As we stepped off the plane in Pucón, the lively atmosphere of the town immediately lifted our spirits after the long flight from New York.
The contrast between the freezing Big Apple and the warmth of Pucón was striking. The climate was delightful, which was a welcome change from the busy New York City.
“Feel that?” my friend said proudly, bathed in the gentle sunshine. “This is what I call a vacation!”
Our guide, Herman, was waiting for us with a broad smile. His English was limited, but his enthusiasm was boundless. He greeted us with heartiness, “Welcome to Pucón! I have everything ready for you.”
We spent our first day settling into the luxurious house he had arranged for us. The unique design of the house deeply attracted us. The house was a combination of modern luxury and traditional charm, neat and tidy, with tall windows framing the greenery outside.
Herman insisted on taking care of our every need. He would not even let us lift a finger in the house, which was above and beyond his duties.
One evening, as we wandered along the beach, the sky transformed into a canvas (画布) of rich colors. We were placed in a world of wonder. My friend turned to me, eyes sparkling, and said,“This is why we travel, isn’t it? Moments like these make everything else fade away.”
As we planned to go to another town to admire the unique architecture, something unexpected happened. I got a fever.
Our explorations were cut short. Lying in bed, I could hear my friend pacing outside my room, worried. And our travel plans were put on hold as there was no choice but to rest in the hope that I would recover soon.
The next morning, my fever worsened. Being new to the area and struggling with the language barrier, we felt helpless.
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。
Just then, Herman appeared.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With Herman’s help, I began to recover.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Another Way
The train ran smoothly on a spring afternoon. At one station, the doors opened, and came in a man. He wore laborer’s clothing, big, drunk and dirty. Screaming, he swung at an elderly couple. Terrified, the couple jumped up and quickly walked away. The laborer aimed a kick at the back of the old woman but missed. The passengers froze with fear.
I’ve been putting in a solid eight hours of martial arts (武术) training nearly every day for the past three years. “We study how to resolve conflict, not how to start it,” my teacher had said again and again. I listened to his words. In my heart, however, I wanted to save the innocent by destroying the guilty.
“This is it!” I said to myself as I got to my feet. Seeing me stand up, the drunk recognized a chance to focus his rage (怒火). His fists upraised, he gathered himself for a rush at me. A second before he could move, someone shouted “Hey!”
I remembered the strangely joyous quality of the voice. We both stared down at a little old man. “Come here and talk with me,” the old man said in an easy voice. He waved his hands lightly. The big man followed, as if on a string. He planted his feet in front of the old gentleman, “Why should I talk to you?” The old man continued, “What have you been drinking?” “Beer,” the laborer replied, “and it’s none of your business!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” the old man said with interest. “You see, I love beer, too. Every night, my wife and I take beer out into the garden, and we sit on an old wooden bench. We look to see how our persimmon (柿子) tree is doing. We worry about whether it will recover from those ice storms we had last winter. Our tree has done better than I expected, though, especially when you consider the poor quality of the soil.”
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。
As the laborer struggled to follow the old man, his face began to soften.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I turned my head for one last look before getting off the train.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Born to be different
I stood in front of the mirror, whispering to myself, “If I didn’t have this scar (疤痕), the world would embrace me more warmly.” With a heavy heart, I turned away from my reflection and gazed out of the window, the daily school routine—a constant reminder of the tightness in my chest. Each day, I prepared my sell for the unavoidable questions—the disgusted glances, and the eye-rolls as I bravely attempted to explain what it truly meant to be born with a cleft (裂缝，裂口).
Born with a cleft lip and orphaned (孤儿) at birth, I entered multiple adoptive homes until ages even when I was finally adopted by my forever home. But the frequent transitions had already left a bad mark on my young soul and I’d fallen behind in my schoolwork, and my appearance-related insecurities robbed me of any confidence. My future seemed clouded and uncertain, and I constantly sought approval from others, often finding myself in the wrong crowd.
Deep inside, I was fully aware that I was on the wrong path. Although the future remained a mystery, I desired something different and realized that I had to change the course of my life.
Thankfully, in middle school, my life took a turn. I started to hang out with uplifting friends—individuals who accepted me without judgment and taught me the value of self-love. My sixth-grade social studies teacher, Cynthia, with her passionate delivery of history, often had me staying after class to further explore global issues. She inspired me to become the change I longed to see in the world.
One day, I delivered a speech in front of my classmates, discussing the significance of the “Treaty of Versailles (《凡尔赛条约》)”. After my speech, Cynthia called to me. “Ashleigh, I would like to speak with you for a moment, please.”
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。
My legs shook like trees in a storm.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Cynthia nodded approvingly, “Ashleigh, I’d like to suggest you consider a career in polities.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I’d like to share with you a funny incident that occurred almost 4 years ago.
I was an 8th grader at high school. One day, the teacher gave us a group assignment and we went to some libraries after class to collect data. In the evening, I found that my group members were complaining that they were hungry and needed to have some food.
Together we entered a restaurant nearby. When the waiter approached our table, one of my classmates made an order directly without even looking at the menu. And after we were done with our food, a classmate asked the group leader to pay the bill. The group leader was surprised as he had not offered the meal and said that he did not have the money to pay the bill. I asked the waiter to bring the bill and we were shocked to see the amount. It was much more than we had expected. Though we were a bit worried, we started laughing and enjoying the whole thing. At this moment, a group member suggested we collect all of our money to pay the bill. We searched our wallets, pockets and bags for money. There were so many coins there that we had to count 2-3 times. But unfortunately, the total amount was still not enough to pay the bill.
As the scene unfolded, the atmosphere shifted from casual laughter to a shared sense of responsibility. Realizing the gravity of the situation, I stepped up and decided to explain our situation to the manager, hoping for some understanding or perhaps a way to work out a payment plan. To our relief, the manager kindly listened to our story. Seeing our genuine efforts to resolve the issue, he agreed to let us pay what we had collected and arrange for the rest to be settled later.
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。
We left the restaurant with empty wallets but light hearts.
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This incident served as a reminder for better teamwork in the future.
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A lady named Ela lived in a small, pretty town surrounded by gentle hills and big. green forests. Her favorite place in the whole world was her kitchen. It was like her special art studio, but for making delicious food. Ella loved cooking, especially for her mom, who really enjoyed old-fashioned, tasty dishes. Every night, they would sit down together and enjoy the tasty food that Ella made with lots of care and love.
Ella’s mother always said, “Cooking is not just about feeding my body; it is about feeding my soul. ” Ella kept these words close to her heart, and cooking became a spiritual bond between her mother and her. They shared joyful times, with Ella carefully measuring each cooking material and making her mom’s favorite while her mom told stories of her own childhood kitchen adventures. On cold evenings, they would laugh together as they added spices to a hearty stew, the steam making the kitchen windows foggy and turning it into a warm, comfortable place.
However, this bond was broken when her mother passed away. The kitchen, once filled with warmth, the smell of spices and the sound of laughter, turned into a place that just reminded Ella of her mom and made her very sad. She avoided the recipe books, as they brought back memories of their cooking sessions- like the time they accidentally used salt instead of sugar in cookies, but ended up laughing it off and making it once again together. With her mom gone, the joy of cooking faded, leaving Ella with a heart heavy with loss.
Months turned into years, and Ella’s interest in cooking faded into a distant memory. But life had other plans for her. One day, Ella came across a volunteer group that attended to seniors in her community. Moved by their dedication, she decided to join them.
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。
As Ella spent more time with the seniors, she noticed their longing for home-cooked meals.
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Ella finally found herself on the path to recovery and rediscovery.
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My dad worked in construction. His day started early and ended late. All he wanted to do was crash on the couch and relax when he got home. For the most part that was what he did. No one complained; we were just happy when he was home.
But one hot and muggy summer, when my parents’ nineteenth anniversary was coming up, they made plans to go out, just the two of them. The big day finally arrived and Dad got home at seven. Mom had fed me early. She was dressed in her finest and wearing her favorite pair of high heels when he came in. He came through the kitchen and headed for the family room. It was obvious he was hot and tired.
“Honey, I just need a thirty-minute nap and then we will go out to eat,” he said as he sat down on the couch. Mom was already on her way over to the couch to give him a fresh cup of hot coffee. She bent over and kissed him on the head and said, “I’ll be ready whenever you are.”
I knew how important this evening was to my mother, but before long Dad was fast asleep. Then I watched my mother do the strangest thing. She reached into the refrigerator and took out eggs and bacon. Soon she had a batch of biscuits baking in the oven.
Before my eyes she piled a plate full of his favorite foods. As she set another fresh cup of coffee on the end table she bent down and kissed him while whispering in his ear. “It’s time to wake up.”
He sat up on the edge of the couch. As he looked up he found my mom standing in front of him with his dinner. “Honey, I promised you I would take you out to dinner and I meant it.” he said sincerely.
Mom sat down beside him on the couch as he took the plate of food. She said, “I know you would, but I also know you’ve had a hard day and you’re tired. What’s important is that we are together. We can go out any time for dinner.”
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。
My dad sat there, holding the plate of dinner prepared by my mom.
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Suddenly, the doorbell rang and I knew my special package for them came.
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The skies were clear, not a cloud in sight. Although the calmness of the atmosphere should seem to ease my state of mind, my fear of heights overpowered any positive thoughts about the coming dive. Although I was terrified, I grew the courage to take a glance and was shocked by the breathtaking view that my eyes laid upon. The tops of the cloud gave forth a gold lining around them. “Oh, how beautiful!” I said to myself.
It was time to start preparing for my first dive. We rode into town and purchased some equipment such as a vest, a regulator and a tank. Everything seemed to be in good condition to dive with. All of my equipment was ready to see the waters.
We then ventured across the island to the spot where we were to begin our dive. Getting out of the car, I noticed that the air was quiet and misty. The wind was curiously strong and carried a cold chill(寒意)with it. “This is where we will get in,” the diving instructor said.
I was told that, in order to access the water, I had to jump. Now, this was not a simple “jump”. “There is little chance that I can do that. Do you even realize how high up we are?” I said to my mother. “Yes, you can! Just trust yourself. Just think of it as your chance to feel like you are flying,” my mother encouraged me.
My mother just could not seem to understand how fearful I was. My heart was beating violently. I was almost certain that the fish could even hear my heartbeat. Terrified and shaking uncontrollably, I could not make myself jump. The sound of the waves made me terrified. The waves were rhythmically pounding into the side of the bank, so violently that the water reached the same height that I stood.
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。
Although terrified, I gathered courage and told myself that I could do it.
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Once in the water, I opened my eyes to a whole new world.
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One morning, as I walked to the market, I saw an old man, with a bandanna(印花大方巾) covering his face, sitting in front of a tea shop. He seemed to be just watching the traffic on the road, not paying attention to anyone. His bandanna was dirty and his clothes were crumpled(褶皱的). His hair stuck out because he wore a cap that didn’t fit well. I quickly assumed he was a beggar asking for money. I decided to give him some change on my way back from the market.
A little further down the road, there was a young man lying on the pavement(人行道) with his arms outstretched(张开的). No one passing by paid any attention to him. It seemed that he had drunk too much. Thus, I thought to myself that he was just a worthless man who had spent all his money on wine.
I finished my shopping at the market and headed back. Before reaching the point where the old man sat, I took out all the change I wanted to give to him. When I approached him and held out the change, he barely looked at me, but still looked ahead. He shook his head as if he was saying he didn’t need it. I insisted and pushed the change into his hand. As I stood there feeling proud of my act of charity, the old man slowly got up and walked to the young man who was lying on the pavement. The old man kept down, woke the young man up and whispered something in his ear. It seemed that they knew each other. The young man seemed to respond and then shook his head. The old man walked back and headed for the tea shop.
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 stood there, watching in amazement, as he walked to the tea shop.
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The old man noticed that I was still there so he looked up.
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There are many things in senior middle school that I still remember clearly. I studied three years in a country school, which is faraway. However, it has a good environment and strict but kind teachers, so I loved the school and all my teachers very much.
One Friday, just as we began to read books in reading class at our desks, our teacher, Mrs. Hill, said that she needed to be out of the classroom for a few minutes. She asked the class to read in silence while she was gone. And she said that those who didn’t read books in silence would have to be punished when she returned. It was well-known that Mrs. Hill was strict. So we had to be on our best behaviour.
But that Friday, Mrs. Hill hadn’t been gone for ten seconds before some students in the classroom started to talk. From one corner of the room I heard Josh ask Nick, “Can I trade my candies for your toy?” At the other end of the room I heard Samantha tell Kayla, “Let’s sit together on the bus for the museum field trip tomorrow.” And so it went all around me, until about half of the students communicated with each other.
After a while, I, too, forgot about Mrs. Hill’s instructions. I turned back and asked my friend Liza, “Can I borrow your storybook and keep it for a day?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Mrs. Hill walked into the classroom. The whole class returned to silence immediately. And we were full of fear.
Mrs. Hill slowly looked around the classroom and said, “If you were talking while I was gone, then please stand up.” The guilt (内疚) suddenly weighed heavily on me. “I shouldn’t have talked while she was not in the classroom. And now I should be honest and admit my mistake bravely. This is what my parents have always told me.” I thought. Then, I summoned up (鼓起) my courage to stand up, worried about the punishment that waited for me. Then I looked around.
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。
To my surprise, no one followed me and I was the only one in the classroom standing.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With Mrs. Hill’s encouragement, another student stood up.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. 我眼中的财富(选择一种进行阐述)；
2. 拥有这种财富对学习生活的作用；
3. 失去他们对学习生活的影响；
4. 获得这种财富的途径。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头已给出，不计入总词数。
My Treasures
In our life, we have treasures such as money, houses and cars, etc. However, we have a lot more hidden treasures, like knowledge, health and experiences.
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