For as long as her parents can remember, 11-year-old Breana Carsey has had this crazy dream. She has always wanted a mommy horse who would give birth to a baby horse, who would then grow up to become a racing champion.
“Absolutely, this was a fairy tale for her from day one. We put it off for five years because we don’t have a farm,” said her father, Brian Carsey, who explained that his daughter has “me wrapped around her finger”．
Her horse was born in the spring of 2013. Breana named it MJB Got Faith for the faith she instantly had in him.
“I really loved him. He’s super soft too,” she said.
But that quick bond posed a real problem for this Dad. See, for whatever reason, Brian thought once he explained to his daughter that her horse could never run in a race—that it was a runt from poor breeding stock—she would just agree to sell it.
“She thought her horse was priceless,” he said. “So I had a chat with my wife and we really got ourselves in a mess here. And I didn’t know how we were going to get out of this. So we took him to the races, the horse that I thought we should have got rid of already.”
Brian was stuck, committed to boarding and training this long shot to end all long shots. And this is not a wealthy family. Brian runs a small company. And Ohio racing, which is harness style racing, is a $900 millionayear industry.
MJB Got Faith was so slow that it was barely even qualified to compete but then somehow won his first race, then his second, third and fourth qualifying him for the state championship held in Columbus, Ohio.
“And I said to my daughter, ‘If you finish third, you should be so thankful,’” Brian remembered. “She said, ‘Daddy, if he finishes last, I’m going to be thankful. But he’s going to win.’”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2．请按如下格式作答。
This little horse won an important match.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Her dad now has a racehorse whose name is Steve Hartman.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Chasing a Dream
I will never forget that November day. It was hotter than normal — too hot. My throat felt like a field of cotton, cracked with the summer heat, as I waited for the gun to fire. This was the day we had waited so long for. I looked out at the crowd; dozens of familiar faces flashed across my view. They had come for me. They were counting on me. I saw my dad set his watch, with worry and excitement on his face. Adrenaline (肾上腺素) pumped through my body, and the race began.
For the first two and a half miles, I felt great. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with strictly controlled practices and a strict diet. My friends hadn’t seen me in weeks, but they understood the sacrifice required to make my dream a reality.
My dad and I had been working towards this race for three years. It was everything to me, and it was everything to my dad. He was a runner and was excited by my success in running. He made it to every race, even flying home early from business trips to see me run. I always listened for his voice — telling me to relax my arms, calling out my time. He pushed me. He cheered for me. He believed in me. We spent countless hours on the sandy canals. Breathing in the dust of the desert, the blossoms (花簇) of the orange trees, we made our way across the city. We pounded miles and miles into our running shoes, marking with every step the path to greatness.
But without warning, when I was 200 yards away from the finish line, my legs stopped working. My lungs fought to take in enough air, and my feet transformed into cement (水泥) bricks. I still don’t know what happened in those last few moments. Nothing I could do would make them hold my weight. They were as weak as jelly.
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。
Even though I knew my dreams of victory were destroyed, I had to finish the race.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“I’m so sorry I disappointed you,” I whispered to Dad.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Maggie had always been keen on singing, but she never believed in herself enough to enter a competition. That all changed when her friend, who had heard her sing and believed she had a talent, advised her to try out for the campus singing competition. Maggie was hesitant at first, but she decided to give it a shot.
The competition was only a few weeks away, and Maggie spent every spare moment practicing. She sang in the shower, in her car, and even in the library when she thought no one was listening. Her roommate, who was also her biggest cheerleader, helped her pick out the perfect outfit for the competition.
As the competition day approached, Maggie’s nerves started to get the best of her. She had never performed in front of such a large audience before, and the thought of being judged made her nervous. However, Maggie knew that she had to push herself out of her comfort zone if she wanted to pursue her passion. She reminded herself that she was doing this to prove to herself that she could do it and that she was good enough.
On the day of the competition, Maggie woke up with a sense of determination. She spent the morning rehearsing (排练) and getting into the right mindset. She arrived at the venue (会场) early and was surprised to see so many people had shown up to watch the competition.
As she waited for her turn to perform, Maggie observed the other contestants (参赛选手). She was amazed at the level of talent on display and wondered if she had what it took to win. However, she didn’t let her doubts get the better of her. She focused on her own performance and was determined to give it her all.
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。
When it was Maggie’s turn to perform, she took a deep breath before walking onto the stage.
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Finally, the judges announced the winner — Maggie won the first prize.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Team China bagged a total of 383 medals, including 201 gold, 111 silver and 71 bronze,
The first gold of the Games was awarded
The 19th Asian Games, which featured 40 sports, 61 disciplines, and 481 events,
Chinese swimmers Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang were jointly awarded the Most
My dad and I had been looking forward to the Stale cross-country race of my senior year of high school, which would be the climax (顶点) of my existence.
I was the fastest runner on my team, and I was supposed to make it into the top fifteen. We had been working towards this race for three years. It was everything to me, and it was everything to my dad. He was a runner and was wild with joy by my success in running. He made it to every race, even flying home early from business trips to see me run. I always listened for his voice, which rang above the crowd-telling me to relax my arms, calling out my time. He pushed me. He cheered for me. He believed in me. We spent countless hours on the sandy canals of Arizona. Breathing in the dust of the desert, the blossoms of the orange trees, and the terrible smell of the dairy farm, we made our way across the city. We pounded miles and miles into our running shoes, marking with every step the path to greatness. It was a journey that was just ours. A dream passed on from one generation to the next.
Then the big day came. It was hotter than normal - too hot. My throat felt like a field of cotton, cracked with the summer heat, as I waited for the gun to fire. I gazed out at the crowd; dozens of familiar faces from church and school flickered across my view. They had come for me. They were counting on me. I saw my dad set his watch, worry and excitement etched across his face. With the sound of a gunshot, the race began.
For the first two and half miles, I felt great. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with hard practices and a strict diet. The scorching sun beat upon my back, blinding me with its brilliance. Nothing was going to stop me, though.
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。
However, without warning, my strength was running out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I whispered, “I’m so sorry I disappointed you, Dad.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . The Best Writing Contests of 2023
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| A．No entry fee is required. |
| B．Local culture is the focus. |
| C．There is maximum word count for entries. |
| D．One entry per person for each week is allowed. |
| A．Top prize winner will be awarded $300. |
| B．It is open to anyone from across the world. |
| C．Children’s stories on any theme are greatly appreciated. |
| D．Contest entries should be submitted before July 31, 2023. |
| A．Weekly Writing Competition. | B．Anthology Travel Writing Competition. |
| C．Fiction Factory Flash Fiction. | D．Imagine 2200. |
| A. saw B. professional C. schedule D. gradually E. field F. marked G. host H. incredibly I. determination J. repeated K. cancelled |
The Olympics
The Olympics are the most important international competition in terms of scale, skills, and number of athletes.
The games are divided into two parts—the Summer Games and the Winter Games. The two parts are held in such a way that there are two years in between but four years before one is
The Olympics were first celebrated in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and were held every four years until 393 AD. Then, they were brought to an end by the Roman emperor. It was not until the 1890s that the world
Examples of modern Summer Olympic events are track and
The Olympic records are the world ones. An Olympic gold medal carries as much weight as, or even more than, any other gold medal won at other international competitions. The skills and
It was not until the late twentieth century that Chinese athletes began to amaze the world with their
Though once
8 . On Oct. 11, hundreds of runners competed in a cross-country race in Minnesota. Melanie Bailey should have
As reported by a local newspaper, Bailey was more than two-thirds of the way through her
Once there, Lenoue was
As for Bailey, she is more
Although the two young women were strangers before the
| A．designed | B．followed | C．changed | D．finished |
| A．delay | B．chance | C．trouble | D．excuse |
| A．judge | B．volunteer | C．classmate | D．competitor |
| A．race | B．school | C．town | D．training |
| A．agreed | B．returned | C．stopped | D．promised |
| A．courage | B．aid | C．patience | D．advice |
| A．went away | B．stood up | C．stepped aside | D．bent down |
| A．medical | B．public | C．constant | D．equal |
| A．interrupted | B．assessed | C．identified | D．appreciated |
| A．hunger | B．pain | C．cold | D．tiredness |
| A．worried | B．ashamed | C．confused | D．discouraged |
| A．game | B．problem | C．lesson | D．deal |
| A．leave | B．cure | C．bother | D．understand |
| A．ride | B．test | C．meet | D．show |
| A．secret | B．display | C．benefit | D．exchange |
9 . London has already hosted the Olympics twice before and the 2021 Olympics will make it the first city in history to have held three Olympic games.
The first London Olympics in 1908
These games were going to be held in Rome but, because of a volcano, Rome wasn’t ready. London agreed to stage the games and the White City Olympic Stadium was built in just 10 months. What was new at these Olympics was the opening ceremony where athletes paraded (列队行进) with their teams behind their national flags. Only 22 countries took part and the profits were just over ￡21,000!
The second London Olympics
Because of the Second World War, the 1944 Olympics were cancelled. Four years later the war was over and London was able to hold the Games in 1948.Things were very different in London during these Olympic Games and many years of war had left the UK poor and hungry. People called them the “Austerity Games”. But there were still some great sports and some exciting events!
59 countries took part, more than at any other Olympics before and the USA won the most medals with 84. For the first time, cameras filmed the games and broadcast them on television so that people could watch them in their own homes.
The third London Olympics in 2021
The Games this year are going to be bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. There will be more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries taking part!
London wants to make sure that the benefits of the Olympics don’t just last for a few weeks in summer but go on much longer. The buildings have been designed and constructed so that they can be used for different things when the Games are over.
1. The text is mainly about _____.| A．London will host the Olympics again | B．London’s Olympic history |
| C．London’s Olympics will last much longer | D．London is ready for the Olympics |
| A．London could build a stadium in 10 months | B．only 22 countries took part |
| C．there was a volcano eruption in Rome | D．London could make more profits than Rome |
| A．the UK were poor and hungry then | B．there were some great sports |
| C．the previous Olympic Games was cancelled | D．about 59 countries took part |
| A．the 59 countries | B．the 84 gold medals |
| C．all the athletes | D．the games |
| A．the benefits of the Olympics used to last for months afterwards |
| B．the 2nd London Olympics attracted more countries than any other Olympics |
| C．the buildings for the 3rd London Olympics have more functions for future use |
| D．the 2nd London Olympics were cancelled because of the Second World War |
10 . Over the weekend, social media was excited about a heart-stopping gymnastic routine and we have UCLA athlete Katelyn Ohashi to thank. The routine itself is only ninety seconds long, but the 21-year-old athlete jumped, flipped, turned, and showed off her incredible talent across the floor to a combination of R&B and soul music. Ohashi earned a well-deserved perfect 10 from the judges and her performance eventually led the UCLA to victory at the end of the competition.
But the best part? This isn’t the first time she’s gone viral — it’s the second time in a year she’s achieved eye-catching fame, and it’s for good reason. At the 2018 Pac 12 Championships, Ohashi performed an awesome floor routine set to a combination of Michael Jackson’s hits.
Ohashi exudes (流露) joy in her performances, and she’s not afraid to smile widely when she knows she’s done well. It’s acceptable, because it’s clear she’s having fun, a rare sight in the field of professional sports. Born in Seattle, Ohashi did four years on the USA Gymnastic’s junior national team, and won the 2013 American Cup. But behind the scenes, things weren’t so great.
Ohashi was under intense pressure competing at the elite (精英) level. Fans told her she wasn’t good enough, and she was under pressure to be thin. Ultimately, she decided to walk away from elite gymnastics to become a college athlete. She underwent surgery for a broken back and two torn shoulders in 2014. These injuries kept her away from the sport until 2015 when she joined the UCLA Bruins gymnastics team for the 2015–16 season.
“There was a time when I was on top of the world, an Olympic hopeful. I was unbeatable until I wasn’t,” Ohashi said. “It hurt. But it also took me finding Ms. Val and the UCLA and having a different goal and path to follow, to finally find joy and love within the sport again, which I haven’t been able to feel in a long time.”
1. Which is closest in meaning to the phrase “gone viral” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Become popular. | B．Appear suddenly. |
| C．Change surprisingly. | D．Succeed unexpectedly. |
| A．She was little-known until recently. |
| B．Her gymnastic skills improved in the UCLA. |
| C．She won her first victory in the UCLA. |
| D．Her gymnastic career wasn’t always full of joy. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Appreciative. | C．Humorous. | D．Confused. |
| A．Regain self-confidence |
| B．Battle against ill remarks |
| C．Go beyond physical limits |
| D．Rediscover joy of gymnastics |
