内容要求：小说名、作者、故事梗概、语言风格以及人们对这本书的评价。

参考词汇：奇遇 fortuitous adventure  讽刺的 sarcastic

    Today I am going to introduce to you a novel.

    ……

    This is a brief introduction to the story. Hope you will enjoy reading this representative work of Mark Twain.

    I encountered God the summer I was five. My father had finally grown too sick to get out of bed, so the heat and nervous tension in the air inside the house made it impossible to breathe. I would escape by squeezing under the front porch. All manner of creatures lived there, but I mostly ignored them, with one exception — a little frog who, every time I crawled (爬行) under the porch, stared at me with great, golden eyes.

    In late June, the frog finally hopped (跳跃) toward my arm and stared at me, demanding eye contact. Once he had my attention, he opened his wide mouth and said, "Hello, Sophie."

    I should have been shocked, but for some reason, I wasn't. Perhaps at five years old, I was more receptive to something against the laws of nature. At any rate, I was not shocked that a frog could speak. I had a more pressing question.

    "How do you know my name?"

    The frog blinked slowly. "I know everything. I am God."

    I spoke, "You can't be God. You're too small."

    He extended a long, webbed finger and was pointing to the edge of the porch's shadow — to the spot where my mother had tried to grow flowers there for years. She had stopped trying when my father's condition worsened.

    "Look there," commanded the frog, and I stared as a beautiful white flower blossomed as if stretching its limbs after a long sleep. In my five years, I had never seen anything so splendid.

    God and I became good friends that summer. I spent every day under the porch, talking to him.

    Sometimes I asked God questions. Sometimes he answered. Once, I asked him where Heavenwas.

    "Heaven," he said, "is where I live."

    In August, my father's illness had progressed to the point that I was sent to my aunt's house in Virginia. I told God I would be back soon, and then waited in Virginia for my father to get better.

注意：

⒈所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

⒉应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；

⒊续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；

⒋续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1:

    Six months later, I came back home for my father's funeral.

Paragraph 2:

    Suddenly, an idea crossed my mind that my father might travel to Heaven.

    My family moved from Taiwan to a small town in central Georgia, where my dad got a visa for his family and a job. I had just learned English, and from what little I could gather from my friends, Santa Claus would come down one's chimney and put toys in one's stocking on Christmas Eve! What a great country, I thought. After I looked up "stocking" in my Chinese-English dictionary, I knew what I had to do and always expected that day.

    Finally, the big day came. On that wonderful night, after everyone went to bed, I sneaked out of bed, took my longest, cleanest knee sock and attached it to a nail already on the mantel (壁炉). Obviously, the previous owners of this house were no strangers to this Santa character. Gazing at the sock and imagining the delicately-packed gift in it, I couldn't help giggling (咯咯笑). For the first time, I found it hard to fall asleep.

    And for the first time, I woke up before everyone else in the early morning. Then I headed straight to the fireplace and was even ready for what to say after seeing the gift. However, what happened next was the least thing I wanted to mention. On the nail was the empty and lonely sock. I was hit with the reality of the empty sock and the biggest lie ever told. I tried my best to hold back my tears but failed. Bursting into tears, I quickly took down the sock and stuffed it in the back of a drawer.

    Every December since then, the topic of Christmas memories would unavoidably come up, and I would amuse my friends with my poor-little-me story. I had to make it as funny as possible, or else I would cry once again. I didn't know whether any of my audience ever noticed the sparkling tears hidden in my eyes.

    How could I know that Santa was just late? Nine years ago, on Christmas Eve, I heard a knock on the door when I was watching TV. Unwillingly, I dragged my feet and opened the door.

注意：

1）所续写短文词数为 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，请用下划线标出你使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1：

    Outside the door stood an old man with a white beard and a red cap, holding a well-packed box.

Paragraph 2：

    Through tear-blurred eyes, I recognized the handwriting on the card.

The day of my big solo (独唱) had finally arrived. Everyone was there: my mom and dad and my little brother. Uncle Scott and Auntie Tammy had even picked up my grandma from the nursing home so she wouldn't miss the big event.

My name was on the cover of the program in bright yellow with a daisy chain drawn around it. "Cindy Hamond ... Soloist."

I couldn't believe it when I saw my name. Not that it was my name, but that it wasn't Renee Swanson's.

Renee and I had been classmates since kindergarten. She was always wherever I was and she was always ahead of me.

Dance-class recital needs a big finish? Renee was picked.

Selling Girl Scout cookies? "Oh, I'm sorry," the lady at the front door would say. "I just bought twenty boxes from Renee Swanson. Such a nice girl." Yeah, whatever.

Softball? She played first base while I watched her from my position in the outfield.

The day of the choir concert tryouts (选拔) was nerve wracking. We waited in the library while Ms. Jenkins called us one at a time into the choir room. When Ms. Jenkins called my name, my whole body was shaking.

When I came back to the library, Renee smiled at me. Ms. Jenkins called her name and she calmly followed her. She was still calm and smiling when her tryout was over.

Ms. Jenkins made the announcement at the end of the week of who had made the special choral group. I wasn't surprised when Renee's name was on her list and mine wasn't. "So," I said under my breath, "what else is new?"

Sudden clapping brought me out of my sulking (郁闷). Everyone was looking at me.

Ms. Jenkins looked at me and said, "Cindy, you will have to start practicing with me during your study halls since the solos take extra preparation."

Solo? I got the solo? I glanced over at Renee. She grinned (露齿而笑) and gave me the thumbs-up sign.

注意：

1）所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右；

2）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

When the day came, we filed onto the stage and took our places.

When we filed off the stage, my family met me with praise and hugs and Renee was next to hug me.

阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段, 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

One day an elderly postman knocked on the door of a house and asked if there was anyone to take the letter. As soon as he said this, a little girl's voice echoed (回响) from inside, but even after 5 minutes no one came out.

"Can anyone help you take the letter? I have to go to many more places," the postman said again.

"Uncle, if you are in a hurry, please put the letter under the door. It will take me more time." the girl replied.

"No, it is a registered letter. Someone's signature is needed," the postman yelled.

Another 10 minutes past, there's no response. The postman got a bit cross about the delay, and he was about to shout when the door opened. He was shocked to see in front of him was a little girl with no legs. Speechless, he gave the letter quietly, took her signature and left. That day he got her name, Sally.

Sally often lived alone. Her mother died at an early age and her father used to work far away. A maid (女仆) was invited to stay with her in the morning and evening except the day. In a month or two, mails were delivered regularly, and their interaction and attachment grew. Sally noticed that the postman used to come barefoot(赤脚). Rainy season came. One day when the postman left her home, his footprints were left on wet soil. Sally struggled out with a paper and put it on print and took down the picture of his feet. She asked her maid to get shoes of that size and kept them in a box.

Diwali (排灯节) was around the corner. During Diwali, the postman used to deliver mails and got Diwali gifts from the people who got mails. But when he thought about Sally, he started thinking that he shouldn't meet the girl empty-handed during the festival. After much thought he bought some chocolate for the little girl. The next day, he went to the little girl's house and knocked.

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。

Paragraph 1:

When Sally opened the door, the old postman handed her a bag of chocolate.

Paragraph 2:

Arriving home, the postman opened the box.

When I was nine, I needed to earn some money, so I asked Mr. Miceli, the newspaper publisher in my Chicago neighborhood, about an after-school paper route. He agreed only if I had a bicycle. My dad bought me a used bike, but right after that he fell ill and couldn't teach me to ride. Mr. Miceli, however, merely asked to see the bike. So I walked to his garage, showed it to him and got the job.

At first, I filled my delivery bag with rolled papers over the handlebars and walked my bike down the sidewalks. But pushing a bike with a load of papers was awkward; after a few days I borrowed Mom's two-wheeled shopping cart.

It took me longer to make my deliveries by cart, but I didn't mind. I sent each paper to its proper destination. In rain or snow, I put Dad's old raincoat over the cart to keep the papers dry. I got to meet everyone in the neighborhood—working-class people of Italian, German or Polish origins who were always kind to me.

When Dad returned from the hospital, he was too weak to restart his original job. Now we needed every penny we could raise to pay bills, so we sold the bike. Mr. Miceli must have known I wasn't using a bike, but he said nothing about it to me.

On the Thursday evening before Christmas, I rang my first customer's doorbell. Even though the lights were on, nobody answered, so I went on to the next house. No answer, nor did anyone respond at the next family on my route, or the one after.

I was very worried; I hadn't got the money for newspaper delivery this week. And while it was almost Christmas, I never thought that everyone would be out shopping. So I was very happy when, going up the walkway to Mr. Gordon's house, I heard music and voices. I rang the bell.

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。

Paragraph 1:

The door flew open, and Mr. Gordon dragged me inside.

Paragraph 2:

After walking the bicycle home, I opened those envelopes.