I’ve always known that I’m very quick with my hands. If someone throws something, I catch it almost before I’m aware it has been thrown. When I was young, I had no idea how useful this skill would become.
Last week, I was going to visit a friend with her newborn and was on my way to a toy store to buy a gift. I’d once lived in the neighbourhood and I decided to head back to my old cupcake shop for a coffee. Sitting alone at a table outside with my drink, I was approached by an older man, who in a calm and very matter-of-fact way told me to call 911, because there was a baby on a fire escape.
I jumped up to see where the baby was. I was so surprised to see it, wearing a little onesie (连体衣) and lying on the fire escape railings (栏杆) between the second and third storeys. I was nervous, so the baby boy became my only priority.
As I was on the phone to the emergency services, I made eye contact with the child, keeping him calm, telling him to stay there. Some people were going up the stairs to find the parents, who were apparently sleeping through the whole drama.
I just wanted the child to feel safe. I hoped he’d stay there until somebody could rescue him. Apparently he had slipped through pieces of cardboard placed next to an air-conditioning unit in the window, and without bars to protect him he’d crawled (爬) out and up the fire escape towards the next storey. He was only 16 months old. For him to even climb up and balance in that position was incredible.
Then he slipped. Instinctively (本能), he grabbed on the railing as he fell, hanging by his arms. I knew he couldn’t hold on, 25 feet above the street, for long. I sensed people had gathered behind, but my attention was purely focused on my intention to catch the baby.
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 made sure I was positioned to catch him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The moments after he was saved were exciting.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Danny was nearly knocking into a passing car when a passer-by pushed him to safety.
We ate a big breakfast at a local restaurant, like we did every Father’s Day. The present my daughter gave me was a T-shirt with the words “World’s Coolest Dad”. I put it on, feeling that was what made Father’s Day so great.
Just then my volunteer fire-department pager (呼机) went off: “Attention, Pocahontas-Old Ripley firefighters! House fire on Simpson Street. Repeat. House fire on Simpson Street.”
“Gotta go,” I said. I ran to my car and took off. I got to the firehouse in minutes. Another firefighter, Tom Smith, and the chief were waiting. “Don, Tommy, take truck 253. Roll!” he ordered. “The rest of the guys will be right behind you.” As the first on the scene, our job was to make sure everyone was out of the house, locate the nearest hydrant (消防栓), and then wait for backup.
A small crowd had gathered in front of number 907 when we got there. They watched the fire in panic. Thick black smoke could be seen pouring from the one-story house’s open front door. A large man burst through the door, red eyes streaming with tears. “Please hurry!” he called. “My boy’s still in there. I couldn’t get to him!”
There was no time to wait for backup. I left Tommy outside and rushed into the house.
“Anyone here?” I shouted. No answer. I searched every inch of the first two rooms. No child. The fire had grown so fierce by then. It seemed that the roof would collapse at any time. All at once a vision was put into my head—that father begging us to save his child. I mustn’t give up. Not today, I thought. There still might be a chance.
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。
Suddenly I heard a weak cry from the next room.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was a special Father’s Day, not only for me, but also for the boy, his father and my daughter.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . A China plane struck a bird after taking off in Chengdu, Sichuan, and had to immediately return to the airport last October, and it wasn’t the first accident between an aircraft and a bird last year.
In fact, more than 20,000 wildlife strikes with aircraft were reported worldwide in 2023 — the vast majority of those animals being birds. The strikes can also include run-ins with bats or creatures on the ground, such as deer or turtles. Expanding wildlife populations, increases in number of aircraft movements, and a trend toward faster and quieter aircraft all have contributed to the increase in wildlife strikes.
Bird strikes are a hazard not just to commercial airplanes, but to all sorts of aircraft. However, historical data shows that damage is reported in a small percentage of incidents. Last year, 95% of the global strikes involved some kind of damage — and only 5% of those caused “substantial” damage.
Some of the most disturbing types of strikes can happen when one or more birds go into a plane’s engine, which might cause a lot of damage to the aircraft. The pilot would need to return to the airport or find a safe place to land.
In last October’s China plane incident, the Beijing-bound flight was able to land normally in Chengdu after taking into account what the airline described as security concerns. Senior captain Chen Jianguo said pilots are trained on how to respond if they have a bird strike in flight. The pilot in this case did exactly what he was trained to do.
“There are lots of things that are being used by airports to try to manage the habitat and birds around the airport,” said Chen Jianguo. Airports need to manage bird habitats to reduce or get rid of trees and plants that shelter birds, or address wetlands that can attract birds. Collecting data on what kinds of birds are involved in strikes is equally important so the risks can better be managed. Many airports also use audible signals to scare birds away, such as the sounds of fireworks.
1. What is a cause of the increase in wildlife strikes?| A．The poorly designed aircraft. |
| B．The growing number of birds. |
| C．The destruction of wildlife habitats. |
| D．The absence of environmental awareness. |
| A．Danger. | B．Delay. | C．Accident. | D．Reminder. |
| A．They are a rare occurrence. |
| B．They usually damage engines. |
| C．Most of them cause slight damage. |
| D．Most of them involve one single bird. |
| A．Ways to study bird behavior. |
| B．Measures to drive birds away. |
| C．Efforts to restore bird habitat. |
| D．Attempts to take care of birds. |
5 . Sixteen-year-old Corion Evans made a daring rescue to save three teenage girls. The 16-year-old was hanging out with two
It was around 2:30 a.m. by the time Evans and brothers Karon and Caleb got to the river’s
Evans took off his shirt and
Just then, Police Officer Garry Mercer
Evans jumped back in the water and helped them get to the shore until they could stand. “If he hadn’t been there, who knows?” Mercer told the Washington Post.
There was still one girl in the water. Cora Watson, 19, could not swim. She was gulping (吞) water，
| A．friends | B．brothers | C．classmates | D．students |
| A．truck | B．boat | C．car | D．motorbike |
| A．blindly | B．strongly | C．generally | D．foolishly |
| A．area | B．centre | C．mouth | D．edge |
| A．make out | B．shout to | C．calm down | D．turn down |
| A．approximately | B．obviously | C．barely | D．exactly |
| A．whispering | B．quarreling | C．screaming | D．sobbing |
| A．shoes | B．sweater | C．socks | D．scarf |
| A．dropped | B．dived | C．ran | D．sank |
| A．pushing | B．forcing | C．keeping | D．managing |
| A．approved | B．remained | C．recovered | D．arrived |
| A．boys | B．losers | C．rescuers | D．passengers |
| A．coughed | B．panicked | C．fainted | D．emerged |
| A．wounded | B．shocked | C．abandoned | D．scared |
| A．confused | B．followed | C．risked | D．discovered |
6 . Peru demanded compensation (赔偿金) Wednesday from Spanish energy giant Repsol over an oil spill (石油泄漏). It might be caused by sudden and big
Authorities
Officials of the factory
The oil-processing factory could face a
| A．fishes | B．waves | C．fires | D．stones |
| A．closed | B．discovered | C．destroyed | D．named |
| A．before | B．unless | C．until | D．after |
| A．uploading | B．repairing | C．offloading | D．supplying |
| A．agricultural | B．snowy | C．ecological | D．nuclear |
| A．waste | B．damage | C．crime | D．storm |
| A．fishing | B．poor | C．teaching | D．rich |
| A．escape | B．advertisement | C．encouragement | D．payment |
| A．in advance | B．in air | C．at risk | D．at work |
| A．measuring | B．decorated | C．swimming | D．covered |
| A．recovering | B．affecting | C．creating | D．leaving |
| A．traditionally | B．proudly | C．originally | D．honestly |
| A．clean up | B．take up | C．build up | D．cut up |
| A．animals | B．people | C．plants | D．zones |
| A．specialists | B．students | C．journalists | D．stars |
| A．impressed | B．spent | C．blamed | D．put |
| A．truck | B．ship | C．line | D．store |
| A．failure | B．fine | C．prize | D．fund |
| A．environment | B．education | C．finance | D．defense |
| A．organization | B．entrance | C．account | D．investigation |
Sophie was a poor orphan (孤儿). Nobody knew where she had come from. Yet everyone accepted the little girl, giving her food and clothes. She thanked them by doing part-time jobs for them. Everybody liked her, except Gloria. She didn’t allow Sophie to go into her housed and didn’t permit her to play with her grandson Sam, who was two years old at the time.
Every summer, the local river got flooded. That afternoon, when the water’s level rose, the children had gone to school, the women were busy in the kitchen making dishes for dinner, and the men were in their offices or factories.
Suddenly, news came that the dam across the river had given way and the water had quickly entered the city. Children were then asked to rush home. The areas on the river banks were in danger of being flooded, so people living on the ground floors were shifted to places of safety. Those living in two or three-storied houses climbed to the top. Police cars were trying to help. At first the water was just knee-deep, but it rose fast. There was confusion everywhere.
Gloria’s son had gone to another city on business. Gloria and her son’s wife Ruth were on the first floor of their big house. When water rushed into their house. Gloria and Ruth were in the kitchen. Within seconds the water rose. The police persuaded them to climb to the top floor. In the hurry they forgot Sam was sleeping in his bedroom on the first floor! The stairs were already flooded. It was impossible to get to Sam’s bedroom on the first floor. Though the door to the bedroom was closed, it wasn’t locked. Any moment the water could rush in. Gloria and Ruth were so worried.
At this time, the police discovered one of Sam’s bedroom windows was open, but it was too small for an adult to climb in. Only a child could. But no one was willing to let their children take the risk.
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:
Out of nowhere, Sophie appeared.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
Then, Sophie carefully handed Sam to a policeman, and climbed out of the window.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ken Scott kicked off the covers and leapt out of bed at his home in the Rocky Mountain town of Mullan, Idaho. He’d just heard on the radio that the nearby Silver Mountain Resort had been blessed with nearly a foot and a half of new snow. As an experienced ski addict, he didn’t want to miss this big golden opportunity. These conditions are what skiers live for.
When Scott reached Silver Mountain’s locker room, he came across his friend Paul, a former ski instructor who had also been a regular on these slopes for more than two decades. Both of them were exhilarated. Before setting off, it was Paul’s routine to check his phone tightly fixed inside his parka (风 雪外套). For the next hour the pair skied on various runs under a lightly dull sky, making fresh tracks. They were both in a playful mood, laughing as they tackled the steep runs.
Almost immediately, the snow beneath their feet gave way. In a millisecond, Paul realized what was happening. “Avalanche! (雪崩)” he yelled to Scott, who was not far behind. Scott responded. The sudden snow slide caused fear in his voice. “This is happening!” Instantly, both were hit by a mass of snow that would hit and carry them some 500 feet down the mountain. Scott felt it surrounding and enclosing him, moving quickly up his back and over his shoulders, then heavy against his neck. Snow filled the space in front of him and piled up around the whole of him. Paul, too, was swept downhill.
They remembered the avalanche survival lessons they had learned. Keep your head up. Try to swim. Stay on top of the snow. But the snow was too powerful and they felt themselves rolling like a load of clothes in a washing machine. When Scott finally came to rest, he was lying on his left side and completely buried, skis and poles still attached.
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。
Paragraph 1:
Paul was luckier, ending up partially buried and probably surviving.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Recalling the terrible experience, Scott thanked his friend and the rescue team.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On a late afternoon, Brandon finished feeding his cows on the farm and decided to go back with his two sons, Louie, 6, and Everett, 3. As they headed for the house, the two boys ran ahead of their father. Suddenly Brandon was aware he forgot to close the door of the barn (牲口棚). He told the boys to wait for him at the gate and returned to lock it. When he was at the gate minutes later, he saw only his youngest son.
“ Where’s Louie? ” he shouted.
“He fell in the hole!” Everett said.
Brandon quickly realized what had happened. Noooo, he thought. Louie can barely swim! He ran to the well and heard Louie splashing, trying not to . Instinctively, he jumped in.
Somehow Brandon managed to grab on to a pipe that ran down the side of the well, which slowed his fall and kept him from crushing (挤压) his son.
Finally, Brandon hit the freezing water at the bottom of the well. He popped his head out of the water and grabbed Louie, who was panicking and trying to stay afloat in water that was too deep for either of them to stand. Knowing they could tread (踩水) for only so long, Brandon lifted his son onto his chest as he packed his own back against the narrow walls for support.
“All right, Dad, you can pull us out now,” Louie said.
If only it were that easy. There was no way he could climb out. The pipe that he’d grabbed during his fall was too slippery to be of any use. There was only one way out.
Looking up to see Everett peering down at them from the top of the well, Brandon shouted, “Everett, you’re going to have to be a big boy and save us. Run to the road and stand by the mailbox until someone stops. Tell them we need help. ”
Everett did as he was told. He stood alone by the side of the road, waving to stop someone.
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。
After a while, Chris and Mark, nearby farmers, were driving by the farm.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Twenty minutes later, Louie emerged (出现), then Brandon, both cold and wet.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was the summer when I turned 18. I was filled with excitement because of my new freedom of driving. I drove carefully with my new license. Along with this new privilege came new responsibilities. I would perform the same routine — call my parents and tell them where I was going, who I was with, and when I would be home. It became a typical cycle.
I had been working all day in the hot sun. I was exhausted and ready for a nap. But my stomach told me something different. So I called my friend Mike and made our way into town. After our meal, we had no idea that our day would soon change for the worse.
It takes one moment to shift your life upside down. I vividly remember I was driving fast. Too fast. I came to the conclusion two years later, that the mistake would be with me for the rest of my life.
Mike and I were driving down a dusty gravel(沙砾) road. I was driving a shiny black Saturn, which was the car I admired for long. I was very proud to be driving it. It was perfect in my eyes. I could see the rolling hills in the distance. Tall pine trees traveled on both sides of the road. With the music playing, we were enjoying ourselves. Somehow, without realizing it, I sped up the car.
Coasting（滑行) freely in my car, we came across a loose spot of gravel. My tyres were stuck in it and desperate to escape. My car started fishtailing. In panic, I pressed hard on the brakes（刹车） and instantly the car lost control. I got into panic, frozen with terror. Looking to the right, I took a glimpse of Mike. His body had leaned toward me. He was trying to prepare himself for the coming crash. The car was rushing left to right, coasting along the gravel like it was ice. Moments later, the front of my car crashed head-on into a tree.
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 heard a loud sound of my car hitting the tree.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Luckily enough, Mike and I were not so seriously hurt.
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