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(共176张PPT)
高考读后续写教材38篇
PRACTICE 1
The Meredith family lived in a small community. As the
economy was in decline, some people in the town had lost their jobs.
Many of their families were struggling to make ends meet. People
were trying to help each other meet the challenges.
Mrs. Meredith was a most kind and thoughtful woman. She spent
a great deal of time visiting the poor. She knew they had problems,
and they needed all kinds of help. When she had time, she would
bring food and medicine to them.
One morning she told her children about a family she had visited
the day before. There was a man sick in bed, his wife, who took
care of him and could not go out to work, and their little boy. The
little boy – his name was Bernard – had interested her very much.
“I wish you could see him,”she said to her own children, John,
Harry, and Clara.“He is such a help to his mother. He wants very
much to earn some money, but I don't see what he can do.”
After their mother left the room, the children sat thinking about
Bernard.“I wish we could help him to earn money.”said Clara.
“His family is suffering so much.”
“So do I,”said Harry.“We really should do something to assist them.”
For some moments, John said nothing, but, suddenly, he sprang
to his feet and cried,“I have a great idea! I have a solution that we
can all help accomplish (完成).”
The other children also jumped up all attention. When John had
an idea, it was sure to be a good one.“I tell you what we can
do,”said John.“You know that big box of corn Uncle John sent us
Well, we can make popcorn (爆米花), and put it into paper bags, and
Bernard can take it around to the houses and sell it.
SAMPLE WRITING
When Mrs. Meredith heard of John's idea, she thought it was a
good one, too. She nodded with a smile and encouraged the
children,“Lets get started”. Immediately, Clara volunteered to get the
big box of corn and prepared the microwave oven to make popcorn.
At the same time, John went to purchase some paper bags and
arranged all the stuff in place. Harry ran to Bernard's and dragged
him to the scene. After hearing the explanation, Bernard was
overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude. They can hardly wait.
Time went by swiftly, and the children laughed carrying out their
great“project”. Joy filled the yard and everyone's heart.
With everything ready, Bernard started out on his new business.
Carrying all the paper bags, he called out,“Popcorn! 50 cents for one
extra-large pack!”People started to gather around him, which drew
even more people. Everyone is ready to buy one pack to support him.
The air was rich with happiness and kindness. Within no time,
Bernard sold out all popcorn and earned quite some money. On
returning, he thanked the Meredith family with watery eyes. For Clara.
Harry and John, it was an unforgettable experience as well. It turned
out that their efforts not only helped a brother in need, but also gave
themselves the sweet taste of helping others.
PRACTICE 2
A Mother's Day Surprise
The twins were filled with excitement as they thought of the
surprise they were planning for Mother's Day. How pleased and proud
Mother would be when they brought her breakfast in bed. They
planned to make French toast and chicken porridge. They had watched
their mother in the kitchen. There was nothing to it. Jenna and Jeff
knew exactly what to do.
The big day came at last. The alarm rang at 6 a.m. The pair
went down the stairs quietly to the kitchen. They decided to boil the
porridge first. They put some rice into a pot of water and left it to
boil while they made the French toast. Jeff broke two eggs into a
plate and added in some milk. Jenna found the bread and put two
slices into the egg mixture. Next, Jeff turned on the second stove
burner to heat up the frying pan. Everything was going smoothly until
Jeff started frying the bread. The pan was too hot and the bread
turned black within seconds. Jenna threw the burnt piece into the sink
and put in the other slice of bread. This time, she turned down the
fire so it cooked nicely.
Then Jeff noticed steam shooting out of the pot and the lid
starting to shake. The next minute, the porridge boiled over and put
out the fire. Jenna panicked. Thankfully, Jeff stayed calm and turned
off the gas quickly. But the stove was a mess now. Jenna told Jeff to
clean it up so they could continue to cook the rest of the porridge.
But Jeff's hand touched the hot burner and he gave a cry of pain.
Jenna made him put his hand in cold water. Then she caught the
smell of burning. Oh dear! The piece of bread in the pan had turned
black as well.
SAMPLE WRITING
As the twins looked around them in disappointment, their father
appeared. He had been woken up by the noise in the kitchen and
decided to check what was happening. Seeing the chaotic scene before
him, he couldn't help but chuckle. He praised their efforts and
reminded them that mistakes did occur, especially when trying
something new. Together, they cleaned up the mess and started to
make up. With their father's guidance, the twins managed to finish the
breakfast, despite the not-so- perfectly-fried toast and the a-little-bit-
overdone porridge.
The twins carried the breakfast upstairs and woke their mother
up.“Happy Mother's Day, Dear mom!”they called out together.
Surprised to find her children standing before her with a tray full of
food, she immediately knew what was going on. As she saw the
slightly burnt toast, her heart was filled with pride, for she knew that
the twins must have put their hearts into this surprise. With gratitude,
she hugged them tightly and said,“My dear, your love and effort make
me feel so special. This is the best Mother's Day surprise!”
PRACTICE 3
Pumpkin (南瓜) carving at Halloween is a family tradition. We
visit a local farm every October. In the pumpkin field, I compete with
my three brothers and sister to seek out the biggest pumpkin. My dad
has a rule that we have to carry our pumpkins back home, and as the
eldest child I have an advantage – I carried an 85-pounder back last
year.
This year, it was hard to tell whether my prize or the one chose
by my 14-year-old brother, Jason, was the winner. Unfortunately, we
forgot to weigh them before taking out their insides, but I was
determined to prove my points. All of us were hard at work at the
kitchen table, with my mom filming the annual event. I'm unsure now
why I thought forcing my head inside the pumpkin would settle the
matter, but it seemed to make perfect sense at the time.
With the pumpkin resting on the table, hole uppermost, I bent
over and pressed my head against the opening. At first I got jammed
just above my eyes and then, as I went on with my task, unwilling
to quit, my nose briefly prevented entry. Finally I managed to put my
whole head into it, like a cork (软木塞) forced into a bottle. I was
able to straighten up with the huge pumpkin resting on my shoulders.
My excitement was short-lived. The pumpkin was heavy.
“I'm going to set it down, now,”I said, and with Jason helping to
support its weight, I bent back over the table to give it somewhere to
rest. It was only when I tried to remove my head that I realized
getting out was going to be less straightforward than getting in. When
I pulled hard, my nose got in the way. I got into a panic as I
pressed firmly against the table and moved my head around trying to
find the right angle, but it was no use.“I can't get it out!”I shouted,
my voice sounding unnaturally loud in the enclosed space.
SAMPLE WRITING
I was stuck for five or six minutes though it felt much longer.
How I wished I had not acted so foolishly, making myself a laughing
stock of my family! I could well imagine how they would look when
my head came out. Seeing my repeated efforts but in vain, Jason
darted out of the room and turned to Dad for help. Seeing me caught
in such a situation, Dad was unexpectedly surprised, but soon surprise
transformed into laughter. He tried many approaches , and eventually
managed to get my head out by carefully cutting the pumpkin open
with a knife. Just when I felt relieved to be freed from the pumpkin,
I suddenly found that Mom should be shooting all that happened to
me and would upload it online.
That video was posted the day before Halloween. It went viral
immediately. Just within hours, hundreds of likes and funny moments
appeared, showing their enthusiasm. Constant streams of curious
people even came by to take photos with us and my prized pumpkin.
Jason was really excited and Mom was glad that her video should
become such a hit and thus grew even crazier about shooting videos.
But for me, though a little embarrassed, I soon totally forgot
the“unforgettable” incident and set out for the trick-or-treating. I would
like to take it as a treat to add joy and fun to this festive Halloween
for everyone.
PRACTICE 4
My dad, George, only had an eighth grade education. A quiet
man, he didn't understand my world of school activities. From age 14,
he worked. And his dad, Albert, took the money my dad earned and
used it to pay family expenses.
I didn't really understand his world either: He was a livestock
trucker, and I thought that I would surpass (超过) anything he had
accomplished by the time I walked across the stage at high school
graduation.
Summers in the mid-70s were spent at home shooting baskets,
hitting a baseball, or throwing a football, preparing for my future as a
quarterback on a football team. In poor weather, I read about sports
or practiced my trombone (长号).
The summer before my eighth grade I was one of a group of
boys that a neighboring farmer hired to work in his field. He
explained our basic task, the tractor fired up and we were off, riding
down the field looking for weeds to spray with chemicals. After a
short way, the farmer stopped and pointed at a weed which we
missed. Then we began again. This happened over and over, but we
soon learned to identify different grasses like cockleburs, lamb's-
quarters, foxtails, and the king of weeds, the pretty purple thistle. It
was tiring work, but I looked forward to the pay, even though I
wasn't sure how much it would amount to.
At home, my dad said,“Ajob's a big step to growing up. I'm glad
you will be contributing to the household.”My dad's words made me
realize that my earnings might not be mine to do with as I wished.
My labors lasted about two weeks, and the farmer said there
might be more work, but I wasn't interested. I decided it was not fair
that I had to contribute my money.
SAMPLE WRITING
The pay arrived at last. Although the job was very tiring, I was
very happy in my heart for I got something from my work. The toil
of labor was forgotten for the time being. I thought I should have my
own money and planned how to spend it.“How much money have
you earned ”Dad asked. I was surprised, reluctant to say my income.
The next morning, my dad's livestock truck started running. I saw my
father's hard-working figure and thought of his words“Ajob's a big
step to growing up”.
I understood immediately what my parents were worried about.
They were worried that I was too selfish to give. I realized that my
labor was very hard, but my growth and our whole family had been
depending on the hard work of my parents! Dad never complained
about unfairness! He even seemed to think that was fair. I
thought,“I've only worked for two weeks, but how many years my
father has worked!”In the evening, Dad came back. I proudly took out
my own money and handed it to Dad.
PRACTICE 5
One fall, my wife Elli and I had a single goal: to photograph
polar bears. We were staying at a research camp outside
“the polar bear capital of the world”– the town of Churchill in
Manitoba,
Canada.
Taking pictures of polar bears is amazing but also dangerous.
Polar bears –like all wild animals – should be photographed from a
safe distance. When I'm face to face with a polar bear, I like it to be
through a camera with a telephoto lens. But sometimes, that is easier
said than done. This was one of those times.
As Elli and I cooked dinner, a young male polar bear who was
playing in a nearby lake sniffed, and smelled our garlic bread.
The hungry bear followed his nose to our camp, which was
surrounded by a high wire fence. He pulled and bit the wire. He
stood on his back legs and pushed at the wooden fence posts.
Terrified, Elli and I tried all the bear defense actions we knew.
We yelled at the bear, hit pots hard, and fired blank shotgun shells
into the air. Sometimes loud noises like these will scare bears off.
Not this polar bear though – he just kept trying to tear down the
fence with his massive paws (爪 子).
I radioed the camp manager for help. He told me a helicopter
was on its way, but it would be 30 minutes before it arrived. Making
the best of this close encounter (相遇), I took some pictures of the
bear.
Elli and I feared the fence wouldn't last through 30 more minutes
of the bear's punishment. The camp manager suggested I use pepper
spray. The spray burns the bears'eyes but doesn't hurt them. So I
approached our uninvited guest slowly and, through the fence, sprayed
him in the face. With an angry roar (吼叫), the bear ran to the lake
to wash his eyes.
SAMPLE WRITING
A few minutes later, the bear headed back to our camp. Roars
and screams pierced the silence with needle-like shrillness. The noises
turned Elli and I pale with horror. I feared that the giant would
destroy our whole fence. He roared repeatedly, shattering what was
left of the silence. Elli seized this opportunity to take some pictures
of the bear. The animal's noises echoed all around us. We betrayed
our feelings by huddling together, shivering with fear. After thoroughly
scrutinizing the area, he trotted forward a few steps.
At that very moment, the helicopter arrived. My heart leaped
with joy as I knew we were likely to be saved. Elli used pepper
spray again to buy us enough time. But this time the bear became
more alert. He regarded us with the merciless necessity of hunger, so
we throw all the food we have. He then turned away and started
devouring. As we were climbing the rope ladder, Elli prayed like
thousand times to show thankfulness of being safe and sound.
PRACTICE 6
“I'm going to miss you so much, Poppy,”said the tall, thin
teenager. He bent down to hug his old friend goodbye.
He stood up, hugged his parents, and smiled, trying not to let his
emotions (情绪) get the better of him.
His parents were not quite able to keep theirs under control.
They had driven their son several hours out of town to the university
where he would soon be living and studying. It was time to say
goodbye for now at least. The family hugged and smiled through
misty eyes and then laughed.
The boy lifted the last bag onto his shoulder, and flashed a
bright smile.“I guess this is it,”he said.“I'll see you back home in a
month, okay ”His parents nodded, and they watched as he walked out
of sight into the crowds of hundreds of students and parents. The
boy's mother turned to the dog,“Okay, Poppy, time to go back home.”
The house seemed quiet as a tomb without the boy living there.
All that week, Poppy didn't seem interested in her dinner, her favorite
toy, or even in her daily walk. Her owners were sad too, but they
knew their son would be back to visit. Poppy didn't.
They offered the dog some of her favorite peanut butter treats.
They even let her sit on the sofa, but the old girl just wasn't her
usual cheerful self. Her owners started to get worried.“What should
we do to cheer Poppy up ”asked Dad.“We've tried everything.”
“I have an idea, but it might be a little crazy,”smiled
Mom.“Without anybody left in the house but us, this place could use
a bit of fun. Let's get a little dog for Poppy.”
It didn't take long before they walked through the front door
carrying a big box. Poppy welcomed them home as usual, but when
she saw the box, she stopped. She put her nose on it. Her tail began
wagging (摆动) ever so slowly, then faster as she caught the smell.
SAMPLE WRITING
Dad put the box on the ground and opened the top. A shiny
little wet nose popped up. Then two fluffy paws. Next the box tipped
over sideways, and out tumbled a mass of wiggly golden silliness.
Poppy was amazed. She wagged furiously. She barked with joy. She
smiled, her tongue lolling out as she investigated the surprise. The
little pup was not shy and immediately starting yipping and jumping
around the older dog.“That didn't take long,”remarked Mom, as both
dogs went roaring around the house in an impromptu game of chase.
Dad laughed.
A few weeks later, the boy arrived home from university. He had
missed Poppy and was looking forward to seeing her. When he bent
down to give her a big hug, he fell over in surprise as a small
golden cloud came racing up to lick his face too.“Oh my gosh, who
is this ”he exclaimed. His parents laughed at the look of shock on his
face.“That's Pee-wee,”said Dad.“I can't believe you got yourselves a
puppy!”“We didn't,”replied Mom.“This puppy is for Poppy!”
PRACTICE 7
It was summer, and my dad wanted to treat me to a vacation
like never before. He decided to take me on a trip to the Wild West.
We took a plane to Albuquerque, a big city in the state of New
Mexico. We reached Albuquerque in the late afternoon. Uncle Paul,
my dad's friend, picked us up from the airport and drove us up to
his farm in Pecos.
His wife Tina cooked us a delicious dinner and we got to know
his sons Ryan and Kyle. My dad and I spent the night in the
guestroom of the farm house listening to the frogs and water rolling
down the river nearby. Very early in the morning, Uncle Paul woke
us up to have breakfast.“The day starts at dawn on my farm,”he said.
After breakfast, I went to help Aunt Tina feed the chickens, while my
dad went with Uncle Paul to take the sheep out to graze (吃草). I
was impressed to see my dad and Uncle Paul riding horses. They
looked really cool.
In the afternoon, I asked Uncle Paul if I could take a horse ride,
and he said yes, as long as my dad went with me. I wasn't going to
take a horse ride by myself anyway. So, my dad and I put on our
new cowboy hats, got on our horses, and headed slowly towards the
mountains.“Don't be late for supper,”Uncle Paul cried,“and keep to the
track so that you don't get lost!”“OK!”my dad cried back. After a
while Uncle Paul and his farm house were out of sight. It was so
peaceful and quiet and the colors of the brown rocks, the deep green
pine trees, and the late afternoon sun mixed to create a magic scene.
It looked like a beautiful woven (编织的) blanket spread out upon the
ground just for us.
SAMPLE WRITING
Suddenly a little rabbit jumped out in front of my horse. My
horse turned to the left to avoid the little rabbit as I held on tightly
and tried not to fall. Then my dad turned around and shouted,
“Hold on!”All of a sudden the horse began to run. My dad tried to
keep up behind us. For a few minutes my horse slowed down to a
trot and then stopped beside a river. I looked around and realized that
we were way off the track.
We had no idea where we were and it got dark. Luckily the
stars came out and gave us a little light when we were looking for
the way to the farm house. After what must have been several hours,
we suddenly heard the sound of sheep in the distance. My dad and I
both rode our horses towards the sound of the sheep. As we got
closer we saw Uncle Paul with a flashlight waving us over. What a
night!
PRACTICE 8
A Vacation with My Mother
I had an interesting childhood. It was filled with surprises and
amusements, all because of my mother – loving, sweet, yet absent-
minded and forgetful. One strange family trip we took when I was
eleven tells a lot about her.
My two sets of grandparents lived in Colorado and North Dakota,
and my parents decided to spend a few weeks driving to those states
and seeing all the sights along the way. As the first day of our trip
approached, David, my eight-year-old brother, and I unwillingly said
good-bye to all of our friends. Who knew if we'd ever see them
again Finally, the moment of our departure arrived, and we loaded
suitcases, books, games, camping equipment, and a tent into the car
and bravely drove off. We bravely drove off again two hours later
after we'd returned home to get the purse and traveler's checks Mom
had forgotten.
David and I were always a little nervous when using gas station
bathrooms if Mom was driving while Dad slept:“You stand outside the
door and play lookout (放哨) while I go, and I'll stand outside the
door and play lookout while you go.”I had terrible pictures in my
mind:“Honey, where are the kids ”“What ! Oh, Gosh… I thought they
were being awfully quiet.”We were never actually left behind in a
strange city, but we weren't about to take any chances.
On the fourth or fifth night, we had trouble finding a hotel with
a vacancy. After driving in vain for some time, Mom suddenly got a
great idea: Why didn't we find a house with a likely-looking backyard
and ask if we could set up tent there David and I became nervous.
To our great relief, Dad turned down the idea. Mom never could
understand our objections (反对). If a strange family showed up on
her front doorstep, Mom would have been delighted. She thinks
everyone in the world is as nice as she is. We finally found a
vacancy in the next town.
SAMPLE WRITING
The next day we remembered the brand-new tent we had brought
with us. Thinking of this tent, Mom suggested that we go camping in
the next village in excitement, with her eyes glittering. Considering
her enthusiasm, we all agreed. When the door of our car opened,
Mom stormed out instantly and urged us to put up the tent. David
and I were asked to pick up some branches to build a fire. And
when we came back, Dad and Mom had already lain down the grass
comfortably in front of the tent, talking merrily with a local boy at
our age, who kept glancing at this tent curiously. Soon we learnt that
the boy in rags even didn't have a home to live in. Of course,
Mom“forgot”to take this tent with us again.
We drove through several states and saw lots of great sights
along the way. And we also had a nice time living with my
grandparents during that trip. But what impressed me most was that
tent, which was forgotten deliberately by Mom. Though she did love
going camping, she presented that poor boy with this tent out of
sympathy. It was Mom that made my childhood colorful. And it was
also she that showed me the true meaning of giving.
PRACTICE 9
On a bright, warm July afternoon, Mac Hollan, a primary school
teacher, was cycling from his home to Alaska with his friends. One
of his friends had stopped to make a bicycle repair, but they had
encouraged Mac to carry on, and they would catch up with him soon.
As Mac pedaled (骑行) along alone, he thought fondly of his wife
and two young daughters at home. He hoped to show them this
beautiful place someday.
Then Mac heard quick and loud breathing behind him.
“Man, that's a big dog!”he thought. But when he looked to the side,
he saw instantly that it wasn't a dog at all, but a wolf, quickly
catching up with him.
Mac's heart jumped. He found out his can of hear spray. With
one hand on the bars, he fired the spray at the wolf. A bright red
cloud enveloped the animal, and to Mac's relief, it fell back, shaking
its head. But a minute later, it was by his side again. Then it
attacked the back of Mac's bike, tearing open his tent bag. He fired
at the wolf a second time, and again, it fell back only to quickly
restart the chase (追赶).
Mac was pedaling hard now. He waved and yelled at passing
cars but was careful not to show down. He saw a steep uphill climb
before him. He knew that once he hit the hill, he'd be easy caught
up and the wolf's teeth would be tearing into his flesh.
At this moment, Paul and Beeky were driving their car on their
way to Alaska. They didn't think much of it when they saw two
cyclists repairing their bike on the side of the road. A bit later, they
spotted what they, too, assumed was a dog running alongside a man
on a bike. As they got closer, they realized that the dog was a wolf.
Mac heard a large vehicle behind him. He pulled in front of it as the
wolf was catching up fast, just a dozen yards away now.
SAMPLE WRITING
The car abruptly stopped in front of him. Paul and Becky got
out of the car immediately to give the help. With nothing on the
hand, they didn't dare to fight against the wolf. However, they still
approached to the wolf bravely. At the same time, the wolf also
noticed them and turned its head back, howling angrily towards Paul
and Becky. Mac then jumped off the bicycle and was ready to fight
against the wolf. Then came the deadlock.
A few minutes later, the other two cyclists arrived. They found
the dangerous situation, where three men circled the wolf. Mac's
friends also jumped off their bicycles and joined the fight with the
wolf. More and more cars stopped. Some drivers took out the sticks
from the cars, and some took out the knives, even the guns towards
the wolf. In the meanwhile, the wolf might feel the people's threats
around, so it began to step back slowly. Soon, it ran away off the
road and disappeared in the distance.
PRACTICE 10
One weekend in July, Jane and her husband, Tom, had driven
three hours to camp overnight by a lake in the forest. Unfortunately,
on the way an unpleasant subject came up and they started to quarrel.
By the time they reached the lake, Jane was so angry that she said to
Tom.“I'm going to find a better spot for us to camp”and walked away.
With no path to follow, Jane just walked on for quite a long
time. After she had climbed to a high place, she turned around,
hoping to see the lake. To her surprise, she saw nothing but forest
and, far beyond, a snowcapped mountain top. She suddenly realized
that she was lost.
“Tom! ”she cried.“Help!”
No reply. If only she had not left her mobile phone in that bag
with Tom. Jane kept moving, but the farther she walked, the more
confused she became. As night was beginning to fall, Jane was so
tired that she had to stop for the night. Lying awake in the dark,
Jane wanted very much to be with Tom and her family. She wanted
to hold him and tell him how much she loved him.
Jane rose at the break of day, hungry and thirsty. She could hear
water trickling (滴落) somewhere at a distance. Quickly she followed
the sound to a stream. To her great joy, she also saw some berry
bushes. She drank and ate a few berries. Never in her life had she
tasted anything better. Feeling stronger now, Jane began to walk along
the stream and hope it would lead her to the lake.
As she picked her way carefully along the stream, Jane heard a
helicopter. Is that for me Unfortunately, the trees made it impossible
for people to see her from above. A few minutes later, another
helicopter flew overhead. Jane took off her yellow blouse, thinking
that she should go to an open area and flag them if they came back
again.
SAMPLE WRITING
But no more helicopters came and it was getting dark again. Jane
had to stay alone in the forest for another cold night.
Although she felt a little sad, she didn't get fearful. She thought about
Tom. “He must have called for those helicopters. Maybe he was in
one of them and will come back again! I have to guide him
tomorrow.”She fell asleep and dreamed of seeing Tom.
It was day break when Jane woke up. She ate some berries and
then walked along the stream, hoping to find a suitable place to guide
the helicopter. Fortunately, she saw a huge flat rock in an open area
at a distance. She rushed to the rock, climbed onto it and waited. To
her great joy, the helicopter appeared again. The nearer it got, the
more she flagged the yellow blouse. Luckily, the helicopter didn't miss
Jane this time and it landed near the big rock slowly. Tom jumped
off the helicopter and ran towards Jane. She broke down and burst
into tears.
PRACTICE 11
Walking across campus with every pair of eyes on you can be
embarrassing, especially when you're 13 years old. I looked around
me in desperate search of a friendly face, a smile, anything. I was
quite disappointed, to say the least. And I, in turn, felt somewhat
foolish, walking across campus with a false smile on my face. I was
simply attempting to follow the advice my mother had given me years
before: when things get awkward, smile. No matter where you are, a
smile will always be understood. A smile is universal. At that very
moment, however, I felt my mother's advice didn't work.
On top of it all, my mind was racing with questions and
concerns typical of any 13-year-old on the first day of school: where
would I sit at lunch Who would I talk to Not to mention, how
would I make friends when I didn't even speak the language My
heartbeat quickened, and I felt nervous. Still, I did my best to
maintain calm so as not to let my guard down and reveal to others
just how scared I truly was.
When the teacher introduced me to the class as the
“American girl”, 10 sets of hands immediately shot up. Some students
had questions, others wanted to practice their English with me.
Because I didn't speak much Chinese yet, I communicated with the
other students through hand motions mixed in with broken English
and Chinese. Despite the attention, I wasn't sure how much of it was
positive. It was almost as if they weren't sure what to make of me
and I was being examined. Then again, who could blame them After
all, I was the first American ever to attend the school. So essentially,
we were all first timers.
SAMPLE WRITING
Then came the first class – Chinese painting. To tell the truth, I
made every last bit of effort to catch up with the teacher's words, but
still couldn't understand what he was instructing at all. Then all the
students were required to finish a piece of work on their own. Seeing
those strange drawing tools and the blank paper on the desk, I felt
really stressed because I had no idea where to start, also afraid of
others laughing at my weakness.
As I burnt with great embarrassment, Li Hua, who was next to
me, gave me a warm smile. He seemed to understand my awkward
situation, so he turned to me and carefully explained what I should
do with fluent English. With his patient guidance, I managed to finish
my first Chinese painting! Simple as it was, the teacher praised my
work in front of the class. I did my best not to show pleasure, but
joy danced all the way to my heart, for I knew this would be a
wonderful beginning of a new school life, just starting with that warm
and friendly smile.
PRACTICE 12
When my daughters reached the third and fourth grades, I
occasionally allowed them to walk to and from school alone if the
weather permitted. One warm spring day, a little dog followed them
home after school. It had short legs and long lovely ears, with a
fawn-colored coat. It was the cutest dog I had ever seen and the girls
begged me to keep it.
The dog was barely twelve weeks old. It had no collar or
identifying marks of any sort. I didn't know what to do. I thought
about running an advertisement in the lost-and-found but I really
didn't want to. It would break the kids'hearts if someone should show
up. Besides, its owners should have watched it more closely.
By the end of the week the dog was part of our family. It was
very intelligent and good with the girls. The following week
something told me to check the lost-and-found section in the local
paper. One particular advertisement jumped out at me and my heart
pounded with fear at what I read. Someone was begging for the
return of a lost dog in the neighborhood of our grade school. They
sounded desperate. My hand shook. I couldn't bring myself to pick up
the phone.
Instead, I pretended I hadn't seen the advertisement. I quickly put
the paper away in the drawer and continued with my dusting. I never
said a word about it to the kids or my husband.
By now we had named the dog. It looked like a Molly, so that
was what we called it. It followed the girls everywhere they went.
When they went outside, it was one step behind them. When they did
housework, it was there to lend a hand.
There was only one problem with this otherwise perfect picture:
my conscience (良心) was bothering me. I knew in my heart I had to
“Can you cook ”
“I can cook.”I lied.
I hurried back to the room feeling very nervous. In my thief
career, it was the first time I returned something I had stolen. I
I wrapped the scarf around David's neck. His eyes widened with
joy and his face lit up like a Christmas tree.“Thank you, Mom”, he
call that number and see if our Molly was the dog they were
desperately seeking. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done.
SAMPLE WRITING
With mixed feelings, I finally picked up the phone. How I wish
there would be no one to answer, or someone would just say the dog
had already been found. But none of these happened. On the other
end was a voice of a middle-aged woman, who listened to my
description of the dog and immediately offered to come over. During
the conversation, Molly sat quietly at my side, rubbing my waist with
“Ifyou can cook, then I can feed you.”
The meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because
Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to
be off. But I just hung around smiling in my most appealing way,
and he couldn't help laughing.
Later he patted me on the head and said never mind, he'd teach
me to cook. He also taught me to write
my name and said he would soon teach me to write whole sentences
and to add numbers. I was grateful. I knew that once I could write
opened the door quietly. With the moonlight through the window, I
could see Anil was still sleeping. I crept up to the bed and slid my
hand under the mattress again. The room was deadly silent as if I
could hear his breath. I bit my lip and put the notes back, feeling his
gentle eyes were staring at me all the time, but he didn't.
I awoke late next morning to find that Anil had already made
the tea. He asked me to sit across the table and handed me a white
envelope. To my surprise, there was a $20 note in it. “This is your
weekly wage,”he voice echoed in my head, “Now you are a decent
gave me a big hug and kissed me on the cheek,“This is the best
Christmas gift I've ever received!”Then he couldn't wait to go outside
and show off his new scarf. I was relieved and satisfied, not just
because I finished my project, but because I was truly able to bring
happiness to the children in such depressing times.
Later that day David came back saying Jane also deserved a
scarf. He seemed to bear something in mind but was hesitated to
speak out, so I encouraged him to share his thought with me.
“Can I give this scarf to Jane She really needs it.”he murmured. I
its tiny warm body. It was only less than 30 minutes before the
doorbell rang, but to me it seemed to last a century. I opened the
door and my worry was standing right in front of me.
I asked the woman to come in and she quickly bent over and
hugged Molly tightly. The dog hesitated for a second, then it started
wagging its tail and barking excitedly as if it had recognized someone
familiar. My heart sank. It was just like my worst nightmare coming
into reality that Molly did belong to that woman. She offered to give
me some cash as a reward, but I refused. Actually I would very
man with a formal job.”I raised my head and met his easy-going,
kind and simple look in the eyes. At that moment, something buried
deeply in my heart awoke. I tried to say some words, but I
failed.“Finish your breakfast and we will begin today's class,”he said.
PRACTICE 14
I am a proud mother of three children, my last little one being
delivered in the middle of this pandemic. She was born in August
and her name is Aida.
nodded to him and told him I was very proud to have a boy like
him who truly cared for others. Getting my approval, David excitedly
rushed out to find Jane, while I picked up the stitches and yarn
again.“Three scarves to go,”I thought, feeling a warmth inside.
PRACTICE 15
One evening he came home with a small bundle of notes, saying
he had just sold a book to a publisher. At night, I saw him put the
money under the mattress (床垫).
It's time I did some real work, I told myself. After all, he doesn't
even pay me.
Anil was asleep. I crept up to the bed. Anil was sleeping
peacefully. My hand slid under the mattress, searching for the notes.
When I found them, I drew them out without a sound. Anil sighed in
Shortly after having Aida, my mother-in-law Ann showed me
something she learned from her friend's mother in an art class she
attended weekly. She had showed me how to knit (编织) a scarf. She
showed me stitches (针) and gave me her half done project.
I spent a lot of time breastfeeding my sweet little girl, so I had
some extra time to do something with my hands throughout the day. I
enjoyed making the scarf so I purchased tons of yarn (线) since it
was winter. I wanted to make scarves for my three children as
Christmas gifts.
much like to pay a good sum of money to keep Molly instead. The
woman appreciated once again and took Molly away, leaving me
alone in this empty and unfamiliar house.
PRACTICE 13
I was still a thief when I met Anil. And though only 15, I was
an experienced and fairly successful hand.
his sleep and turned on his side, towards me. I was frightened and
quickly crawled out of the room.
I began to run, holding the notes by the string of my pajamas
(睡衣). But I slowed down and sat down in the shelter of the clock
tower. I should go back to Anil, I told myself, if only to learn to
read and write.
SAMPLE WRITING
There was a new family that moved in down the street. The only
daughter of the family was Jane, a shy girl, aged 14, the same age of
my oldest son David. It seemed that she came from a financially
disadvantaged family, for she always wore old clothes. Worse still, in
such cold days, she had no more clothes to wear and trembled with
cold.
Due to the pandemic, society was thrown into crisis mode.
Schools were closed, food supplies and deliveries were suspended and
children were stuck at home. In such discouraging times, however,
Anil was about 25 – a tall, thin fellow – and he looked easy-
going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I might be able to
get into his confidence.
I gave him my most appealing smile.“I want to work for you.”I said.
“But I can't pay you.”
Perhaps I had misjudged the man. I asked,“Can you feed me ”
they became good companions, talking and playing at home or around
the houses.
It was dreadfully cold this winter. Every time David came back
from outside, with red face, he always cried,“Mum, it is freezing
outside!”Then, he came over to see whether I finished the scarf. I
could tell how impatient he was to wear my scarf sooner! I had to
speed the project to satisfy his expectation. But David comforted me
saying he could wait a few days. What a kind and considerate boy he
was! Then my great art project finally was accomplished on the
morning ahead of Christmas.
SAMPLE WRITING
Aram and Rossi's Bakery
Walking along the narrow brick sidewalk, Aram took a deep
breath. The air smelled of lemons and baked bread and coffee,
coming from Rossi's Italian Bakery. He was almost there.
Aram still couldn't believe his luck. All his friends were working
boring summer jobs – waiting tables and babysitting. And here he
was, about to start as an actual baker's assistant, doing what he loved.
It was all thanks to his Aunt Rita. She knew Mrs. Rossi and had
arranged everything. It was the perfect experience for his future career.
Rossi's Bakery, he was sure, would one day be known as the place
where he got his start.
Ah, here he was – the bakery. A faded wooden sign over the
door read“Rossi's Bakery.”Aram straightened his shoulders and entered.
Mrs. Rossi was sitting at the counter, looking old and wise. Aram
greeted her and stuck out his hand. Mrs. Rossi looked at it for a
second before turning around and waving him inside.“I'm ready to
learn everything,”Aram said.
“Great. Let's start with the cash register,”Mrs. Rossi said,
“because that's what you'll be doing.” She showed him how to use
the cash register. It wasn't hard. The pastry trays were all marked by
price, and there weren't that many choices anyway.“That's it ”Aram
said, his heart sinking.“But when do we bake ”
“Bake I order wholesale now. No more baking. I'm too
old.”Then Mrs. Rossi silently held up her hands. Aram took in her
knotted, swollen fingers, and he understood. A wave of disappointment
struck him. Sadness overwhelmed him so suddenly that he couldn't
think of a word to say.
He sighed, and Mrs. Rossi sighed, too.“I used to bake it all.
Bread and cakes. And no one did it better than me. But that was
when these things worked,”said Mrs. Rossi holding up her hands once
more and glancing across the shelves filled with empty bottles labelled
with names of the various ingredients (配料) she once
used. Suddenly she came alive, waving her arthritic (关节炎的) hands.
“People used to line up around the corner. Everyone wanted my
baked bread.”
SAMPLE WRITING
Then a thought occurred to Aram that he could ask Mrs. Rossi
to teach him.“Dear Mrs. Rossi,” his eyes shone like the stars in the
night sky,“I love bakery from my childhood and it's my dream to
provide delicious bread and cakes for others. When people are in a
bad mood, I believe tasty food can bring them happiness, and I want
to become that person who spread joy through my own efforts! Please
teach me!”Mrs. Rossi raised her eyebrows and carefully measured the
young man, who stood nervously waiting for her answer.
Mrs. Rossi finally said,“Let's buy the ingredients first.”For Aram,
it was a weight off his mind. In the following days, Aram ordered all
the necessary ingredients online and the empty bottles on the shelves
were refilled. With Mrs. Rossi's guidance, Aram's baking skills
improved day by day. Old customers started to come back, and the
faded bakery seemed to regain its life. Sometimes Mrs. Rossi would
sit in an armchair outside and greeted people under the new wooden
sign, which now read“Aram and Rossi's Bakery”.
PRACTICE 16
The average present merely satisfies a temporary desire; the great
one becomes more precious with time going by.
When I was a boy of fourteen, I needed to have 80 hours of
community service per year and I used to take care of Mrs. Long's
garden, which was near the Presbyterian Church. As a junior high
school student, I devoted myself to it. sweeping the fallen leaves and
mowing the lawn (修剪草坪). There I learnt how to cut away dry
branches and even helped to plant a sapling (小树苗). Tired as I was
every time I finished my work, I did enjoy the time there for
learning something new. I clearly remembered that Mrs. Long, a nice
and caring elder, always treated me to delicious meals and drinks. She
also loved taking photos, always with an old camera in hand. It was
said that the camera was passed down from her father and she
cherished it a lot.
Several days before Christmas, she whispered to me,
“When Christmas comes, I shall have a present for you.”I spent much
time wondering what it would be. The boys I played with had
baseball gloves, ice skates and bicycles, and I was so eager to acquire
any one of these that I convinced myself that she intended to choose
from among them. But at the same time, I had some doubts whether
she would buy me such things because she was not that well-off.
The day before Christmas, I went there as before. With the work
done, I was going to leave when she pulled me aside.“Kid, wait for a
minute,”she said, leading me into her living room. She seated me on
a chair, went to another room, and in a moment stood before me
holding a small package that under no circumstances could hold a
bicycle or a pair of skates or even a baseball glove. It weighed
almost nothing.
SAMPLE WRITING
I took the package with disappointment. It was such a small
package that couldn't contain any my dream present. So I attempted to
mask my depression, and conveyed my wishes on Christmas to her.
Apparently, I left ahead of schedule and turning for fun with my
friends, ignoring the existence of the present. To my disappointment,
all my friends were showing off the presents they had received, which
made me felt a little envious, driving me rushed to the corner to see
what would inside the package on earth.
Opening the package, I was totally astonished. There are several
photos in it, recording many scenes when I was working for the
garden. Mrs. Long always focused on me, expressing her love to me
through these meaningful photos! Looking back to myself, I just kept
thinking of some temporary desires, overlooking such a sincere love in
the near distance. Out of regret, I said farewell to my friends and
dashed to Mrs. Long's garden. To my surprise, she seemed as if she
knew I would come in advance, throwing a sweet glance to me. Just
at the moment, I came to realize that small package was so precious
that couldn't be weighed by anything.
PRACTICE 17
Joyce is in the fourth grade and he joined the noisy children of
his class as usual.“Children! Silence!”Mangat Madam suddenly entered
the class. She announced next week would be math week.
“I'd like each of you to work on a project. You could do it
individually or in a group.”she instructed. “The topic for the project
needs approving tomorrow and it has to be displayed at the math
week exhibition. The best project will be awarded and there is also a
surprise gift from my side,”she added.
Joyce, who is extremely good at math, sat in the corner seat of
the first bench with Karan, an average. Karan asked Joyce if they
could work on the math project together. Joyce replied in a prideful
tone,“Ha-ha you want to join me. I think I will do the project on my
own.”Joyce wanted to get awarded and the surprise gift all for himself
from Mangat Madam.
After deep consideration, Joyce decided to work on a math magic
quiz on the circuit board. The next day in school, Mangat Madam
arrived in the classroom and all the children submitted their topics for
math exhibition. They all chose to work in a group except Joyce. In
the following days, Joyce gathered all the materials for the project
such as wires, bulbs (灯泡), a switch and a thin plywood board
(胶合板). He worked at a few mathematical basic operations to be
fixed on the board so that when the wire of the circuit touched the
right answer, the bulb glowed. Joyce completed the project and was
happy with the result.
The evening before the exhibition, while packing his school hags,
Joyce again checked the project to see if it was working fine. Alas!
All the lights the were to glow did not seem to light at all. Without
finding the reason, Joyce was tensed. However, he decided to take the
same project to the school as he couldn't change the topic at the last
minute. Then came the next day, and everybody was fascinated in the
exhibition.
SAMPLE WRITING
It was Joyce's turn to display his project. With butterflies in his
stomach, Joyce turned on the switch. The bulbs blinked for seconds
and then didn't light at all. The audience was in silence, for this was
the first failed project displayed. Joyce's spirits sank, cheeks burning
with embarrassment. In an attempt to ease the awkward atmosphere,
Mangat Madam advised him to wait until later and introduced the
next team. So Joyce had to step off the stage, down in the dump.
Finally, the teacher announced Karan's team was the winner. On
the stage, Mangat Madam awarded everyone in Karan's team with a
champion cup. All the team member swelled their chest while
accepting the surprise gift. After the exhibition, Joyce came up to
Karan and apologized for his prideful attitude towards him that day.
To Joyce's surprise, Karan seemed quite modest and credited all the
success to his team. From that day on, Joyce learnt a lesson:
Teamwork and modesty matter no matter how excellent one individual
is.
PRACTICE 18
Bird Song
“Let it go!”Caroline yelled. Two boys were bending over a bird,
as a third one held the poor creature roughly by its wings.“You'll hurt
it.”Caroline looked fearful for the bird.
“That's the point.”The boys laughed. The tallest stood up and
glared at Caroline.“Here, catch this!”He said as he sailed the now
broken-winged bird at Caroline. The poor creature cried in pain, as its
wings had been badly damaged. The boys ran off, laughing at their
handy work.
Caroline bent down to carefully pick up the bird. The poor
feathered soul was wriggling (扭 动) about, with a fearful look in its
eyes.“Don't worry,”Caroline whispered softly. She took a handkerchief
from her pocket and gently placed the bird on it.
Caroline walked as quickly as she could back to her house,
careful not to shake the bird around too much. She found a shoe box,
filled it with soft cotton balls and then laid the bird down in its new
resting place.
“Let me get you some water and food. That's the least I can
do.”She took a tiny saucer from the kitchen, filled it with water, and
placed it in a corner of the box. She managed to find some sunflower
seeds, as that was the only bird-friendly food she could think of.
Caroline was worried. She didn't want the bird to die. The poor bird
was now fast asleep, no doubt tired out from its earlier suffering.
“Please don't die.”Caroline whispered tearfully.
If there was anyone whom she could turn to, it would be Mr.
Roberts. Mr. Roberts was working at the nature museum. He had bird
feeders throughout his yard, and sometimes would drop in her science
class at school. Caroline never knew there was so much information
about birds, until hearing him speak. She figured he would know
what to do.
SAMPLE WRITING
Caroline called Mr. Roberts and hurriedly told him her tale. After
acknowledging her efforts, Mr. Roberts inquired the bird's condition
and offered a solution.“Don't worry. I will contact the bird rescue.
They can pick your little friend tomorrow morning. The bird is
fortunate to meet you. I am sure she will make it and come back to
life again.”After hanging up, Caroline was greatly relieved. She
checked the sleeping bird again and again, praying it would survive
the night.
In the morning, the Blackwell Bird Rescue Society called,
informing a car would come to pick up the bird at 10 am. Caroline
checked the bird again, who now opened its eyes and shivered in
weakness.“It's time to say goodbye,”Caroline whispered.“Hopefully,
these good people can help you get better, so you can fly away. My
name is Caroline. I hope you don't forget me.”Around 10 o'clock, a
friendly lady from the rescue visited her house and collected the bird.
Days later, Caroline received a short video from Mr. Roberts, in
which the bird was practicing its broken wings and singing songs
lively.“You are welcome,”she smiled.
PRACTICE 19
My family moved in a small house in Brighton, Colorado on my
seventh birthday. My first memory is our neighbor Bill, an old man,
handing me strawberries from his garden through a hole in the chain-
link (铁丝网) fence.“We need to make the hole bigger,”he said
jokingly. Later I knew that he lived alone.
Bill spent much time working in the garden, and I was always
talking to him from our yard. I was a chatterbox. I think what drew
me to Bill is that he never got tired of listening to me. I also think
Bill saw a lot of himself in me – we were both lonely and anxious –
and that may be why he always took the time to listen to me. It was
a wonderful connection.
There weren't any kids of my age in the neighborhood, and my
parents were very busy, so I mostly played in the yard with my dog.
I had a lot of imaginary friends – a whole family, actually, with a
wife, children, a best friend no joke. Weird kid.
One day, my parents asked Bill whether he'd watch me while
they were away on business. This worked well for everyone, so it
became a somewhat monthly occurrence. Bill had a spare room in his
house, which became“my”room.
Bill promised to teach me to drive the lawn tractor (割草机)
someday and I was always looking forward to it. In winter, Bill
would attach a snowplow (铲雪机) to the front of the lawn tractor. I
seriously told him that I would invent a better snowplow when I
grew up.“Sure you will. You'll get a patent certificate. It takes a
certificate to prove an important thing,”Bill said with a smile.
One snowy morning, an idea suddenly hit me. My parents were
watching TV when I spit it out, “What if I adopted Bill as my
grandpa ”My parents said I could go over and ask him.
SAMPLE WRITING
I knocked on his door, sat down in his living room, and
asked,“Can I adopt you as my grandpa ”Bill widened up his eyes and
quickly a broad smile flashed across his face. He replied
amusedly,“It's my pleasure, but you can only adopt someone younger
when you grow up.”I sat there with my face flushing, for I realized I
totally misunderstood the meaning of the word“adopt”. Seeing me
dropping my head, Bill told me he finally decided to teach me how
to drive his lawn tractor tomorrow. This message cheered me up a bit.
The next morning, while learning to drive the lawn tractor with a
snowplow, I accidentally plowed down our chain-link fence. As I
jumped off the tractor and checked it, it suddenly dawned on me that
maybe I could“adopt”Bill in a new way.“You don't need to make the
hole bigger,”I said. “Without the fence, we can actually live together
as one true family, and you will never feel lonely again.”So moved
was Bill that he wrapped me into his arms tightly, tears shining in
his eyes. With the help of my parents, we cleared up
all the fence. That was a day carved in my memory, as I finally
“adopted”Bill as my grandpa, though without a certificate.
PRACTICE 20
One windy day in March, Kitty Miller was on her way to school
when she glanced into a store window and saw a great pile of lovely
red apples.“Oh,”She exclaimed (惊呼).“How lovely! If only Mamma
could have one!”Immediately, the store owner recognized the familiar
girl and asked her to pick one. Kitty just shook her head and ran
away shyly.
Kitty's mother was extremely poor. She had been a dressmaker
ever since Kitty's father died, and had to work hard to earn a living
for herself and Kitty. Unfortunately, she had recently become very
sick and had to lie in bed all day long. When Kitty was away at
school, the house was incredibly cold and cheerless. She missed her
little angel – that is what she called Kitty. Kitty took great care of
her mother. She cooked her food, mostly soup. They could not afford
fresh fruit. Kitty would even sing to her mother at night.
When Kitty reached the school that day, her thoughts were full
of her sick mother and the lovely red apples. She was usually an
excellent student, but that day she made so many mistakes that the
teacher looked at her in surprise. The little girl could only sit at her
desk, with her book before her, and dream of those red apples.
When school was dismissed, Kitty started slowly homeward. She
had walked only a short distance when she saw a man in front of
her drop his wallet. Running quickly forward, she picked it up. The
wallet felt quite heavy in Kitty's little hand.
“There must be a good deal of money in it,”thought Kitty.
“How I wish I could keep it, so that I would then be able to
purchase a red apple for Mamma, and so many other things she
needs.”
SAMPLE WRITING
Kitty knew this would not be right, so she hurried after the man.
She stopped him by pulling his arm and said,“Sir, I think you lost
your wallet.”Surprised at first, the man saw the wallet and realized his
carelessness. He expressed a heartfelt gratitude for her kindness and
offered one dollar as a rewarding gift. Kitty refused to take it, but at
the man's insistence, she accepted the money gratefully.“Finally, I can
buy Mamma a gift!”she thought and hurried to the store.
The store owner saw the familiar girl rushing in, one dollar in
hand.“Sir, would you please find me the biggest red apple ”Kitty
asked with an eagerness in her voice.“It's for my Mamma. She is ill
and I hope this will make her better soon.”Touched with the girl's
truthfulness, the owner said,“This apple is free of charge. Take it as
my award for your being a good kid who cares about your mother so
much.”On her way back home, Kitty was feeling a warm joy, not just
for those unexpected gifts, but for what kindness brought her in this
special day.
PRACTICE 21
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi. Once, I was called at 3 a.m.
to pick someone up. When I arrived, the building was completely
dark except for one light in a window. Often, many drivers would
just honk (按喇叭) once or twice, wait a short minute, then drive
away.
But unless a real danger, I always went to the door to find the
passenger. It might be someone who needed my assistance. Would I
not want a driver to do the same if my mother or father had called
for a taxi
So I walked to the door and knocked.“Just a minute,”answered a
weak and elderly voice. I could hear the sound of something being
dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A
small woman in her 80s stood before me. By her side was a small
suitcase.“Would you carry my bag out to the car ”she said.
“I'd like a few moments alone. Then, if you could come back and
help me I'm not very strong.”
I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm, and we walked slowly toward the cab. She kept
thanking me for my kindness.“It's nothing,”I told her.“I just try to
treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you're such a good boy,”she said. When we got in the taxi,
she gave me an address. Then she asked,“Could you drive through the
downtown ”
“It's not the shortest way,”I answered.“I don't mind,”she said,
“I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to the nursing
home.”I saw her eyes shining with tears.“I don't have any family
left,”she continued. “The doctor says I am too old to live alone.”
I quietly turned off the meter (计程器).“What road do you want
me to take ”I asked.“First, take me to Sunrise Street. That's where I
was born.”
SAMPLE WRITING
For hours, we drove through the city. Now and then, the old
woman would ask me to slow down or pull up. After the short stop
at her primary school, she showed me the building where she had
once worked as an engineer. Then we drove through the neighborhood
where she and her husband had lived when they had first been
married. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that
had once been a park, where she had spent the best time with her
daughter. Sometimes she would have me slow down in front of a
particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness,
saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she
suddenly said,“I'm ready. Let's go now.”We drove in silence to the
nursing home. As we pulled up, two nurses were waiting for us.
They helped her into a wheelchair.
“How much do I owe you ”she asked, reaching for her
purse.“Nothing,”I said. Without thinking, I leaned down and gave her
a hug. She hugged me tightly.“You gave an old woman a little
moment ofjoy,”she said.“Thank you.”I squeezed her hand and then
walked back to my taxi. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.
I believe I have never done anything more important in my life. We
usually think that our lives are defined by great moments. But I now
realize that great moments catch us by surprise, because they often
seem quite small.
PRACTICE 22
I was drawing crazy and I drew my first picture at the age of
two.
When I was four, my life as I know it now began. I was struck
by a disease called Selective Mutism. This is a rare childhood
disorder in which children stop speaking in certain social situations. I
spoke normally to my parents, my brother and certain other people,
but was silent at school and in social situations. I went days, weeks,
months without a sound at school. At best, I might quietly whisper to
a friend.
Normally, children with Selective Mutism will not speak in the
presence of others; even to a person they normally talk to. There is a
lot of whispering in ears, so that others don't hear. We have normal
or above average IQs and usually no speech pathology (病理). The
most key factor in this disorder is, we cannot speak. We do not do
this purposely or willfully, it feels impossible to speak. As you can
imagine, many children are blamed, punished and psychologically
harmed, especially at school. The disorder is believed to be anxiety
related and treatment is difficult, but not impossible.
My parents searched for a cure. At the moment, we did not even
have a name for what I had. I suffered silently through school until I
was ten when one in a long string of psychologists had an idea.
Having discussed his plan with my parents beforehand, one day in my
therapy (治疗) session I was asked by the psychologist what I wanted
more than anything in the world. He explained that I was going to be
given an opportunity to work for what I wanted. I couldn't believe
My good luck, but I could not answer. I just stood there struggling to
gesture what I wanted. Finally, I was permitted to whisper in my
mother's ear.“Drawing,”was all I could say.
SAMPLE WRITING
My parents without delay offered me a set of drawing tools.
Whenever I had free time, I would sit hours drawing with these tools.
What I enjoyed drawing most were birds. While I was drawing flying
birds, dancing birds and singing birds, I felt like a free bird. My
drawings appealed to many of my classmates. They enjoyed my
pictures and we became good friends. Having learned all about this,
my teacher came up with a good idea. He helped set up a drawing
club in our school, where drawing lovers often gather to share their
experience in drawing. I no longer feel lonely.
I am a fully participating member of society these days. Though
I can't speak well, I have no problem expressing myself. In the club,
I share my stories in broken language with the club members. They
are deeply moved and encouraged to overcome difficulties. Last week,
with my teachers'support, I held a personal art exhibition at school,
which turned out to be very successful. A great many teachers and
students came to visit and I have made more friends. Thanks to my
parents, teachers and classmates, I feel I am a fully social member
now.
PRACTICE 23
People use the proverb“seeing is believing”to describe situations
where it's hard to believe something is possible if you haven't seen it
happen. I am here today to tell you that the proverb is true and to
share with you how a girl and her grandmother made a positive
transformation in a community.
It was a year ago when I was studying life cycles in my science
class. I wrote a paper about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly
(帝王蝶) and received a perfect score. I was so thrilled; I called my
grandmother Nana and told her the exciting news. My talk recalled
memories from Nana's childhood.“I remember when I was a girl,”she
said,“those orange and black butterflies were a common e
late summer, there would suddenly be hundreds of them, and before
long there were so many it felt like you were standing in an orange
cloud.”
“It sounds like you witnessed a migration (迁徙), but what
happened to them ”I asked.“To be honest, I've never known,”Nana
admitted.“But there do seem to be fewer monarchs around the
neighborhood.”Nana and I decided to investigate.
That weekend, we met at the public library. Our research
produced plenty of information: some fascinating and some concerning.
Apparently, the number of monarchs has been in decline for the last
several decades. Housing developments have destroyed much of their
habitat (栖息地). Some information was hopeful, though, like how
conservationists are working to save them.
The best was this – it doesn't take lots of money or equipment
to do so. It takes only a little bit of land, some seeds, and dedicated
people to create what's called a Monarch Waystation (驿站).
“What if we set up our own Monarch Waystation ”I
suggested.“We'll need people to help.” Nana responded immediately
and didn't waste time to get started.
SAMPLE WRITING
The next day, Nana presented the idea to her garden club and I
talked to my friends. To our delight, they all agreed to make
dedicated work to welcome the monarchs back. Some neighbors
offered a small section of their gardens for special plants and flowers,
while my friends and I hosted an exhibition on butterflies and our
natural environment in the school library to raise students' awareness.
To our surprise, the local newspaper even wrote an article on our
deeds and encouraged everyone to participate. As spring turned into
summer, our community was gorgeous and fragrant, with butterflies
visiting our waystation here and there.
Nana and I created a blog and frequently updated about the
community's efforts. Butterfly enthusiasts from across the country
contacted us and shared their observation experience. Then it happened
one day I would remember for a lifetime. A few orange wings soon
became hundreds of soaring butterflies. As monarchs sailed above and
around us, Nana cried tears of happiness and gave me a big hug.
What a spectacular experience! At that moment I knew exac

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