the sweet shopowner after the rain stopped, but I couldn’t find him.” Uncle Tim placed an advertisement in the local newspaper. After all, he had paid a lot of money for the dog and did not want to lose him.
A few days later, a middle-aged lady and her husband answered the advertisement. John’s uncle was away on a business trip, so John was sent to check on the dog.
“He is asleep,” the lady said. “Come and have a look. Ever since our dog died, we decided not to keep any pets and then suddenly...” Her voice was trembling (颤抖). “When seeing the advertisement, for a moment we thought of not replying,” the gentleman said. “My wife has become attached to the dog in just a few days.”
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
Yes,he was Oliver, his uncle’s dog.
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John smiled as he shook his head.
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One evening, a workman was exhaustedly making his way home after work. When he stopped to rest by the side of the road, a woman came by, pushing a cart full of flowers. The smell of her blossoms filled the air with sweetness, and it seemed to take away the tiredness in his bones and lift his spirits. He had never experienced such wonder from the many blooms of his own garden. “How much must I pay, or what must I do, to have some of your wonderful flowers?” he asked the woman.
“Oh, sir,” she said, “take what you wish for.”
“What return must I make for them?” he asked again.
“Your gratitude is enough,” she said, “and it’s a pleasure to share the beauty of flowers with you.”
So the man filled his arms with blossoms and hurried joyfully home. His wife and his children were also glad about the remarkable flowers. They also discovered that the sight of them was a delight and the smell of them refreshed the soul.
In order not to lose his valuable possession, the man planted the blossoms in a small plot of land behind his house. Sunlight and water kept them amazingly beautiful—they still performed their fantastic magic.
Every day, his children took delight in playing in the yard and always sang and danced around the flowers. They all liked the lovely gift their father had received and even invited many of their friends to share this fantastic magic together. When children came to play near the flowers, the man over and over warned them against carelessness and wild play for fear that they would walk on the flowers and damage them. But the flowers remained strong as long as there was enough sun and water to nourish(滋养) them. Nowhere else could the man or his wife or children find such remarkable relaxation from tiredness, such comfort in sadness, such spiritual nourishment as those remarkable flowers provided.
With the news spreading and more people coming to appreciate his treasure, the man became even more concerned about his remarkable flowers.
注意：续写词数应为150左右。
He was determined to protect the flowers.
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However, the flowers seemed to fade day by day, so the man went everywhere for help.
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In 1989, fresh out of high school, I had the difficult task of choosing a career path before college started in three months. In those days in Pakistan, there were limited choices: becoming a doctor or an engineer, or entering the financial world after getting a business degree. I wasn’t interested in engineering, so that I was left with medicine or business. I couldn’t decide.
My uncle suggested that I do a work placement(实习) to experience it for a month in an international company followed by a month in a hospital. After that, I could make a decision. It seemed like a good idea.
I was accepted for a month’s placement at a foreign bank in Karachi. I got a feel of how the world of finance functioned, made new friends, and generally enjoyed the mostly easygoing work surroundings.
The month passed rapidly, and soon I began working at a leading hospital in Karachi. The experience couldn’t have been more different. The hospital had a stressful environment. The days started early (at 7 am, compared to 9 am at the bank), and were filled with endless duties. And the night calls! This was crazy, working all day, through the night, and again the next day.
I began thinking about my two experiences. The bank had offered a more relaxing atmosphere, better working hours and less stress. The hospital was full of excitement, but studying and training were difficult. It seemed that the business choice was going to win out.
Near the end of my month at the hospital, I was driving home after an especially busy night call. In front of me was a public bus, with college students sitting on the top. As the driver weaved through (穿梭) traffic, I could see the boys shaking from side to side.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2．至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3．续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4．续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1：
Suddenly, a boy fell off the back of the bus.
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Paragraph 2：
The next day, when I went to the hospital to see the boy, all his family got up, with grateful smiles on their faces.
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One day, my brother and I were in our apartment. My parents had both gone for a party and had left me in charge of everything. I was doing my homework while my younger brother was watching TV. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. Dingdong! Dingdong! My younger brother had rushed to the door before I decided to answer the door. We both thought that our parents had come home. As a result, he unlocked the door and opened it.
Outside of the house stood a man who wore a black raincoat and black rubber boots. He looked no different from other people and said that he was a salesman and asked politely if our mother or father was at home so he could talk with them.
Without thinking, my brother said，“No.” He asked if we would like to buy some comic books (漫画书), which he was selling. I quickly explained to him that we were not supposed to buy anything without our parents’ permission. However, it seemed that he was not willing to follow my advice and he had an intention to enter our house.
Then, I realized something terrible would happen. As I was about to close the door, he forced his way into our house. He forced me to tie up my brother’s hands with the rope which he took out from his pocket. I tied up his hands but tied it in a special way so my brother could untie (解开) it himself as we often did. The man then tied my hands up and locked both of us in the kitchen.
Soon, he went upstairs to search the bedroom for something valuable. I managed to teach my brother to untie the rope on his hands. He then untied it for me. I rushed to the telephone to call the police, but the line was dead.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
The doors were all locked from the outside and what’s more, I did not have the keys.
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Paragraph 2:
Just at the same time our parents came back home.
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David is a 22-year-old man. Not having received a college education, he found it difficult to find a job. He worked at a small company and wasn’t paid well. He thought life was unfair and often complained.
One day, his boss asked him to go to his office. To his sadness, he was told he didn’t need to come to work again.
That day, David didn’t go straight back to the small apartment he shared with another man. He wanted to find a quiet place and sit there quietly for some time. Having lost his job, he had no idea what to do.
He walked and walked. Finally he stopped in front of a beautiful house. The house had a very big garden behind it. He saw an old man sitting in the garden.
“The old man must be a millionaire,” thought David. “How I wish I were him! If I were him, I wouldn’t have to work and I’d have a large amount of money. I would be the happiest man in the whole world.
Thinking how poor he was, David was even sadder. He hurriedly walked forward and found a place and sat there quietly.
Finally, he became hungry and decided to go back home. On his way back home, he passed the old man’s house again. This time the man was sitting in his front yard. When David passed by him, he noticed that the old man was looking at him. The old man looked as if he admired him very much. David was confused. Why would such a rich man admire him? He was so poor while he was so rich.
Finally, David decided to have a talk with the old man. So he stopped and walked to the old man.
”Hello,“ he said.
”Hello,“ said the old man.
Then they started talking. David told the old man he really admired him.
”You have such a beautiful house. You’re so rich! How I wish I were you!“ said David.
Hearing that, the old man smiled and said, ” And I admire you, too! I wish I were you! If I were you, I’d still enjoy my youth. Now I’m so old. Wealth doesn’t mean much to me!“
Paragraph 1 :
What the old man said struck David.
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Paragraph 2:
David stopped complaining about his life.
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