“My favorite superhero,” Sebastian started reading in front of his whole class, then he stopped. He was nervous about reading his essay, but his teacher, Mrs. Evans, said she was so impressed by his words that she wanted everyone in class to hear it.

“Go on, Sebastian,” the teacher encouraged.

“My mom is my favorite superhero,” he continued. “Some might laugh at me for saying something like that, but my mom is the most hard-working person in the world. She raised me and my two brothers alone, and we have never lacked anything. She also shows us how much she loves us, which I love about her. Our family is the most important to her, and she made us a special promise.”

“What’s the promise?” a boy in class interrupted.

Sebastian smiled and wet his lips before he continued reading. “My mom promised to get us a house by the end of the year. We live in a trailer, and it’s a little small with three boys. I don’t know if my mom can keep her promise because she had an accident recently, so I’m helping out too.”

“How are you helping?” a teen girl asked.

“Hush, everyone. Let Sebastian finish reading,” Mrs. Evans gently scolded the class.

“My mom is a street sweeper for the city, but she’s been staying home, trying to get better. She’s on paid sick leave, but I still wanted to help. Someone has to do her job. So I went to her boss and started doing her job. I sweep away the leaves outside mostly because they’re falling so often now. But I realized how hard it was and that a real superhero doesn’t wear a cape or go on adventures. A real hero takes care of their family, and I hope to grow up and be half the hero my mom is. Thank you.”

“That was fantastic, Sebastian. Really. Your mom should be proud.”

The rest of the class read their essays too, and Sebastian started to feel a bit silly because they all talked about superheroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Wonder Woman. He was the only one who had written about a real person.

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。

He asked Mrs. Evans about it at the end of their class, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

In the midst of his sweeping, “Sebastian!” he heard Mrs. Evans’ voice.

There was an eight-year-old girl. One day, while returning from school with her mum, she saw a wonderful Barbie doll, on the shelf of a toy shop. The Barbie was designed and packed perfectly. She insisted her mum to buy it, but her mum was having a cash shortage and 50 dollar for the doll was a bit too much to afford as her husband was separated and all she was using was her savings to live their life.

Now each day after her school while coming back with her mum the girl cried for that toy and all her mum could say was next month. Days passed and this continued. Mum got fed up and slapped her daughter for the first time to force her to forget about that toy, and then promised a better one (obviously low cost). However, the kid was very stubborn. She wanted that only.

It was the month of winter when her mum found a job which she could do at home at night after making her daughter sleep. Finally she could have extra money, now she was a bit relaxed. On a Monday afternoon, she went to pick up her daughter as usual, but this time she didn’t go alone. She bought the Barbie toy for her. The kid was glad to see that, excitedly hugging her mum. She was in joy.

Each day the kid played with her doll, making her bath, combing her hair, and making her put on fancy dress. Days passed, and now she was one year older. The Barbie was not as that important. While playing, she grabbed the hair, broke her one hand, etc. Gradually she got bored and the Barbie toy was dumped somewhere unknown.

Years later, she got married. And one day, she came to visit her old mum.

I was sitting at the dinner table with my mother and step father discussing two different family drama situations when my mom held her breath and her mouth was hanging wide open. She wasn’t speaking so I went and looked on her phone, and it was a friend request on Facebook from my elder sister who we both hadn’t spoken to in four years when all of my sisters got annoyed with my mom because of her lies about their childhood spread by their biological father. They abandoned me too since I was still living with my mom.

I leaned over and hugged my mom over the shoulders and tucked (把……塞入) my head in between her jaw and shoulder as I myself started getting teary eyed. She said, “I don’t want to accept it right away. That would be odd.” And as she finished saying this messenger was ringing and it was my elder sister calling.

They talked for over two hours. And it was the best thing that I heard my sister who I haven’t met or heard from in four years, and my niece and nephew speaking words and full comprehensible sentences. The last time I saw them, they were so little, only one and three years old. Now, four years later, what will they be like? Maybe a lot taller? Maybe getting cuter? I am very excited and happy and looking forward to seeing them soon.

I told my mom after the phone call was done that I was going to wait for my sister to add me and gave her space. I needed this more than I actually knew.

About thirty minutes later, the message popped (出现) up on my phone.

I just never thought I would get to see her or hear from her again.