From the health point of view, we are living in a wonderful age, immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases and freed from the once deadly illnesses thanks to modern drugs and surgery. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater, every day we witness the unbelievable killings of men, women and children on the roads. It is a never-ending battle which man is losing against the car. Thousands of people the world over are killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a wheel. All their hidden frustrations and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles gently on the driver and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable（不宜居住的）because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the mass annual deaths becomes nothing but a number, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time rules were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety; present drinking and driving laws should be made much stricter; maximum and minimum speed limits should be required on all roads. These measures may sound strict. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual loss of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not cars.
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On July 8, 2017, eight members of a family in total, were enjoying an evening together at the beach in Panhandle, Florida. As the sun sank lower on the horizon, the two boys Noah, 11, and Stephen, 8 swam into the waves without the grown-ups noticing. Soon they realized that the ocean had pulled them into the sea. After trying and failing to swim back, they started waving and screaming for help. But the lifeguards had been off duty for the evening.
The boys had been struggling for several minutes when Jacky and Tabatha, a couple from Georgia, heard them. They dived into the water and soon reached the two brothers. But after a few minutes, they were all trapped in a rip current (离岸流) — a powerful one that could sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea! By then, some teenagers had heard the cry. One of the teens rushed into the water, grabbed Jacky, and pulled him back to shore. Meanwhile, Tabatha could feel herself being pulled farther out. She was already exhausted and beginning to feel desperate as she was trying to save both boys alone.
Onshore, Jacky was terrified. A man stopped. ''What’s wrong?'' asked Shaun, who was heading back to his car. ''My wife is drowning!'' Brittany said. Shaun immediately strode (大步跨) into the water. But several minutes later, a gaping 15 feet still lay between him and Tabatha and the boys. He knew that if he continued, he'd become another victim. He turned around to seek help.
It was about that time that Roberta, the boys' mother, returned from the bathroom and looked around for her children. She was shocked to spot them floating much farther out than they were allowed to go. She fought the waves to get to her screaming sons and the stranger who was trying to save them, but she quickly discovered it was nearly impossible to make headway in any direction. Looking around, Roberta sighed with relief to see some more people coming to help.
注意:
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.应使用5个以上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；
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When they tried in vain to rescue the brothers and Tabatha, a risky idea came to them.
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By then, more swimmers had also noticed the group in trouble and rushed to join the human chain.
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After study for hours, I went outside and up to the roof nearby for a break and watched people cwimming in the sea. It was a sunny day—a blue, cloudless sky over a calm sea. But then, as I looked in the distance. I discovered a series of three or four big waves heading towards the shore. I’d seen these mini-tsunamis (小型海啸)many times before. They were heading at speed in the direction of the swimming area. Most people knew to look out for them, but from the screams that started coming from the beach, I could tell someone was in trouble.
Without thinking, I ran down into the street, holding my bodvboard (冲浪板)on the way and shouted at a stranger to call the coastguard(海岸警卫).My neighbor Tom had heard the screaming as well and was also outside with his bodyboard, so togetlier we rushed to the steps that led down to the sea.
Once we got closer, we discovered the waves had pulled a boy and a girl into the open sea. I knew that the nearest boat would take at least 30 minutes to reach us. I wasn’t used to this sort of emergency—I’d never been trained as a lifeguard—but I didn’t think twice about trying to save them. I suppose in a way I wanted to impress everyone; at 19, a deal like that can seem like a good opportunity to show off.
Tom and I dived into the water and it took us 10 minutes to get to them. When we finally reached them, they were almost lifeless with only their heads coming in and out of the water. We could tell they were still alive from their small breaths but it was clear they wouldn't have been able to stay there much longer. I held the boy and pulled him over my board. Tom then moved the girl onto his board.
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We discussed pushing them back to the shore, but we were too far out.
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That night, word came from the hospital that the two kids were in good condition.
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