Editor's note: China is the top country of origin for international students in the US, with more than 274,000 Chinese students reportedly accounting for 31 percent of all international students at US universities. Many Chinese parents save up a lot of money for their children to pursue an overseas education. Is it worth spending big to study abroad? You are welcome to leave your comments.

    Arsa (Russia): I went to study abroad when I was 17. First year was a total waste as I met plenty of Russian students in my college and we spent most of our time shopping and hanging out at cafes, it wasn't until two years later that I realized that my English hadn't improved. I changed my mindset entirely and started studying hard. I ended up staying in UK for 10 years, which opened a lot of doors and introduced me to great people, so I'm all for studying abroad.

    Truth (US): There is an assumption that American education is the best in the world, so Chinese parents are pushing their kids to American colleges. And some are even sending their children overseas at junior or high school level. I often feel this is a mistake as the education a Chinese child gets in a foreign country is very different from what they are used to and they often struggle. Some students have trouble understanding their lecturers and their assignments keep coming back with poor scores.

【写作内容】

1). 用约30个单词写出上文概要；

2). 用约120个单词发表你的观点，内容包括：

( 1 )支持或反对“国外留学”；

( 2 )用2至3个理由或论据支撑你的观点。

    My father asked me to chat with him for a while. Actually, I was unwilling to listen to his talking endlessly as he always did. My father was a lawyer, but I never wanted to go to law school or follow his path through life.

    As was expected, he cleared his throat and started to say, “Er… What… What do you really want to do in the gorgeous future?”

    I was silent for a moment playing with the cell phone. I kept thinking, “Should I tell him my true thoughts? What if he gets angry? What if I let him down?” later I replied, “Well, I want to be a writer.”

    I guessed this may be not the answer he would expect. But surprisingly, “Interesting idea!” he answered. I was shocked, speaking in a low voice with hesitation.

    “Are you serious, dad?”

    “Well, you need confidence and good preparations, and you still have plenty of time. You need to find out what you really enjoy now. Look, it's late. Let's take the boat out tomorrow morning, just you and me. Maybe we can catch some crabs (螃蟹) for dinner, and we can talk more.”

    Early next morning we packed up the equipment and set off along the coast. We didn't talk much, but enjoyed the sound of the seabirds and the sight of the coastline.

There were no big waves and blinding sunlight at that time. “Let's see if we get lucky,” he said, picked up a web basket with a rope tied and threw it into the sea. We waited a while, then my father stood up and said, “Give me a hand with this,” and we pulled up the crab cage onto the deck.

    To our joy, the cage was filled with dozens of soft shell crabs. Squatting (蹲) down, we watched them for a moment. At first they fought against each other to climb out hard, trying to escape. Many were pulled back into the cage. Later, some gave up, but there are still some crabs trying to escape again and again.

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语。

Paragraph 1:

    At that moment, my father pointed to the cage, “Look at that crab, there!” Paragraph 2:

    From that day on, I was determined to make my dream come true.

    My mom only had one eye. I hated her. She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.

    There was one day during elementary school when my mom came over to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

    How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, “Your mom only has one eye!”

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted (面对) her that day and said, “If you're only going to make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?”

    My mom did not respond. I didn't even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I took no notice of her feelings at all.

    I wanted to be out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied really hard, and got a chance to go abroad for further education.

    Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my mother came to visit me. She hadn't seen me in years and she didn't even meet her grandchildren.

    When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I shouted at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, “How dare you come to my house and scare my children! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!”

    And to this, my mother quietly answered, “Oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address.” and she was soon out of sight.

    One day, a letter regarding a school reunion (同学聚会) came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old house just out of curiosity.

    My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed (流出 ) a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

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

My dearest son,

    I think of you all the time and I'm sorry that

Paragraph 2

    You see, when you were very little,

    With all my love to you.

Your mother

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。

    I worked from the time when I was four and raised seven children, all of them college graduates. It seemed I'd done everything I'd ever wanted to do in my life, but I had one regret. I was born in 1898, the oldest of five kids. Papa couldn't spare me to go to school, so I worked in the fields with him till I was 21 years old.

    Everywhere I went, I learned some hard lessons about what happens to a man who even can't read the alphabet. People cheat you out of wages. They sell you a ticket to one city, take your money and hand you a ticket to somewhere else.

    By 1928, I'd been wandering for nine years. I met a woman named Elzenia. We fell in love, married and moved to Dallas, where I got work fixing roads for the city. When Amelia, the oldest of our seven children, first went to school, I took my wife aside. "Elzenia," I said. "I don't want the kids to know I can't read or write."

    In 1938, one day my boss called me in. "George," he said. "No one knows those machines like you do. I'd like to promote you. "But my thrill and surprise were cut short when he said," Fill out this application and we'll get you a raise. "I couldn't admit the truth. I thanked him and walked out of his office. I did stay right where I was, until I turned 65 and my boss made me retire. But I didn't stop working. For the next 25 years, I lived a happy life, but it still seemed to me like something was missing.

    A young fellow handed me a piece of paper. It's information about adult education classes. People can learn to read and write. Now I'm 98. I thought of my friends and neighbours and what they might think if they found out I couldn't read. After all these years, my secret would be out. But all my life I've wanted to read. It was high time for action.

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:

    The young man drove me to

Paragraph 2:

    I'm still going to school.