It was summer, and my dad wanted to treat me to a vacation like never before. He decided to take me on a trip to the Wild West.

    We took a plane to Albuquerque, a big city in the state of New Mexico. We reached Albuquerque in the late afternoon. Uncle Paul, my dad's friend, picked us up from the airport and drove us up to his farm in Pecos.

    His wife Tina cooked us a delicious dinner and we got to know his sons Ryan and Kyle. My dad and I spent the night in the guestroom of the farm house listening to the frogs and water rolling down the river nearby. Very early in the morning, Uncle Paul woke us up to have breakfast. "The day starts at dawn on my farm," he said. After breakfast, I went to help Aunt Tina feed the chickens. while my dad went with Uncle Paul to take the sheep out to graze(吃草). I was impressed to see my dad and Uncle Paul riding horses. They looked really cool.

    In the afternoon, I asked Uncle Paul if I could take a hose ride, and he said yes, as long as my dad went with me. I wasn't going to take a horse ride by myself anyway. So, my dad and I put on our new cowboy hats, got on our horses, and headed slowly towards the mountains. "Don't be late for supper," Uncle Paul cried, "and keep to the track so that you don't get lost!" "OK!" my dad cried back. After a while Uncle Paul and his fam house were out of sight. It was so peaceful and quiet and the colors of the brown rocks, the deep green pine trees, and the late afternoon sun mixed to create a magic scene. It looked like a beautiful woven(编织的）blanket spread out upon the ground just for us.

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: Suddenly a little rabbit jumped out in front of my horse.

Paragraph 2: We had no idea where we were and it was getting dark.

    How many of us could go a week without our cell phone? Do you even bother to memorize phone numbers any more? Technology has made life so convenient for us. However, we have to face facts: Technology has made us lazy and dependent.

    What's the point of getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed, and driving to the movies when you can just sit on the couch and fire up Netflix? We've all been there before. You're on the fence about whether or not you want to get out and do something, but then something comes over you. You start looking around at your PS3 and laptop, then realize you can have just as much fun staying in the house.

    Is it even possible to get lost anymore? I get the feeling that we're getting closer and closer to the day when people won't even be able to read paper maps anymore. There are already a lot of young adults that have no idea how to navigate (导航) through their own cities without using a GPS. Being able to print out complete turn by turn directions for where you need to go on MapQuest pretty much killed the need for a map.

    We have all Googled something that we were completely embarrassed we didn't know the answer to. According to Google, "How to tie a tie" gets over 500, 000 searches a month. Exactly, a quick search on Google will bring up instructional YouTube videos, blog posts, and PDF's that show you how to do anything. So much for being self sufficient.

    Running errands (跑腿) used to take up entire Saturday mornings. By the time you got home, you were tired and just wanted to relax. Well thanks to online shopping and services like Peapod, running your own errands is a thing of the past.

    I'm definitely part of the problem here because I love online shopping. But I can admit that it has made me somewhat lazy.

Grandpa Cecil Rodgers has narrowly escaped a phone scam (欺骗). It all began with a telephone call…

Cecil is an elderly man from Cincinnati, Ohio, who was looking forward to spending time with his family over the holidays. They were all coming to visit him at his Elmwood Place home, including his adult grandson David. One afternoon, while napping in bed, he was awakened by the sharp ringing of his telephone.

"Who will ring me up at this time?" He wondered. Peering towards the phone, he hesitantly picked it up. From the receiver came an urgent voice. "Grandpa, this is David. I am in trouble." Before Cecil could ask him any question, he continued, on and off, half crying, "I hit a woman's car and she was seven months pregnant. And they charged me with drunken driving and I'm in prison..." He sobbed loudly. His voice was so broken that Cecil could hardly match it with the gentle and warm voice of his grandson. Poor David! He must be suffering! Cecil panicked immediately.

Without more detailed communication, the phone passed suddenly to another person— David's lawyer who had a deeper voice. Seemingly, he understood Cecil's anxiety and attempted to comfort him with a solution. "Now the only way to help David is to go to Wal-Mart and transfer $2,300 to another store. I would pick up the money and then use it to post David's bail (保释金)." "I am sure everything would be OK as long as the money is in place," he added. Ultimately, he lowered his voice, "Don't tell anybody. You don't want to make your grandson look ugly in your neighborhood." The lawyer hung up even before Cecil could give an answer.

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。

Cecil was totally at a loss.

……

The lucky part of Cecil's day was when he stepped into cashier (收银员) Audrella's line in Wal-Mart.

Talk about the following questions in pairs, and find out the best answer.

It was a pleasant New Year's morning, Edward rose, washed and dressed himself in a hurry, because he wanted to be the first to wish a happy New Year. 

He looked in every room and shouted the words of welcome. He ran into the street to repeat them to those he might meet. The festive atmosphere swept up the neighborhood. 

When he came back, his father gave him two bright new silver dollars. His face lit up as he took them. He had wished for a long time to buy some pretty books that he had seen at the bookstore. 

It was freezing and dry outside and the wind blew strongly. However, Edward left the house with a light heart, intending to buy the books. 

As he ran down the street, he saw a poor German family, the father, mother and three children trembling with cold. "I wish you a happy New Year," said Edward, as he was cheerfully passing on. The man shook his head, saying nothing. "I wish you a happy New Year," repeated Edward, feeling a little puzzled. The man shook his head again, for he couldn't understand or speak the language. "You do not belong to this country, don't you?" asked Edward. Still the man said nothing, but this time he pointed to his mouth and to his children, as if to say, "These little ones have had nothing to eat for a long time." Edward quickly understood that these people were in trouble. The family were in great need of help. At that moment, he took out his dollars, looked at them over and over, and finally gave one to the man and the other to his wife. 

How their eyes sparkled with gratitude! They said something in their language, which meant, "We thank you a thousand times and will remember you in our prayers." 

Without a word, Edward made his way home, delighted. 

注意：

1.续写词数应为150左右;

2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

When Edward came home, his father asked him what books he had bought. 

"My dear boy, I saw you give the money to the poor German family," said the father.

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.