Four days after Dad's 67th birthday, he had a heart attack. He was lucky—he survived. But something inside him had died—his enthusiasm for life was gone.

My husband and I asked Dad to live with us on our small farm, hoping the fresh air would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated.

One day I read an article about a nursing home. Several depressed patients' attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given dogs. So, I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. As soon as I got there, a pointer's(指示犬) eyes caught my attention. They watched me calmly.

A staff member said, "He got here two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." I turned to the man in horror, "You mean you're going to kill him?"

"Ma'am" he said gently. "We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."

The pointer's calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him." I said.

Glancing at the dog, Dad wrinkled his face and turned back toward the house. Then, suddenly, the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He sat down in front of Dad. Dad's anger melted, and soon he was hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together they spent long hours walking down dusty lanes and relaxing on the banks of streams.

Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne went on to make many friends. Then, late one night two years later, I felt Cheyenne's cold nose searching through my bed covers. He had never come into our bedroom before at night. I ran into my father's room and found that he had passed away.

Two days later, my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. As I buried him near their favorite stream, I silently thanked the dog for restoring Dad's peace of mind.

1）感谢他的招待;

2）介绍中国的端午节(时间、意义、风俗等);

3）欢迎他来中国。

注意：

1）词数80左右;

2）可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯;

3）开头和结尾已为你写好。

Dear Rick,

How is everything going?

……

Best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

ASpecialAppointment

Years ago I moved to Woodland Hills to take a job in a small hospital's emergency department. No one wanted to work on New Year's Eve, so the shift(轮班)went to me. I kissed my family goodbye and went off to spend the night in the hospital. It was a thankless job.

At 9 p. m. , the ambulance brought in a man in his 60s who was having a heart attack. His face was pale, and he was frightened. The whole night I did my best to save his life. Before I left in the morning to spend New Year with my family, I stopped by to see how he was doing. It was still tough, but he had survived the night and was sleeping.

The following year I got New Year's Eve duty again. At 9 p. m. sharp, the ward clerk told me there was a couple who wanted to speak with me. When I approached them, the man introduced himself as Mr Lee and said, "You probably don't remember me, but last New Year's Eve you saved my life. Thank you for the year you gave me." He and his wife hugged me, handed me a small gift, and left.

The following year a new doctor had joined the group, but I wanted to see if Mr and Mrs Lee would return. This time, I volunteered for the shift. I kept an eye on the door. Once again, at exactly 9 pm, the Lees appeared, carrying a warmly wrapped bundle. It was their new grandchild.

Mr Lee, his family and I spent 13 New Year's Eves together. In the later years the staff all knew about the story and would work to give me time with him in the break room, where we spent a half-hour each New Year's Eve.

注意：续写词数应为150左右。

Last year I saw Mrs Lee alone in the hospital with a gift for me.

……

I carefully opened the package and found a crystal(水晶)bell inside with the word "Friendship" engraved(雕刻) on it.