短文内容包括：1）记述选择的经过；

      2）结合此次经历，简要说明自主选择的重要性。

注意：文章的标题已给出，不计入词数。

An important choice I have made

    Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months, the landlord was breathing down their necks.

    One day, Ali took Zahra's shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn't until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali's running shoes. Zahra's school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first. After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school, which began in the afternoon. Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.

    Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.

    The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache. Getting more and more exhausted he thought only of Zahra and his promise to her. Dreaming of the new shoes he would win for his sister gave him strength, and he stayed right behind the two fastest runners, determined to finish third. Suddenly, as the finish line drew near, another runner collided (碰撞)with Ali from behind and he crashed to the ground.

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:

    Ali looked up and saw the other boys rushing ahead. …

Paragraph 2:

    Filled with delight, Ali walked home quickly. …

    When I was ten I was suddenly very sad, for I had to move from the only home I had ever known. My whole life had been spent in that big old house which saw the laughter and tears of four generations.

    When the final day came, I ran to the front of the house and sat alone, crying. Suddenly I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I looked up to see my grandfather. " It isn't easy, is it, Billy?" he said softly, sitting down on the steps beside me.

    "Grandpa," I replied how can I ever say goodbye to you and all my friends?"

    "Goodbye is such a sad word," he said. "It seems too final, too cool, which has one thing in common: sadness."

    He gently took my hand in his." Come with me, my friend," he whispered.

    We walked, hand in hand, to his favorite place in the front yard, where there was a huge red rose bush — his beloved rose bush.

    "What do you see here, Billy?" he asked.

    I looked at the flowers, not knowing what to say," I see something beautiful, Grandpa."

    "It isn't just the roses that are beautiful, Billy. It's that special place in your heart that makes them so." His eyes met mine again." Billy, I planted these roses a long time ago—before your mother was even a dream. I put them into the soil the day my first son was born. It was my way of saying thank you to God. That boy's name was Billy. I used to watch him pick roses for his mother.

    I saw my grandfather's tears. I had never seen him cry before. His voice became hoarse(嘶哑的).

    "One day a terrible war came, and my son, like so many sons, went away to fight a great evil. He and I walked to the train station together... Three months later a telegram came. My son had died in Italy. All I could think of was that the last thing I say to him in his life was goodbye."

注意：

1）所续写短文的同数应为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:

    Grandpa slowly stood up.

Paragraph 2:

    Soon my grandfather became seriously ill.

A farmer grew some vegetables in his garden. One day his wife was ill and he had no money. He had to sell some cabbages and carrots in the market. The next morning he took two baskets of vegetables to town. But it was snowing hard that afternoon and there were few people in the street. When his vegetables were sold out, it was dark. He bought some medicine and hurried to his village.

On his way home he saw a person lying on the snow. He placed his baskets on the ground and was going to help the person to get up. At that time he found it was a dead man and there was much blood on his body. He was so afraid that he ran away quickly, without taking the baskets with him.

The next afternoon the farmer was sent to the police station. Having shown the baskets, an officer asked, "Are these yours?" "Yes, sir," the farmer answered timidly. "Have you killed the man?" "No, no, sir," the farmer said in a hurry. "When did you see the dead man?" "About seven last evening." "Did you see who killed the man?" "No, sir." The officer brought out a knife and asked, "Have you seen it before?" "No, sir." The officer became angry and told the policeman to beat him up and sent him into prison. He wanted to trap the farmer into the confession, but the farmer didn't admit he was the murderer.

Paragraph 1:

The officer was so angry that he asked the policeman to beat him up again.

Paragraph 2:

The farmer was lucky. A few days later,

James, a 24-year-old investment banker from Toronto, was just one week into his new job on Wall Street. Over the past month, he'd been settling in to the New York City apartment he was sharing with his college friend, an artificial intelligence engineer named Raphael. 

Now, last week, the two were going to meet in a lunchtime on Pier (码头) 15, overlooking the East River, when James froze. "Somebody's in the water," he said. Before Raphael could respond, James climbed over the rail (栏杆) at the edge of the pier and jumped into the cold, polluted water without taking the time to remove his shoes.

What James had heard was an alarmed fisherman shouting from Pier 16, nearly 50 yards away, "Help! He's in the water!" And what he'd seen was a person floating, lifeless. 

Raphael didn't need to see the victim. Maybe James saw someone in the water who needs our help, he thought. Or maybe it's James who needs my help. Either way, I'm going in. He took off his shoes and dived. 

Approaching the unconscious victim, James saw that it was a middle-aged man. He was big, around 200 pounds, respectably dressed and sinking fast. He was 3 feet below the surface by the time James reached him. The rescuer dived, felt around, grasped the man and kicked upward until they both got out of the surface. Raphael was there now. In the water, the two friends floated the man on his back. As Raphael put his arms around the man's shoulders and James supported the bottom and knees, the pair pulled the man back to Pier 15. Their lungs heaved and their muscles burned as they pushed and pulled the immobile figure through the water. 

They might have been dragging a dead body. The man's skin was blue, and neither Raphael nor James detected any breathing. When at last they reached Pier 15, they faced a new uncertainty. How to get out of the water? The shore was half meter above their heads. 

注意：1. 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。

On the pier, a crowd had gathered.

……

Suddenly the man moved, breathing again.

In a quaint hamlet, there resides an elderly gentleman by the name of Mr. Benson. He dwells in solitude, marked by a prominent facial scar that lends him an air of intimidation. Consequently, the townsfolk seldom engage in conversation with him, and he is often left to manage the arduous task of carrying his belongings up the steep stairs to his residence unaided.

Mr. Benson is devoid of companionship and has never been wed. However, a change is afoot in the community when a new family, the Clarences, relocates to the area. This family is composed of the amiable Mr. and Mrs. Clarence, along with their offspring, Amanda and David. They settle into the very edifice that houses Mr. Benson.

The existing residents of the building extend a warm welcome to the newcomers, greeting Amanda and David with kindness, but they caution them against interacting with Mr. Benson. They describe him as a formidable elder with an enigmatic scar, devoid of social connections.

Despite this, the Clarences find such admonitions to be nonsensical. Whenever they encounter Mr. Benson in the corridors of their building or on the street, they greet him with a friendly smile and inquire about his well-being.

Mr. Benson is immensely pleased by their approach. He extends an open invitation to the Clarences to visit his home, even offering Amanda and David some delectable cupcakes as a token of his appreciation.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence frequently assist Mr. Benson with his shopping, and the children, Amanda and David, enjoy spending time with him, sipping tea and listening to his enchanting tales. It turns out that Mr. Benson was once a renowned chef, capable of crafting the most exquisite desserts, as per Amanda's discerning palate.

One evening, the residents of the building are startled by the sounds of merriment, clinking crockery, and the clatter of cutlery emanating from Mr. Benson's apartment. This unusual commotion piques their curiosity, as it suggests a convivial gathering. The neighbors are left to ponder why they have not been included in what appears to be a delightful repast.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右。

The next day, Mrs. Clarence talks to her neighbors.

……

Soon, they all enjoy Mr. Benson's delicious cakes every weekend at their dinners.

……