When reading The Road Not Taken, one cannot help but see in one’s mind images of a     1     (peace) wood deep within the countryside. Paths in the woods are often used     2     (symbolize) how our lives progress and change.

Life     3     (throw) many alternatives at us on a daily basis. Whether our choices are big     4     small, they all cause specific consequences. Once we make a decision, in most     5     (circumstance), there is no going back. Although the writer of the poem considers taking the other path another day, he knows it’s unlikely that he will ever have the opportunity to do so. Like the writer, all we can do is look backwards “with a sigh” and imagine     6     could have been.

The road ahead—the road through our lives—is a mixture of     7     (choose) and chance. And when we are approaching the end of that road, how will we remember the journey? How will we look back on our lives? Some of us do take a more unusual path through life, and although it may be harder to follow, it can also lead     8     new adventures and experiences. Nonetheless, part of the art of decision­making is learning to make     9     most of our decisions. Instead of     10     (look) back with regret, we should be facing our future with energy and optimism, for the choices are ours, and ours only.

A young man, while traveling through a desert, came across a spring of clear water. The water was sweet. He     1     (fill) his leather container so that he could bring some back to an elder     2     had been his teacher. After a four-day journey, the water     3     (present) to the old man. The teacher took a deep drink, smiled     4     (warm), and thanked his student very much for the sweet water. The young man went home with a happy heart.

After the student left, the teacher let another student     5     (taste) the water. He spit it out,     6     (say) it was awful. Obviously, it was no longer fresh because of the old leather container. He asked his teacher, “Sir, the water was awful. Why did you pretend to like     7    ? ”

The teacher replied, “You tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was an act of     8     (kind) and love. Nothing could be     9     (sweet).”

We understand this lesson best when we receive gifts of love from children. Whether it is a cheap pipe or a diamond necklace, the proper response is appreciation. We love more about the idea within the gift     10     the thing itself.

A young man, while traveling through a desert, came across a spring of clear water.    1    water was sweet. He filled his leather container so that he could bring some back to an elder     2     had been his teacher .After a four-day journey, the young man    3    (present) the water to the old man. His teacher took a deep drink, smiled    4    (warm), and thanked his student very much for the sweet water. The young man went home    5    a happy heart.

After the student left, the teacher let     6    student taste the water. He spit it out,     7    (say) it was awful. Apparently, it was no longer fresh because of the old leather container. He asked his teacher,” Sir, the water was awful. Why did you pretend to like     8    ?”

The teacher replied,” You tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of kindness and love. Nothing could be     9     (sweet).”

We understand this lesson best     10     we receive gifts of love from children. Whether it is a cheap pipe on a diamond necklace, the proper response is appreciation. We love the idea within the gift rather than the thing.

It seems that the old tradition of children getting a bedtime story before sleeping is disappearing in Britain. A new study shows that around a third of parents do not read bedtime stories to their children. The study, from British online retailer (零售商) Littlewoods.com, also found that up     1     50 per cent of children would prefer to watch TV or play computer games than be read a story. Researchers further discovered that five per cent of British under-sevens do not even own     2     book. Parents came up with     3     (vary) reasons why they did not read to their little children. The researchers questioned hundreds of parents, thirteen percent of     4     blamed a lack of time. Besides, some parents said their children were     5     (simple) not interested.

Littlewoods     6     (work) with British pop star Natasha Hamilton to try and change this since last month. They have launched a bedtime story writing     7     (compete) for children under seven. Ms. Hamilton said, “I’m really excited to see all the different story ideas and can’t wait     8     (see) what the kids come up with.     9     (choose) a winner is not going to be easy.” She spoke about her own joy as a mother in reading bedtime stories, saying, “As a mom of three, I know just how enjoyable reading bedtime stories to my kids is.” A spokesman from Littlewoods.com said, “We appreciate how important     10     is for parents and kids to spend quality time together, and bedtime stories are a great way to do this.”

The name of the Paris 2024 mascot (吉祥物) is Olympic Phryge. It is shaped after the     1     (tradition) small Phrygian caps. The name and design were chosen     2     (represent) symbolic figures of the French Republic. The Olympic Phryge is decorated     3     blue, white and red, with the golden Paris 2024 emblem (徽章) clearly     4     (print) on it.

The Phrygian caps that the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic mascots are based on     5     (be) a symbol of freedom since ancient times. They are     6     (repeated) used as a common reference for French people. Phrygian caps can be seen on the head of the figure Marianne in every town hall and even feature on everyday     7     (object) in France such as coins and stamps. They are an international symbol of freedom,     8     (appear) on different emblems in North and South America.

    9     motto (格言) of the Olympic Phryge and Paralympic Phryge is: “Alone we go faster, but together we go further,”     10     stands for the ways that the mascots and the people of the world can make each other better by working side-by-side.