【推荐1】It is just past five o’clock on the Chinese New Year’s Eve. The dinner table is already ________ with white china plates and bowls, full of all sorts of dishes. Luo Yan, ________ the cover of a large bowl to breathe in the ________ smell of the soup his wife and mother have prepared. His son, Bofeng, happily takes a ________ of the chicken his grandfather has already ________ for him.

Six-year-old Bofeng has not ________ his grandparents in person for almost a year, and he is full of joy and excitement. ________, the whole family could not be happier to be together. Despite (尽管) the ________ outside, their happy faces fill the air with warmth while merry ________ rings (环绕) throughout the house. The young couple and their son have settled in the ________ city. Every year, like most Chinese, they travel a long way back for the Spring Festival. It’s ________ for Chinese to get together to enjoy the joy of “three generations under the same roof” on this special day.

After, dinner, the whole family ________ around the television to watch the Spring Festival Gala, while eating snacks and ________ each other excitedly. In the warmth and ________ of the room, Luo Yan talks about his plan for the future. “I hope we won’t have to be separated again,” he says, looking at his ageing parents. “We’ll come back more ________. After all, home is where all family members are together.”

【推荐2】My mother, Donzella Washington, 80, graduated from Alabama A&. M University on Dec. 6 with a bachelor’s degree in social work. Along with her _________ achievements, she made history as the oldest _________ in the history of Alabama A&. M University.

My parents had been living on a farm in California. My mother said that her _________ behind going back to school was my father, Jeff, who was her biggest _________. He supported everything she did, _________ returning to school. Although my father did not have a traditional college education, he knew the _________ of gaining one. My mother wanted to finish her _________ in his honor.

However, my father _________ in 2010, and my mother _________ to Alabama to live with me two years later. The most challenging part was __________ her when she was missing my father badly. Those moments when she cried, all I could do was hold her and love her. I had seen my mother __________ from great sadness over my father’s death and struggle to achieve her education dream. And I was very __________ to be there to witness her final success.

Now, my mother says she is not slowing down so soon. She’s even __________ going back to school to obtain her master’s degree. She __________ to inspire and motivate others that __________ is not a barrier. When it comes to pursuing your dreams, it’s never too late to achieve them.

【推荐3】When my father was getting ready for work, our house was ruled by _________ and words. He used to come downstairs to _________ .

The morning paper lay beside his plate. He always read the “Deaths” first, and then he knocked _________ on the table. One of my sisters brought his bread, already _________ for him. Usually he said nothing,   _________ once I heard him say, “I love you very much, Edith. I would love _________ if you buttered my bread on both sides.” He read the paper all through breakfast.

Two knocks on the table meant “I am ready for my tea.” If a single knock followed, that meant, “More _________ , please.”

_________ a breakfast he said, “Boots.” The paper was spread (展开) for him over the _________ of an arm chair. Yesterday’s paper was put on the chair for his feet, and his boots were brought to him,   __________ cleaned. He read standing at the same time putting on his boots. With one boot __________ he said, “Bus.” At that point one of the girls went outside to the garden gate and __________ there. Her job was to __________ a bus when it came. It came __________ sometimes and it had to wait for my father. “Overcoat, hat.” One of my sisters had already brushed his overcoat. Now she held it __________ for him. __________ girl came with his hat, nicely brushed. “Handkerchief, pipe (烟斗).” They were brought and put, with his tobacco (烟草), into his pocket. He looked out of the window and said __________ “Walking stick” or “Umbrella”. It was handed to him. Ready now, he was __________ reading the paper. He didn’t put it down __________ he heard the shout “Bus coming!” Then he kissed my mother and went out. The girls breathed freely.

How lucky a man was to have a wife and five __________ .

【推荐1】A boy was walking home from school when he saw a large, tempting (诱人的) apple on one of the branches of an apple tree hanging out over a tall fence. The boy wasn’t much of a fruit-eater, _______ a bar of chocolate if given the choice, _______, as they say, the forbidden fruit can be tempting. Seeing the apple, the boy wanted it. The more he looked at it, the _______ he felt and the more he wanted that apple.

He stood on tiptoe (脚尖), _______ as high as he could, but even as his tallest _______ he was unable to touch it. He began to _______ up and down, as high as he could, at the _______ of each jump stretching his arms to get the apple. Still it remained out of _______.

Not giving up, he thought, if only he had something to _______ on. His school bag wouldn’t give enough height and he didn’t want to ____________ the things inside, like his lunch box, pencil case, and Gameboy. Looking ____________, he hoped he might find an old box, a rock, or, ____________ luck, even a ladder, but it was a tidy neighborhood and there was nothing he could use.

He had tried everything he could think to do. ____________ seeing any other choices, he gave up and started to walk ____________. At first he felt angry and disappointed thinking about how hungry he had become from his ____________, and how he really wanted that apple. The more he ____________ like this, the more unhappy he became.

____________, the boy of our story was a pretty smart guy, even if he couldn’t always get what get he wanted. He started to say to himself, “This isn’t ____________. I don’t have the apple and I’m feeling miserable as well. There’s ____________ more I can do to get the apple — that is unchangeable — but we are supposed to be able to ____________ our feelings. If that’s the case, what can I do to feel better?”

【推荐2】After graduation I managed to work at a news organization. As I was new to the world of________ I was often sent to finish ________assignments, but I was eager to________myself in tough things. All I wanted was to make a ________ impression on my seniors.

I________a senior colleague named Joy to let me follow him to his meeting with a major leader. Joy________ me with recording the process on tape. It was simple, but I was ________. I. would learn a little about how inter- views were done.

After we got back to the office, Joy asked me to ________ the tapes for editing. To my ________, they were all blank! Was this going to cost me my job? Tears welled up in my eyes, with my hands   ________ I didn’t know how I’d face Joy. He had ________ me, but I’d let him down. I could imagine him angry at my________and asking me to leave.

When Joy ________ and asked me for the tapes, I________ and cried, apologetic and embarrassed. “ I think I saved them, but. . . ” I said. However, Joy, with a lot of ________as a journalist, had strange________on his face. He sat down and looked me in the eye. “You have to make ________to learn how you can do the job better next time, right?” he smiled.

I stared at Joy ________ . He taught me the most important lesson in my life: Mistakes are ________, and what we learn from them is what ________the course of our success.

【推荐1】I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early _________ of gardening may not have originated from my love for nature. It was to _________ my parents.

At that time, we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with _________at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her, “something else to _________!” Seeing the neighbors busy with gardening, my father ever thought it a waste of time.

At that age, I always did something _________ to whatever my parents did! If gardening were something they found _________ , I would plant a garden!

I planted some lily (百合花) seeds in the yard. But they failed to _________ to sunflower seeds and roses. Wild _________ joy, I found the first rose bloom (开花). One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off. _________, I was touched by this land of wonder. I kept on planting my garden and continued to enjoy the pleasure gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they __________ to care and love.

Today I become known as Mrs. Greenthumbs, and now I could say it is my affection for nature that makes me a real gardener.