Christmas Day was coming. I was just a kid then, and my big sister told me there was no Santa Claus. I fled to my Grandma because she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told me the truth. Grandma was home, and I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus !" She shouted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it." That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad.

    "Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

    "Go where, Grandma?" I asked. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. "Take this money, " she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

    I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people competing to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, holding that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy and who to buy it for. I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker, who was a kid with bad breath and messy hair. He sat right behind me in Mrs Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess(放假) during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red one, which looked really warm, and he would like that.

    "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes."

    The nice lady smiled at me, put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.

注意：

1）所续写短文的词数应为150词左右；2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词；

3）续写分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1:

    That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper.……

Paragraph2:

    Grandma and I waited breathlessly for Bobby Decker's front door to open and finally it……

    What It means to Be a Student Athlete?

    Chances are if you make it to college athletics, you have already put countless hours, blood, sweat and tears into the sport you play. College athletics is the next step in becoming a better athlete. But is it like a hidden life that only the dedicated workers get to experience.

    While the average college student schedules classes alter than 10A.m., most student athletes—me included—get out of bed at 6A.m. and get in practice. We must schedule our classes around our practices to make sure that we can give 100 percent both in the classroom and at practice. Student athletes may experience the joy of going to class sweaty after lifting weights without having any time to shower. Your average girl student, by contrast, comes in wearing a nice outfit and a full face of make-up.

    When the average students shows up to class 45 minutes late, it often angers the student athlete who has been up since the crack of dawn. Some might say student athletes are not smart and that they're only there to play sports. My response to that would be: Try training 20 hours a week and then being attentive every day in class. The free time that we do have is spent at the study hall studying for upcoming tests.

    Being a student athlete is much more than the early wake-up time. It is much more than tight schedule. It is much more than no free time.

    Being a student athlete means that we put our school's name on our backs and represent it doing what we love. We have worked hard to get where we are and that pride of stepping up on game day is worth every ounce of sweat.

    Being a student athlete means that we are among the most athletic ones in our age group. We get to meet other athletes who are gifted and dedicated. We get to create bonds with those who share a passion for athletics.

    Being a student athlete means that young kids look up to us in an admirable way. We have the influence to give them power and keep them reaching for their dreams. When we look back on our time with college athletics, we won't remember how much we hated specific exercises. We will remember the pure joy and great pride that we feel in doing what we love with those who we love.

    According to some experts, the effect of technology on human relationships is worrying as technology becomes a substitute for face-to-face human relationships. It appears to be the case that many people would much rather spend time with their electronic gadgets (电子产品) than with one another. Young people say it is difficult to get their parents' attention and they have to compete with smartphones, tablets and other technology.

    However, a report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project offers a more helpful and encouraging view, suggesting that far from replacing human contact, technology can actually better family relationships. Just over half of the 2, 253 people surveyed agreed that technology had enabled them to increase their contact with distant family members and 47 percent said it had improved the communication with the people they lived with. Moreover, even the closest members of families need time away from each other at some point to seek their own interests. Family members who might otherwise have sat in separate rooms can now be in the same one while still occupying a different mental space.

    Look back at our typical family scene above. Is it any different from four people reading their own books? Or is it driving families apart? Where technology will lead us remains to be seen. Yet there is no need to worry. As a matter of fact, how it affects our family relationships depends on our attitude toward technology.

    Although being famous might sound like a dream come taste, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi(狗仔队)camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids(小报)publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.

    According to the psychologists, celebrities(名人)worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. Over little, they feel separated and alone.

    The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles ghoul filth-slats in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

    Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modem cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their "story" alive forever.

    If fame is so troublesome. Why aren't all celebrities running away from it'? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made theme famous in the first place. With these effective approaches, some celebrities relieve the stress and remain popular with fans. Consequently, though being famous is driving some stars crazy, some wise ones enjoy what reputation brings them.

阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

    Last year at Christmas time, my wife, three children and I were on our way from Paris to Nice. Somehow everything went wrong. Our hotels were "tourist traps" and our rented car broke down. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into a dirty hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts.

    It was raining and cold when we went out to eat. We found a small restaurant poorly decorated for the holiday. Only five tables in the restaurant were taken. There were two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor, by himself. They were eating in stony silence except the sailor. He was writing a letter, and a half-smile lighted his face. In the corner a piano player was listlessly (无精打采地) playing Christmas music.

    All of us were interrupted by an old French flower woman through the front door. She had a worn overcoat and her old shoes were wet. Carrying her basket of flowers, she went from one table to another. No one bought any. Exhausted and frustrated, she sat down at a table.

    The sailor finished his meal and got up to leave. Putting on his coat, he walked over to the flower woman's table.

    "Merry Christmas," he said, smiling and picking out a handful of flowers. "How much are they?"

    "Two francs, sir."

    The sailor put a twenty franc note in the woman's hand.

    "I don't have change, sir," she said. "I'll get some from the waiter."

    "No, ma'am," said the sailor, leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek. "This is my Christmas present for you."

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；

4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语．

Paragraph 1：

    Then the sailor headed for our table with the flowers in his hand.

Paragraph 2：

    The piano player came alive and pleasant music filled the whole room.

阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

    Laurie sat quietly in the empty dressing room. She had not competed since the accident. As she waited for her turn to skate, Laurie was very nervous. Today was very important in her comeback (复出). "If I can win today," she thought, "I can skate in the World Cup next year."

    Before Laurie had her accident, everyone had said that she was the one to beat.

    She thought back to that car accident where her right knee was badly injured. She spent six total months on recovery, treatment and practice because she hoped to regain her skill.

    "Hello, Laurie," one of her friends burst in. "How's the knee? Is it going to slow you down?"

    "I guess we'll find out tonight," Laurie said.

    "There's a girl named Jinny, strong in everything. She's the only real competitor you have to beat," the friend said and hurried out.

    Hearing that, Laurie decided to show her most difficult jump. "If I don't try it, I won't stand a chance," she thought. "Does anyone believe that I can still win?"

    Suddenly her right knee sent pain up and down her leg. The doctor said it would do that for a while. "What makes you think you have a chance tonight?" she said to herself.

    After the pain passed, she moved slowly to warm up. Then she said firmly, "I must win!"

    At that moment, a young woman hurried in with a skate equipment bag. She put some of her belongings onto a chair. Her bag fell to the floor. "Hi, I'm Jinny Jordan," she said.

    Laurie felt uncomfortable as she looked at Jinny. "So this is my competitor," thought Laurie. "Because of her, I may lose tonight."

    "I'm Laurie Collins," Laurie told Jinny. "Something fell out of your bag, Jinny."

    As Jinny began to gather her belongings, the door opened.

    "Jinny," someone called, "your tape of music is missing. You are the next one! Laurie, after Jinny."

    "Oh, my God! I thought I had handed it in hours ago, the green box with my name on," screamed Jinny, hurrying out.

注意：

1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

2）至少使用5个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；

4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1:

    "Music is so important to the skating," Laurie said thoughtfully, doing some preparation alone in the dressing room.

Paragraph 2:

    Minutes later, Laurie glided to the centre of the stadium when her name was called.