Residents of Xiazhuang, Chongqing, used to risk their     1    (life) whenever they ventured out of the mountain village surrounded by steep cliffs (悬崖) about 1,000 meters high. It was Mao Xianglin, head of the village,     2     gathered nearly all Xiazhuang's 400 villagers for a meeting in 1997 and suggested building a road     3     (snake) along the mountains. The 8-kilometer-long road links the village,     4    (locate) at the bottom of a valley,    5    the outside world. Before it was built, it usually took the villagers more than a full day to access the outside world. Now it only needs a one-hour drive.

The construction work was rather more difficult than they imagined. Standing on the edge of the cliff, they were    6    (extreme) terrified with their legs shaking. However, when there was adangerous situation, Mao was always the first    7    (go). After 7 years of wrestling   with severe challenges, the road    8    (complete) in 2004, which is not only a road but a route to overcome     9    (poor). Nowadays the villagers are much     10     (well-off) than before by selling agricultural products through livestreaming.

Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and her husband noticed a change in their older son: Suddenly, he seemed to be talking far more to his friends     1     to his parents. “Usually, the door to his room     2     (shut).” Joanna noted.

I’d spent nearly every waking minute of the past ten years helping to build the company from its beginning. My husband and I didn’t have children—I often called the office my extended family.     1     my boss fired me one morning. “You’re no longer a good fit here,” he said. “Your father’s lung cancer has spread to his brain.”     2     (sudden), my job didn’t seem so important.

The next months were busy with doctor appointments and     3     (treat). Every waking minute, I tried to make Dad as     4     (comfort) as I could. I may have been out of work, but it didn’t feel like it. I had a new job. I even wore my nicer clothes,     5     Dad preferred “a lady in a dress”. Our days together     6     (be) painful, yet precious. We laughed, we cried and we told old stories. His sense of humor never failed. He died almost four months later after I thought nothing could be more painful     7     losing my job.

Now I know     8     (well). I got a new job, a far less time-consuming one. Family     9     (come) first. I’m thankful I got the chance     10     (learn) that before it was too late.