“我们最新的研究，是如何改进机械纺织法，将这套霍氏法用于机械加工，投入大批量生产。”霍艾道，“我和我的合作伙伴都希望它能从艺术品的高度走下来，进入千万百姓家。这才是纺织真正的意义。”
报告完成后，全场灯光亮起，在雷鸣般的掌声中，她走下讲台，越走越快，直到迎上观众席前排一个站立鼓掌的身影。
“思安，我的成就有你的一半。”霍艾扬起脸，闪亮的灯光将她的脸照耀地眉目辉煌，“我的妈妈一定会为我骄傲，谢谢你。”
“那么……现在请你兑现答应我的条件吧。”苏思安挑了挑一边眉毛。
霍艾收起笑容，露出认真的神情道：“你说吧。”
“请你，一直坚持走下去。”苏思安道，“永远不要停止攀登纺织学的高峰，把你的一生献给它，不要在乎名声、财富，不要改变你最初的理想。”
“新的事物，总会遇到布满荆棘的道路，科学和艺术尤甚。无论未来有什么阻力等待着你，都要一直向前。”
“……”
“而我，会永远陪伴你。”
原版答案
Holly was confused as she opened the gift from her best friend, Susan.
“I……I thought you could use it for something.” Susan’s explanation did nothing to help us understand why a twelve-by-eighteen-inch dark blue carpet was being presented as a birthday gift.
The murmured “thanks” was barely heard as Holly tried hard not to allow her disappointment to show. She laid the piece of carpet on the kitchen counter, and the two girls headed outside to play with the family dogs.
Holly’s disappointment over the incident didn’t become evident until the following evening when she came downstairs to say good night. “Well, I guess we know how much my best friend thinks of me, huh, Mom?” Her attempt at a cheerful tone failed completely.
The next morning, I carried a kitchen rubbish bag outside. My heart wrenched as I opened the rubbish can and saw Susan’s carpet lying among the other waste items. Hesitating only a moment, I reached in and pulled it out of the can. After giving it a light brushing, I brought it into the house and put it away in the hall closet. Occupied by the business of daily living, the carpet was soon forgotten.
Before Holly’s birthday, Susan had been a regular visitor in our home. On several occasions, she rode the bus home with Holly and was one of the few friends ever permitted to stay over on a school night. The girls did their homework together and went to bed at a reasonable hour. Now as I cooked the evening meal, I realized it had been nearly three weeks since we’d even heard the mention of Susan’s name. I missed her warm smile and eager-to-please ways.
The noise at the front door told me Holly had arrived home from school. “Susan invited me to come over to her house after school tomorrow.” She announced as she put her books down on the kitchen table. Although her voice carried a so-what attitude, I sensed she was pleased by the invitation.
Arrangements were made, and the girls rode home together on the school bus the following day. As I travelled along the winding country road that led to her house, Susan talked nervously about her foster mom (养母) and the seventeen cats she had taken in and cared for with Susan’s help.
Susan guided us through the house. She proudly showed us her room, which was decorated with used furniture. An old picture frame (框架) sitting beside the bed contained pictures of Susan’s parents and siblings from whom, we later learned, she had long since been separated.
I followed Susan’s foster mom — who introduced herself as Glenda — into the kitchen. After clearing a small area, Glenda placed a couple of cups on the table. Her hand trembled slightly as she poured us each a cup of steaming black coffee. She began to relax as we drank our coffee and chatted about her cats.
Her eyes shone as she showed her fondness for Susan. But her expression turned blue when she referred briefly to the girl’s past. In a short time, I came to respect this generous-hearted woman who had opened her home to a young girl and attempted to make a difference in her life.
As daylight began to fade, we offered our thanks for the visit and said good-bye.
Holly sat quietly in the car on the way home. Stealing a glance, I noticed her back was straight. Her head and shoulders were thrust forward as if willing the car to move faster. No sooner had we come to a stop in the driveway than she threw open the car door and walked purposefully toward the side gate. Curious, I followed. My throat tightened as I observed my daughter standing next to the rubbish can looking inside. Her shoulders dropped as she replaced the lid of the can and dragged into the house.
“Is this what you were looking for?” I placed the piece of carpet on the table in front of her. “Thanks, Mo” A tear or two slipped from her eyes and splashed onto the dark blue carpet that, as if by magic, had become the most precious birthday present in the whole world.
简述：苏思安是一个身世坎坷屡遭不幸的少女，被她的养母收养，她家境贫寒，却为自己的好友准备了能拿出手的最好的生日礼物。知道真相的霍莉流下了感动又后悔的泪水，幸好有神助攻霍艾收起了毯子，霍莉也终于明白毯子对于自己的珍贵。最后霍莉和苏思安过上了幸福的生活。
神之驭兽师
镇上最漂亮的女孩
原文
（大舟x中学2016年6月期末考试题）
瑞拉玛莉从十三岁起就为她的长相感到难过。那时，她长得比其他的女孩子都高，为此她感到很难为情，另一方面她觉得自己太瘦了。到二十岁时，她确信她的长相实在有点太难看了。
尽管如此，瑞拉有了一个男朋友，帕特鲁迪，他的父母开着一间杂货店。帕特并不是什么引人注目的人物，但凭瑞拉的长相，这已经挺不错了——人们都这样认为。
但是瑞拉又喜欢上了山姆特纳德——山姆是镇上令人关注的人物。他父亲是位银行家，非常富有。母亲是镇上社交活动的组织人。另外，山姆高大而又英俊。
帕特开始和父亲一起经营杂货店，山姆则进了银行。这是小镇上男孩子们的选择。镇上的人觉得瑞拉会嫁给帕特，而帕特会接替他父亲的杂货店。
如果不是莱斯利杜兰特先生的出现，这一切都会发生的。莱斯利杜兰特先生是一位著名的杂志插图画家。他到镇上来看他的姨妈。当然，他参加了各种聚会。他是一个社交名星，在镇上只呆了几天但却长得足够发生什么事了。
他看到了瑞拉玛莉。瑞拉站在门边看着山姆，并不知道她的脸上把她所想的都显露了出来。没有人注意到这点——除了杜兰特。他看到瑞拉穿着件不合身的衣服，头发不平整；山姆却衣装得体，充满自信。接着，帕特带着瑞拉去跳舞了。
第二天，杜兰特作出一项惊人的宣布。他告诉每一个听他讲话的人，瑞拉玛莉是目前镇上最漂亮的女孩，是他所见过的最漂亮的女孩。
从来没有人评论过瑞拉的长相，她一向害羞、自卑，常常对她的容貌感到伤心。但现在，一位从未来过镇上的权威说她居然是最漂亮的女孩。
当杜兰特自己告诉她这话时，她一时不知所措，好不容易说出谢谢两个字来。随后，她羞答答地找到了杜兰特。“我希望您能告诉我，怎样才能使我变得好看点”她不好意思地问道。
杜兰特和瑞拉的母亲对瑞拉的服饰进行了一番打扮。杜兰特帮她重新梳理了头发，告诉她应该穿什么样的衣服。
那天晚上为杜兰特举行了舞会——这是他在镇上呆的最后一晚。瑞拉头一次成了引人注目的中心。杜兰特满意地看到山姆专心致志地和瑞拉一起跳舞，瑞拉用热切的眼光看着他——以前山姆从未注意过她。
杜兰特回到在纽约的家，投入繁忙的工作，很快忘了这件事。时光流逝，直到有一天……
杜兰特正在一家餐馆一人吃午饭，一位动人的高个妇人朝他走来。
“您还认识我吗？”妇人问道。
杜兰特记不起来。
“我是瑞拉特纳德——您认识我时我叫瑞拉玛莉。您到过我住的镇上——改变了我的生活，您记起来了吗？”
“哦，当然，”杜兰特说，“我记得，那是我试图改变一个人命运的一次尝试。”
“您做得非常好!”瑞拉说，话音里有种奇怪的语调。
“你和你喜欢的那个男孩子结婚了，对吧他叫特纳德，对吧？”
“是的，”瑞拉说，“您怎么记得他的名字又怎么知道我喜欢他？”
“我擅长记人的名字。当时我看见你盯着他的眼神，就什么都知道了，一切就这么简单。”
“是吗”瑞拉说。“这真有趣，不是吗我和帕特在一起，又爱上了山姆，我很自卑和不高兴。您突然说我很漂亮——很自然地我成了位漂亮的姑娘。男孩子们都想和我约会，山姆和我就结了婚。”
“太棒了!”杜兰特高兴地笑道，“你现在过得怎么样？”
人物介绍:
瑞拉·玛丽-李瑞拉 最漂亮的妹子-张碧 山姆-慕萨 帕特-丁帕 杜兰特-杜蓝田
神之驭兽师
