Birthdays are typically the occasions for delight and feasting. Family and friends get together on the occasion and convey their regards with the beautiful presents they bring with themselves. I am personally a big fan of birthdays and wait for my birthday approximately a month prior to the day.
This year, my birthday came off on last Monday. I didn’t know that my parents had arranged a special party for me. At eight o'clock in the evening of my lucky birthday, I was alone at home complaining and frowning, and pitying myself for my misfortune. I thought it was going to be a special day filled with presents and fun, but all I received was a “Happy Birthday”.
All of a sudden, the electricity was cut off and there was a complete darkness in the house. I couldn’t do anything. Therefore, I decided to go to sleep and end this unlucky day.
Out of the blue in that quiet night, I heard a sudden noise coming from downstairs. Startled and terribly shocked, I suspected that someone broke into the house. Immediately, I tried to phone my parents, but no one answered.
After a couple of minutes of fear, I started to calm down. Although in the meantime I heard more noises of people talking, I summoned up some courage and started heading for the basement. As I slowly drew closer to the basement, I guessed there were more than one person, but I found it hard to believe. There couldn’t be a lot of people in our basement!
Courageously, I opened the door of the basement. There was a complete darkness. There wasn’t a single noise. However, as I approached, I heard some laughter and confirmed that there were people. Suddenly, the lights were on and there stood my parents and friends cheering at me with the beautiful presents they had carefully prepared for me. It was a surprise party! The room was beautifully decorated with colorful balloons. Tables and chairs were laid and covered with white and contrasting red sheets. A gigantic birthday cake was positioned on the innermost table.
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:
Now everything was ready and the party was set in motion.
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Paragraph 2:
The partly was over and the guests began to head off.
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The first time we set eyes on "Big Red", Dad, Mom and I were walking through the freshly fallen snow on our way to Hubble's Hardware store on Main Street in Huntsville. As we passed the Eaton’s department store's window, we stopped as usual to gaze and do a bit of dreaming. The beautifully decorated window display held the best goods ever, which were all sat comfortably beneath the breathtaking skirt of Big Red.
Mom's eyes were glued to the red shining dress, dotted with twinkling stars. "My goodness，" she managed to say in wonder. "Would you just look at that dress!" Then, totally out of character. Mom gave a spin of a waltz on the slippery sidewalk. But soon she was her usual self again and shook her head in disgust. "Who on earth would want such a fancy dress?"
As we continued down the street. Mom turned back for one more look. "My goodness! You'd think they'd display something a person could use!"
Christmas was nearing, and the red dress was soon forgotten. Mom, of all people, was not one to wish for, or spend money on, items that were not practical. Dad, on the other hand, liked to indulge (纵容) whenever the budget allowed. Of course, he'd get a scolding for his occasional splurging (挥霍)，but it was all done with the best intention.
There were many other modern things that old farm needed, like electric range and a clothes dryer, but Mom insisted that those things would have to wait until we could afford them. She had worn the heavy, grey wool coat every winter for as long as I could remember though she did have one or two "special" dresses saved for church on Sundays.
Choosing something for Mom was much harder. When Dad and I asked, she thought carefully and then hinted modestly for some tea towels，face cloths or a new dishpan (洗碗盆).
On our last trip to town before Christmas, we were driving up Main Street when Mom suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "Would you just look at that!" She pointed excitedly as Dad drove past Eaton's.
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。
Para 1: "That big red dress is gone," she said in disbelief. "It's actually gone."
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Para 2: I'll never forget that Christmas morning as Mom unpacked a large box that read "Eaton's Finest Dishpan".
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Hosting an exchange student is a fun and exciting experience for the whole family. However, there are always preparations to be made before the student arrives. What should a family do to help make an exchange student feel at home?
An exchange student comes to explore a foreign culture, and getting on with his or her host family is part of that experience. The host family should be as considerate and kind to the exchange student as possible. If the exchange student is to have his or her own room, the preparation should begin here. This room should be as inviting as possible. The family should find out the student’s favorite color and some preferred accessories（饰物）. They may not want to paint the entire room navy blue（海蓝）, for example, but may want to include navy accessories such as a bedside lamp, trash can, or quilt. The room should ideally（理想地） have a desk, enough storage space and a closet or dresser. It might also be helpful to buy a full-length mirror and mount it on the closet door.
The host family should also check if the exchange student has any special needs and make sure they can meet these special requirements. A wheelchair ramp（斜面） or handrails in the bathroom might be necessary. An exchange student with special needs might even have a service animal, and consideration should be given to this situation as well.
A family should also be prepared for the exchange student to face homesickness（想家）. Most exchange programs have counselors（顾问） and other workers who are used to dealing with this, and they should be consulted as soon as possible. A family should also consult their own family doctor, letting him or her know that they have an exchange student in their home.
