I live in a poorer quarter of my small Maine town, but I like it here. It's pretty and I know all my neighbors.
Some years back I returned home to find that my house had been broken into. As I said, I know all my neighbors and therefore I had a pretty good idea who the burglar was. I spoke with the police and when I made my suspicions (猜想) known, they rolled their eyes. "He's got quite a record already," they told me. "If you accuse Jared (not his real name), he will go to the youth center."
I asked the police to hold off until I could speak with Jared. In the interim (期间), I went to his high school and told the principal what had happened. I also came up with a way that wouldn't involve the law.
My next stop was Jared's house. When he saw me, fear filled his eyes. "It's OK, let's take a walk." I said as he walked beside me. I asked why he had broken into my house. "If I take you to court, you will stay in the youth center for six years."
A look of regret appeared across Jared's face and I caught the moment. "Look," I said, "and listen carefully. I spoke to the high school. I've offered to mentor (辅导) you for one school year. This means you have to meet with me for one hour every week. We will spend a half hour on homework and a half-hour talking about anything you like. But you must repay the money you stole from my house. "He took the offer. To Jared's credit, he showed up in a quiet, dedicated (专用的) space in school every Friday morning.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I learned about his broken family.
I held out my hand to Jared and said, "That's it."
