Saturday afternoon came as usual, so did my football class. It couldn’t be more discouraging.
I didn’t like Saturdays! Even though it was a holiday for most children, it was not for me because I needed to go to the football club. Many kids loved sports, but I was not one of them. I would rather stay at home and read.
I didn’t like running at all, so I was a bad player in the team. The coach was fed up with me and my teammates sometimes laughed at me. I had no idea how to play football. Usually, after practice my teammates would ask me to stay out of the game and I would just nod.
Last Thursday, the coach told us that we would be competing with some other team in a month and many people would come to watch the game. Our opponents were the last winner and I froze at the thought of the embarrassment I would face if the team lost because of me. So I decided to practice hard for the match and I went to practice every single day in case I had to play.
A month later, when the game day came, my teammates were reluctant (不愿意的) to take me in the team, and I also wished to stay away from the ground as well. But as luck would have it, they were short of one player and had no choice but to take me in the team.
Our team was named the Big Blues. There was a great cheer on our arrival in the field. I got very nervous. The game started and within two minutes, I got a blue card. By the time I was allowed back, the score was two goals for each team and the next goal would decide the winning team.
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。
Seeing the ball shooting towards me like a bullet, I froze in wild shock.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________All my teammates ran towards me to lift me in the air.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The other day I was travelling to San Antonio by train to visit my sister. The train was a little crowded and there was a young man sitting next to the window. Since it was a hot day, I wanted that window seat more than anything else at that time. As a young lady, I thought the young man would give me the seat if I asked him. So I smiled at him and asked whether he could give up his seat and take another one. To my surprise, he said that he needed that seat and refused my request. I had no choice but to take the seat next to him.
The train was crossing station after station. The weather was so hot that the scenery(风景) outside the window could not attract my interest I had nothing to do, so I started to focus my attention on the young man and stare at him up and down. He wore a blue shirt and there was a shawl(披巾) on his legs. He did not even rise from his seat once, which made me feel a little bit strange. Moreover, only a madman would use a shawl in such hot weather, I thought.
After the five-hour long journey, the train arrived at the final stop. I picked up my bag and stood up, waiting for the door to open. I gave a neglectful (不经意的) look at the young man and asked, “The train has arrived at the final station. Are you not getting off?” Hearing my words, he began to smile at me and said in a calm voice, “Someone has to come for me and take me off the train because I can’t do it by myself. ”I gave my full attention to his legs, only to find there was nothing under that shawl!
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。
Paragraph 1:
The man was a disabled person.
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After hearing his story, I could not meet his eyes any more.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My ten-year-old self loved summertime. The best part of summer was the community pool. Everyone was there.
We didn’t have a care in the world. Our biggest concern was which one of us could hold her breath underwater the longest. We didn’t care what we looked like or who was cool. I never once thought about how I looked in a swimsuit or if my hair looked good. I was aware that I wasn’t super-thin like some of the other girls I saw, but I didn’t care.
And then one day, I was taking my turn on the diving board with all the other kids. I jumped in, floated freely to the top and swam over to the ladder to make my way out of the pool. I noticed a girl standing at the top of the ladder, so I swam slowly, giving her time to move. I didn’t know her. She looked cute and thin.
But instead of moving, a strange thing happened. This girl leaned over the pool and said to me, “They don’t allow beached (搁浅的) whales in this pool.”
Beached whales? I soon realized that I was the beached whale. Suddenly, my cool blue swimsuit didn’t cover enough. I got out of the pool quickly and wrapped my towel around my body, feeling like I was going to throw up. From that moment on, I was aware of my size.
Clothes became a horrible dream, and I struggled through my teen years and into adulthood. I cried over clothes that didn’t fit. My heart had always hated the little girl by the pool, who took the confidence out of my life until I got my daughter, Lisa.
One day I dressed my little girl in beautiful clothes and put a bow (蝴蝶结) on her head, but she refused because she liked to be comfortable. Is society interested in comfort? However, when I stared at her, I suddenly realized how beautiful she was, even though she was covered in mud.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。
When Lisa was ten, I came across a picture of myself when I was ten and I showed it to her.
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Then I told her the story of the little girl by the pool.
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A Foothold in Life
A dozen children ran around laughing and playing in my friend’s yard, while we parents sat chatting and sipping cool summer drinks. The barbecue had been cleared away when our host announced a surprise. A huge movable rock wall was loaded in, which was about twelve feet wide, made of gray molded plastic with indented footholds that stretched straight up for what looked like at least a hundred feet. The enthusiastic kids swiftly lined up to give it a try, and with the complete fearlessness most children possess, scrambled to the top and rang the bell that hung at the highest point. There wasn’t really anything to be afraid of since they were belted into place. Three people could climb side by side and talk to each other, so gradually the adults tried it, too.
“Come on; let’s go get in line,” my husband Neil urged. “No, you go ahead without me.” I had all sorts of good excuses: I don’t have the right shoes; I forgot my sunglasses; I have to help the hostess. I have a unique talent for seeing unthinkable danger in almost every situation, and this scene seemed dangerous to me. I watched everyone else having fun, though, and finally convinced myself to try it.
With all the nerve I could gather, I started the climb. The belt wrapped around me like a diaper so there was no way to fall. Yes, I thought, this is fun and safe! Concentrating on each foothold, I slowly made my way up. I avoided looking down to prevent any sudden panic, and within a few minutes I made it to the top and proudly rang the bell.
“Woo hoo!” my daughters called up to me. “Way to go, Col!” Neil yelled.
I enjoyed my success and the enjoyable view of fields and farmland until I realized there was a line below me waiting for a turn. It was time to go down.
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。
It was one thing to look out at the world in the distance, but it was a whole other thing to look straight down.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the two of us reached the ground.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Miraculous (神奇的) Strength
One chilly, December evening, I was preparing dinner. Suddenly, while setting the table, I heard a tremendous crash from the second floor. It was the kind of rare, heart-stopping noise that instantly struck fear into a mother’s heart. Even the dishes in. the kitchen cupboard rattled (发出咔嗒声)!My seven-year-old son began screaming for help, and I raced up the stairs without even stopping to put down the dinner fork I held in my hand.
Entering my son’s room, I found my frightened toddler (学步的儿童)trapped under a five-drawer wooden dresser (衣橱). It had been torn from its wall anchor. I could hear crying as I ran toward him. As I leaned over, I saw his small, bloody face and the terror in his eyes.
I pulled the large dresser off him. At that moment, I felt I could move mountains. I was fearful to look but quickly tried to assess how badly he was hurt. Begging him to stay still, I dialed 911 and began to pray. I prayed for the mercy that spared him and the healing he would need, given that I wasn’t sure of the extent of his injuries. In those minutes before the ambulance arrived, although I was in a chaotic situation with both my sons in tears, an inner calm kept me focused and controlled. I felt a strong presence keeping me steady.
After the ambulance workers conducted a brief assessment, it was agreed that he should have a more extensive examination since this was a possible chest or head injury. A moment of pause forced me to process what had just happened. I recalled dashing up the stairs with a sense of fear as t0 what 1 would find. In only a few seconds, a lifetime of tender memories replayed in my mind. I had asked myself, “Is he still breathing?” “Are bones broken?” One moment. I was simply preparing dinner; the next. I was tearfully praying for my son’s life.
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。
On the way to the emergency room, I tried to keep him calm.
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Back at the house, I found the miraculous strength that protected my son’s life-a small, hand-carved elephant.
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I arrived at the pool hall on Wednesday with a heavy heart. Teams from other schools were already suited and warming up by the pool or in the water. The bleachers (露天看台) were full.
“I don’t think I can do this.” I said, twisting the belt of my bag.
“You’ll be fine, and I will be right here watching.” Mom said, dropping an arm around my shoulder and squeezing.
I bit my lip and looked out over the other swimmers. “You sure?”
Mom leaned forward. “Remember, it’s just you. Don’t worry about any of the other swimmers. Just swim your race.”
“OK.”
The warmups and preparations were over before I knew it, and the first round of swimmers were up on the blocks.
I felt sick. I watched my competitors swim, and they looked so strong and skillful in the water. The events screamed by, one after the other. My knees shook as each event clicked closer to mine. The knots in my stomach twisted and coiled like a bag of ropes.
Then the one-hundred breaststroke (蛙泳) was announced.
Nerves choked my throat.
“Just swim your race. Don’t think about the other swimmers.” I repeated it over and over in my mind.
I bent forward on my block in line with the rest of the swimmers, waiting. My body tensed up like a spring. My heart pounded in my ears.
The buzzer (蜂鸣器) sounded. I sprang forward, diving into the water and kicking like a dolphin. Then my head broke free of the water. Just count strokes. I kept my eyes focused on the black line in front of me, ignoring the splashes of movement on either side. Pull. Breathe. Kick. I hit the end of the pool and then my first turn came. I took a deep a breath and turned over, pushing hard against the wall and bursting back the way I came.
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。
Paragraph 1
Then everything changed.
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Paragraph 2
I was the last one to finish the race.
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Michael is the kind of guy whom you would like to get along with. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone asks him how he is doing, he will reply, “If I were any better, I’d be twins!” He is a natural motivator(激励者).
If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to see the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I asked Michael, “I don’t get it. You can’t be positive all the time. How do you make it?”
Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself ‘Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim(受害者) or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”
“It isn’t easy,” I protested(表示异议).
Michael said, “Yes, it is. Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to these situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line is: It’s your choice how you live your life.”
I reflected on what Michael said and realised that he was right.
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Although sometimes we can’t choose what we are going to face in our life,
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“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the baby was lying in her arms, she moved the fold of cloth gently to look upon his tiny face. Dumbfounded (目瞪口呆的), she held her breath and tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. The doctor turned his head quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was a pity.
One day, when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly and told his mum in a choked voice, “A boy, a big boy… called me a freak (怪人).” The mother sighed, knowing that his life was to be full of endless unfortunate heartbreaks.
Though the misfortune happened to him, he grew up into a handsome boy. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for the ears. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. Yet he felt ashamed when he communicated with others. “But you might communicate with other young people,” his mother blamed him, with a kindness in her heart.
The boy’s father talked with the family doctor about his ears. “Could nothing be done?” the father asked. “I believe we could transplant on a pair of outer ears, if they could be donated.” the doctor replied. From then on, the search for a person, who was willing to make such a sacrifice, began.
How time flew! Two years went by. One day, the father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have found someone who will donate the ears you need. But remember it’s a secret.”
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: The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.
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Paragraph 2: He stood with his father over his mother’s casket (灵柩).
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You can always believe patience and perseverance (毅力) are always rewarded whatever you do. This was a lesson Eli learned. Eli is my seven-year-old grandson. I always teach him things I think he should know, and he tries to teach me to play some of the games that I have for him on my iPad. He is very patient and persistent, but so far no success with that. It’s all just foreign to me.
The other day, Eli and his dad came for a visit. I could tell something was bothering him and asked him what was wrong. At first, he just shrugged and said nothing was wrong. But his body language told me a different story.
I asked again—pushing a little. Eli said that he was having a problem. He was trying to learn how to blow bubble-gum bubbles (口香糖泡泡). It seemed like all of his friends could blow bubble-gum bubbles, but he just couldn’t do it. I tried to explain how to do it, but aside from making funny faces and sticking out my tongue, nothing got accomplished. He tried to do what I said. His cheeks puffed out (鼓起). His face got red. He made funny noises. But no bubbles.
Then I had an idea. I asked Eli if he had another piece of gum—and not the ABC kind. He did. He gave it to me. Now, I hadn’t chewed a piece of bubble gum for years. Wow, it’s sweet. And one piece is huge. It filled my entire mouth. I don’t remember a piece of bubble gum being that big. I chewed and chewed and chewed. Finally, that piece of gum became more manageable.
I worked that piece of gum around in my mouth and wrapped it around my tongue, and then I slowly blew a bubble. Nice! I guess it’s like riding a bicycle. Even though I hadn’t tried blowing bubbles with bubble gum for years, I completely remembered how to do it at the first attempt.
After the bubble burst, I began to show Eli how to blow bubbles, but still nothing worked.
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 when we were both about to give up, he got that knowing kind of look on his face.
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“I blew a bubble.” Eli shouted excitedly.
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“JAMIE EVANS.”
Oh no. Please tell me that Coach Cafferty did NOT just say my name. Not for the one-hundred-meter breaststroke (蛙泳). Except all eyes were turned to me when she announced it, and her eyes met mine over the clipboard (剪贴板) that held the list of events and swimmers for the Plain Township Aquatic Center meet. The PTAC meet was the first of the season, and I was not ready.
“Remember, the meet is on Wednesday night. Be here at four-thirty for and the race kicks off at six. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.” Coach Cafferty added. The crowd cleared quickly and I headed back home, feeling desperate.
“Did you find out your events for Wednesday?” Mom asked as she slid the pizza box across the table to me.
“Yeah. One-hundred breaststroke,” I finally said, not meeting her eyes. “I don’t know why Coach didn’t give me backstroke (仰泳). She knows it’s my best. I can’t swim breaststroke!”
“Maybe she sees something you don’t.” Mom said.
“Or maybe I should just quit the swim team.”
Mom frowned. “Is that what you want?”
I sighed. “No.” I took a bite of my pizza. “I’m terrible at breaststroke. What happens when I show up on Wednesday and race, and I sink to the bottom of the pool? Or even worse，come in last?”
“Someone has to be last.” Mom pointed out.
“But I don’t even know if I can swim breaststroke for one-hundred meters!” I set my pizza down. “She had submitted the names, but there’s no way I can do this.”
“You could. But how will you know unless you try?” Mom persuaded.
“Yeah, but if I try, I could fail. In front of everyone.” I pictured the entire crowd watching as I finished last, pointing and laughing. My belly squeezed.
Mom set her pizza down and gave me her I’m-saying-something-important-so-listen face. “Don’t worry about other people. Just race against yourself. Forget about anything else except doing your best and swimming your own race. Prove to yourself that you can do it.”
Somehow, there seemed a mysterious power in her words comforting my unsettling heart and I decided to have a try. The next day, I was at practice as required.
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:
The first practice was a disaster.
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Paragraph 2:
Then everything crashed in the last 5 meters of the race.
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