You are discussing the following picture with your English friend Jim. Now you are telling him how you understand the picture and what makes you think so.

Curiosity Is an Increasingly Rare Virtue

    Most of the breakthrough discoveries and remarkable inventions throughout history, from flints (打火石) for starting a fire to self-driving cars, have something in common: They are the result of curiosity. But the journalist Ian Leslie, in his newly-published book Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It, insists that curiosity is a much overlooked human virtue, crucial to our success, and we are losing it.

    Leslie presents considerable evidence for the claim that the society as a whole is growing less curious. In the U.S. and Europe, for example, the rise of the Internet, among other social and technological changes, has led to a declining consumption of news from outside the reader's borders. Indeed, Google, for which Leslie expresses admiration, is also his frequent whipping boy (替罪羊): we seek only the information we want. But not everything is to be blamed on technology. The decline in interest in literary fiction is also one of the causes identified by Leslie.

    Why is this a problem? Because without curiosity we will lose the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship (企业家精神). Worse still, that lack of curiosity produces a relative lack of knowledge, and the lack of knowledge is difficult if not impossible to compensate for later on.

    Fortunately, some strategies can be employed to develop curiosity: If you just accept the world as it is without trying to dig deeper, you will certainly lose the 'holy curiosity'. Of course, one effective way to dig deeper beneath the surface is asking questions: What is that? Why is it made that way? Who invented it? How does it work? ...And if you see learning as a burden, there's no way you will want to dig deeper into anything. That will just make the burden heavier. But if you think of learning as something fun, you will naturally want to dig deeper.

词数：100左右。

参考词汇：海豚：dolphin

This fall break, I took my son Nels, aged 15 , for our long-planned vacation in a national park. We had a rented cottage at the foot of the mountain by a lake. And my niece Susan, aged 12, also joined us.

On the first day, abundant items kept everyone occupied: picnicking, canoeing, shooting. When night fell, we sat around the campfire singing and dancing with other vacationers, all having a great day.

Nevertheless, on the second day, I noticed Susan constantly checking her screen, busily texting. That day, she stayed indoors glued to her phone, playing Axe Climber. Then, I had an idea, announcing, "Tomorrow, we'll hike to the top of the Stone Mountains."

Hearing this, Susan shrugged, as if to say, "Why?"

Eyes fixed on Susan, I continued, "Put your phone aside and climb a real mountain, OK?"

"Well," Susan responded reluctantly, "the Axe Climber is moving up to the final level, so I'll not be available tomorrow."

"Susan, that's not the actual wilderness experience. I hiked a lot. It's greater fun," Nels said persuasively.

"Sounds more like punishment," she mumbled. "I hate sweating."

"Never have you been on a mountaintop. Susan, have a go this time, and you are sure to love the feeling and pleasure it brings."

She finally nodded unwillingly, "Fine, I'll give it a try."

I smiled. Anyway, she agreed. The next morning, we awakened to the sound of birds singing. It was a nice day with the sun shining mildly and clouds floating leisurely. "A perfect day for hiking," I said. "I will go, Uncle," Susan replied mechanically.

Packing bread, bottled water and camera into the backpack, we set out for our destination. Against the blue sky, a rough trail wound its way to the top of the mountain.

"I still don't think it's a good idea," Susan complained, frowning.

"No pains, no gains! Come on!" I encouraged.

Paragraph 1:

Thus, Susan began hiking up.

Paragraph 2:

An hour later, we made it to the top. "How awesome!" Susan yelled with wild joy.

Inhabiting a modest hamlet, the Meredith household found themselves amidst a period of economic downturn. During this time, a significant portion of the local populace faced unemployment, leading to widespread financial distress. Numerous families grappled with the daily struggle to sustain their livelihoods, and a sense of communal solidarity emerged as individuals endeavored to provide mutual support in the face of adversity.

Among the residents of this community, Mrs. Meredith stood out as an epitome of benevolence and consideration. She dedicated considerable hours to engaging with those less fortunate, acutely aware of their plights and the diverse forms of assistance they required. Whenever feasible, she would extend her aid by delivering provisions and medical supplies to those in need.

On a particular morning, Mrs. Meredith recounted to her offspring—John, Harry, and Clara—about a family she had encountered the previous day. The family was comprised of an indisposed patriarch confined to his bed, his spouse who, burdened with caregiving responsibilities, was unable to seek employment, and their young son. The boy, Bernard, had captured her interest significantly.

She expressed a desire for her children to witness Bernard's situation, highlighting his role as a significant support to his mother and his earnest desire to contribute financially, despite the apparent lack of opportunities.

Once their mother departed, the siblings convened, contemplating Bernard's predicament. Clara voiced her empathy, wishing to facilitate his financial independence, acknowledging the profound hardship endured by his family.

Echoing her sentiments, Harry concurred, emphasizing the necessity of devising a strategy to alleviate their plight.

Initially silent, John eventually rose abruptly, exclaiming his inspiration. He proclaimed the conception of a plan that could be collaboratively executed to aid Bernard.

His siblings, intrigued, eagerly awaited his proposal. John's ideas were renowned for their ingenuity, and he proposed, "Consider the substantial crate of maize that Uncle John bestowed upon us. We could transform it into popcorn, package it in paper sacks, and empower Bernard to distribute and vend it throughout the neighborhood."

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。

Para1: When Mrs. Meredith heard of John's idea, she thought it was a good one, too.

Para2:With everything ready, Bernard started out on his new business.

The Butterfly in A Bottle

Poltu was awakened from a marvellous dream where he was about to receive the trophy for winning the inter-school football match. The alarm's loud ring jolted him,but he wasn't too disheartened. 

He rushed to his study table where an empty jam bottle held a colourful little butterfly. Catching it had been a hard task as it kept avoiding his grasp,but finally he managed without a net. This butterfly was going to be part of his biology project in school. 

The biology project required Poltu to submit the study of a living creature every month. Most of his classmates drew diagrams from their books as part of this exercise. But Poltu was going to do something different. He was going to present a live creature -this butterfly. 

Poltu loved the different colours on the wings of the butterfly-red,green and blue. How beautiful it looked when it fluttered the wings. Poltu had been caring for it,making holes in the bottle cap for air and providing tender leaves for it to eat. 

Excited about displaying his exhibit to the biology teacher,Poltu dressed hurriedly,and left for school. His school was walking distance from his house. He took a shortcut through the backyard of Sinha aunty's house,a stretch he loved walking through. The breeze was very pleasant as it had rained slightly the previous night. The garden smelt of sweet-smelling flowers. Poltu glanced at his bottle every now and then and smiled at the butterfly fluttering its wings. 

When he reached school,the gate wasn't wholly open yet. For once,Poltu was early to school. A few boys were playing football on the field. Any other day would have seen Poltu joining them without a second thought. But today,he walked straight into his class. He opened the window and placed the bottle on the windowsill(窗台). 

The golden rays of the sun streamed through the glass,on the delicate wings of the butterfly,and added brightness to them. Poltu's butterfly looked simply gorgeous. In a few minutes,the area was full of boys,watching it in surprise. 

注意：(1)续写词数应为150个左右；(2)请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。

That day's biology class was the most interesting in a long time. 

……

Suddenly,the butterfly didn't move.