Task 8

本刊试题研究中心

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。

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didnt see some rain soon， we would lose everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the best miracle I have ever seen in my life.

I was in the kitchen making lunch for the family when I saw my six⁃year⁃old son， Billy， walking toward the woods. I could only see his back. He wasnt walking with his usual steps. He was obviously walking with great effort...trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods， he came running out again， toward the house. I went back to make sandwiches， thinking that whatever he had been doing was completed. Moments later， however， he was once again walking in the slow purposeful long steps toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour： walking cautiously to the woods， then running back to the house. Finally， my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.

He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked， being very careful not to spill （灑出） the water he held in them. I stepped close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He might have a much greater purpose， I thought. As I came closer， I saw the most amazing sight. Several large deer stood in front of him. Billy walked right up to them， at the sight of which I almost screamed at him to get away. A huge buck （雄鹿） was dangerously close. But the buck neither threatened him nor even moved as Billy knelt down. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground， obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion， lifting its head with great effort to lap （舔着喝） up the water cupped in my boys hands.

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：

When the water was gone， Billy jumped up to run back to the house. I followed him back to the tap.

Paragraph 2：

This time I joined him， with a small pot of water from the kitchen.