Rayyan was a 16-year-old student in Grade Ten. By nature, he was proud and considered himself a know-it-all. He always kept himself updated with the latest and firmly believed that he knew everything, but his parents' faces always reflected sadness to Rayan's behavior.
"I want to ride a motorcycle! My friend Hans came to school today on his new motorbike that his father gave him on his birthday. I want a bike too!" Rayyan put forward his demand abruptly.
Rayyan appeared quite stubborn to get a motorcycle at any condition. Rayyan's demand troubled his mother the whole night and she decided to have a calm discussion with him about the matter the next day.
After preparing his favorite dish of chicken, Rayyan's mother sat in the sofa waiting for her son to come back from school. The doorbell rang and as she pulled the door open, she was shocked to see that Rayyan's hand and foot were bleeding.
"Are you okay, my dear?" his mother asked as she held his hand. Rayyan lay down in the sofa, staring at the ceiling out of guilt and embarrassment, unable to answer her.
After a few seconds, he put his arms around his mother and started to cry. "Maa... I am sorry! I am really sory, Maa…," he wept and told his mother about the accident that took place when he rode his friend's motorbike after school. He had been determined to show his mother that he was old enough to ride a bike.
"I know… I know, my dear son," she said with a smile on her face, wiping Rayyan's tears. Rayyan hugged his mother tightly, his weepy eyes reflecting the promise to begin a new and disciplined chapter of his life.
I'm an elementay school tacher, eaching ICT (Information Communication Technology) to 10 and 11-year-old students at a public school near Lisbon. I'm also the school tech guy, in charge of digital systems and the web. Beyond that, I'm also involved in teacher training, spreading the good news on coding, robotics, 3D modeling and printing to teachers around the country.
Together with our librarian Jacqueline, I've created Tap@rts，a small makerspace（创客空间）at my school library (one of the first library 3D printing spaces in Portugal), open to any student of the school. And my interest in Maker culture is in its educational dimension. So what do I actually make? Spark my students' interest in 3D, coding, robotics and electronics, and offer them opportunities to freely experiment with technologies in our school science club.
Well, I was an arts teacher who really loved to learn how to do stuff with 3D but never had the chance to be taught. So I learned by myself. That was about 15 years ago. At that time, laptop computers were starting to be used in my school. And I've decided to bring them into my arts class, figuring that 3D modeling was as valid for children in arts a drawing or painting. Then, in 2014, something wonderful happened: Portugal had its first Maker Fair, and to my great surprise, my then 3D modeling in arts and ICT was one of the accepted projects. That's also when I've got started with 3D printing. And the main goal is to spark kids' interest in using technology as a creative tool.
We all realize the damaging pollution created by driving petrol and diesel vehicles. Many of the world's cities are jammed with traffic, creating harmful gases like carbon dioxide. The solution for a cleaner, greener future could be electric vehicle. But how potimistic should we be?
There was much excitement last year when the UK government announced it would ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. But is that easier said than done? The road to global traffic being totally electric is sill a long way of. Currently, battery life is an issue-a fully charged (充电) battery won't take you as far as a full tank of petrol. There are also limited charging stations to plug an electric vehicle into.
Of course, technology is always improving. Some of he biggest tech companies, like Google and Tesla, are spending huge amounts of money developing electric cars. And most of the big car manufacturers are no making them too. Colin, a low-carbon vehicle expert, told the media: "The big leap forward will come with reliable batteries, which will appear first in mobile phones and laptops before they pogress to cars. These will charge more quickly and enable cars to travel longer."
Cost is another issue that may delay people switching to electric power. But some countries offer incentives, such as cutting prices by reducing import taxes, and not charging for road tax and parking. Some also provide exclusive lanes for electric cars to be driven on, beating traditional cars which might be stuck in jams. These kinds of measures have made Norway rank No.1 with more than thirty electric cars per 1,000 ctizans.
But electric motoring doesn't mean a zero-carbon future. It's emission-free (零排放) motoring, but the car has to be built, the battery has to be built, and the electricity does come from somewhere. Maybe it's time to think about making fewer journeys or using public transport.
Pets are an important part of our lives, staying with us and providing unconditional love. We find so much joy with them. . But some useful tips may help you get through the loss of a beloved pet.
. The death of your pet may be a heavy blow to you. You may experience a range of feelings, from sadness to anger, guilt to despair for a long time. Our sadness is a proof to how much we love our pets. It's important to give yourself as much time as you need to recover.
Talk to a sympathetic listener. , so it's not surprising that many people see the loss of their pets as comparable to losing human friends or relatives. For many, talking to a sympathetic listener can help them accept their loss. Seek help from those who understand or have experienced your emotions if necessary.
Consider a ceremony. The love for your pets never has to end. They can live on in your heart and memory forever. Although you miss them deeply, it can be helpful to honour them and celebrate the wonderful time you spent together. Many people choose to hold some sort of ceremony. . You might have a simple and personal ceremony between family members or a bigger, more celebratory occasion that involves a wider circle of friends. For some of us, having a larger ceremony is a way to express how much a pet is a central part of daily life. .
A. Recover with Dr. Time's help
B. Beat the heavy blow with confidence
C. That's why we feel deep sorrow when a pet dies
D. But there is no one-size-fits-all response to death and loss
E. Pets are increasingly viewed as important family members
F. Pets, as everybody knows, help their owners get rid of loneliness
G. Making photo books of your pets can be another way of remembering them
Marty, a 59-year- old gentleman in Ohio, should have been near the top of the list to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (疫苗). Yet like millions of others, he was't having any 1 making an appointment. Marty and his wife, Naney, would sit with computers trying for hours to book an appointment, but 2.
Then Nancy heard about Marla, who was spending about ten hours a day online trying to secure appointments for the 3. So Nancy messaged on Facebook: Can you help? 4, Marla responded by asking for Marty's basic information. Nine minutes late, Marla reported back-Marty could get the 5!
Marla's vaccine hunting 6 on February 1, when she learned that her 7 were unable to get appointments themselves. She hated they had to 8. Clicking around on vaccine registration sites, Marla discovered just how 9 it was to book an appointment. She applied common strategies (keeping multiple browsers open, refreshing websites constantly) and added a few of her special skills. "I'm 10, I drink much coffee and I'm a fast typist. Finally my efforts 11,"she says, "I had 12 appointments for my parents."
"I am blessed and I decided helping others would be my way of 13 back". On February 10, she logged on to Facebook to let people know she was 14 with bookings. By March 2, she'd secured appointments for 400 people, an achievement that made Nancy conclude, "Marla is some sort of 15 against COVID-19."
The gray sky outside my kitchen window matched how I felt inside. Hopeless. I sighed and turned away. Life had lost all meanings.
Nearly a year earlier, on a sunny July day, I drove to a nearby lake to celebrate my birthday with friends and family. After a long workweek, I was looking forward to our picnic. And I couldn't wait to get in the water. I loved swimming. "Here I go," I shouted as I dived headfirst from a boat into the lake. That was the last thing I remember. I was pulled unconscious from the water with a severely damaged spine (脊柱), paralyzed from the waist down.
After months of treatment in hospital, I was finally home. But things weren't going well. I had to adjust to my disability and life changes. I was impatient with myself as well as my family. Turning from the kitchen window couldn't drive the grayness away. Oh God, what am I going to do? My life has fallen apart.
A few days later, I poured out my misfortune to Jery, a good friend and neighbor who came to visit in my front yard. "I don't feel like I have a reason to get out of bed," I told him. Jerry was quiet. His eyes were focused on my mulberry tree. "Look," he whispered. "There's a male cardinal. On that lower branch to the right." I saw the beautiful bird with its long tail, black mask and bright red feather. "They like to build nests in thick bushes," Jerry said, "and mostly eat seeds. They dine regularly at bird feeders, especially in the winter."
Cheer, cheer, cheer, the cardinal sang in a sweet voice. I'd seen such birds before. Now as I studied this one, I realized I'd never really seen a cardinal. He was amazing. Cheer, cheer, cheer, he sang again before leaping into the sky.
From that day on, Jerry continued to introduce me to various new birds, like the sweet-sounding nightingale and the elegant hummingbird. Curiosity, like a light, awakened inside me.
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。
Paragraph 1
The strong interest drove me to watch and record more birds in my yard. Paragraph 2:
With my bird friends, I found back my passion for life.
