The school I went to had a tradition carried out every year during the eighth-grade graduation: a beautiful gold and green jacket (the school colors)was awarded to the student who had maintained the highest grades for eight years.
I was fourteen and in the eighth grade. I had been a straight-A student since the first grade and this last year had looked forward very much to owning that jacket. My family was so poor that, when I was six, I was given to my grandparents to raise. I couldn’t participate in sports at school because we couldn’t afford the fees; even though I was quite athletic, there would never be a school sports jacket for me. So, this one, the scholarship jacket, was my only chance.
One day in May, close to graduation, outside the history teacher’s classroom, I heard a fierce argument between the principal and my history teacher, Mr. Frank, about giving the scholarship jacket to Joann, whose father is on the Board and owns the only store in town. Frank angrily claimed that he would never lie or falsify(伪造) records.
The principal approached me tentatively: “Martha, there’s been a change in policy this year. The Board has decided to charge fifteen dollars for the scholarship jacket this year. So if you are unable to pay the fifteen dollars for the jacket it will be given to the next one in line. Staring at him in shock, I didn’t need to ask who that was.
”I’ll speak to my grandfather and let you know tomorrow, I gathered all the dignity. I cried on the walk home from the bus stop. I wanted that jacket so much. It represented eight years of hard work and expectation.
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。
Upon arriving home, I told my grandpa what had happened.
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The next day, the principal called me to his office.
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It was a sunny day. Anabia, an 11-year-old girl, was excited because today was the drawing contest at her school. Anabia was really good at drawing and usually got the highest marks in art. Her teachers would often ask her to make posters for school plays and call on her during free periods to help with cuttings, drawing, shading, colouring and much more. There was an art competition taking place in school and Anabia had worked really hard and wanted to win it. But there was one thing that was disturbing her today.
Recently, a new girl, Rida, had joined her class. She was also interested in art but she was not as good at drawing as Anabia was. Miss Saima, the art teacher, helped Rida and taught her tips and tricks to improve her drawing skill. And now Rida was also considered among the best artists in grade six.
Rida was quick, smart and intelligent. Anabia became jealous of Rida’s intelligence and felt that the new girl would be tough to beat.
So that day, for the art competition, Miss Saima took all the students to the art room, told them their roll numbers and gave important instructions. Anabia’s roll number was 16, while Rida was number 17. The bell rang, indicating the beginning of the contest. Miss Saima wrote on the board: make a scene of a sunset with a flowing river and a sailing boat.
Anabia knew that the best tools to make a sunset were oil pastels (油画棒). Anabia started to look for her oil pastels in her art bag. Then, after looking through the bag, she remembered that she had left them at home. Immediately, she got up to tell Miss Saima.
Miss Saima was disappointed at Anabia’s carelessness and told her that she could not help her, as it was her responsibility to come prepared for the contest that had been announced a week in advance. Anabia’s best friends were also there, but none of them offered to share anything, much to Anabia’s surprise and disappointment.
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Anabia’ s eyes filled with tears.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Then Rida held Anabia’s hand, and the two girls waited for the winners to be announced.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Everyone in my drama class saw the paper in my hands shaking when I stood up to try out for a lead role in the yearly school Thanksgiving play. I was there because the teacher wanted everyone to try out for a part.
Being shy and not confident, I began nervously reading the part for the main character, Star. She had no parents. Feeling so sorry for her, I finished reading.
Later when reading the name list, the teacher looked at me and announced, “Patty, you play Star. Come and get your script (剧本).”I was shocked. Jim, an excellent boy, was playing the other lead.To learn my lines, I practiced every day and finally memorized them. I became more confident and happier.
Then we started practising acting. Jim played the character, a Scrooge (吝啬鬼), who is unwilling to put a candle in his window so that the light will show passers-by the slippery ice on the path below. On the Thanksgiving day, Star comes along, falls on the ice and gets injured.
Finally feeling bad, the Scrooge helps her up. To thank him, Star kisses his hand.
One day, before our drama class started, I saw a terrible drawing of me on the blackboard with words: Falling Star. I was laughed at by someone.
The teacher asked,“Who did this?” Nobody knew. We started rehearsing (排练), but my heart wasn’t in it. The teacher told me not to care about the silly trick; it wouldn’t happen again. But I was sad and anxious, wanting to quit. Finally I moved on and continually worked hard for the play.
Soon it was the day before the show. It was time for the dress rehearsal. I was excited. Everything went smoothly at the dress rehearsal until the scene where I slipped on the ice and the Scrooge helped me up.
When I kissed his hand, a terrible noise and laughter sounded from behind the set. I quickly left the stage and hurried into an empty room. With tears, I said, “I can’t do it. Please get someone else!”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式作答。
Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder.
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The following Thanksgiving day, we were ready for the play.
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My knees started shaking, yet my body froze. It felt as though my soul departed my body and I had no control over it. Anxiously, I looked through the roster (名单) posted on the wall of the locker room. My heart was beating harder and harder as I slowly saw all my friends’ names on that list but could not find mine. At that moment, I froze. I just could not accept that all my friends were on the basketball team while I was not.
I was so convinced there was a mistake that I went and found the coach. “Hey coach, are you sure that the roster you posted is correct?” I asked anxiously, dreading (担心) his answer.
“Yes, the names on the list are finalized. Sorry if you did not make it this year, there is always next year,” the coach replied.
I could feel the hot, bitter tears filling my eyes, and I ran out of the room as fast as I could. Trying to forget about the situation, I headed over to the cafeteria to buy some food. I felt dead inside, like nothing mattered. Walking was such a burden that it felt as if I had a 100-pound weight tied to my backpack. My mind was also blank for the rest of the school day. Everything my teachers said went in one ear and out the other.
After school, as I walked to the parking lot to get picked up, I saw all my friends gathered near the rear of the lot, celebrating and joking around. I detoured (绕道) around the side of the school to avoid them, trying not to think about being the only one in our friend group failing to make the team.
I saw my father’s car pull up near the school lot, and I walked up to the car and got in. He smiled at me, played the radio, and started driving home.
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。
Noticing my bad mood, he asked me what was wrong.
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Inspired by what my father said, I decided to work toward my goal.
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