When I was about four years old, I started washing my face on my own. However, I always ignored the area behind my ears on purpose though my mom would often remind me.
One summer, in July of that year, my mom drove me to my grandparents’ house for our annual summer holiday visit. When we arrived, I was told that Grandma had gone on a trip with her friends and wouldn’t be back for another two weeks. Feeling a bit down, I went to the yard to play while my mom and grandpa caught up on some things. Although I couldn’t hear their conversation clearly, I had a strong feeling they were talking about me based on their gestures and expressions. Later, my mom returned home, and she would come back to pick me up two months later.
After dinner that night, Grandpa asked me to take a bath before going to bed. Since I loved taking baths, I happily agreed. With the bathtub (浴缸) filled with water, Grandpa reminded me, “Just make sure you clean the area behind your ears really well. You wouldn’t want potatoes to start growing there, would you?”
“Potatoes?” I stopped in my tracks and turned back to look at him. “Yes, potatoes. If you don’t clean the dirt behind your ears, potatoes might actually sprout (发芽) and grow there,” he explained, causing my eyes to widen in surprise. “But I don’t have any potatoes behind my ears, Grandpa,” I said as I ran my fingers along the back of my ears. He took a quick glance and replied, “Oh, I see a couple of sprouts: starting right there!” He urged me to get into the bathtub immediately and scrub (擦洗) them away thoroughly.
I nodded, still in disbelief. This was the first time I had ever heard such a thing. Why hadn’t my parents warned me about this before? I wondered, but couldn’t find an answer. Nonetheless, I felt shocked by Grandpa’s warning.
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 hurried to jump into the bathtub, carefully scrubbing behind my ears.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“What are you looking at behind your ears?” Grandma asked me curiously.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________As the afternoon sun bathed the local beach with its warm, golden rays, four-year-old William sat on the beach with a mix of expectation and confusion. His dad, Steven, sat by his side. They were waiting for William’s friends to arrive and celebrate his long-awaited birthday party. William’s wide eyes, filled with hope and happiness, stared at the shoreline, looking for familiar faces.
He kept asking his dad where everyone was, and Steven just told him “they’re coming soon, ”trying to ease his son’s growing impatience. But the longer they waited, the more hopeless William became. He was extremely disappointed when the two invited families called and said they couldn’t make it to the celebration because of unexpected situations.
Steven watched his son, who had been eagerly expecting his special day for what seemed like ages. This year, William had been more aware than ever of his upcoming birthday, asking throughout the month when his birthday was, eagerly expecting a good time.
Feeling a sense of guilt for his son’s disappointment, Steven decided to turn to social media for help. He posted a lovely picture of him and William on the beach. Their faces were filled with a mix of hope and disappointment. The sincere words with the picture read, “William would love some friends to play with on the beach. To celebrate his fourth birthday, he has Hot Wheels, sand toys, dinosaurs, and we have some snacks and drinks. Any and all welcome. ”
William’s wish for companionship produced a strong response from the local people. They flooded the post with messages of support, birthday wishes, and offers to join the celebration. They were determined to make William’s day special.
“Going there. See you soon, ”one warm-hearted local commented on the post, promising to bring her family along. The message aroused the same feeling from many others, who were quick to follow suit.
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。
Soon, the beach was filled with scenes of joy.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After hours of laughter and games, the sun began to set.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Daniel, a young architect, had recently moved to a new city for a promising job opportunity. Although excited about his new life, he found it difficult to adjust to the busy pace and distance from his family, particularly his younger brother, Vincent. Growing up, the two brothers had been inseparable, sharing a close bond despite their six-year age difference. Daniel had always taken on the role of Vincent’s protector and friend, guiding him through the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence, and supporting him in his pursuits.
One evening, after a particularly challenging day at work and feeling homesick, Daniel received a phone call from his mother. She told him that Vincent had been struggling with school and his personal life, and she believed that he needed his older brother’s guidance now more than ever. Feeling a sense of responsibility and concern for his brother, Daniel decided to take some time off work and return home for a surprise visit.
Upon arriving in his hometown, Daniel was greeted with a sense of nostalgia (怀旧) and familiarity. He immediately noticed the changes that had taken place in Vincent’s life during his absence, as well as the undeniable signs of his brother’s distress. Determined to help, Daniel took Vincent under his wing, spending hours talking and reconnecting with him. Together, they revisited their favorite childhood spots, looking back upon the happy memories they had shared and the lessons they had learned together.
Through their conversations, Daniel discovered that Vincent had been facing significant academic pressure and was struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. The once-confident and outgoing teenager now seemed lost and unsure of himself. As the brothers continued to spend time together, they openly discussed their fears and aspirations, strengthening the bond they had always shared, and finding comfort in each other’s company.
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 the days went by, Daniel could see the positive impact their time together was having on Vincent.
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On the last day of his visit, Daniel had a heart-to-heart conversation with Vincent.
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Alphabetical (字母表的) order was a big problem for Keisha Williams. In every list, on every line, in the lunchroom and the classroom, teachers put all the W’s together. Alice Wilkins was always one place ahead of Keisha.
“You two are going to be friends,” said the girls’ teacher, Ms. Mubarak, “whether you like it or not.”
Yeah, right. Could she be friends with Alice? “I doubt it,” Keisha thought. Alice was perfect. She was everything Keisha wasn’t. Alice changed her hairstyle every day. She always wore beautiful clothing. She had polish (指甲油) on her nails. Keisha had plain (普通的) nails, a very ordinary hairstyle — and not to mention her out-of-tyle clothes.
Alice had new fashionable notebooks. Keisha’s notebooks were boring black and white. Keisha complained to her mother that her notebooks were too plain. “They still have paper and lines,” her mother said. “You don’t need glitter (华丽) to make you smart.”
Keisha thought Alice’s mother treated her like a grown-up. Alice had a house key and said that she always let herself into her apartment. But when Keisha came home, she had to ring for her mother to open the door. And every time, her mother would give her a big bear hug. That’s for babies, Keisha always thought, trying to free herself from her mother’s arms.
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:
One Tuesday at school when math tests were handed back, Keisha got her usual A.
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Paragraph 2:
Later, in the cafeteria, Keisha and Alice worked on math problems together.
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The MP3 has become a new fashion on campus. I had long dreamed of owning a MP3. The more MP3 owners were on campus, the stronger my desire (渴望) became. Finally, during one of my monthly visits home, I begged my parents to let me buy one, “Dad, Mom, I ... I want to buy a MP3 ... , the one for …”
I swallowed (吞咽) the rest of my words. Did I really need to explain what a MP3 was? Surely everybody knew!
At first there was no response from my parents. But my little brother replied eagerly, “Me too!”
Then finally my dad spoke, “What! What is it for? This little stuff breaks down soon after you get it! It’s an absolutely useless expense (花费) …”
Then, I had an idea. When the summer vacation came, I lied to my parents that I couldn’t stay at home, because the school had supplementary (附加的) programs. As a result, I earned my money for a new MP3 through my part-time job.
I was at home the night before my new school when Mom came into my room. She sat on my bed, and patted me on the shoulder. Then she handed me a small box. “Take this. Don’t tell your father ... Now, study hard, okay?” she said softly.
“Mom, how did you ... ?” I asked.
“It’s from my own savings. Your father doesn’t know.” I sat alone for a long time with my new MP3, weeping (哭泣) silently.
When I went back to school, I decided to give up my part-time job so that I could study harder for my parents, for my dream. My motivation (动机) to study has never been so strong.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在以下位置作答。
Para1:
One afternoon, I was in my dorm when a classmate told me that my father was waiting for me downstairs.
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Para2:
I sat down and unwrapped (打开) the box.
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Fifteen years ago, Mark moved out of his mother’s house upon landing a well-paying job in another city. He planned to visit her monthly and he had stuck to his visiting schedule during the first three years. However, with the increasing workload, he couldn’t find time to visit her monthly. He only spoke to her on the phone, updating her about his life. Soon, his relationship with her came to a point where he rarely called her.
It was ten years since Mark has last seen his mother, and he didn’t remember the last timethey spoke on the phone. One day, the reminder on his phone read, “Mom’s 80th birthday!”
“Oh, God! How can I forget her birthday again?” Mark shook his head as he turned the reminder alarm off. “I can’t keep disappointing her like this. Let me see how quickly I can get to her place.” After looking at his work schedule, Mark realized he could make it to his mother’s house by the evening if he left the office in an hour. He quickly finished his work and left the office without wasting even a minute.
On his way, he stopped at a bakery and bought his mother’s favorite cheesecake. “My mother turned 80 today!” he cheered, telling the shop keep er how happy he was. He also bought her balloons and a few gifts.
Excited to see her after a decade, Mark drove towards his mother’s house. Although he wanted to call her, he thought it would be better to surprise her because he was sure she wasn’t expecting him to visit her. After all, this was the first time he had done something like this in years.
Mark finally arrived at his mother’s house after driving for hours across the country, but it did not look the same anymore. The lights inside were all off and the fence was covered in wild vines (藤). It seemed like no one had been living in the house.
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。
Mark realized the house was abandoned.
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Finally, Mark found his mother in a local retirement community.
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The 16th of September was my cousin’s birthday, He is 4 years younger than me and his birthday is just seven days before mine. Those seven days were the worst days of my life. I thought “Isn’t seven supposed to be a lucky number?” and wondered who came up with that idea.
That evening my mother sent him and me to get some stuff from the store so she could make him a cake. On every other Sunday at this time of the day I’d be on the soccer field kicking the ball around with my older friends, but instead this Sunday found me walking to the shop with my cousin.
On the way to the store my cousin spotted an apricot(杏) at the edge of a branch, It was as large as an apple and as yellow as a new crayon fresh from the box. The rule was whoever spotted it first owned it. Even if you climbed the tree to get it, it still did not belong to you. I decided to go to get the beautiful, delicious-looking fruit for my cousin, seeing that it was his birthday.
I started to map out my course of action as to how I was going to get this fruit. I could have hit it with rocks until it fell, but no, it was too beautiful to be bruised(碰伤) by the force of a stone thrown at it. I continued to climb on to a fence which was directly parallel to the apricot tree. At the top of the fence I paused a while to take a look around. “Wow! Cool view from 12 feet off the ground.” My cousin laughed and told me to hurry up and get it so we could go home. My next step was to jump from the fence, catch the main branch, and then climb to victory. Come on! I’d done this tons of times, and I didn’t even hesitate.
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。
As I grabbed the branch, that juicy apricot met me eye to eye.
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As we entered the house, my mother noticed I was covered in dirt.
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Her big, brown eyes looked up at me with a pitiful sight, as the first tear began to roll slowly down her soft, six-year-old, innocent face. I was as shocked as she was.
I had been called to my daughter’s new school by the remedial teacher, who called me last night.
Was I aware my daughter had learning difficulties?
Yes I was.
Due to constant ear infections, my poor Elizabeth had lost her hearing for the best part of two years of her young life. In addition, her speech ability had been delayed and her reading skill was behind other children of her age.
This teacher, this person, who had been specially trained to help children, the very person who was supposed to help my daughter reach her full potential, had called me in to school to tell me, and my daughter, that she would be lucky if she ever managed to finish high school.
What are you supposed to do when even the remedial teacher doesn’t have any faith in your child’s ability? What do you tell your child when she has been told that she is doomed to failure before she has even finished primary school? That was the question I was struggling to answer even as I stood there in that room, listening to this insensitive teacher, who did not have a caring character, wishing I had never brought my daughter to this school. I wondered, if this teacher were a mother? I truly believe someone cannot have a child and not have a caring heart.
I took my child’s small hand as we left that cold office, to step outside into the sweet and fresh air. There, I bent down on one knee and, putting my hands on my daughter’s small but now heavy shoulders, I looked her straight in the eyes.
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。
“Elizabeth,” I said firmly,” if you work really hard at school, I promise you, you can be anything you want to be.“
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Of course, I knew that remedial teacher might not be working there anymore.
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It was the middle of winter some 30 years ago. I was a young father with three little children depending on me. My college education, however, wasn’t helping me to find a good job in our depressed area. My work as a teacher had dried up and now I was working in a saw mill (锯木厂) for just above the minimum wage.
As I got ready to go to work I wrapped band-aids (创可贴) around my fingers and put more in my pockets. Cutting and piling wood for 8 hours a day had caused my fingers to split and bleed at their tips in the cold, dry, winter air. Then I walked down to my car in the snow and hoped it would start.
That day at work was harder than normal. The machines kept breaking down. And we had to rush to catch back up as the wood piled up. On top of it all the heaters in the building weren’t working and we could see our breath as we spent hours chopping, piling, carrying, and packaging the hard wood flooring to be shipped out.
When the work day finally ended, I walked tiredly toward the time clock, took off my work gloves and inspected my aching fingers. The splits were worse than ever and I had bled through the band-aids again. I tried to straighten out but my bad back cramped (绞痛) up as I did. I started my car and drove back home. I looked at the snow and blinked back tears. I wondered how long I could keep doing this, if things would ever get any better, and why life was so hard.
I tried to put a smile on my face as I opened my front door, but instead one appeared naturally. My daughter ran up to me, yelling “Daddy”, and wrapped her little arms around my neck. I lifted her up and my heart exploded with love.
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 tired body didn’t feel so tired any more.
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“Happy birthday!” my wife greeted me warmly.
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I always believe in the saying: Things will eventually sort themselves out. In the face of difficulty and trouble, I can always persuade myself to do my work first without enough conditions.
Yesterday, we just moved into a new house and spent all our money. So we had to go through the rest of the month until my husband got paid.
Today, my daughter, Laurie, went to school. After a while, out-of-breath and tired, our little girl ran back a block because she’d forgotten to tell me that it was her turn to bring cupcakes for the class-—today! I answered her with a promise to reach her classroom at noon with the cupcakes. She ran to school again, happy.
Two minutes later, imagining Laurie’s trusting smile when I delivered on the promise, I searched in the boxes for baking tins and the mixer. I confidently set them on the counter and then opened the refrigerator, only to discover there were no eggs! How would I make cupcakes withouteggs?
I tried to figure out how I could fix the problem. Could I borrow some from neighbors or friends? Could I buy some on credit(赊账)? It was almost 9: 30 and I was running out of time. A little voice inside me whispered, “Start to do your work first! Things will eventually sort themselves out.” “Okay,” I said to myself, “I have to try my best to keep my word to my little girl and the worst result that might happen is that I bake ‘cakes’ with no eggs.”
The next step was an act of faith. I turned on the oven and measured all the materials as my little son lined the tins with paper cups. We’d just finished making the frosting(糖霜) when I heard the mailman close the box at the front door. Of course! The mailman could send us a refund (退款) check or something in the mail! I rushed to the door to get the mail and was shocked by what I found.
注意：1.续写词数应150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
There, just under the mailbox, were two boxes of eggs !
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The phone call was from my friend Bonnie.
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